Turkish Coffee - Legal Drama.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

Thanks Dan and Moses for the additional info and discussion on cardamon. I'm hitting my local middle eastern market today to pick up an ibrik and will give this a shot!

Please permit a weird aside here in ibrik/cezve world: GermantownRob sent me a very sporty little Bialetti Eleganz stainless steel mokapot. It makes great tasting moka, no fuss, every time. However, to save my life I cannot get this pot to generate anything more that the flimsiest, tiniest bit of crema atop the brew. Using the same coffee and best procedures I always have heaps of crema with my old Bialetti Moka Express (aluminum) pots.

I have one cezve and it is made of 18-10 stainless. It will generate froth once (on the first boil) and then no more. The froth from the first boil, BTW, is weak and it barely holds together well enough to spoon out into a cup.

A fine point here - or maybe no point at all. A traditional cezve is brass or copper with a silvered tin lining (so the internet for-sale captions claim). Those I have seen in restaurants are always of this type. Besides being made of traditional material they are also pretty "used" looking, i.e., they appear oil-covered or well scorched on the outside and, particularly so, on the inside neck. I suspect keeping froth involves a "well-oiled" machine and that stainless might be something to avoid.

Anyone around with more experience who can comment on how to build and keep foam atop the coffee on 2nd, 3rd or even (the most traditional) 4th boil? Do we have any Turks here? And native Balkan types with coffee background? Hello?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by muziq

Thanks Dan and Moses for the additional info and discussion on cardamon. I'm hitting my local middle eastern market today to pick up an ibrik and will give this a shot!

The cardamon pods are good to have around. Some use them like mints for fresh breathe, and also is nice to drop one into drip coffee. I use them in rice and all sorts of food.

[Mister Moo]

Show us your turkish coffee!

Mmmm. Tonights after-dinner sip.

[gvarsity]

Love the Turkish coffee as an occasional treat. One of my old neighbors was from Turkey and used to make it for me on a regular basis. Need to make some up again soon.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by gvarsity

Love the Turkish coffee as an occasional treat. One of my old neighbors was from Turkey and used to make it for me on a regular basis. Need to make some up again soon.

It would be nice to have a Turk next door.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

Sounds real nice, Dan, and the times I've had coffee prepared this way in Mediterranean joints it's always been a treat. Got any good sources for nice pots?

I can't say this is the deal of deals but, if you want the heavier brass (instead of tinned copper), see http://www.natashascafe.com/html/turkish.html. Copper heats up faster - brass is more durable. There are some vague claims here and there about brass being safer to use than copper.

Natasha offers reasonably priced gift sets (coffee, ibrik and demitasse cups), brass ibriks in all sizes and, at a discount, scratched or dented ibriks not suitable for gift sets. I have a couple on the way; I let you know if they are the real deal or not.

[muziq]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I can't say this is the deal of deals but, if you want the heavier brass (instead of tinned copper), see http://www.natashascafe.com/html/turkish.html. Copper heats up faster - brass is more durable. There are some vague claims here and there about brass being safer to use than copper.

Natasha offers reasonably priced gift sets (coffee, ibrik and demitasse cups), brass ibriks in all sizes and, at a discount, scratched or dented ibriks not suitable for gift sets. I have a couple on the way; I let you know if they are the real deal or not.

Sounds good; I'm going to go with the nice copper ones at Sweet Maria: http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.brewers.ibrik.shtml Something about copper appeals to me. We'll have to do a threat-down on copper vs. brass

So, in looking at the Zass turkish mills, I'm thinking having one of those around might be a nice way to get the fresh cardamon into the mix without fouling my Rocky. The turkish Zass mills at both SM and Natashas are *not* cheap...I may have a go around here for something less expensive.

Pretty soon, I may have more coffee gadgetry than cigar gadgetry

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by muziq

So, in looking at the Zass turkish mills, I'm thinking having one of those around might be a nice way to get the fresh cardamon into the mix without fouling my Rocky.

A mortar and pestle is a lot cheaper to grind cardamon...

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

A mortar and pestle is a lot cheaper to grind cardamon...

