Ever wanted to know how to make the perfect Turkish coffee? Ever wanted to experience that kick in the guts that only Turkish coffee can give you? I love Turkish coffee. I love the spiciness and the intensity. It is different, has a unique taste and is not for the faint-hearted.
Did you know that the first coffee shop in Istanbul was apparently established in the 1470s, (though there is some conjecture) soon after the Turks won the city? Alcohol was banned in the Ottoman Empire, so coffee became the social drink of the Islamic middle east. And we are happy that this happened.
We have sourced our information from our local Turkish coffee maker, and some Turkish friends of ours. A Australia is very multicultural, we are at an advantage in having so many different styles of coffee, and coffee friends on hand to guide us. They have told us the correct equipment that you will need. It was amusing as they disparaged some I showed them.
The coffee pot and coffee grinders have been 100% recommended by people who make Turkish coffee daily.
The Featured Image was a perfect Turkish Coffee that we enjoyed at Anason, a Turkish restaurant in Barangaroo in Sydney, where we enjoyed a fabulous Bosphorus Feast. If you want to buy these perfect little Turkish coffee cups, I found them at Amazon, so just click here.
How to Make Turkish Coffee Properly
Contents
Making Turkish coffee properly takes skill, and maybe we will never get close to the people who have grown up making it all their lives, where the recipe and method have been passed down through the generations – but you can have a go at least.
The Turkish Coffee Grinder
One of the most critical things is having the correct utensils. These include a proper Turkish coffee grinder. Electric grinders do not do the job properly and while you can use this coffee grinder also to grind pepper, I wouldn’t – although you could very well come up with a new pepper Turkish coffee, and I would try this. The coffee needs to be ground until it like powder. Therein lies one of the keys, and the rest are detailed below. This is what we recommend, as recommended to us.
The Coffee Beans
Use a dark roast, it is better for the slow brew process to make the perfect Turkish coffee.
Sweeteners and Spices
Normal white sugar will work, and honey is also good. You use approx one or more teaspoons per cup. Choose whatever spice suits you, but about 1/8 teaspoon works. Cardamom is traditionally used to make Turkish coffee though this will vary from region to region.
The Coffee Pot
You also MUST have a brass Turkish coffee pot because that is exactly the way it is.
Get a Turkish long-handled; bell-shaped coffee pot called an ibrik in Greek and a cezve [pronounced jazz-veh] in Turkish. This is what we recommend
This Coffee was from Nonabel in Wollongong, Australia – because Australia makes awesome coffee
Instructions on How to Make the Perfect Turkish Coffee?
Step One: Grinding
Grind the coffee beans to powder using the correct grinder as discussed
Step Two: Cold Water
Only use cold water, as it helps to generate the infusion of flavours. Fill the cezve with 4 oz of water per person served, filling it at most to within ¼ of the way to the top.
Put the cezve on the heat source at low/medium heat and bring just up to a boil; then remove from heat.
Step 3: Adding Coffee, Sweeteners, and Spices
Select a ratio of about 2.5 grams of coffee per ounce of water. A Turkish coffee cup is slightly larger than a traditional espresso cup, so be aware that you may want to experiment to taste with the amount of coffee.
Add one teaspoon of sweetener per Turkish Cup
Add spice(s) of choice, at least one pinch per cup and adjust to taste. Cardoman is an excellent choice.
Step 4: SLOWLY heat the coffee
What’s thought to be unique about the Turkish brewing process has a lot to do with the slow rise in temperature. This is why it is imperative to start with cold water and bring to near-boiling over a low heat.
Stir until all of the sweeteners are dissolved, and the clumps of coffee are broken up.
Step 5: Take it OFF the heat
Allow the çezve to sit for 4 minutes to allow the coffee to infuse. Stir once a minute, or just once at the end. IMPORTANT: Only stir the top of the infusion, breaking up the “puck” of wet grounds that forms on the surface. You do not want to stir up all the sediment from the bottom.
Step 6: Return to heat
Put the cezve back on the stove and bring it slowly back to near-boiling point. Again, remove it from heat and allow to cool.
Many people will repeat this process for the third time, so why no
Step 7: Serving
Bring the coffee pot to the table and let it sit some more. All the time the flavors are infusing.
Traditionally Turkish coffee is served with a small glass of water to allow the drinker to cleanse his or her palate, and a small piece of Turkish delight or baklava.
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