How to Make Turkish Coffee at Home

Coffee is a very big part of Turkish life. Everywhere in the country, you will see clusters of small and large coffee houses in every corner of the street. Turkey was home to coffee and coffee lover way before it was the brew was introduced to the rest of the world. Through the centuries, Turkey has kept its coffee culture alive.  Turkish coffee is best enjoyed in these street stalls and coffee houses with the chatter of discussions going on about you. However, if you need a taste of Turkey at home, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to make Turkish coffee at home.

What Is Turkish Coffee?

Coffee is prepared a little differently in Turkey when compared with the rest of the world. To name one major difference, coffee in Turkey is boiled instead of brewed. This means the grounds are added to the water and boiled with them, compared to passing hot water through the grounds, a method the rest of the world follows. Arabica beans are considered the best beans for the concoction, however, they can be substituted with Robusta if there is a need.

The second important thing about Turkish coffee is the vessel in which it is prepared. The pot is called a cezve in Turkey, and an ibrik everywhere else in the world. This is a small pot with a handle on one side, which is placed over an open fire. The coffee is boiled this it starts to froth, and then served.

Easy Recipe to Make Turkish Coffee

Ingredients

Water- 50 ml per cup

Coffee- 2 teaspoons per cup

Sugar- to taste

Method

Step 1: Choose Your Pot      

The authentic method to make Turkish coffee is to use a Cezve or Ibrik, which is a small Turkish coffee pot. You can either use a Cezve or substitute it with any metal pot. Take care with the size of the pot. If the pot is too large, the coffee won’t froth and will start to burn. Frothing the coffee is very important when making Turkish coffee.

Step 2: Add the Water and Coffee to the Pot

Add the water directly to the pot, and add the coffee to the cold water.

Step 3: Add in the Sugar

Sugar in Turkish coffee is optional. You can add any amount of sugar, or simply choose to not add sugar at all. You can choose any of the following options

Unsweetened (no sugar added) – Sade

With little sugar (add ½ teaspoon sugar) – Az şekerli

A bit sweeter (add 1 teaspoon sugar) – Orta şekerli

Super sweet (add 2 teaspoons sugar) – Şekerli

Note: These sugar measurements are all for 1 cup of Turkish coffee.

Step 4: Boil the Coffee

Place the pot on a low flame, and let it heat, all the while giving the mixture the occasional stir. Do not over stir, or the foam won’t form. Heat the mixture till it starts to foam. Take care to not increase the heat or the coffee will burn. You need to let the foam rise over low heat.

Step 5: Separate the Foam

Once the coffee starts to foam, remove it from the heat. Then use a spoon to move the foam to the cup/cups. Ideally, you should use a wooden spoon, as a cold metal spoon may cause the foam to dissipate.

Step 6: Reheat the Coffee

Once you’ve moved the foam in the cups, place the pot back on the flame. Let it boil once again before dividing the coffee into the cups.

Step 7: Serve

Turkish coffee is served in very small cups. Unlike conventional coffee, no mugs are used. You can purchase a set of Turkish coffee cups, but teacups work fine. Serve while hot, and there you have it, an easy recipe to make Turkish coffee.

Nutritional Content

The following data is per cup or 245 g of turkish coffee.

Tips to Make the Best Turkish Coffee

The Water.  Always use cold, filtered water. Making sure the water is cold is essential to getting good foam buildup when boiling the coffee. Additionally, coffee made from filtered water tastes better.

Use Fresh Coffee. Fresh coffee is important because coffee that has been roasted and ground for a long time does not foam right. We recommend always starting with fresh coffee. Especially if you want to experience the authentic flavor when you make Turkish coffee at home.

Use Turkish Coffee. Turkish coffee beans aren’t a separate entity. However, Turkish coffee is ground extremely fine, which is not the case with conventional coffee grounds. Using conventional coffee grounds isn’t advised, as the coffee isn’t filtered before consumption. You can buy some at your local market, or order online. We recommend Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, and Al Ameed.

Mix the Coffee and Water Beforehand. Giving the coffee and water together before placing the pot on the stove helps create more foam.

Never Let Your Coffee Boil. You need to make the coffee foam, but not boil. Always remove the coffee from the heat, and move the foam on top to the cups.

Pour Your Coffee Slowly. After you’ve removed the foam and reheated the coffee, you need to pour it slowly into the cups. This will ensure the foam will not dissolve.

Don’t Stir the Coffee After Serving. Once you are done serving, the coffee grounds will start to settle on the bottom of the cup. This is a good thing because then you don’t taste these grounds in your mouth when drinking. Don’t stir the coffee, because this will mix the coffee, and at the same time break down the foam.

Serve the Coffee With a Glass of Lukewarm Water. This is a Turkish custom. Water is provided so that the drinker can clean their palate, and be able to enjoy the coffee better.

Why Use a Cezve/Ibrik?

A cezve is unique in its shape, and its structure serves a very important purpose. The pot is made with a wide base, and a slim neck with opens to a comparatively narrower top. This structure created the most foam.

Serving the coffee in the smallest possible cups is also meant to protect the foam. Another reason for the small cups is that Turkish coffee is very dense. It is not easy for someone to drink a lot of Turkish coffee, especially since it is not filtered.

Conclusion

Coffee is very important for the Turkish people. It is served to special guests and on every special occasion. The saying is that you never ask a guest in turkey if they would like to have coffee. Instead, you ask them how they would like their coffee prepared. Foam on the coffee is another important thing for the Turks. Having as much foam on the coffee as possible is a sign of skill,  and garners a certain level of appreciation. . Now that you’ve found the best easy recipe to make Turkish coffee, why don’t you try out your foam-making skills?