Before espresso machines, before pour-over kettles, before French presses — there was the cezve. This small, long-handled copper or brass pot has been used to brew coffee for nearly five centuries, and the method it produces remains the most widely drunk style of coffee across the Arab world, Turkey, and the Balkans. UNESCO recognized Turkish coffee culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, a testament to how deeply this brew is woven into the fabric of daily life.

What Is Turkish Coffee?

Turkish coffee is made by simmering extremely finely ground coffee — ground to a powder, finer than espresso — directly in water in a cezve, typically with sugar added during brewing rather than after. The coffee is brought just to the edge of boiling (never a full boil), poured grounds and all into a small cup, and allowed to settle before drinking. The result is a thick, intense, unfiltered brew with a layer of grounds at the bottom of the cup.

Unlike espresso, which extracts under pressure in seconds, Turkish coffee is a slow process — gentle heat, patient stirring, careful attention to the moment the foam rises. The pace of preparation mirrors the pace of the culture that surrounds it.

The Equipment

The cezve (also called ibrik in Arabic-speaking countries) comes in various sizes, typically measured in cups — a two-cup cezve is the most common for home use. Traditional cezves are made of copper or brass with tin lining, though stainless steel versions are widely available. The long handle keeps hands away from heat; the wide base and narrow neck are specifically designed to build the rich foam that is considered a mark of quality in Turkish coffee.

Traditionally, Turkish coffee is brewed over a low flame or — in the most traditional preparation — over hot sand, which allows extremely precise, even heat control and produces an exceptionally smooth result. Sand brewing is still practiced in some Gulf cafés and Turkish coffee houses as both a technique and a spectacle.

How to Brew Turkish Coffee

The process begins with cold water — measured using the cup you’ll serve in. Add one heaped teaspoon of finely ground coffee per cup (approximately 7–8g), and sugar if desired: sade (plain, no sugar), az şekerli (a little sugar), orta (medium sweet), or çok şekerli (very sweet). Stir before heating, not after.

Heat the cezve over the lowest possible flame. As the coffee heats, a dark foam will begin to form around the edges. Stir gently once or twice. As the foam rises toward the lip of the cezve — just before a full boil — remove from heat immediately and pour slowly into the cup, letting the foam settle on top. Allow 30–60 seconds for the grounds to settle before drinking.

Coffee and Culture in the Arab World

In Arabic-speaking countries, coffee brewed in the ibrik has been a cornerstone of social life for centuries. Guests are offered coffee as a gesture of welcome; refusing it can be considered impolite. In many households, the preparation of coffee for guests is taken seriously — a poorly made cup reflects on the host’s hospitality.

The tradition of reading coffee grounds — tasseography — also has deep roots across the Arab world and Turkey, where the pattern of dried grounds left in the cup after drinking is interpreted as a form of fortune-telling. Whether or not one believes in the practice, it provides a reason to linger, to talk, to stay a little longer over an empty cup.

Choosing the Right Coffee

Traditional Turkish coffee blends are medium-to-dark roasted and ground to a talc-like powder. However, specialty coffee culture has brought lighter roasts and single-origin beans into the cezve — and the results can be remarkable. Ethiopian naturals brewed Turkish-style produce an intense, fruit-forward cup that surprises those who only know dark-roasted commercial blends.

Pre-ground Turkish coffee loses its character quickly; if possible, grind whole beans immediately before brewing using a grinder capable of very fine output, or have them ground fresh at a specialty coffee shop.