The ceramic pot can safely be considered the heir to the very first utensils in which people made coffee. Time and technology have made their own adjustments, but a cezve made of fired and glazed clay is still in demand in modern kitchens. How to brew coffee in a ceramic cezve correctly, are there any special subtleties for preparing a decent drink in a ceramic cezve?
How to brew coffee in a ceramic pot on the stove
A ceramic cezve allows you to get a rich and aromatic drink. Its thick walls heat up evenly, so the coffee is extracted efficiently, the ground powder imparts all the taste and aroma to the infusion. Therefore, ceramic Turks successfully compete with copper ones. Cooking recipes can be given in different ways. We offer our own algorithm that will help you prepare a strong and invigorating drink.
Cooking procedure
- Prepare a ceramic cezve. If it is new, wash it thoroughly with warm water and wipe dry.
- Place the finest grind coffee in a Turk, at the rate of 10-12 grams per 100 ml of water. This is approximately 2 full teaspoons with a small slide. This proportion will give a strong drink; if you want to make it less intense, use less powder.
- Do you drink coffee with sugar? Then put it with coffee. Approximately 1 teaspoon.
- Pour cold water into the Turk. It will require 2/3 of the required volume. To accurately measure the required portion of liquid, first pour it into the cup from which you plan to drink coffee, and then pour most of the water into the coffee pot.
- Set the Turk over low heat. If possible, use a flame spreader to help the drink heat evenly and slowly.
- As soon as the foam begins to rise, remove the ceramic pot from the heat.
- Transfer the risen foam into a cup.
- Add the remaining water from the cup to the Turkish cup and stir the coffee with a long-handled spoon.
- Then put the Turk back on the fire and let the foam rise again.
- Stir again and put on fire again. After waiting for the coffee to rise again, remove from the heat, let it brew for a couple of minutes, and stir again.
- Carefully pour the drink into the cup where you previously placed the foam.
Your coffee is ready to enjoy.
How to replace Turk
Coffee is brewed in a Turk or cezve, but what to do if you don’t have them on hand? Cook in a saucepan? Why not? Just take an enameled one and a small one. You can also use coffee makers. Since the times of the Soviet Union, they have been produced in a great variety of types and modifications.
Some gourmets claim that a ceramic pot is not inferior to a traditional Turkish pot, but it is inconvenient to use. As a rule, pots do not have handles.
Another way is the microwave. But here you need to know the exact boiling time of the water in the cup and set the time a little less so that the coffee does not run away.
Rules for using ceramic Turks
Utensils have their own rules and limitations that must be taken into account before you start making coffee.
- Ceramic cezves are suitable for making coffee on a gas or electric stove. They make coffee on sand and even in the microwave.
Ceramic cannot be used on induction cookers. We wrote about Turks for induction cookers in this article.
- Glazed ceramics do not like sudden temperature changes. Before washing the Turk after use, let it cool thoroughly.
Never place a very cold cezve on a hot burner.
- Clean dishes using warm water and non-abrasive detergents.
- Ceramic Turk is not afraid of fire and heat, since special fire-resistant ceramics are used for the dishes, however, it remains fragile and does not withstand impact loads well.
- You can warm up an empty cezve over a fire, just like you can caramelize sugar in it, provided that the inner coating of the cezve is not made of glass ceramics.
The essential minimum for excellent taste
You can prepare an amazingly tasty drink on a regular stove. It is enough to stock up on high-quality Turkish tea, clean drinking water and understand the basic principles of brewing. There are countless recipes for making coffee at home. They indicate how much and what varieties to use, what spices and additional ingredients to add. However, you can begin creative experiments only after learning the basics, otherwise you can ruin the taste of even the most exquisite varieties.
We select a Turkish woman
Turk is a classic utensil that allows you to brew coffee correctly. For thousands of years, the aromatic drink was brewed in copper, achieving the maximum development of taste.
Ceramic and clay
Gourmets who enjoy the process of preparing the elixir of vigor prefer to use a clay pot. The porous structure of the clay is thoroughly saturated with the taste and aroma of coffee grounds, so for each type it is necessary to have a separate container for brewing.
Ceramic products are more versatile, but have a capricious disposition - they are “afraid” of mechanical damage and require careful adherence to temperature conditions.
It is difficult to use ceramics and clay - one awkward move and your beloved Turk breaks down. Don't feel the need to go fancy and just want to make decent coffee every day? Then use a traditional copper cezve.
