Why are Turkish coffee pots copper?
Copper is the finest conductor of the heat thus a perfect material to brew coffee at low heat as it is required by Turkish coffee making.
Should I use traditional copper coffee pot or electric cezve to make perfect Turkish Coffee?
Turkish coffee lovers prefer to make their coffee in a copper coffee pot over low heat waiting patiently for the necessary time for a perfect brewing. Electric cezve is a very practical alternative to this process of making Turkish coffee in less time and with almost the same taste but it cannot copy brewing pleasure that coffee lovers get from the copper pot brewing.
Is Turkish coffee made in an automatic coffee machine as good as the one made in a copper pot?
Yes. Automatic Turkish coffee makers yield almost the same taste and texture as the coffee made in a copper pot. You will get even a better result if your Turkish coffee maker has an ember function which provides longer brewing at lower temperature. Please keep in mind that you need an automatic machine designed to make Turkish coffee. Not all electric coffee machines are capable of making Turkish coffee.
Turkish Coffee Pot: Cezve
Named similarly in many countries, Turkish coffee pot “cezve” or “ibrik”, as also called by some, is an indispensable tool in many kitchens. What to know about it?
Turkish coffee used to be made in copper pots over ember in older times. Even though the modern stoves in our kitchens have taken the place of ember, classic Turkish coffee pots named “cezve” are still in use by many and resisting electric coffee pots and automatic coffee makers. Let’s learn more about Turkish coffee pots.
What is a Cezve?
A Turkish coffee pot called cezve is a small kitchen utensil with a canonical shape and a long handle, which is mainly used to make Turkish coffee. It has a pouring lip on the rim, designed to help the brewed coffee calmly find its way to the cup. Its handle was longer when the Turkish coffee was made over fire in older times but now it is shorter since the risk of getting burned is very low on a modern day stove.
Turkish coffee pot is used in all areas where Turkish coffee is common. It has two basic names: one is “cezve” of Turkish origin and the other one is “ibriki” of Arabic origin. The words used to name Turkish coffee pots in areas where Turkish coffee is well known are derived from these two names such as jazva in Armenian, dzezva in Bosnian, jdezva in Serbian, briki in Greek and ibrik also in Turkish.
Traditionally, the cezve is made of copper with a wood or brass handle. But, nowadays, stainless steel, brass, glass and ceramic cezve are also available in the market. As technology advances, electric cezve and automatic Turkish coffee makers are developed providing almost the same traditional taste as the Turkish coffee made in a copper pot over ember.
Different Cezve Types
Below are Turkish coffee pots classified according to the material they are made of.
Copper Turkish Coffee Pot
Copper is the most preferred material for authentic Turkish coffee pots. Copper cezve conducts the heat evenly and the coffee slowly brews in it. This slow brewing is the main element of Turkish coffee making process and yields intense flavor and thick texture of Turkish coffee, for which it is famous around the world.
Silver Turkish Coffee Pot
Silver Turkish coffee pot is a copper coffee pot but coated with silver for ornamentation purposes. There is amazing craftsmanship on these coffee pots so the price is higher. They are also not practical for daily use. However, silver Turkish coffee pots are a great gift with their vintage look.
Stainless Steel Turkish Coffee Pot
Stainless steel Turkish coffee pot is a modern day utensil. It is dishwasher safe and very practical to use but the texture of the coffee made in a stainless steel pot is not the same as the one made in a copper pot.
Brass Turkish Coffee Pot
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Even though brass is less conductive than copper, it is resistant to hard water. So, if you live in an area with hard water, a brass Turkish coffee pot can be a better choice.
Glass Turkish Coffee Pot
Glass Turkish coffee pots are made of borosilicate glass which is resistant to high temperatures. Glass coffee pots are very easy on the eye. They are also very healthy and do not contain any chemicals.
Enamel Turkish Coffee Pot
Enamel Turkish coffee pots are not commonly used since enamel has lost its popularity recently. However, they are still an economic alternative. They are also dishwasher safe and suitable for induction cookers.
Ceramic Turkish Coffee Pot
Ceramic is less conductive than other materials so coffee made in ceramic brews much more slowly. This very slow brewing yields a very foamy coffee with a strong rich taste and very thick texture. Ceramic is also a very healthy material that does not contain any chemicals. However, the price of ceramic Turkish coffee pots are higher than the other cezve types since they are usually handmade.
Turkish Coffee Pot Sizes
Turkish coffee pots come in very different sizes classified according to how many servings they yield. Choosing the right size of the Turkish coffee pot is essential especially to produce a fine foam. So, the size of the coffee pot should be in accordance with the number of cups you are planning to serve. You should also keep in mind that the Turkish coffee pot should be filled two thirds of its height at most because some place is needed to allow foam to rise during brewing.
Turkish coffee pot is usually sold in 3-piece sets and these sets include the sizes below. Of course, the cups mentioned below are Turkish coffee cups of 2-2.5 fl.oz.:
Small Turkish coffee pot: This is to make 1-2 cups of Turkish coffee and ideal for daily use.
Medium Turkish coffee pot: This is to make 3-4 cups of Turkish coffee and is ideal when you drink coffee with friends.
Large Turkish coffee pot: This is to make 5-6 cups of Turkish coffee and used when you have a large group of guests.
Small and medium size cezve are practical to use but, as for the large pot, it is not easy to share the foam among 6 cups adequately. So, it would be better to make 4 in medium size and 2 in small size if you are to serve coffee to 6 people.
