How to make Turkish coffee in a cezve

The base recipe

For a classic cup of Turkish coffee (about 60–70 ml) use around 7 g of coffee – a heaped teaspoon. The water goes into the cezve cold and is heated slowly over low to medium heat.

The cezve and the right grind

A cezve (also called ibrik) is a small pot with a long handle, a wide base and a narrower neck – the shape gathers the foam. Copper is traditional because it spreads heat evenly; stainless steel works too. Pick a size that matches the number of cups: in a pot that’s too big the foam spreads out and thins.

Grind size is decisive. Turkish coffee is ground finer than espresso – almost to dust. Many home grinders can’t get there. You need a dedicated Turkish hand grinder or a grinder with a very fine setting.

To be honest: pre-ground Ethera isn’t fine enough for Turkish coffee – it is meant for filter and similar methods. Choose Ethera whole beans and grind them powder-fine with a Turkish grinder, or have a specialist shop grind them for you.

Step by step

For one cup of Turkish coffee. For more cups, simply multiply the amounts.

1. 01
   Measure the water

   Fill a small coffee cup with cold water and pour it into the cezve – that way the amount matches the cup exactly.

2. 02
   Add coffee and sugar

   Add 7 g of powder-fine coffee and sugar to taste to the cold water.

3. 03
   Stir once

   Stir gently until there are no lumps left. After that, don’t stir again.

4. 04
   Heat slowly

   Put the cezve on low to medium heat. After 2–3 minutes a dark foam forms around the edge and slowly rises.

5. 05
   Share the foam

   Just before it boils up, take the cezve off the heat and spoon a little foam into the cup.

6. 06
   Finish and serve

   Return it briefly to the heat until the foam rises again, then pour slowly down the side of the cup. Don’t let it boil. Serve with a glass of water.

Sugar levels: sade to şekerli

Sugar isn’t stirred in afterwards – it’s brewed with the coffee. That’s why you traditionally ask how sweet the coffee should be before making it:

• Sade: no sugar – the coffee’s own taste comes through most clearly.
• Az şekerli: a little sugar, about ½ teaspoon per cup.
• Orta şekerli: medium, about 1 teaspoon per cup.
• Şekerli: sweet, about 1½–2 teaspoons per cup.

Which coffee works – and common mistakes

Turkish coffee is traditionally made with arabica, often a medium roast. Very dark roasts quickly taste burnt with such an intense extraction. A medium-roast Ethiopian arabica brings sweetness and fruit to the small cup – especially without sugar (sade).

The most common problems are easy to fix:

• No foam: grind too coarse, heat too high, or stirred while heating.
• Bitter and burnt: the coffee boiled. Take it off the heat as soon as the foam rises.
• Grounds in your mouth: let the cup rest for a minute after pouring.
• Thin taste: warm water used instead of cold – cold water gives the coffee more time to steep.