Brewing Methods (A Series): Turkish Coffee
TURKISH COFFEE
While it takes a little finesse and perseverance, Turkish coffee makes a velvety and very potent cup of coffee. It is often sipped while being enjoyed with Turkish delight or other sweet treats to cut the bitterness. Some people like to add a little bit of sugar while they brew the coffee as well. As someone who has had Turkish coffee, it packs quite a punch and is caffeine charged. It is more like an espresso than a cup of coffee, as each cup contains only about 2-3 ounces of coffee.
What is particularly unique about Turkish coffee? With Turkish coffee, the grounds are left in the cup of coffee, and the most traditional method uses hot sand to brew the coffee. However, did you know you can make Turkish coffee on your stove? While it works better if you have a gas stove to control the flame, you can make it on an electric stove.
PROS
Cleaning up is easier than most brewing methods.
It’s a highly customizable experience. You can adjust the water to coffee ratio as much as you like. You can control the time on the heat and repetition of steps to get the bitterness and foam content you prefer. Turkish coffee is not typically measured out, and there really isn’t a wrong way. You find what works for you!
CONS
This process, while relatively simple, takes practice to get right. It is a coffee brewing process that is relatively quick, but this isn’t a process in which you can multitask or leave it alone to brew. However, that is what makes it an extremely rewarding process.
Turkish coffee is hard to get at a coffee shop or store because of how finely it needs to be ground.
HOW TO MAKE IT
For one cup of Turkish coffee, you need:
Ibrik or Cezve
Turkish Coffee (1 heaping tablespoon - 5 or 6 grams of coffee)
Water (between 60-80 mL or 2-2.5 ounces)
Granulated Sugar (optional)
If you are really committed to making an excellent cup of Turkish coffee, I would suggest investing in a Turkish coffee grinder. The grounds need to be even finer than if you were making espresso, and the traditional coffee grinder can have a hard time getting the grounds that fine.
Add the water, coffee, (and sugar if desired) to the ibrik. Set the ibrik on the stove on a low heat. You do not really want the mixture coming to a boil. You can mix it a little bit, but like getting a fluffy pancake batter, if you over mix then your coffee will not have the classic foam form.
Let the coffee mixture heat up slowly. Controlling the heat is quite important in making Turkish coffee, which is why a gas stove makes this process a little easier. Right before it reaches a boiling point, you should see a foam start to form on top. Take the ibrik off of the heat and scoop the foam out and place it in a cup.
Return the ibrik to the heat. Allow the coffee to heat up for about 20 seconds, then remove it from the heat for about 10 seconds. You will repeat this process about 3-4 times. Once you have completed this process, pour the coffee into the cup you set the foam aside in slowly. If you pour too fast, it can cause the foam to collapse. Allow the coffee to sit for at least one minute to let the grounds settle to the bottom so when you sip on your coffee, it is not gritty.
We recommend a dark roast of coffee for the Turkish coffee brewing method. For a quick fix, Walmart does carry Turkish coffee, but if you want to get your own whole beans, we have the following roasts available at jo2go.co: