My love of coffee comes from my mother.
For her, having Turkish coffee was almost a daily ritual that had to be done with friends and family. More than anything, it was a way to celebrate her friendships and show gratitude to the ones she loved.
Though she worked most of her life, on those rare days when she was home, she would invite her friends over for coffee in the morning. Prior to their arrival, she would make me set up two trays: the first one with Turkish coffee cups and the second one with water glasses. We would always have something sweet to serve the coffee with. Although Turkish delights are more traditional, my mother loved serving hers with chocolate.
When her friends would arrive, it was my job to make and serve the coffee. After welcoming them, I would ask how they take their coffee and then immediately go to the kitchen to make it to their liking. It was such a proud moment for my mother when I would come out of the kitchen with the tray in my hand.
When I look back and think about it today, I realize how important it was for her that I understood the tradition behind it. I was very fortunate that I was allowed to drink coffee at a young age and learn to enjoy it through the family tradition.
In Turkey, when you go to somebody’s house, the first question isn’t if you want to drink Turkish coffee, but rather how you would like to have your coffee prepared. By how, your host is asking about the amount of sugar you would like to have in your coffee. To answer the question, you may say “sade” which means no sugar; “az seker” which means very little sugar; “orta” which means with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar; or “sekerli” which means with 3-4 teaspoon sugar.
Once you place your request, it is the responsibility of the person making the coffee to prepare it according to everyone’s individual sugar preferences. Usually, that person is the youngest girl of the house. As you can imagine, as the only daughter of our household, I’ve made more than my fair share of coffee in my lifetime. Therefore, I feel qualified enough to share my knowledge with you.
Ingredients You Need:
You will need:
- Cold filtered water
- Turkish coffee: Turkish coffee is much more finely ground than regular coffee. Even though you can grind it yourself, nowadays you can find it in most Middle Eastern or Mediterranean supermarkets. My favorite brand is Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi (affiliate link).
- Cezve (a special wide-bottomed pot, usually made of copper) I have one similar to this Copper Turkish Coffee Pot (affiliate link) and have been using it for years.
- Turkish coffee cups: Here is a set (affiliate link) you can purchase
- Granulated sugar
How to Make Turkish Coffee
Making Turkish coffee is easy and requires no special skills, so long as you know a couple of tricks.
Here is how in a nutshell:
- Water: Always use cold, filtered water. To measure the amount of water for each cup, use the coffee cup you are going to use.
When it comes to the water to Turkish coffee proportions my rule of thumb is 1½ “cup” of water per cup. Once again, the “cup” measurement is the coffee cup that you are going to serve the coffee in, rather than a standard measuring cup.
- Coffee & Sugar: For each cup of coffee, use a heaping tablespoon of ground coffee. If preparing a cup with sugar, add it in the very beginning, stirring the mixture until combined. However, if one or more of the guests prefer no sugar, prepare and pour that cup first. After returning the coffee pot to the stove, add in more sugar to suit the preferences of the remaining guests.
How To Cook Turkish Coffee
Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. This will take 3-4 minutes, so keep a close eye on it. As the coffee warms, a dark foam will build.
It is customary and important to serve Turkish coffee with foam on top. When the mixture is close to a boil, use a teaspoon to transfer some of the foam into each coffee cup. Return the coffee pot to the stovetop.
As coffee comes to a boil, pour half of the coffee into the cups, over the foam. Return coffee pot to stovetop and boil the remaining coffee for an additional 10-15 seconds and fill the cups to the rim.
How To Serve:
To serve:
- We always serve Turkish coffee with cold (or room temperature) water, because a sip of water will allow the person to clear his/her palate before drinking coffee for the best enjoyment. In addition to water, most people like to serve it with a small sweet treat like Turkish delights, chocolate, candy, etc.
- When serving it is important to start with the eldest guest in the room. It is a sign of respect to acknowledge their age and considered disrespectful not to do so.
- Since this type of coffee is much denser than filtered coffee, it is not customary to drink more than one cup. I have read on some websites that some people add milk or cream to their coffee, but to be honest, I have never seen anyone in Turkey add milk or cream to their Turkish coffee.
Almost eight years after her passing, when I close my eyes and think about my mother today, I picture her with a Turkish coffee cup in her hand, telling stories of whatever is happening on that particular day. Though I want to continue our family tradition every opportunity I get, I know it will never be the same without her.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What kind of coffee/roast should I buy to make Turkish Coffee?
