How To Make Turkish Coffee

How To Make Turkish Coffee

I learned about Turkish coffee when I was a coffee fanatic.

At first glance, this method was too archaic for my tastes and maybe even an affront to my beautiful, newly purchased Chemex.

Turkish coffee reminded me of something primitive, such as how people made coffee before the invention of the coffee maker. It was too elementary for my tastes.

Then I learned a bit more about the technique, which intrigued me.

First, you need a unique coffee pot, called an "ibrik," and an excellent grind of coffee (a powder). Then you use a special technique consisting of cooking it over low heat and bringing it to a near boil multiple times before serving. Finally, you don't strain it—this is the part that got me.

The idea of drinking this bold brew by letting the heavy grounds and coffee sediment sink to the bottom sounded pretty cool.

So, naturally, I bought an ibrik and started experimenting with some fresh Wild Coffee beans.

I made my first batch with sugar, following a typical Turkish coffee recipe. It came out pretty good but far too sweet, even after using only half the sugar in the recipe.

Next, I tried it with no sugar at all, and while I did like it, I could see how it might be a bit much for all but the heaviest coffee drinkers—it was rich, bold, and robust.

Then I tried it with 1/2 tsp of sugar, which was just right. And now, we have the Turkish Coffee Recipe done the Wild Way. Enjoy!

How To Make Turkish Coffee

Tools:

  • A small pot or ibrik
  • 20g finely ground coffee (Use the finest grind setting you can find)
  • 8-ounce filtered water (~2.5g per ounce of water)

Optional:

  • 1/2 - 1 tsp organic sugar or xylitol
  • Any of your favorite spices

Process:

  1. Pour water into heating vessel
  2. Add any desired spices or sugar to water and stir
  3. Add coffee to top of the water but do not stir
  4. Turn to low and let heat slowly to near-boil
  5. As soon as it reaches the proper temperature, remove it from heat. Do not let it boil!
  6. Let it cool for 10-20 seconds
  7. Return to heat and bring it back to near-boil
  8. Repeat for a third boil
  9. Remove from heat and scoop some of the foam into the cups (or discard, depending on preference)
  10. Slowly pour into small espresso cups
  11. Let grounds settle to the bottom of the cup by resting for 30 seconds
  12. Drink slowly until you reach sediment at the bottom

Tips:

  • Turkish coffee is traditionally served with a glass of water
  • Don't take your eye off it or it may boil over
  • Experiment with different amounts of sweetener to find what you like!
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