Ottoman coffee and the cezve
How Turkish coffee is made in a cezve – fine coffee, water and often sugar heated together until it foams and served with its grounds – what has been measured in the cup, and what the heritage listings say.
Contents
In brief
- Turkish coffee: fine-ground coffee, cold water and sugar are heated slowly in a pot on a stove until a foam forms (UNESCO, 2013).1
- The pot is the cezve, described as copper in one 2023 study and as bronze in another.2,7
- The coffee is not filtered: the grounds settle, and some sediment reaches the cup, according to a coffee science textbook.3
- In a 1995 Dutch study, Turkish/Greek coffee held 3.9 ± 3.2 mg cafestol per cup; drip-filtered coffee held negligible amounts.5
- Turkish Food Codex communiqué 2016/7 allows the name “Türk kahvesi” by preparation method; its articles set no grind or recipe.8
What Turkish coffee is#
Turkish coffee is coffee brewed by heating very fine grounds in water, without a filter. Freshly roasted beans are ground to a fine powder.1 The ground coffee, cold water and sugar go into a small pot together. They are brewed slowly on a stove until a foam forms.1
The pot is called a cezve.2 It is also known as a briki, and the drink as Greek coffee.7 The grounds are not strained out. They settle in the pot and cup, and some sediment reaches the cup.3
Coffee reached Istanbul in the 16th century. A 2023 study notes that sources give different dates for its arrival.2 The first coffeehouses and the bans against them are covered in Coffeehouses from Mecca to Europe. How brewing developed elsewhere is covered in History of brewing.
The cezve#
A cezve is a small, open metal pot. One 2023 study describes it as a copper pot.2 Another 2023 study calls it a bronze pot, known as a cezve or briki.7 A laboratory study used a commercial cezve holding 0.35 L.4
The pot is heated directly. UNESCO describes brewing on a stove.1 A 2023 study also describes coffee cooked on coal embers, or in a cezve or cup set in heated sand.2
No source consulted for this entry describes the shape of the cezve or its handle in measured terms. No food-safety rule on copper or tin-lined pots was consulted either, so none is given here.
How it is brewed#
The coffee, the water and any sugar go into the pot before heating.1 A 2023 study sets out a standard recipe: 8 g of ground coffee and 70 g of water at room temperature, mixed in the cezve.2 The coffee is cooked on medium heat for 2–2.5 min without stirring.2 It is then poured into the cup at an angle.2
Sugar is chosen before brewing, not added at the table. The same study defines Turkish coffee as cooked with sugar, medium or plain.2 It gives no sugar amounts for these levels.2
The foam forms on the surface as the pot heats.1 The study calls foam, aroma and grounds what set Turkish coffee apart.2 Not everyone wants it: the study reports that families from Antakya prefer coffee without foam.2
A cezve on the heat
- Cezve. A small open pot; copper or bronze in the sources.2,7
- Coffee, water and sugar. Fine-ground coffee, cold water and sugar, heated together.1
- Foam. Forms on the surface; heating stops as it rises.1,4,7
- Heat. A stove; also embers or heated sand.1,2
- Cup. Small; 50–70 mL on average in one study.1,2
- Grounds. Not filtered; they settle, and some sediment reaches the cup.3
Whether the coffee should boil is disputed. A coffee science textbook describes heating up to boiling, sometimes more than once.3 The 2023 study describes taking the pot off before it boils.2 Both views are given under Contested.
The coffee is served in small cups with a glass of water.1 The grounds left in the empty cup are often used to tell fortunes.1 Serving customs are described in Coffee drinks around the world.
Greek and Arabic coffee#
Greek coffee is made the same way. A 2023 Greek study describes “Turkish” or “Greek” coffee as finely ground coffee boiled in a bronze pot.7 A 1995 Dutch study sampled the two together, as Turkish/Greek coffee.5
Arabic coffee is a different drink. In the file inscribed by UNESCO in 2015, the beans are lightly roasted, pounded and brewed in a large copper pot on the fire.9 The most important or oldest guest is served first, with a quarter of a cup.9 Arabic coffee is described in more detail in Coffee drinks around the world.
No academic or official source on Bosnian coffee was consulted for this entry, so it is not described here.
Grind and extraction#
Turkish coffee is ground finer than coffee for espresso. A coffee science textbook lists the grind for boiled (Turkish) coffee as fine, and for espresso, pour-over and moka pot as medium.3 UNESCO describes the coffee as ground to a fine powder.1 No study consulted for this entry measured the particle size distribution of a Turkish grind. Particle sizes for other methods are given in Grinding and in Particle size and fines.
