Bring the water just to boiling – bubbling regularly but not vigorously.
Use a standard drip coffee grind. Try 2 tablespoons per mug at first. It is easier to weaken coffee that is too strong by diluting it than it is to strengthen coffee that is too weak. You can use instant coffee if desired. You will add 1-2 teaspoons per mug instead (refer to package directions).
Some people prefer to bring the mixture back up to a boil briefly,[1] X Research source or even for up to 2 minutes. [2] X Research source This will increase the bitterness of your brew, so know your taste in coffee before deciding.
Splashing a little cold water into the pot at the end may help the grounds settle at the bottom. Flicking drops off your wet fingertips should suffice for a single mug size brew.
If you have a tea strainer or similar filter, you can place it over your mug to help keep out even more of the sludge and rogue grounds. [3] X Research source
They have three chambers, one for water, one for grounds and one for the finished product. The bottom chamber is for the water. It usually has a pressure valve as well. The middle chamber is for your finely ground coffee. Pack it in lightly. The top chamber is the collection point for the brewed espresso / coffee.
Use standard drip grind coffee – roughly table salt consistency.
Be careful so as to not spill the ground coffee into the water or either into the top chamber. Keep each in its own place for now.
The coffee will emerge as a rich brown stream which will lighten over time. Wait for the stream to reach the color of yellow honey, then remove the pot from the heat. Do not leave the pot on too long or you will scorch the coffee – and that is not a taste most people enjoy.
You’ll need an ibrik (variously known as a cezve, briki, mbiki or toorka, among other names), a small metal pot (traditionally made of brass) which is thinner at the neck than base and usually has a long handle. You’ll also need water and sugar (or, though less traditional, a sugar substitute), of course. This method requires Turkish grind coffee, which is as fine a grind as you are likely to encounter. Specialty shops, coffee roasters, Middle Eastern shops, and some mainstream retailers may have this grind. Also look at the grinding machine found in your grocery store’s coffee aisle – many of them actually have a Turkish grind setting. [4] X Research source If grinding your own beans, make the grind as fine as you can.
You can substitute an artificial sweetener (such as aspartame) for the sugar as well.
If you want to make less coffee, you need a smaller ibrik. It needs to be filled to the lower neck to brew properly. A typical small ibrik is about 8 ounces, enough for two 3 oz. demitasse cups.
These floating grounds act as a barrier between the water and air, facilitating the frothing process. Depending on how strong you like your coffee, use one to two rounded teaspoons of coffee per demitasse serving, or roughly three rounded teaspoons (or one rounded tablespoon) for an 8 oz. ibrik.
The coffee will foam. Foaming is not the same as boiling. [5] X Research source Do not let it boil, and really do not let it boil over unless you love vigorously scrubbing a scorched stovetop.
Traditionally this process is repeated up to three more times. Put the ibrik back on the heat, wait for it to froth up to the top of the neck, then let it settle down and stir.
When pouring, leave the last bit of coffee in the ibrik to trap some of the “sludge. ” Likewise, when drinking, leave the last bit in your cup. Turkish coffee is traditionally served with a glass of water as a palate cleanser.
