How to choose Turkish coffee

Why Grinding Affects Taste

The grain should extract aromas and flavors into the water within a short time - about 3 minutes. In this case, the liquid should not be very hot - no more than 92 degrees. The larger the particles, the longer it takes the boiling water to penetrate inside and wash away all substances.

If the beans are ground into dust, extraction occurs instantly, and the drink becomes thick and rich - what true connoisseurs of coffee taste need.

Arabica or Robusta - differences in taste in Turk

There are two industrial varieties of grain - Arabica and Robusta. They differ from each other in the shape of the beans, taste, and caffeine content. If Arabica in each region changes its taste characteristics depending on the type of soil, climate, and changes shades from citrus to spicy, then Robusta is less susceptible to environmental conditions.

If you brew Arabica, Robusta separately, and then a mixture of these beans in a certain proportion, you will get the following result:

• Pure Arabica has a mild taste. Depending on the variety and region of cultivation, it will have certain notes - chocolate, fruit, wine, tart. There is less caffeine in Arabica, so the rush of vivacity is felt weakly, but you can appreciate the shades of the aftertaste.

• Robusta gives bitterness. The aftertaste is slightly different, but due to the high caffeine content, a sharp surge of energy occurs and the person wakes up.

• A blend of Robusta and Arabica in a 30/70 ratio provides the optimal combination of taste and invigorating effect.

When brewing, the best ground coffee for Turkish coffee is a mixture of bean varieties; which one is better to choose in the taste rating is difficult to say right away, since coffee trees are grown in every region of the tropical belt.

To be an expert in coffee drinks, you need to try many varieties - highland, lowland. Preferably brought from abroad, and not purchased in local stores.

Turkish coffee with milk recipes

There is far from one recipe that makes it possible to brew coffee without much effort. It’s worth trying each of them at home in order to later choose the most suitable drink that meets all your requirements.

Classic recipe

To prepare coffee with milk according to the classic recipe, you need to prepare the following products:

• 150 milliliters of milk;
• a couple of teaspoons of crushed grains;
• a teaspoon of chocolate chips;
• a couple of teaspoons of sugar.

The following actions are performed:

1. Coffee powder and sugar are placed in the Turk. Mix these components.
2. Milk is poured on top.
3. Immediately place the Turk on the stove.
4. After a few minutes, small bubbles appear on the surface. As soon as a dense foam forms, set the cezve aside for a minute.
5. Then the Turk is placed on the stove twice more, waiting for the foam to appear.
6. All that remains is to steep the drink for a couple of minutes. Afterwards it is poured into cups and sprinkled with grated chocolate.

It is extremely important not to mix the components when brewing. Coffee powder moves independently through the cezve, giving the coffee a rich aroma

If the fractions fall to the bottom, the essential oils will begin to release slowly. This will negatively affect the final result.

With milk and honey

In a Turk on a gas stove you can prepare a surprisingly delicate, refined honey and milk drink. To do this, make sure you have the following ingredients:

• a glass of milk;
• two teaspoons of crushed coffee beans;
• one and a half teaspoons of honey;
• one teaspoon of sugar;

Preparation boils down to the following steps:

1. Milk is poured into the Turk and the container is placed on the stove.
2. Add honey to the composition.
3. The liquid is constantly stirred until it boils.
4. After this, the milk-honey mixture is poured into a cup.
5. Coffee is poured into the cezve and milk mixed with honey is poured again. Due to this, the coffee particles will be completely immersed. If you simply pour them on top of the honey-milk mixture, the fractions will be on the surface and will not release the proper amount of essential oils.
6. The Turk is placed on the stove again. When a dense, thick foam forms, set the container aside.
7. The drink is immediately poured into cups.

Caramelized coffee

This recipe allows you to prepare a very unusual, aromatic coffee drink. You will need the following products:

• a glass of milk;
• a couple of teaspoons of coffee beans;
• one and a half spoons of sugar;
• a small amount of cinnamon (literally on the tip of a knife).