I have a few readers asked me if Starbucks’ coffees would work if they were to ask the barista to grind it as Turkish coffee. To be quite honest, I have never tried this, but I do not think so. What I know for sure (and the one I recommend) is Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi (affiliate link). This is the coffee that I use (and grew up drinking) when I make my Turkish coffee.
Do I need that special pot (cezve or ibrik) to make Turkish coffee?
The answer is, it depends. I recommend getting it as (1) it is a tradition to cook Turkish coffee in a cezve and (2) cooking it in a cezve will give you the thick foam (more in this below) on top. With that being said, if you are not concerned with those two things, you can make our coffee in a very small saucepan.
I have one similar to this Copper Turkish Coffee Pot (affiliate link) and have been using it for years.
How do you get that thick foam on top?
This is a much-debated subject and you might get different answers if you asked different people. Below steps were what my mother taught me:
- Once you mix water, coffee and sugar (if using), give it a quick mix but do not overmix it. Since you are cooking it in a very small pot (cezve), as it boils it will mix itself. I know that it is very tempting to want to mix it but resist the urge.
- Once you pour your first pour, then you can give it a mix because the thick foamy part should already be in the cup.
- As you pour your second, be sure to pour very slowly to not break the foam.
What if I am making Turkish coffee for multiple people with different sugar preferences?
If this is the case, you can do one of two things. First, you can make them in different pots, but for that, you would have to have more than one cezve.
Second, you can start making it with no sugar, pour the first pour to all the cups and then add in the sugar in the second pour.
For example: Let’s say I making Turkish coffee for 2 of my guests. First, start with the person who wants his sade (with no sugar) and then continue with the second person who wants his orta (1-2 teaspoon sugar). Below are the steps I would follow to make them at the same time in one pot (cezve):
- Start by cooking water and coffee for 2 servings with no added sugar
- Pour your first pour halfway into two coffee pots.
- Boil the second pour and fill up the first serving with no sugar.
- Then add in sugar into the pot, mix it, and bring it to a boil before you top off the second serving. Since Turkish coffee is pretty thick and served in such a small cup, it will have enough sweetness.
Where did you get the blue cups in the photos?
I borrowed those cups from a friend of mine. They were a gift to her from her husband. He purchased them from Pasabahce many years ago. I am not sure if they are still selling them, but since this was asked more than once I thought I can answer it here.
Where can I find Turkish Coffee cups?
If you ever visit Turkey and most other nearby countries, you can find a variety of options for Turkish coffee cups. However, if that is not possible you can easily find them online. Additionally, you can use espresso cups. They are a little larger but they would do the job.
Here is a set (affiliate link) you can use to make both types of coffees.
What is Turkish Coffee reading (fortune-telling)? Do you believe it?
It is a tradition that after you finish your coffee, you turn your cup upside down and let it cool down so that someone else can “read your cup”. This is a fun tradition, where someone (who is talented enough to make up stuff) looks into the cup and tries to guess your future based on the shapes of the coffee’s residue that stuck on the walls of your cup. If you are a believer of this kind of stuff, it could be quite entertaining.
My mom was one of those people, who would read people’s cups just for the fun of it. I no longer believe in such readings, but when I was a teenager and was falling in love with a different guy every week, I remember drinking a lot of Turkish coffee and begging her to read my cup to see if “my new found love” is going to ask me out any time soon. 🙂
How to Make Turkish Coffee At Home
Ingredients
- 3 Turkish coffee cup-sized cups of cold filtered water, 1 1/2 cup per cup
- 2 heaping tablespoons Turkish Coffee, ground
- Sugar – as requested
Instructions
- Place the sugar (if desired), water, and Turkish coffee in metal Turkish coffee pot (Cezve).
- Using a small spoon, stir briefly until just combined and place pot on stovetop.
- Slowly bring coffee mixture to a boil over medium heat. This will take 3-4 minutes, so keep a close watch.
- As the coffee warms, you will see a dark foam building up. Closer to it coming to a boil, using a teaspoon, transfer some of the foam into each of your two Turkish coffee cups. Return coffee pot to stovetop.
- As coffee comes to a boil, pour half of the coffee into the cups, over the foam.
- Return coffee pot to stovetop and boil the remaining coffee for an additional 15-20 seconds and pour the rest in to the coffee cups to the rim.
- Serve with water and Turkish delight.
Video
Notes
What if I am making Turkish coffee for multiple people with different sugar preferences?
