The Definitive Turkish Coffee Guide Part 2: Recipe

First things first – there’s plenty of scope for experimentation when brewing Turkish coffee at home. If the coffee you brew is too strong, too weak, too heavy or too bitter, you can adjust the weights and measures accordingly.

You can also experiment with different types of coffees, which will always produce their own unique results.

As for the brewing process itself, it’s technically quite simple once you get to grips with the basics. There’s also very little involved by way of specialist equipment, shy of the actual ibrik itself which is definitely worth owning.

This is what you will need to make your own Turkish coffee at home:

• Fresh roasted coffee
• Ibrik
• Coffee grinder
• Filtered water
• A weighing scale
• Stirring spoon or paddle
• A source of heat

This particular recipe is good for brewing two cups of coffee, so we’ll assume you’re sharing the experience with someone else. If looking to make less, simply adjust the weights and measures accordingly.

The Basic Method: 

1. Set your preferred heat source to a medium-low setting, keeping things particularly low if you are heating your coffee over a gas burner.
2. Add approximately 120 milliliters (4.06 fl oz) of water to the ibrik, ensuring it is not overfilled.
3. Grind your coffee very fine – it should come out the texture of a fine powder - before adding it to the water.
4. Place the ibrik over the source of heat and give it around 30 seconds or so to settle, before giving it a gentle stir.
5. After around 60 to 90 seconds, small bubbles should begin appearing on the surface of the mixture. This is fine, but ensure that under no circumstances the mixture reaches boiling point.
6. After around 2 ½ minutes, you should see a thick foam beginning to build on the top of the mixture. When the foam reaches the top of the pot, it’s time to take it off the heat.
7. Immediately pour the mixture into two cups, before giving it another 2 ½ minutes. The coffee will continue brewing in the cup during this period, as the water is still in contact with the grounds.
8. When the coffee has settled for 2 ½ minutes, enjoy it with a glass of water and the sweetest treat you it can lay your hands on at the time.

It’s worth noting at this point that the traditional way to brew Turkish coffee is to wait for the foam to rise in the ibrik, remove it from the heat so that the foam falls and repeat the process three times. There’s much debate as to whether or not this produces a ‘better’ cup of coffee, but certainly has an impact on the heaviness and bitterness of the final result.

As previously mentioned, it’s entirely up to you how much coffee and water you use, along with how many times you let the foam fall. As a general rule of thumb, the ratio of coffee to water with Turkish coffee it should be 1:9. It’s worth having a decent kitchen scale and calculator available if need be, but you can always just wing it and keep notes on the outcome.

If you’re still more happy with your homemade Turkish coffee, check out our troubleshooting tips in the next instalment of our definitive guide…

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