Improving the taste of coffee in a cezve (Turkish) – Torrefacto coffee roasters blog

Perhaps Turkish, cezve, Turkish or Oriental coffee is the most familiar method of preparation for all residents of the post-Soviet space. There were no Chemex or Siphons in our houses, but there was almost certainly a Turk. Unfortunately, they are not always suitable for making coffee. We recommend using a copper Turk; a real Turk should be copper on the outside and silver plated on the inside. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, but upon contact with an acidic coffee environment, it begins to release dangerous carcinogens, so a protective coating is required inside the Turk.

Our parents and grandmothers knew how to cook coffee in a Turk on a gas stove. We have learned from our own experience that you can’t prepare a delicious drink this way. So, we are sharing a recipe on how to brew delicious coffee in a Turkish coffee pot.

Enjoy your coffee!

Oriental coffee needs to sit for a few minutes so that you drink the coffee and not eat it. Cezve is a huge field for experimentation - try heating a tiny amount of your favorite spices in a Turk before cooking, then add coffee and cook according to the instructions. Very popular recipes are: coffee with cinnamon, with pepper, with milk, and you can also add jams, syrups, honey and noble alcohol. Experiment with different types of coffee and find your favorite. Well, you can read how to brew coffee without a Turk in our other articles.

Cooking options

Fans keep their favorite Turkish coffee recipes for years. The classic version of Turkish coffee on the stove step by step:

First you need to grind a small amount of roasted beans. The degree of grinding is selected at your discretion.
Pour the powder into a pot and pour about half of cool water into the bowl. Be sure to wait until the mixture of powder and water stops bubbling.
At the next stage, you need to pour the rest of the water into the Turk, in which, if necessary, you should first dilute such liquid ingredients as milk, honey, instead of the latter you can add a little sugar. It is necessary to carefully monitor the liquid level and not allow it to rise above the place where the neck of the dish narrows, since, when heated, the foam can splash out over the edge.
Place the Turk on the stove, preferably over low heat. If you have a gas stove, you can hold the cookware in your hands directly over an open, high heat.
After 1-2 minutes, you should stir the contents of the cezve so that there are no lumps left in the finished drink. It is not recommended to stir the drink in the future. When brewing coffee, do not allow it to boil. Immediately after the foam in the Turk begins to rise (this happens when the temperature reaches +95...+96°C), the drink along with the grounds must be poured into a preheated mug.
After 2-3 minutes, when the extraction process is completed and the grounds have settled, the drink can be served. It is advisable to serve with a glass of cool water: 1-2 sips help cleanse the taste buds and allow you to more fully enjoy the taste of the finished product.

Interesting! What is a Chemex for coffee?

To make the aroma of coffee feel much brighter, experts advise heating the powder in a cezve over a fire at the stage before water is added. This method is suitable for coarse grinding because if the beans are ground into dust, they can quickly char.

In addition, to enhance the aroma and taste, you can add a pinch of table (non-iodized) salt to the Turk along with the ground grains. In the finished drink, the taste of salt will not be felt, and the smell will become much brighter.

To properly brew this delicious drink, you need to follow a minimum of recommendations. However, some recipes require a different cooking technology.

In Turkish

Turkish coffee is a popular drink that is preferred by many lovers. Its preparation requires some skills:

heat the cezve over the fire and pour 1 tsp into it. sugar (you can use more, it depends on taste);
At low temperature, bring the sugar to a light brown color (wait until caramelization begins);
pour about 100 ml of water into the melted sugar and bring to a boil;
remove the dishes from the stove, pour 10 g of ground coffee into it, stir;
pour 1 tbsp. l. cold (possibly ice) water;
place the dishes over low heat and heat, avoiding boiling;
as soon as the foam rises, you should immediately remove the dish from the heat and leave it alone;
After 2-3 minutes, you can pour the drink into heated cups.

Which recipe is better?

ClassicTurkish

Experts advise adding a pinch of cardamom and ground cinnamon to coffee prepared according to this recipe.

In Arabic

To prepare this drink you need:

first pour a pinch of sugar into the container and heat it until light brown - this will give the drink a rich caramel taste;
add cold water (approximately 75-80 ml per 1 cup);
pour the freshly ground grains into a separate bowl and mix them with cardamom (in a ratio of 10:3);
after the water boils, remove the dishes from the burner and add the prepared mixture to it;
stir, place on the stove and wait until boiling starts again;
after the foam rises, you need to remove it and repeat the entire procedure 3 times, avoiding strong boiling.

Interesting! How to clean a copper pot well at home

The finished drink should be sprinkled with ground cinnamon.

In Brazilian

The drink prepared according to this recipe is strong and rich.

At the initial stage, pour 0.5 tsp into a bowl of chilled water. cocoa powder and caxapa and mix thoroughly. Add 2 tbsp to the mixture. l. ground grains, heat in the cezve until fluffy foam rises, and remove the container from the stove.

An important point: the liquid should be filtered through several layers of gauze.

Pour the finished drink into a mug, add a small amount of rum and garnish with whipped cream or a large piece of ice cream.

Viennese

Many fans prefer to brew ground Viennese coffee - this drink is popular in many countries around the world.

To prepare 1 serving, you need to take:

35 ml of ready-made black coffee, brewed in Turkish;
20 ml cream;
3-5 g of dark natural chocolate;
Sugar is added to taste.

At the first stage, you need to brew the drink according to the classic recipe. While the grounds settle, you need to thoroughly whip the cream and sugar into a dense foam. Pour the drink into a preheated cup, carefully place a layer of cream on top and sprinkle with chopped chocolate.

