Turkish coffee is a traditional and beloved style of coffee that has been enjoyed for centuries. With its rich and intense flavor, it is a staple in homes and cafes across Turkey and the Middle East. Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or simply looking to try something new, learning how to make Turkish coffee is a must for anyone who loves coffee.
This centuries-old method of brewing coffee is easy to learn and can be adapted to suit your individual taste preferences.
But even if you are not in Turkey or at a coffee shop, you can still prepare your favorite Turkish coffee at home by following these easy steps! Here’s a detailed guide on how to make the best Turkish coffee!
What You Need
There’s a joke about it in Turkey. If you go to someone’s home in this beautiful country, you will not be asked if you want Turkish coffee but how you want it prepared. And that implies the quantity of sugar you want to be added to it.
Making Authentic Turkish coffee is not as difficult as you might imagine. And it can definitely be made to high standards even outside Turkey if you respect certain steps. But before you get started here are the basic ingredients you need to have handy
Filtered water
The quality of your water is very important when you make your coffee. By using filtered water you can be sure that it will not influence the taste of coffee in an undesired way. Always use cold filtered water when you prepare your coffee.
Coffee
The type of coffee that you use is not as important as the grinding level of it. One of the most popular types of coffee used for Turkish coffee is Arabica beans. But regardless to what coffee you use, I would recommend a medium roast. I would also highly recommend that you buy whole bean coffee that has been roasted within 2 weeks of brewing. .
Grinder
You will want to get a high quality grinder that has the ability to grind your coffee fine enough for Turkish Coffee. Turkish coffee needs to be extremely fine grounded and choosing the right grinder is crucial for the quality of your Turkish coffee!
Ibrik
You will need a pot to make the coffee in and coffee cups to serve it to your guests. Also make sure that you have sugar and a stove or a source of heat available to get this process completed. Traditionally, the Ibrik used to make Turkish coffee is made of copper and the one I would recommend you use. They are easily found on Amazon and there are may styles to choose from.
How To Make Turkish Coffee – Step by Step Instructions
Now that you made sure you have all you need to make the Turkish coffee, let’s dive into the steps of this process. You don’t need a lot of experience to brew Turkish coffee but attention to details is very important in this process.
1 – Measure the water to the number of coffee cups you want
To do this properly, you should use the coffee cup that you are planning to serve your coffee in. A general rule is to use 1 and a half cup of water for each coffee cup. It is important to not add more or less water because this will negatively modify the taste of the final coffee. Add the water quantity in the pot that you will brew the coffee in.
2 – Heat up the Water
You can do this on any other heating source as long as it provides a medium heat level. You don’t want to boil the water fast and you need to maintain it at a medium heat until it gets hot enough but not to a boiling point. Make sure that the heat is evenly spear on the bottom of the pot.
3 – Add the coffee
The coffee should be added after the pot of water stayed on the medium heat for yo to 2-3 minutes. To add the coffee you can use a teaspoon or a tablespoon. The rule here is to add 1 tablespoon of coffee for each 3 oz. of water. It is very important to not stir the coffee after you add it to the water. If you do that, you take the risk of forming chunks.
4 – Add the sugar
Sugar should be added according to your preferences. But make sure you add it one minute after you added the coffee. This should also be done before the water reaches a boiling point.
5 – Start stirring it slowly
If you notice that the coffee starts to settle at the bottom of your pot and the sugar is slowly getting dissolved, you can stir your coffee. But there’s no need to overdo it. Simply mix it a few times and turn the heat down to a low level. You will notice a foam forming on the surface of your coffee.
6 – Turn the heat off
As soon as you see bubbles forming on the surface of the brew turn the heat to its lowest level for up to 10 seconds. After the 10 seconds go by, turn the heat off completely and take the Ibrik away from the heat source.
7 – Watch the Water – Never let it boil
Try to complete the previous steps before the water reaches a boiling point. This is why timing and observing the state of your brew are crucial elements because if you add your coffee later or if you stir it too long, the entire process might be ruined.
If your coffee reaches a boiling point, you will not have the foam that you want and that takes away greatly from the charm of a well made Turkish coffee. Keeping your brewing to a maximum temperature of 70 degrees C or 158 degrees F is ideal in order to obtain the best froth.
8 – Allow a Couple of Minutes for the Coffee to Settle
Once your brewing process is completed, don’t rush to pour the coffee in the cups. Give it up to 2 minutes to settle and create a nice thick foam on top. This will make it taste much better once you serve it as well. Once you poured the coffee in cups, don’t stir it at all. You want the coffee to remain to the bottom of the cup which will not happen if you start stirring it at this point.
Bonus Brewing Tip
Some Turkish people use an interesting trick to enhance the flavor of coffee even more. Before they pour the coffee into the cups, they take a teaspoon of the foam created on the surface of the pot and add it to the bottom of the coffee cup. Then repeat this for each coffee cup.
After they add a teaspoon of foam, they pour the coffee until the cups are full. You can try this and see what difference it makes, even if it is not part of the general brewing recipe.
How to Serve Turkish Coffee
Serving Turkish coffee is a ritual in and of itself. If you want to make sure you get the whole experience, you should make sure that your Turkish coffee is served the right way.
Choose some attractive coffee cups from Amazon or elsewhere that will compliment the strong taste and thick foam of your coffee.
Also, make sure to add a glass of cold water next to each cup of Turkish coffee that you serve. The water should drunk first to clean the palate and enhance the strong and rich taste of the coffee.
You could also add some Turkish sweets or chocolate to go with the coffee, for you and your guests enjoyment. These small but important details will create the right atmosphere you want to have around when you are drinking a cup of Turkish coffee.
Final Thoughts
As you can hopefully see at this point, preparing Turkish coffee is not as complex as you might have feared, even if you never made it before. It is very important to follow the steps and don’t push the boiling point of the water.
But even more important than this is the grinder that you are using. If you purchase your coffee already ground (NOT recommended), you will save time and you will be sure that your coffee is grounded correctly but you will lose alot of the flavor that fresh roasted, whole bean coffee has to offer.
Ideally, you want to grind the coffee yourself and it is well worth it to invest in a coffee grinder made to grind the type of fine powder that you need. A coffee that is not fine enough, will not give you the taste that you are going for even if you follow the steps given above correctly. If at all possible use fresh roasted coffee for the best experience.
With that being said, with the steps mentioned above, you can start making the best Turkish coffee not only for yourself but also your friends and family. If you do it often enough, you will make this into a social ritual that all takes place in the comfort of your house. You will no longer have to leave your home to enjoy Turkish coffee anymore!