Brewing

Finely ground coffee, cold water and a slow flame. The tradition's own recipe, and what research says about the foam.

By
Coffee Rue Journal
Reading time
4 min read
Published
Drawing seen from above. A cezve of foamy coffee on a hob ring, a Turkish coffee cup on its saucer, and a glass of water.

Put very finely ground coffee, cold water and any sugar into the cezve together, set it on the hob and let it brew slowly until foam forms. Serve it in a small cup with a glass of water on the side. That is also the recipe described in the tradition UNESCO recognised in 2013.

Below: why each step is done that way, and what one study found about the foam.

A recipe that is also a tradition

In 2013 UNESCO added "Turkish coffee culture and tradition" to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The recipe in the listing is simple: freshly roasted beans are ground to a fine powder; the ground coffee, cold water and sugar go into the coffee pot and are brewed slowly on the stove until foam forms. The coffee is served in small cups with a glass of water.

The listing also describes where the coffee is drunk: coffeehouses where people talk and share news, cups offered as a sign of hospitality and friendship, and its place in engagement ceremonies and holidays. It notes that the grounds left in the cup are sometimes used for fortune-telling.

Why the grind is so fine

Turkish coffee is never filtered. The grounds brew with the water and arrive in the cup with it, which is why the coffee is ground as fine as powder. A fine grind exposes more surface to the water, so more material comes out in a short time. Our guide to grind size covers that relationship in more detail.

If the poured coffee sits for a moment, the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup. That is why the last sip is usually left behind.

Start with cold water

The traditional recipe starts with cold water, and there is laboratory data on that step. A 2020 study in the journal LWT, which looked at Turkish coffee from roasting through to storage, measured how the starting temperature of the water affects the foam. The highest foam volume came from tap water at 4 °C — about as cold as water straight from the fridge.

This is a single study, and it measured foam volume rather than flavour. Still, the practical takeaway is clear enough: if you want foam, don't warm the water first; start cold and give the coffee time to heat up.

What the pot is made of

The same study compared brewing in a copper cezve with an electric Turkish coffee machine. The copper cezve gave the higher foam volume. Note that the study compared only these two methods, not every pot material.

When does the sugar go in?

In UNESCO's description, sugar goes into the pot at the start, together with the coffee and water. Adding it once brewing has begun isn't part of the recipe, which is why the host asks how sweet you'd like it before making the coffee.

Step by step

  1. Put the coffee, cold water and any sugar into the cezve.
  2. Set it over a low flame and don't rush it.
  3. When foam starts to form, the coffee is ready. UNESCO's recipe, too, brews the coffee until foam forms.
  4. Pour, sharing the foam between the cups.
  5. Serve with a glass of water.
Foam, from the rim inwards. A short, silent loop you can pause.

Freshness affects the foam too

The LWT study also looked at storing ground Turkish coffee. Powder kept cold stayed fresher, and gave a higher, longer-lasting foam. For general storage advice, see our guide to storing beans; if you use the freezer, make sure the container is truly airtight.

A note on unfiltered coffee

A paper filter holds back most of two oily compounds in coffee, cafestol and kahweol. Turkish coffee isn't filtered. A review in the Annual Review of Nutrition summarises that Turkish coffee, Scandinavian-style boiled coffee and French press coffee can raise total and LDL cholesterol in the blood, while filtered coffee does not.

That isn't a reason to avoid Turkish coffee. But if you keep an eye on your cholesterol, it is worth knowing; decide how much to drink together with your doctor.

Sources