According to the textbook, extraction works mainly by diffusion at high temperature.3 These temperatures also extract less soluble compounds, which the textbook links to intense, bitter and dark-chocolate flavours.3 Extraction goes on after the heat is off, because the grounds stay in the hot water.3 The textbook adds that a skilled brewer can make a balanced cup by moderating temperature and grind.3
The 2023 study of Turkish coffee kinds adds a claim about grinding. Fine grinding heats the coffee by friction, which it describes as a “post-roasting” effect.2 No measurement of this effect was found among the sources consulted.
The fine particles stay in the cup and are felt. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) gives cezve (ibrik) coffee as its example of a rough, gritty or sandy mouthfeel.10 Body and mouthfeel covers how particles and oil shape the texture of a brew.
Foam and heating#
UNESCO and two laboratory protocols tie the end of heating to the foam. UNESCO describes slow brewing “to produce the desired foam”.1 A 2023 Greek protocol stopped boiling after 35 s, when foam formed on the surface.7 A 2023 Brazilian protocol took the cezve off the heat when boiling began and the foam reached the top, and did this twice.4
The 2023 Turkish study reports that the foam is seen as keeping the coffee from cooling.2 That statement rests on the literature it reviewed; it is not a measurement. No study consulted for this entry measured the composition, stability or heat retention of cezve foam. Findings on espresso crema should not be transferred to it.
Diterpenes in the cup#
Coffee oil carries the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol. Hot water extracts them, and a paper filter retains them, according to a 1997 review.6 Turkish coffee is not filtered, so they stay in the cup.3,6
A 1995 Dutch study measured them in brews collected in the Netherlands, Greece and Egypt.5 Its 11 Turkish/Greek samples came from restaurants in the Netherlands and from retail outlets in Greece and Egypt.5 They held 3.9 ± 3.2 mg of cafestol per cup (mean ± standard deviation).5 In the same study, French press coffee held 3.5 ± 1.2 mg, Scandinavian boiled coffee 3.0 ± 2.8 mg and espresso 1.5 ± 1.0 mg per cup.5 The spread within each brew was wide, so the means overlap. Drip-filtered, instant and percolated brews held negligible amounts.5
Data table
| mg per cup | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish/Greek coffee (n = 11) | 3.9 ± 3.2 mg | 5 |
| French press | 3.5 ± 1.2 mg | 5 |
| Scandinavian boiled | 3.0 ± 2.8 mg | 5 |
| Espresso | 1.5 ± 1.0 mg | 5 |
| Drip filtered | negligible (no value given) | 5 |
Two details limit the comparison. The values are per cup, and a cup was simply the amount poured.5 Turkish coffee cups are small, 50–70 mL on average in one study, so a per-litre comparison would look different.2 In the 1995 study, stronger brews held more diterpenes for boiled, French press and espresso coffee, but not for Turkish/Greek coffee.5
A 2023 Brazilian study brewed one arabica lot in several ways at three roast degrees.4 Paper-filtered coffee showed the lowest extraction of diterpenes. Among the other brews, boiled coffee extracted the most, followed by French press, moka pot and Turkish coffee.4 The study shows the brew values in a chart only, so they are not given here.
A 1997 review attributes the cholesterol-raising effect of some unfiltered brews to cafestol and kahweol.6 Coffee oil covers the diterpenes, the brews compared in a 2025 study and the review in more detail. This entry gives no health advice.
No study consulted for this entry measured caffeine, dissolved solids or extraction yield in Turkish coffee.