To obtain caramelized coffee, follow these steps:

1. Sugar is poured into the Turk. Immediately place the container on the stove. The granulated sugar gradually begins to melt and acquires a golden hue.
2. After the caramelization process is completed, remove the dishes from the heat.
3. Add crushed coffee beans, milk and cinnamon to the composition.
4. The container is placed on the stove again.
5. When the foam rises to the very top, the cezve is set aside.
6. These steps are repeated a couple more times.

Latte

You can even brew a latte in a Turk. The main thing is to make sure that the following ingredients are available:

• half a glass of milk;
• a tablespoon of coffee.

Preparation is carried out in several stages:

1. Initially, classic black coffee is prepared. To do this, pour water into the Turk and immerse coffee powder. Bring to a boil several times.
2. Then the dairy product is prepared. It is warmed up a little and then foamed with a cappuccino maker. You should get a thick foam.
3. Prepared coffee is poured into a tall glass.
4. Then milk is added to the composition and the resulting foam is spread.

It is possible to prepare latte using additional components. Thanks to this, the taste will be even more rich and multifaceted.

How to choose a grain variety

How to choose ground coffee beans for Turkish: the rating is opened by expensive elite high-mountain varieties. There are few such plantations in the world - not every country can boast of mountain ranges of volcanic origin.

This is where the most delicious coffee is grown. Volcanic soil is rich in nutrients erupted from the depths of the earth. Trees on such soil grow on their own - without additional fertilizing and spraying against fungus and parasites.

The bean coffee for Turkish coffee with a lower rating can be called lowland Arabica. Its grains are not as dense and heavy as mountain grains, but they have their own advantages.

Next comes Indian Arabica. In India, weather conditions change frequently and it rains, so the harvest is inconsistent in taste. For this reason, grains are mostly used to make instant drinks.

Robusta also comes in different varieties - some are more bitter, others are less bitter. For example, robusta from Uganda or Vietnam has a mild taste. If you boil it in a Turkish pot, you get a good strong drink with a bitter aftertaste.

Coffee in packs

Which ground Turkish coffee to choose if there are no specialized stores nearby: personal experience decides everything here. Counterfeits often end up in retail outlets, so your opinion about the product may change. After trying crushed ready-to-brew analogues, you can choose the best ground coffee for Turkish coffee in the ratings of local stores.

Coffee with flavors

Traditional coffee has already found a worthy replacement; now various toppings are being added: syrups, alcohol, spices, dairy products (milk, cream, cheese). With such a rich selection, you can experiment and try completely different delicacies every day.

It is worth paying attention to what is added to lift your mood and what to improve taste. Everyone has their own recipe for delicious coffee, let’s look at the most popular ones in more detail.

Brazilian coffee

The recipe for this drink is distinguished by its bright, but at the same time mild taste. Unlike the previous version (in Turkish), this type of drink is very popular among today’s youth. To prepare you will need:

• Pure water – 150 ml;
• Cream – 15 g;
• Cocoa – 15 g;
• Finely ground grains – 2 tsp;
• Salt - a pinch;
• Sugar - to taste.

Home cooking:

• Mix cocoa powder with half the water, put on fire and bring until thickened.
• As soon as the mixture begins to thicken and boil, add more water and coffee.
• Now the mixture must be simmered over low heat until foam appears.
• Sprinkle the resulting foam with a pinch of salt, cover the cezve and let the treat brew.
• It is advisable to whip the cream and cool it before pouring.
• Bring the mixture to a boil again, strain and pour into cups.
• Decorate the finished treat with cream and a cinnamon stick if desired. If necessary, add sugar.

Brazilian coffee is ready! This is one of the most popular drinks in the world, everyone loves it without exception!

Spiced coffee

This recipe is perfect for quiet gatherings with friends on a cold evening. To prepare you will need:

• Honey – ½ tsp;
• Cardamom – 2-3 boxes;
• Ground grains – 1 tsp;
• Bitter chocolate – ¼ bar.

