The Turkish way of brewing coffee is quite different from what most of us are used to. First of all, they use a very finely ground coffee. Also, there is no filtration involved, the coffee grounds are simply left to settle. A traditional Turkish coffee pot and heat source is all the equipment you will need.
Turkish Coffee Preparation
Approximately 6 grams or a heaping teaspoon of coffee per 70-90 ml water makes a demitasse cup of Turkish coffee. If you want to enjoy a smoother and not so strong coffee, then you can use double the amount of water. So, 6-7 grams of coffee per 170 ml of water will still taste good. The coffee to water ratio for Turkish coffee can be as high as 1:10. For example, 15 g coffee and 150 ml water. It depends on how strong you like your coffee to be.
If you can’t get a hold of a real ground Turkish coffee, you can try grinding it yourself. Use light or blond roast, for example Starbucks blond roast beans. Grind on the minimum setting of your grinder. Note that many electric grinders have to be started first, before you introduce the beans. This rule applies to fine grinds only, to avoid the grinder getting stuck. it is always best to use a quality burr grinder, like Baratza Encore.
Pour the required amount of water into the pot. Add the coffee into it; sugar and a crushed cardamom pod are optional. Instead of a cardamom pod you can use a Turkish coffee spice mix. Traditionally, the pot should be placed on heated sand, which provides uniform heat. Once you place your coffee pot on heat, wait for half a minute before stirring. Then wait for another 30 seconds and stir again.
Instead of hot sand, you can just use a low heat setting on the stove. If you cook on gas, it is better to use a heat diffuser.
Do Not Let Turkish Coffee Boil
The foam will slowly begin to form at approx. 70C or 160F. Once the foam begins to rise fast and is about to “boil over”, remove the pot and set it aside for a minute. Then put it back on heat. You can repeat these steps 3-4 times, just don’t let the coffee come to a boil.
Finally, remove the pot from the heat. Foam will normally form on the top. If you are brewing for more than one person, distribute the foam with a spoon equally into each cup. Then pour the coffee into the cups, avoid mixing it afterwards to keep the coffee grounds at the bottom. Do not drink the grounds. The sugar was added early to avoid stirring up the coffee grounds from the bottom. Turkish coffee is usually served in smaller cups.
A trick to make the coffee grounds settle faster: add a small shot of cold water into the pot once the brewing is complete. If you want to extract the most caffeine out of the grounds, then as soon as the coffee is ready, pour it into the cups. Make sure the grounds are poured into the cups evenly. This will ensure longer contact time with the coffee grounds and more caffeine in the coffee. Don’t bother with adding cold water to the pot before pouring. The grounds will settle in the cups within 2-3 minutes.
Spice up Your Turkish Coffee!
Try this amazing Turkish coffee spice! It is a mix of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