Copper
Copper Turks are ideal for preparing coffee masterpieces at home. The metal heats up evenly, allowing you to prepare the drink quite carefully. Using a cezve is easy - brewing does not take much time.
When brewing coffee in a pot with a narrow neck, it is important not to miss the moment of boiling, otherwise the coffee will “run away”
Which Turk should you choose to brew a very tasty drink? There are two types of products - with a wide and narrow neck. The ideal development of the taste qualities of grain coffee allows you to achieve a cezve with a thin throat. However, it is quite difficult to cook in it, since the drink tends to instantly “run away” before boiling. It is much easier to brew coffee in a Turkish coffee pot with a wide top, but the taste will be less rich.
Before purchasing any type of cezve, you should make sure that the inner surface is high-quality coated with food-grade tin, which protects people from the harmful metal impurities characteristic of copper.
A small-sized Turk is considered ideal, allowing you to cook only one portion (from 75 to 100 ml). Are there many coffee drinkers in your family? It is more profitable to use large cezves. The final drink is less strong, but everyone can enjoy it at the same time.
Clean water – delicious coffee
You need to brew the drink wisely! Chlorinated or boiled water will not reveal the true taste of selected grains. Use purified or spring (bottled) water. Are you used to taking water from the tap? Then accept that even the most expensive varieties will not be able to make the right impression on you - bad water simply kills their taste.
Brief tips for brewing:
- “Boiling means killing,” coffee is brewed over low heat and removed from the stove a moment before the boil begins. A boiled drink loses 70% of its taste and aroma.
- “Don’t forget to warm it up,” - before preparing the elixir of vigor, the Turk needs to warm it up well.
- “Beans for once” - it is not customary to prepare grain coffee “for reserve”. The grains are ground on a one-time basis. How much do you need to grind? Depends on the desired volumes and expected strength.
- “Sugar is friends with coffee,” - those with a sweet tooth should remember that sugar is added along with ground beans. And then everything is poured with water and cooked over low heat.
- “Slow and tasty” - want to get a tasty drink? Use the lowest heat possible.
How to make coffee in a ceramic Turk on sand?
For those who want to taste real coffee according to a traditional oriental recipe, we provide a complete algorithm for preparing coffee on sand in a ceramic Turk.
- In a small cezve - up to 120 ml - put 1 scoop of ground coffee. A ceramic pot will heat up more slowly than a copper one, so it’s better to take the minimum size pots.
- Pour cold water waist-deep into the Turk.
- Flatten the fine heated sand in a special electric fryer and place the Turk in the sand. This should be done in a circular motion, with pressure. As a result, most of the container will be immersed in sand almost up to the neck. If you couldn’t bury the Turk right away, dig it in with sand using a regular spoon.
- Wait 40-50 seconds, allowing the coffee to warm up.
- Then the Turk needs to be taken by the handle and moved in a circle, burying it in the sand. Leave for 5-7 seconds and change the position of the Turks again. Make sure that the surface of the drink is not agitated and the coffee does not splash out.
- After making 5-6 circles, leave the Turk with coffee in the sand until foam forms.
- Remove the container from the sand and let it cool slightly. You can stir the drink with a long-handled metal spoon.
- Place the Turk back into the sand until the foam rises again.
- After this, the coffee can be poured into cups and served.
To make coffee on sand, use a cezve with a simple, laconic design, without appliqués or voluminous decorations. All these decorative elements slow down the heating and disrupt its uniformity.
Review of prices for ceramic Turks
The assortment of ceramic Turks is rich. The price is influenced by the design, volumetric characteristics and construction of the Turk. The Turkish handle can be wooden, ceramic, bakelite. The design is varied: from products with rich decor to minimalism.
Branded Turks from large companies will cost more
A cezve with a capacity of 150 ml will cost 900 rubles and more. Dishes with a volume of 300–400 ml will cost from 1100–1500 rubles. The price of Turks with a capacity of 500-700 ml is from 1500 to 3000 rubles.
A few tips for gourmets
For those who are willing to spend a few minutes of their lives preparing a good drink, we have put together a few tips that will make coffee in a ceramic Turk even tastier.
- If you drink coffee with sugar, use brown cane coffee. Mix it thoroughly with ground coffee, and only then add water. Your coffee will give a strong and high foam, and reveal the aroma in a new way.