Home cooking:

• Grate the chocolate on a fine grater and place it in the refrigerator for a while.
• Place the cardamom and ground grains in a Turk. Fill with water (about 150 ml will be required) and place on low heat.
• As soon as foam forms, remove the vessel from the heat.
• Pour the coffee into cups, add a little honey.
• Stir the drink again before serving and sprinkle a little grated chocolate on the surface for taste.

When serving, the cup can also be decorated in any way. This will add a special charm to the atmosphere of the evening!

Coffee with alcohol

A lot of variants of the drink have been invented with the addition of alcohol; we will consider recipes with the addition of liqueur and cognac.

As you know, there are different liqueurs, there are special ones that go perfectly with coffee, and there are less suitable ones, but no less popular. To prepare a treat with liqueur you will need:

• Liqueur (egg/cream) – 15 g;
• Finely ground grains – 15 g;
• Water – 200 ml;
• Sugar – 15 g.

Cooking method:

• Pour water into the Turkish coffee and place on low heat.
• As soon as the foam rises, strain the drink and pour into cups.
• Just before serving, pour in a small amount of liqueur so that it does not overpower the flavor of the grains.

Such a treat will warm you up, give you strength and vigor.

Coffee with cognac is prepared using the same technology in the same proportions. You can change the type of alcohol, experiment and add cream and spices.

How taste depends on the region of growth

As already mentioned, you can choose bean coffee for Turkish by region:

• African varieties;

• South American;

• Central American;

• Asian.

The choice will depend on what is on sale. If you order from online stores, it is recommended to buy several different varieties of 100 g . Be sure to request a vacuum bag for each variety.

To make fewer mistakes when choosing ground coffee for Turkish coffee, you need to decide on the taste - bitter, sour, spicy, fruity. Roasting also matters. If you take medium or light roast beans, the aftertaste will be better felt.

What you will need

To ensure that the result does not disappoint you, you must take something into account.

• Water. It must be clean - ideally artesian, spring or well non-rigid. If there is none, at least bottled or filtered. From the tap it is not suitable, since impurities noticeably distort the taste of the finished drink.
• Coffee beans or ground. The answer to the question of how to choose coffee for home brewing depends on the result you want to get. For espresso, it is better to try a mixture of Arabica and Robusta. Any finely ground Arabica is suitable for Turkish coffee. And the taste options are completely limitless - from light sourness to floral notes. To get the best one, experiment with the roast level.
• Sugar, salt and spices. Personally, I don't like unsweetened coffee, so I add cane sugar. It is less harmful than refined white and does not spoil the taste of the drink. Salt on the tip of a knife will neutralize the bitterness if you find it too pronounced. At the same time, the taste of the salt itself is not felt in the finished drink.

I always make coffee with ground cinnamon and cardamom. They give the drink warm spicy notes and a light citrus aroma. Some people like to season their coffee with black pepper – it turns out to be a spicy, warming option for winter. Fresh or ground ginger is also a very popular addition and enhances the taste well.

Milk or cream. Many people prefer to soften the taste of strong coffee and drink it with milk. The result is a nutritious drink that also neutralizes the effects of caffeine.

Now that everything you need is prepared, let's look at popular household appliances that will help you brew coffee correctly.

Grinding for other devices

If it is decided that the Turk requires the finest grinding, then this technique is contraindicated for other devices for brewing coffee.

French press

A French press is a transparent flask with a piston for separating grounds from the finished drink. To prevent the filter from becoming clogged and the coffee not to become bitter after long infusion, the grinding is done coarsely. 10 minutes after pouring boiling water, you get a delicious, rich drink.

Carob coffee maker

The carob coffee maker does not accept dust, as you need to grind Turkish coffee. Because of this, water stagnates in the horn filled with tea leaves. If the coffee maker is not equipped with a pump, you will not be able to get a shot of espresso. The grind for electric coffee makers should be medium.

Drip or geyser device

For a drip filter coffee maker, it is better to grind coffee coarser than the average particle size. The principle here is the same as in the horn. If you fill too small fractions with water, it will be absorbed and will not pass further. Large particles allow liquid to pass freely, but the drink turns out watery – not for everyone.

