Turkish Coffee Pots and Other Accessories

Anyone who wants to make a good cup of Turkish coffee needs to have a special pot, called ibrik,cezve, Turkish coffee pot or Turkish coffee maker.

This pot have been succesfuly used by Turks and other nations for more then 500 years to spread the wonderful drink around the world.

So, seriously speaking, a Turkish coffee starts with a pot that looks like the ones in the pictures bellow.

An ibrik is a long handled pot, specially designed to make coffee. It is tall and has a cylindrical shape. It also features a brim for pouring the coffee into the cup.When buying a coffee pot is best to consider the size of the pot, the material and the handle.

The size depends on how much coffee you drink and the size of your cup. A traditional Turkish cup holds 3 oz of coffee. It may not seems a lot for an average coffee drinker but the Turkish coffee is stronger then what America drinks today. However, there are other bigger cups that could be used. Also you may want to go for a bigger ibrik when you share your coffee with somebody else.

During my life I used a wide variety of coffee pots for my Turkish coffee. I used cooper, brass, stainless still, aluminium and even Teflon style pots. There is little difference between them though I got attached to some more then others. Looking back I can say that what mattered the most was the way the pot fitted my needs: big enough for 2 or 3 coffee cups, light weighted and easy to clean and store.

The handle is supposed to be long and made out of a material that is heat resistant so you won't burn your hands while making the coffee (even there is a very slim chance to do so), specially when a gas stove is used. The best handles are made out of wood. Wooden handles can be very useful when using small Turkish coffee pots.

I have a long experience with Turkish coffee and I can say, with pride, that I mastered the skills of making a very good coffee. There are many things to consider when brewing like the flavour and amount of coffee, the way it is ground, the ratio or water/coffee/sugar and even the source of water used, but still, everybody that wants to make a Turkish coffee has to start with an ibrik.

The second important item for Turkish coffee, after the pot, is a long handled teaspoon.  Here is how they look like:

Because the coffee needs to be boiled more then one time and at some point needs to be gently stirred, a long handled teaspoon comes in handy, giving enough room to maneuver without getting burned in the process.

Coffee cup: can come in standard sizes - about 3 oz of liquid. though it is a little bigger the that so it can hold some of the grounds (just in case you turn the cup for a Turkish cup reading). It also has a little plate for resting the mixing spoon. Some cups are bigger, depending where you buy them. The best place to buy them is one of the middle eastern country, right on their local market.

Serving tray - this is used to serve the coffee to your guests.

Serving Turkish coffee is an art, perfected over century of practice. It has reached sophistication with the custom made Turkish coffee pots, sets and serving trays. Some other things to consider are the treats that can be served with the coffee like sherbet, jellies, or Turkish delight. For more ideas check out Turkish Coffee World.