Turkish Coffee: How To Make It

Are espressos just not doing it for you anymore? Looking to find something stronger and thicker (aren’t we all?). Then it’s worth considering Turkish coffee for your morning wake up call, instead. 

Hailing all the way from Turkey, this strong, special style of coffee is sure to fulfill your caffeine needs. Learn all about Turkish coffee, how it’s made and how to drink it like a Turk… 

What is Turkish coffee? 

Despite appearances, Turkish coffee is a very unique style of coffee. Turkish coffee is an unfiltered coffee made with ultra-fine ground coffee beans, medium roast. Rather than brewing the coffee, it’s cooked on a stove, which gives it a deep, rich flavour and thick consistency. Sugar is often added during cooking, to soften the notes a little. 

How to make Turkish coffee

Making a Turkish coffee is a relatively simple process but it must be executed perfectly (to a Turkish standard). With our 5 step guide to making Turkish coffee, you’ll be able to bring a taste of Turkey into your home…

Ingredients 

• Medium roast ultra-fine ground coffee
• Water
• Sugar (optional) 

Tools 

• 1 Ibrik  -  A traditional copper pot with a spout and long handle. Named cezve in Turkey, but ibrik elsewhere. 

Method 

Once you’ve got everything ready, you’re good to go! Stick to this simple guide and find yourself with a Turkish coffee in hand in no time…

Step 1 

Add all the ingredients to the ibrik. The measurements are very simple. For one serving, pour one Turkish coffee cup of water and one heaped teaspoon of coffee into the ibrik. Do not stir any of the ingredients. 

If you’re a sugar fan, add this after pouring in the water and let it sink to the bottom. 

Step 2 

Place the ibrik onto the stove on a low heat. Wait for it to heat up a little and then stir slowly. 

Step 3

The coffee will start to reach boiling point, after some time. Once it begins to rise and boil over, take the ibrik off of the stove. 

Step 4

Once off the stove, there should be a foam on top of the cooked coffee in the ibrik. Spoon some of the foam into the bottom of the cup. 

Remember, more foam means a better coffee! 

Step 5 

Place the ibrik back onto the stove to cook once more. When it starts to boil over, remove it from the stove again. Then, simply pour out your Turkish coffee and enjoy! 

TOP TIP: Pouring the coffee slowly preserves the iconic texture of the Turkish coffee, key to the whole experience!

How to drink Turkish coffee 

Turkish coffee can be served without sugar but people often add sugar to sweeten it, taking the edge off. If you want to do this, you’ll have to practice your Turkish language skills. The terminology goes as follows…

Want to perfect your coffee making skills and go professional? Take a look at our EBS Barista Course.