For a geyser coffee maker, you can use medium grinding. Using steam, a slight pressure is created, which pushes the liquid out. A strainer that is too fine will clog the strainer.

Purover

Pour over is the predecessor of a drip coffee maker and an analogue of the Vietnamese fin. In it, liquid passes through a layer of grains under the influence of gravity. Therefore, the grind should not be fine, otherwise the water will get stuck.

Video: Grinding Turkish coffee beans

Large particles are slightly compacted, then boiling water is poured in - not all at once, add little by little. Extraction occurs gradually as hot water enters.

Methods for brewing coffee in a cup

To maximize the taste of the finished drink, you need to properly care for the grains and use suitable water. Only fresh coffee and water with a favorable chemical profile will provide the desired taste and aroma. In any other case there is a risk of disappointment.

Air and humidity are the two greatest enemies of good coffee. The longer the grains are exposed to them, the more negatively they affect the taste of the product. In order for the drink to retain as much taste as possible, you must adhere to the “rule 15”:

• coffee must be roasted within 15 months of harvest;
• after roasting, the grains must be ground within 15 days;
• The ground powder must be used within 15 minutes.

This way the coffee will retain everything that makes it unique – the perfect and refreshing taste. Recommendation? Buy whole grains.

Don't stock up and always grind your coffee before brewing. What grind coarseness should I use? It depends on the specific cooking method:

Water can destroy even the finest coffee. No wonder 99% of grains are water

Pay special attention to the chemical composition and temperature of the water. Do you suspect that the water coming out of your tap may have the wrong chemical composition? Do an analysis. This can be done at home using affordable testers. For increased hardness, use softening filters attached directly to the faucet, filter kettle, or buy bottled water with the appropriate composition. You have high-quality freshly ground grain, the water used has an ideal chemical composition

But the end result does not meet expectations at all. Cause? You may have used boiling water (100ºС). The powder burns and has a bitter taste. The ideal water temperature for preparing the drink is about 90ºС (±5ºС depending on the specific preparation method).

If desired, you can add sugar along with the ground powder.

Brazilian

In Brazil, mainly Arabica is grown, which has a soft, delicate taste with different shades. There is often a chocolate or nutty tone and minimal sourness, which will appeal, in particular, to novice consumers. The Brazilian method of brewing a delicious drink is famous among gourmets. Let's see how to properly brew coffee in a cup using the Brazilian method:

1. Take coarse grains (about 9 g) and pour them into a heated cup.
2. Fill with hot water (about 90ºС).
3. Leave for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the “crust” formed by large particles of grains (by the way, it prevents the drink from cooling quickly).

Polish

This method is suitable for people who are constantly in a hurry. To prepare it, finely ground beans (about 7 g) or ground coffee in bags (sticks) are used.

Preparation:

1. Pour coffee into a warmed cup.
2. Fill with hot water until the powder is covered.
3. Mash the grounds with a spoon.
4. Add water to the required amount.
5. Drink after 4 minutes.

Ground coffee sticks

Cuban

In this case, finely ground coffee is used to brew in a cup, as in the Polish method. The difference is the addition of cane sugar to the drink and - at the end - a small amount of rum.

In the microwave

This method is similar to making Turkish coffee:

1. Place medium or finely ground grains (about 7 g) into a microwave-safe cup.
2. Pour some water and stir.
3. Add water (cold) without reaching 3 cm from the edges of the cup.
4. Place in the microwave.
5. When foam rises, turn off the device and remove the cup.
6. Leave to stand for 4 minutes.

Cold way

The term “iced coffee” does not mean a drink brewed with hot water and left on the kitchen counter. We are talking about a completely different cooking method - cold brew. Have you ever thought that ground grains can be filled with cold rather than hot water? If not, it's time to fix it:

1. Prepare freshly ground coffee. Choose a coarser grind, similar to a French press. It is recommended to always use freshly roasted beans, ground immediately before brewing.
2. Pour the powder with cold water (1:10). Leave to infuse for 16-24 hours. The container can be placed in the refrigerator.
3. Filter the resulting drink. You can use a French press.
4. Enjoy the rich, sweet taste.