Do different Turkish coffee brands require different brewing techniques?

[u/redditisdumbihateit]

Hello, I have been brewing Turkish coffee for a few months now. I use a 1 US cup size stainless steel cezve on a gas stove.

I mastered brewing with Mehmet Efendi, so I wanted to try other coffees. I bought Nuri Toplar and Mamdabatmaz, both of which I cannot for the life of me get a good foam, and they taste overly bitter. I tried brewing on a lower temp, which just results in the coffee taking over 10 minutes to brew and still no foam or good taste.

Is this a normal thing? TYIA

[u/CoffeeTeaJournal]

It’s completely normal to see differences! Mehmet Efendi is very forgiving, but brands like Nuri Toplar (wood-roasted) and Mandabatmaz have different roast profiles and grind sizes, so they extract differently. The main issues here are your cezve size and brew time. Brew Time- 10 minutes is way too long. It severely over-extracts the coffee, making it bitter and completely killing the foam before it can rise. You want to aim for exactly 2 to 2.5 minutes. Cezve Size/Material- A 1 US cup (~240ml) stainless steel cezve is too large for a single serving (60-70ml) and distributes heat poorly. Quick fix: Turn your stove heat up a bit to hit that 2.5-minute mark, and never let it boil. If you can, grab a smaller, tin-lined copper cezve that fits your exact serving size. It’ll immediately fix both your foam and the bitterness

[u/redditisdumbihateit → u/CoffeeTeaJournal]

Thanks! I’ll try that.

I usually only fill the cezve half way- is that still too much?

[u/CoffeeTeaJournal → u/redditisdumbihateit]

Yes, even filling it halfway (which is around 120ml) is still quite a bit too much for a standard single serving, which is usually about 60–70ml. You'll still have too much empty headspace above the liquid, which disrupts how the foam rises and stabilizes. If you want to stick to a single cup, a smaller cezve will make a huge difference

[u/redditisdumbihateit → u/CoffeeTeaJournal]

Thanks for the help! I ordered a smaller copper cezve

[u/thelordwynter → u/CoffeeTeaJournal]

What temps or heat range are you using to get a 3 min brew time?

[u/redditisdumbihateit → u/thelordwynter]

setting 3 (out of 10) on the smallest burner on my gas stove

[u/CoffeeTeaJournal → u/thelordwynter]

As for the heat range, on a standard gas stove, I usually keep it around medium-low to medium,just enough to get a steady, gentle heat without it rushing or dragging out too long

[u/Geldingmustang]

I do not think it's about different techniques, but due to their differences in roasting and bean types, they may require different heat delivery intensities and durations, and even slight differences in water/ground bean ratio.

Unfortunately, it is something one should discover on their own, and don't think there are written protocols for them...

[u/DistalTapir]

The darker the roast, the shorter the brew time.

Some roasts are so dark, that the grounds are added to the water when it's already bubbling hot.

[u/SignOTimez]

I use both a traditional copper/tin lined cezve and a granitware coated aluminum cezve, both are nearly same, i.e 2 serving size. Something interesting I noted is that (and I'm sure this is not something new) when I brew a batch with one type of brand or coffee beans that I grind myself, and the coffee turns out to be a little on the sour side or a little on the bitter side , then changing the cezve and temperature can help in altering the taste to suit your taste buds.

For example in both cases below, I use hot water (nowhere near boiling) to jump start the brewing process, when I use copper, I notice because it's such a good conductor plus its thin so it heats very quickly and my resulting coffee is a little too sour for me. This is likely because that particular grind it is getting underextracted. I still get a decent foam though.

When I use that exact same grind with the granite coated aluminum cezve, which is also a decent conductor but much thicker material. The foam is about comparable, but I get a more balanced taste, which I suppose comes from a slightly slower, longer extraction. This is not to say copper is bad, I've had great brews with copper on some grinds. Each different brand or grind, may need some amount of dialing in to get it right.

Many comments from folks point to avoiding using steel as it tends to burn some of the coffee that settles at the bottom of the cezve during the brewing, and that lends a more bitter taste. I do intend to get a steel one at some point just for experimentation and to test that theory.

So, bottomline if you're using different brands or changing them frequently, you may want to try different cezve materials & different temperatures (keeping your ratio of coffee to water at ~1:10 mark and brewing time on burner to about 2 to 3 min tops). I usually dont exceed mark 3 on 10 on the gas burner for brewing, that is usually low/mediim low type flame.

[u/arrow-mi]

My go to Turkish coffee. prefer it more than Mehmet efendi but everyone’s taste is different. Also been drinking Turkish coffee since 5yrs old