Warsaw style

If you want to brew delicious coffee, you can choose the Warsaw-style recipe for this drink. For 1 serving you will need: ground coffee beans, water and milk, taken in equal quantities, a few tablespoons of regular sugar, 5 g of vanilla-flavored sugar.

First, you need to pour enough cold water into 100 g of coffee powder, place the dishes on low heat and wait until foam forms.

The resulting liquid should be quickly removed from the burner, add sugar to taste and place back on the stove. When the foam floats up, it needs to be removed several times.

In a separate bowl, heat high-fat milk together with vanilla sugar, but do not let the liquid boil.

You must first pour sweet milk into a warm cup, and then carefully add coffee strained through cheesecloth or a strainer.

With honey and spices

To brew Turkish coffee with honey and spices, you will need to dissolve a little honey in slightly warmed purified water (you can take it to taste, on average 0.5-1.5 tsp is needed per 100 ml of water). Pour a small amount of ground beans into the Turk, add water and honey and prepare it like Turkish coffee. To improve the taste, the powder can be enriched at your discretion with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger or other favorite spices.

What are your favorite recipes for making a flavorful drink? Share them in the comments to the article.

How to choose the right clay Turk

Today the market provides a large selection of cezves of different types and sizes. Clay Turks are widely represented by both artisans and factory production. Anyone who prefers factory-made cookware can be confident in the strength of the material and its quality. After all, they are all tested for fire resistance and have a guarantee of use.

Handmade Turks also find their buyers. Many people prefer the old method of making cezves because the soul and positive energy of the artisan is put into them. Therefore, the drink will have a more noble taste and aroma. Turks, made by hand, are also distinguished by individual decorative processing on the outside. You can choose them as a gift or for your own collection.

To choose the right cezve, you need to pay attention to the following:

The shape of the dish should be in the form of a cone (with a narrow neck and wide bottom);
The walls of the Turk must be thick enough (otherwise it can quickly crack due to temperature changes);
There should be no damage, cracks or roughness inside;
The handle should be at an angle, long enough and not hot.

How to make Turkish coffee

Anyone can master the procedure for brewing coffee drinks at home. The main thing is to pay attention to several important points and adhere to a number of rules.

How should the coffee grind be?

Most often, a mixture of Robusta and Arabica beans is used in preparation. In many ways, the taste and aroma of the drink depends on their ratio. The more robusta, the stronger the espresso.

The degree of grinding deserves special attention. If the fractions are excessively large, the drink will be sour. If powdered powder is used, it will become bitter.

FINE GRIND IS IDEAL. THE GRAINS SHOULD VISUALLY RESEMBLE POWDERED SUGAR.

How much water should I pour?

When planning to brew coffee in a Turk, you need to pour water just below the narrowed neck. Otherwise, when the foam rises, the liquid will begin to pour out onto the stove. Due to the fact that the water will not reach the narrow part, it is possible to avoid unnecessary contact of the drink with air. Accordingly, it retains a maximum of aromatic substances.

What fire to cook on

To prevent Turkish coffee from running away during the brewing process, it should be boiled over low heat. This rule should be followed not only when preparing a drink on a gas stove. Minimum heating is also needed when using electric stoves.

When to add salt and sugar

Sugar, salt, as well as cinnamon and any other spices are added to the cezve along with coffee powder only after preheating the container. The dry mixture is kept on the stove for a while and wait until the sugar crystals begin to melt. Only after this is water added. In this way, it is possible to brew an incredibly tasty, multifaceted drink.

When to remove from stove

You need to brew coffee in several stages. The cezve is removed from the stove immediately after the foam has risen. When it goes down, the dishes are put back on the fire. Such actions are performed at least three times.

Conditions for making real coffee

To brew Turkish coffee correctly and tasty at home, it is not enough to simply follow the proportions and recipe. The result is influenced by: the material and shape of the Turk, the type and grinding of grain, and the quality of water.

Secrets of a good cezve

Someone says “Turk”, someone calls the vessel “cezve” in the Turkic manner (the word cezve is read “cezve”). But the most important thing is the characteristics. So, the signs of a good Turkish woman:

It should not spoil (change) the taste of water.
It should have a wide bottom and a narrow neck. Experts insist on an optimal taper of 20%.

To brew deliciously ground coffee with foam at home in a Turk, a forged copper vessel with thick walls is best. The container must have an internal coating of silver or food-grade tin, which will prevent the copper from releasing harmful salts.

Read more: How to choose the right pot for brewing coffee

Bean variety

You will have to choose from expensive Arabica and budget Robusta - all blends are created from these two varieties. Three arguments against using pure Robusta:

the coffee will be very bitter;
the aroma of the drink will be weak;
High caffeine content can be harmful to health.

Preference should be given to pure Arabica or a blend with a small admixture of a cheap variety.

Grinding

Most pros recommend grinding Turkish beans “to dust” so that the texture of the grains is not felt at all. Then the foam turns out to be denser, and the structure of the drink is much richer.

Don't miss: What coffee grind is best for Turkish coffee?

If you brew coffee from coarse grinds, it comes out a little watery and runny. But there is a separate category of lovers of good grounds; nothing can replace big grains for them.

Water

To properly prepare Turkish coffee at home, you need to take only clean drinking water. Chlorine kills any taste. Therefore, tap water must first be filtered. The acidity of the liquid should be in the range of 6.5-7.5 pH. Optimal mineralization is 120. It is better to use bottled, spring or well water for the drink.