Brewing your first Turkish coffee: a step-by-step guide for beginners from an expert. Culinary articles and life hacks. News
Will the coffee be aromatic or bitter? Will it delight or disappoint? Coffee expert Vladimir Matveychuk shared with Edim Doma a simple guide to choosing the right grind, heating, and serving.
Step 1: Choose your grind
For a Turk you need coffee that is not of the usual espresso grind, but one that is extremely fine, almost powder.
"Only 'dust' or 'powder'. It should feel like flour or powdered sugar, and the particles shouldn't be too coarse between your fingers. Regular store-bought packages labeled 'all-purpose grind' or espresso grind won't work," Vladimir Matveychuk shared.
If your home coffee grinder can't produce this fineness, the expert advises buying coffee ground specifically for a Turkish coffee pot.
Step 2: Don't measure coffee by eye
For your first attempt at brewing coffee in a Turk, use a kitchen scale:
"The global industry gold standard is 1:10. For every 100 ml of water, we use exactly 10 grams of coffee. Please forget about measuring by eye or using spoons without scales if you want consistent and delicious results."
How to choose the proportion:
- 100 ml of water - 10 g of coffee;
- 150 ml of water - 15 g of coffee;
- 200 ml of water - 20 g of coffee.
Step 3: Take cool water
The expert does not recommend pouring boiling water over coffee. The water should be either room temperature or cool.
"If you pour boiling water over coffee, it will cause a temperature shock: the beans will immediately release excess bitterness, and the drink itself will be over-extracted before the foam even forms. The water should heat up slowly along with the coffee," Matveychuk explained.
Step 4: Follow the steps in order
Before turning on the stove, all the main ingredients should already be in the Turk.
- Pour freshly ground coffee into a dry Turk.
- Add sugar or spices, if using.
- Pour water up to the narrowing point of the neck.
- Stir well to break up any lumps.
- Place the Turk on low heat.
- Do not stir the coffee any further while it is heating.
Following expert advice will help you get the hang of it. Brewing coffee in a Turkish coffee pot is both simple and complex. Once you've mastered the mechanics, you can begin experimenting with techniques, varieties, and brewing times.
