Learn how to make Turkish coffee

Detailed instructions on making Turkish coffee

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE

You will need to have a Turkish coffee pot, a spoon, sugar and coffee that has been ground to a fine powder. You can get the Turkish coffee in several different ways:

A. Purchase a Turkish Grinder (regular electric grinders with blades spinning at a high speed will NOT do the job) and grind the coffee yourself. We do have these available at our store if you are interested.

B. Do it at at your local grocery store! Yes, that's right. You may not have noticed but the most grinders (99.9%) at your local grocery store in the U.S. have a Turkish coffee setting! Just select the "Turkish Coffee" when you grind your beans.

C. Buy it ready made. We sell it in our store but you can also find it at most Mediterranean stores if you live in a big city.

Preparation

  1. Measure the amount of cold water you will need.
  2. Place your pot of water on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high (just until the water heats up).
  3. Add about 1-2 heaping tea spoons of coffee per demitasse cup. Do not stir it yet. Just let the coffee "float" on the surface because if you stir it now you will cause it to clump up.
  4. Add sugar to taste. Do not stir it yet, because the water needs to be warm before it can dissolve.
  5. When the coffee starts to sinks into the water and the temperature is warm enough to dissolve your sugar, stir it several times and then turn down the heat to low. You should stir it several times, up until it your brew starts to foam. The more you mix it better it will foam ( you can also vigorously move your spoon side to side to encourage foaming action).
  6. When you see the bubble "ring" forming on the surface, turn down the heat a little bit more or move your pot away from the heat source. Pay attention to the bubbles. Smaller the size the better for the foam.
  7. From this point on watch your coffee carefully. The slower you cook it, the better. Do not let the temperature get hot enough to start boiling. (NEVER LET IT BOIL - many instructions on how to make Turkish coffee use the term "boiling" but this is totally inaccurate) Idea here is to let the coffee build a thick froth and that occurs approximately around 158 F or 70 C (i.e., much cooler than the boiling point of water which is 212 F or 100 C at standard pressure).
  8. Keep it at the "foaming" stage as long as you can without letting it come to a boil. You might even gently stir you brew a little bit at this stage. The more froth, the better it will taste. If it gets too hot and starts to "rise" too much then move it away from the heat or just turn it down. Repeat this process until your foam has "raised" and "cooled" at the most couple of times (not 3-4 times like some instructions. Even once is enough). Then pour in to your cups while making sure that each cup has equal amount of foam! If you are serving several cups then you might be better off spooning the foam into each cup.
Drinking
  1. Turkish coffee is always served with a glass of water. You need to drink the water first to clean out your pallet!
  2. Wait about half a minute or so to let the grinds settle to the bottom .
  3. Find a comfortable spot and enjoy your coffee! Make sure to drink it slowly sip by sip.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Turkish coffee set delivers flavor and fun

By Abbi Perets on CNET News

I'm currently spending five weeks visiting my husband's family in Israel, and we're right in the middle of the holiday of Passover. As is traditional during the intermediate days of the week-long festival, yesterday we went on a day trip to get out and enjoy nature--and to eat. A lot. At the end of the day, after eating continuously for 7 hours, we decided to head to a nearby campground and roast marshmallows. And to drink? Well, Turkish coffee, of course.

Is that not what you generally drink with your toasted marshmallows? Well, you're missing out. And if you've never had Turkish coffee, you're really missing out. I hadn't had a decent cup in years, but our friend cooked up a batch that was nothing short of amazing. Turkish coffee should really be roasted outdoors over an open fire, but in a pinch you can use your gas cooktop. The Turkish Coffee Set has everything you need to get started and enjoy your first cup of genuine Middle Eastern flavor--a small ibrik (that's the pot you make the coffee in), half a pound of Turkish coffee, and complete instructions. Cooking the coffee is half the experience, so take your time and do it right. When made properly, Turkish coffee is designed to be savored slowly, with good friends and great conversation. Once you master the technique, you can invest in a larger ibrik and serve your friends. Even if your normal drink is a Starbucks concoction, give Turkish coffee a try; it's a nice change of pace.
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