How to Make Turkish Coffee (Traditional Way)

If you enjoy rich, smooth coffee, this post will show you how to make Turkish Coffee (Türk Kahvesi) the traditional way. The steps are easy to follow, and I’ve included photos to make it simple and clear.

I have been preparing it for many years, and it is always a favorite in my home. I brew it slowly in a small pot called a cezve and pour straight into little cups called fincan without filtering. The result is thick, fragrant, and topped with a creamy foam.

Jump to:

• History of Turkish Coffee
• What You Need to Make Turkish Coffee - Türk Kahvesi
• How to Make Turkish Coffee
• How to Brew with Two Different Sugar Levels in the Same Cezve
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• What Does Turkish Coffee Taste Like?
• Serving Suggestions
• Variations of Turkish Coffee
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• How to Make Turkish Coffee (Traditional Way)

The recipe is simple: very finely ground Turkish coffee, cold water, and sugar if you like it sweet. That is all you need, but the method is what makes it special. Turkish coffee - Türk kahvesi is more than just a drink. It is part of daily life in Turkey and the Middle East and has been shared with family and guests for centuries.

History of Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee has been enjoyed for more than 500 years. It was first introduced to Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s, and from there, it spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Coffeehouses (Kahvehane in Turkish) became important social spaces where people met to talk, play games, or discuss ideas.

In Turkey, serving coffee is also part of hospitality, same as Turkish Tea - Cay. Offering a guest a small cup of Turkish coffee is a traditional way of showing respect and care. It also plays a role in weddings: when a man asks for a woman’s hand, her family often serves Turkish coffee to test his patience and manners. Sometimes the bride-to-be adds extra salt instead of sugar to her suitor’s cup as a playful test of his character.

Another cultural detail is fortune-telling. After drinking the coffee, people sometimes turn the cup upside down on the saucer and read the patterns left by the coffee grounds. This fun tradition is still common today.

Turkish coffee is not just about caffeine; it is a ritual, a way to connect with others, and a symbol of hospitality that has lasted through generations.

What You Need to Make Turkish Coffee - Türk Kahvesi

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Turkish coffee - Extremely fine coffee grounds that can be found in most Middle Eastern and Turkish shops.

• Water - Fresh cold water

• Sugar - It is optional. You need to add it before brewing. If it is your first time drinking Turkish coffee, you can experiment and adjust the level of sweetness to your taste.

• Cezve (Turkish coffee pot) - It is usually copper or stainless steel with a long handle. You can find them in Turkish shops or online on Amazon.

• Fincan (Turkish coffee cups) - They are small demitasse-style cups and come in a wide range of styles and colours. I like it plain white, but colourful ones are more popular. You can find them in Turkish shops or online on Amazon.

How to Make Turkish Coffee

Use your serving cups to measure the water. Fill them with cold water and pour into the cezve. This makes sure the portions are correct.

Add one heaping teaspoon of finely ground Turkish coffee for each cup. The grind must be extra fine, almost like powder, for the right taste and foam.

This is the moment to add sugar. Once brewed, you cannot stir sugar in without breaking the foam. Choose your sweetness level before you start.

Here’s a helpful sugar guide:

Sweetness Level	Turkish Name	Sugar per Cup (teaspoons)	Sugar per Cup (grams)
No sugar	Sade	0	0 g
Lightly sweet	Az şekerli	½ teaspoon	~2 g
Medium sweet	Orta şekerli	1 teaspoon	~4 g
Sweet	Şekerli	2 teaspoons	~8 g

Mix the water, coffee, and sugar well while still cold. This is the only time you stir.

Place the cezve on low heat. Turkish coffee must be heated gently for the flavor to develop and the foam to rise. As the coffee warms, foam will form and rise.

Remove from heat just before it boils over and divide the thick foam formed on top between 2 cups.

Return the cezve to heat and let it come to a gentle boil. Pour slowly into cups without disturbing the foam on top. Serve hot, with water and something sweet on the side.

How to Brew with Two Different Sugar Levels in the Same Cezve

Sometimes you need to make Turkish coffee for two people, but each prefers a different sweetness. This is common when serving guests. There are two ways to handle it:

Method 1: Brew Separately

This is the best way for perfect results if you only have one cezve. Prepare one cezve with the sugar level for the first person, pour, then repeat with a fresh cezve of water and coffee for the second person. It takes a little more time but ensures each cup is just right.

Method 2: One Cezve, Divide Carefully

If you only have one cezve and want to save time, you can adjust as follows:

1. Brew the coffee with no sugar.
2. Pour the first cup for the person who likes it plain.
3. Put the cezve back on the stove with the remaining coffee, add the sugar for the second person, stir quickly, and reheat just enough for the sugar to dissolve.
4. Pour into the second cup.

This second method is not fully traditional because coffee should not be stirred after heating, but it works if you need two different sugar levels at once.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Always start with cold water.

• Use very fine coffee, even finer than espresso. Try and find Turkish coffee as other types of coffee grounds won't give you the same foamy, thick coffee.

• Stir only before heating, never after.

• Keep the heat low and slow.

• Remove cezve from the heat just before it boils over and divide equally the thick foam formed on top between 2 cups.

• Return the cezve back on gentle heat and remove from the heat just before it boils.

• Do not drink the bottom layer; that is where the grounds settle.

What Does Turkish Coffee Taste Like?

Turkish coffee is strong, smooth, and rich. It has a full-bodied taste and a thick texture that lingers on the tongue. Because it is unfiltered, the fine grounds add to the mouthfeel. The sugar level changes the taste a lot. Without sugar, it is strong and earthy. With sugar, it becomes softer and rounder.

Serving Suggestions

Turkish coffee is always served in small cups with water on the side. A sweet treat is almost always included. Here are some common pairings:

• Turkish delight (lokum)

• Sari Burma Baklava Rolls - Saragli, Kadaif Dessert - Turkish Tel Kadayif, or Sekerpare - Turkish Semolina Cookies.

• Kabak Tatlısı - Easy Turkish Pumpkin Dessert 

• A small piece of chocolate, such as Oreos Covered in Chocolate.

• Simple biscuits or cookies such as Walnut Cookies, Un Kurabiyesi - Turkish Flour Cookies, or Turkish Apple Cookies (Elmali Kurabiye).

The water is not optional. It is served to cleanse the mouth before sipping and to refresh afterward.

If you want the most authentic feel, serve in small decorated cups with saucers.

Variations of Turkish Coffee

Greek coffee: Very similar but often slightly different in sugar levels or foam style.

With cardamom: Common in the Middle East for a warm, spiced note.

Double brewed: Some people brew twice for a thicker drink.

With milk: Not traditional in Turkey, but some enjoy it this way, including myself when I was a teenager.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

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Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of learning how to make Turkish Coffee - Türk Kahvesi (Traditional Way) as much as you enjoy drinking it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!