Got that right - unless the boy just wants a Zass (which is not a bad thing). Zass. Mortar/pestle. Or ground spice from a McCormick jar.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

/prod.brewers.ibrik.shtml[/url] Something about copper appeals to me. We'll have to do a threat-down on copper vs. brass

If you're going all-in on turkish I feel an ibrik exchange (or maybe even an ibrik pass) coming on.

[muziq]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

If you're going all-in on turkish I feel an ibrik exchange (or maybe even an ibrik pass) coming on.

That is a distinct possibility, Moo

[muziq]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

A mortar and pestle is a lot cheaper to grind cardamon...

Good suggestion! A Zass would be fun, but cheap is what I'm aiming for here until I know this is something I want to prepare at regular intervals at home. Some of those Zass mills are triple the price of even nice copper ibriks

[perogee]

will have to adjust sweetness for my tastes, but Lordy this is a tasty brew (and stainless is not ideal at all, no foam for me ). Overall though, good first experience.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by perogee

will have to adjust sweetness for my tastes, but Lordy this is a tasty brew (and stainless is not ideal at all, no foam for me ). Overall though, good first experience.

A word on that. I have read more and made some (foam related) adjustments:

1) make the water fill in the cezve up into the narrow part of neck; that is most practical, of course, only when you have a set of pots of different sizes.

2) don't stir the coffee into the water. Add the sugar to the water and flop the coffee grounds in and let it sit on top. the repeat boiling will wet the grounds and foam them better than if you stir it all up before boiling.

It looks like the genuine turkish gig may involve coordinating the water and grounds to end up in the narrow of the neck with whatever pot you use.

[muziq]

Update--my ibrik landed earlier this week and I've made up a few brews. So far, they're turning out pretty tasty, but I haven't gotten the heating procedure down just yet, and am not getting quite the crema I desire. I will say the flavor is certainly excellent, thought, and the fresh ground cardamom is a real game-changer. What's more, it all goes smashingly with a VR Classicos first thing on an overcast, blustery morning.

First Time I had Turkish coffee was in Israel about 10 years ago. Loved it ever since.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mi2az

First Time I had Turkish coffee was in Israel about 10 years ago. Loved it ever since.

First taste of turkish coffee imprinted on my brain forever. Loved it ever since, too. I regret it took me so long to get around to making it at home. Lately I've been enjoying it several times/week. It is, by far, my favorite form of black coffee.

Here's to us - Marty, Moo and Muz...

Nice to see folks having a try. I feel a turkish pass coming up after the AeroPress gets back to me.

[muziq]

Okay, some pics from my most recent Turkish coffee prep.

First, a nice shot of the equipment: fresh-ground coffee, powder-like, from the Rocky; a new salt grinder adapted for grinding fresh cardamon; and the nice painted copper ibrik from Sweet Maria (this is the 12 oz model)



Next, a shot of the first boil...I'm not great at the crema yet, but Moo's suggestion of just dropping the coffee on top instead of mixing it in has produced more crema than I experienced when I mixed it in or agitated it



Right after the third boil...that crema is thinner, but still sticking around a little...



Ready to drink. This particular batch was extra yummy, as I found my preferred balance between coffee, sugar, and cardamon.



I'm still learning how to do this right, and it's a lot of fun...not to mention that the fiance is excited to have a fourth way to prepare coffee in the morning

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

Okay, some pics from my most recent Turkish coffee prep.

I'm still learning how to do this right, and it's a lot of fun.

Looks like you have arrived, Aziz.

[MarkinAZ]

I love reviving an old thread that's well worth reviving...

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I can't say this is the deal of deals but, if you want the heavier brass (instead of tinned copper), see http://www.natashascafe.com/html/turkish.html. Copper heats up faster - brass is more durable. There are some vague claims here and there about brass being safer to use than copper.

Natasha offers reasonably priced gift sets (coffee, ibrik and demitasse cups), brass ibriks in all sizes and, at a discount, scratched or dented ibriks not suitable for gift sets. I have a couple on the way; I let you know if they are the real deal or not.

Dan, thanks for the excellent web page...

Originally Posted by muziq

Okay, some pics from my most recent Turkish coffee prep. I'm still learning how to do this right, and it's a lot of fun...

Muz, great photo's and hope your new hobby is still a brewing...