If this is the case, you can do one of two things. First, you can make them in different pots, but for that, you would have to have more than one cezve. Second, you can start making it with no sugar, pour the first pour to all the cups and then add in the sugar in the second pour. For example: Let’s say I making Turkish coffee for 2 of my guests. First, start with the person who wants his sade (with no sugar) and then continue with the second person who wants his orta (1-2 teaspoon sugar). Below are the steps I would follow to make them at the same time in one pot (cezve):- Start by cooking water and coffee for 2 servings with no added sugar
- Pour your first pour halfway into two coffee pots.
- Boil the second pour and fill up the first serving with no sugar.
- Then add in sugar into the pot, mix it, and bring it to a boil before you top off the second serving. Since Turkish coffee is pretty thick and served in such a small cup, it will have enough sweetness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am not a coffee drinker, but watching this video has me contemplating giving it a shot. The steps were easy to follow and it was fun watching the video. The history lesson was cool!!!
Glad to hear that you liked it. Thanks for coming by 😉
Hi Ays,
As a Turkish Woman, I am so proud to find a recipe like this detailed and well-known explained. Thanks for all. I will prefer to serve Turkish Coffee to my guests in Holland.
Dear Gulderen,
Your kind words mean the world to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
Warmest wishes,
Aysegul
What happens to the coffee grounds?
Hi Nicole,
I am not sure if I understand your question. But the coffee grounds land at the bottom of the cup leaving a thick sludge-like residue. That is the part that you do not consume.
I feel like I am stating the obvious, but if you could please elaborate I would be more than happy to answer your questions further.
Thanks for coming by.
I have seen many videos where they let the boiled coffee sit in the coffee pot for like 2 minutes, to let the grounds settle at the bottom. You did not include that in your recipe, and you did not filter that either. Please elaborate.
Thanks
Hello Muhammad,
Sure.
I do not think that it is necessary to let the boiled coffee sit in the pot for 2 minutes. Since it is so thick it happens automatically after you pour it in the cup.
In terms of filtering, I am not sure what you mean. We do not filter Turkish coffee like American drip coffee. Rather, cook the powder-ground coffee beans with water. I apologize if I stated the obvious. If you could please elaborate further as to what you mean when you say, “filtering” I will do my best to help.
Thanks for coming by.
I have attempted to make Turkish coffee on numerous occasions. I tried it once when someone else was serving it at a large gathering. Instantly in love. I dont recall there being a lot of “sludge” or “coffee mud” in the bottom of my cup but every time I make it I just end up with half a cup of what I suspect is just coffee grounds. Curious if you can help with what I may be doing wrong. Your recipe and instructions is pretty on point with what I have read and researched in my various attempts and a large part of me just wants to go to Turkey and have someone guide me and let me know what im doing right or wrong. Feel free to email me if you have any guidance on this as I love coffee and for some reason I just dont feel like im doing Turkish coffee justice.
Hi Heidi,
I am in the process of working on a how-to video that is showing how to make Turkish coffee step by step and answering all these questions. So stay tuned for that.
To answer your question, the “coffee mud” you are referring to is normal. To me, that is how it is supposed to be. However, if you prefer it to have less of it you can make your Turkish coffee using less coffee. Start by using half a teaspoon less per cup and see if it helps.
With a little bit trial and error, I am sure you’ll find the sweet spot.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Cheers,
Aysegul
Really enjoyed your easy approach! I add cardamom.
Thank you Kt. Love cardamom.
Lovely story and great information on coffee, entertaining, and family!
Thanks so much Jr. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
Hi Aysegul,
This is not only a good recipe, but also a good story that I read all of it with pleasure.
Thanks for this beautiful sharing,
Simge
Thank you Simge. I am so happy to hear that it resonated with you.
Cheers!
This is such a lovely story Aysegul! Thank you for sharing it with us all.
Can I ask where you purchased those stunning blue coffee cups and saucers? xx
Thanks Filiz.
I borrowed them from a friend to use in this photoshoot. They were a gift from her husband. He bought it many years ago from Pasabahce.
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. My aunt bought me a Turkish coffee pot years ago and the first time I attempted it I ruined it. During this time I’ve had more time on my hands and am feeling ambitious enough to try it again. I would also like to inquire of your beautiful cups and saucers. They are absolutely stunning!
Hi Katelen,
So glad to hear that you are planning to give it a try.
I borrowed those cups from a friend to use in these photos. They were a gift from her husband. Sadly, they are no longer available for sale.
Thank you!