How To Make Turkish Coffee

When you get tired of the same old coffee and want to try some coffee at it’s most primal way (aside from just straight up chewing the beans), try some Turkish style coffee.

It’s not that much harder than making a regular pot of coffee. The only thing you’ll have to do is watch the pot as it boils so the coffee doesn’t spill over. That little effort pays off so much in the enjoyment and taste of the coffee.

What you need:

1) Turkish coffee grounds, available in Middle Eastern markets
*(substitution: extremely fine grounded dark roast coffee beans)

2) cezve, which is a small narrow top boiling pot
(substitution: any small pot will work, that what I use)

3) sugar

Fill the pot with as much water as the number of cups you expect to serve. Never go beyond filling half of the pot with water as you need to leave some room when the coffee rises. Bring the water to a boil, when you see bubbles forming add the coffee grounds. It’s important you don’t let the water come to a rolling boil where there’s big bubbles breaking the surface of the water. If you add the coffee grounds to rolling boiled water, you’re going to have a big mess of coffee all over the stove!

After added the coffee grounds to the boiling water, you have to watch the pot. When you notice big bubbles breaking the surface, be ready to turn off the stove (or you can turn it off now). When you begin to see the coffee rising, turn off the stove immediately.

Adding sugar is based on preference. Some like adding it just after adding the coffee grounds. Some like adding it after they turn off the stove. While others like adding the sugar to the cups after the coffee is poured. Personally, I like adding it right after adding the coffee grounds.

It’s best to let the coffee rest a little bit before pouring into the cups. The larger grinds need time to settle to the bottom.

Enjoy!

Is it okay to drink it with all those little grounds? Sure. I think that is one of the big hesitation people have about Turkish coffee.

*For the coffee substitution on making your own. Use any whole bean coffee you buy from the store. Heck, use Starbucks coffee beans if you want. Put them in a mortar and pound/grind away. You want to make them as fine of a powder as you can. Something along the consistency of flour is what you should try for.

Here’s a youtube video if you want to see it in action:

Turkish Coffee.