What do we need? A cezve and a heat source, coffee, water, and sugar. Cezves are available from several web sites. They are also known as a ibrik, briki, mbiki or toorka. The heat source is typically your stove, gas or electric. The coffee may be any roast but our personal favorites are Starbucks Breakfast Blend or the Our Turkish Blend Cafe.
What type of coffee grind? Turkish coffee uses the finest grind you can have. The coffee becomes more like a powder than anything else. On most machines, it is the finest grind possible.
Step 1: Add the sugar first. For an 8 oz. cezve, we recommend 2 level teaspoons. we use anywhere from 1 level tablespoon (=3 teaspoons) to 2 rounded tablespoons, depending on whoelse is joining ! Several people just use one packet of Equal, … yech.
Sugar
Step 2: Fill your cezve with water up to the point where the cezve’s “neck” starts. The water should come up to, but not into, the neck. You can’t really make a smaller amount, you would need a smaller cezve. The level is important for the physics behind how it works.
Water level
Step 3: This is a picture of a heaping teaspoon. Study it carefully! In a small cezve (4 oz.) use 2 heaping teaspoons. An 8 oz. ibrik, use 3. A 12 oz., use 6. Yes, we know that is not a geometrical progression, but this is an art, not a science.
Scoop
Note how the coffee grinds float on the water. This is important, DO NOT STIR. The grinds actually act like a seal between the water and the air. This is important. You will stir in a later step, but for now, the floating coffee is necessary.
Step 4:Now for the heat source. we are going use the gas stove. Just about anything should work. Purists will tell you to heat the coffee very slowly. I say medium to high heat works. DO NOT WALK AWAY!
Dry Coffee
After a few minutes things will start to happen. If the water starts to boil, you did not use enough coffee. The coffee should never boil … toss and start again.
The coffee should start to foam. The difference is the foaming is slow, boiling is fast. You should see the foam grow from around the coffee and start to fill the neck. DO NOT STOP WATCHING! Notice the foam building.
The foam will start to fill the neck and work it’s way up. When it is almost to the top of the cezve, remove the cezve from the heat source.
STEP 5:Carefully stir the coffee and the foam will subside.
Foam start
Put the cezve back on the heat source. It will start to foam again, this time more quickly.
Again, remove from the heat source, stir down the foam, and replace.
Foam
Repeat a third time, the foam rises, remove, do not stir unless you are doing the optional step.
STEP 6:Some people love the foam, others loath it. At this point, scoop out the foam with a spoon and either 1) place it all in your cup, 2) place an even amount of foam in each cup, or 3) gently place it in the drain of your sink.Let the cezve sit about 30 seconds so some of the grinds will settle. Then pour yourself as much of the coffee as you want, dividing the rest (if there is any) among your luck guests. Don’t pour out the last drop since the bottom of the cezve will be sludge.
STEP 7: Black? Of course. But your guests may add milk, or better, half and half. Note in the picture that you can see the grinds settle in the cup on the left. The crema or foam on top is seen on the right. Both are delicious.
Two Done
Be warned, and warn your guests, the grinds will settle to the bottom of your glass / demitasse / mug.
RELAX, ENJOY, TAKE A BOW. But please don’t tell anyone how to make it, it is our secret!
FINAL WARNING: Looking away, even for a second, will result in something like this:
