Turkish coffee is a specialty coffee drink prepared with a Turkish pot and grinder. It is also typically served in small cups. It can be made with any type of coffee bean, although mocha, java, and Vietnamese roast are the best for Turkish coffee.
What Makes the Turkish Pot and Grinder Different?
A Turkish pot, typically called a cezve or an ibrik, is distinctive because of its wide bottom, narrow neck, spout, and long handle. It is also typically made out of copper.
Turkish grinders are traditional manual grinders, which use a hand crank to grind your beans extra-fine. These have extremely high quality blades designed to grind your coffee to the consistency of cocoa powder. Some of the high end Turkish grinders offer multiple settings, so you can make other types of coffee.
Most electric grinders in Europe also have a setting for Turkish coffee, but if North American grinders don't, so you'll have to buy a set of burrs (usually around $200) for your regular grinder if you want to make Turkish coffee electrically.
How to Make Turkish Coffee
Once you've got the right equipment, you can start making the actual coffee.
1. Add Water to the Pot
You should add about 50ML (1.7Oz) for every cup of coffee you want.
2. Add Sugar
How much sugar you want to add is entirely up to you, but typically two teaspoons per cup of coffee is enough.
3. Boil Water
Make sure you add the sugar before this so it permeates the water properly.
4. Add Coffee
As soon as your water is boiling, remove it from the heat and add a teaspoon of ground coffee per desired cup. Mix the coffee grounds in, using a fork like a whisk. Lower the heat, then put your pot back on the stove, taking care not to actually let it boil (ideal temperature is around 158ºF/70ºC). Stir occasionally.
5. Remove from the Stove
Eventually a ring of foam will rise from the coffee. Remove the pot from the stove immediately. Let the foam calm down for about 15 seconds, then siphon it into cups or discard it (hint: it tastes a lot better with the foam). Make sure all the cups have an even amount of foam, aiming for around 2 teaspoons per cup.
6. Reheat
Set your stove to the minimum level of heat and put your cezve back on the stove.
7. Remove
After a few minutes you'll see a second ring of foam forming, which is known as the "second rise" of Turkish coffee. Immediately remove the pot.
8. Pour
Now you are ready to serve! Pour carefully, focusing on the sides of the cup so you can keep as much of the foam as possible. Make sure everyone waits for about 30 seconds before they start drinking; this gives the coffee grounds time to settle at the bottom of the cup.
Final Advice
Making Turkish coffee isn't quite as simple as making your regular cup of Joe, but it's an enjoyable process with a delicious result. You can make the Turkish coffee even more enjoyable by adding a small amount of cardamom or cinnamon.
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