- Before putting it on the fire, warm the Turk under running hot water or by placing it in the microwave for a few seconds. Ground coffee placed in a heated cezve acquires a rich and intense aroma.
- The spoon you are going to use to stir the coffee can be pre-cooled in the refrigerator.
- If you are preparing a drink with spices, then add the hard ones immediately with ground coffee, and leave the ground coffee until the drink is ready. They are added when the coffee is removed from the stove.
- To help the grounds settle faster, add a few drops of cold water to the finished coffee.
A ceramic pot allows you to prepare coffee that is as rich in flavor and aroma as possible. This occurs due to sufficient extraction of the ground powder in a thick-walled container. The ceramic pot has written a worthy page in the coffee book of our civilization, so we should take advantage of the properties of this utensil and ancient recipes to treat ourselves to a delicious drink.
Preparatory stage
Making real coffee is an almost mystical activity, requiring concentration, slowness, strict adherence to technology, and most importantly, love for this tonic drink. If you don’t have time to make Turkish coffee, you can use a coffee maker. In this case, it would be useful to stock up on paper filters for filtering coffee. Thanks to this device, the drink is aromatic and without sediment.
Which Turk to choose
Why, however, despite the advantages of coffee makers, is coffee still brewed in Turks? Turka (aka cezve) is a traditional utensil for preparing it. Turks have a wide bottom, narrow neck and long handle. Thanks to this shape, the container is convenient to use. It heats up evenly, retains heat for a long time, and preserves the aroma of the drink.
Cezves are made from various materials: clay, ceramics, copper, silver. Clay and ceramic Turks are fragile, absorb aroma well, and therefore are suitable for preparing only one type of coffee bean. Most often, drink lovers purchase copper cezves. They are functional, have a reasonable price and are therefore widespread. Silver Turks do not have any special advantages over copper ones. However, they are much more expensive than copper ones. Therefore, among connoisseurs of this drink they are considered a luxury item and a good option for interior decoration.
What can you replace the Turk with if necessary?
If you don’t have a suitable cezve, you can try making a drink of vigor in a coffee maker, French press, or even in a small saucepan (necessarily with a thick bottom). However, as connoisseurs note, the taste of their contents will be noticeably inferior to the Turkish drink.
Choosing the right coffee
The quality of the drink directly depends on the ingredients. It is known that thanks to natural coffee, the tone increases and the body's immunity improves, so the choice of its type and the degree of grinding of the beans should be approached with special care. There are two main varieties of coffee - Arabica and Robusta. Ground coffee producers prefer to make a mixture of these beans. The fact is that Arabica has a balanced, harmonious taste with sourness, while Robusta is characterized by strength and bitterness.
On a note! To neutralize the bitterness and make the drink soft, add a pinch of salt to it.
Also, the taste of the finished drink depends on the degree of grinding of the coffee beans. The degree of grinding is coarse, medium and fine. Coarse grind is suitable for coffee machines and coffee makers. The average is considered universal. This powder is suitable both for professional equipment and for cooking in a Turk. A fine grind is preferred by those who prepare the drink in geyser coffee makers. If you want to get acquainted with new tastes, coarse and fine grinding of coffee beans can be brewed in a cezve. But in this case, the drink will turn out to be an acquired taste.
The taste of the drink is directly affected by the degree of grinding of the coffee.
Does it matter what kind of water?
Along with the variety and grinding of the beans, water is an important ingredient in this delicacy. It is better if it is fresh spring water. In the absence of one, bottled or filtered will do. You cannot use boiled water, as this has an extremely adverse effect on the taste of the drink.
Classic cooking method
A traditional and very simple cooking method that takes little time (no more than 10-15 minutes). Decide in advance how strong the drink you want.
How much coffee do you need? Depends on personal preference. For 200 ml you can take two (weak strength) or three teaspoons of ground grains (moderate strength). Try to use finely ground beans so that the coffee grounds can fully develop their flavor when brewed.
- Pour ground grains and other ingredients included in the recipe (for example, sugar, various spices) into the heated Turk.
- Pour cold water into the container and warm the future drink well over low heat.
- Is the content warm enough? It's time to stir the coffee until a light foam forms. This action can be repeated only once to ensure full development of taste.
- We monitor the appearance of the foam - when heated, it darkens and rises little by little. Are bubbles starting to form on the surface? This is the perfect time to take your coffee off the heat.
- Wait a couple of minutes to allow the grounds to settle to the bottom. Then pour the drink into cups.