Reference values#
| Parameter | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee per cup | 8 g | Standard recipe in a 2023 study of Turkish coffee kinds | Demir & Bertan2 |
| Water per cup | 70 g | Room temperature at the start | Demir & Bertan2 |
| Water to coffee | ≈8.8 g/g | Our calculation: 70 g ÷ 8 g | Demir & Bertan2 |
| Heating | 2–2.5 min, medium heat, no stirring; off before boiling | Cezve | Demir & Bertan2 |
| Cup | 50–70 mL (average) | Single handle | Demir & Bertan2 |
| Laboratory protocol, Brazil | 15 g coffee, 150 mL water, 0.35 L cezve; heated until the foam reached the top, twice | ≈10 g/g, our calculation: 150 g ÷ 15 g | Novaes et al.4 |
| Laboratory protocol, Greece | ≈3 g coffee, 50 mL water; boiled 35 s until foam formed | ≈17 g/g, our calculation: 50 g ÷ 3 g (coffee dose approximate) | Tsiaka et al.7 |
| Cafestol, Turkish/Greek coffee | 3.9 ± 3.2 mg per cup | 11 field samples; cup = amount poured | Urgert et al.5 |
| Cafestol, other unfiltered brews | French press 3.5 ± 1.2; Scandinavian boiled 3.0 ± 2.8; espresso 1.5 ± 1.0 mg per cup | Field samples; cup = amount poured | Urgert et al.5 |
| Cafestol, drip-filtered coffee | Negligible (no value given) | Field samples | Urgert et al.5 |
| Sugar | With sugar, medium or plain; no amounts | Definition in a 2023 study | Demir & Bertan2 |
The three recipes differ by about a factor of two in water per gram of coffee. In our calculations, 1 mL of water is taken as 1 g, which holds closely for water measured at room temperature; the ratios are of water put in, not of the drink in the cup, since the grounds hold back some water. Coffee drinks around the world gives the same 2023 recipe.
Rules and heritage listings#
Turkish food law. Türkiye’s food codex communiqué on coffee and coffee extracts (No. 2016/7) allows coffee to be sold as “Türk kahvesi”, espresso, filter coffee or similar, according to the method used to make it ready to drink.8 Its articles set no grind size, recipe or other specification for Turkish coffee.8 Its annexes, which set limits for ground coffee and coffee extracts in general, were not consulted for this entry. No standard of the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) for Turkish coffee was consulted for this entry.
UNESCO, 2013. “Turkish coffee culture and tradition” is on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.1 The inscription describes fine grinding, slow brewing with cold water and sugar until foam forms, and serving in small cups with water.1 It states that the knowledge and rituals are passed on informally within families, by observation and participation.1 The listing describes a social practice. It gives no amounts, temperatures or times.1
UNESCO, 2015. “Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity” was inscribed on a joint nomination by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.9 Its later extension and serving rules are covered in Coffee drinks around the world.
Open questions#
- Boiling or not. Sources disagree on whether the pot should boil (see Contested).2,3
- Particle size. No measured particle size distribution of a Turkish grind was found among the sources consulted.
- Foam. What the foam is made of, how stable it is and whether it slows cooling has not been measured in any study consulted for this entry.
- Caffeine and strength. No study consulted measured caffeine, total dissolved solids or extraction yield in Turkish coffee.
- Metal pots. No food-safety guidance on copper or tin-lined cezves was consulted for this entry.
Key studies#
Urgert et al., 1995 – Diterpenes in various coffee brews. Collected boiled, Turkish/Greek, French press, espresso, filter and instant coffees as consumed and measured cafestol and kahweol. Unfiltered brews held on average 1.5–3.9 mg of cafestol per cup; drip-filtered, percolated and instant coffee held negligible amounts.
Novaes et al., 2023 – Diterpenes through roasting and brewing. Roasted one arabica lot to three degrees and brewed it in several ways, including in a cezve. Paper-filtered coffee showed the lowest extraction of diterpenes; boiled coffee the highest.
Demir & Bertan, 2023 – Local kinds of Turkish coffee. Reviewed literature on Turkish coffee in Türkiye and mapped its local kinds. It sets out a standard recipe, cup and service, and describes regional differences in grinding, foam and ingredients.
Tsiaka et al., 2023 – Ground coffees from the Greek market. Brewed market coffees as Greek coffee in the laboratory and compared their phenolics and antioxidant activity. Light roasts gave higher total phenolic content than dark roasts.
Coffearium (2026). Ottoman coffee and the cezve. Coffearium – The open coffee compendium. Retrieved 4 November 2026, from https://coffearium.org/entries/ottoman-coffee-and-the-cezve/
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author = {{Coffearium}},
title = {{Ottoman coffee and the cezve}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Coffearium -- The open coffee compendium},
url = {https://coffearium.org/entries/ottoman-coffee-and-the-cezve/},
urldate = {2026-11-04},
note = {Retrieved 4 November 2026}
}Entries are updated when the evidence changes; the retrieval date tells your readers which version you used. Changes are listed in the Change log.
Change log
- – Turkish Food Codex: “sets no grind size, recipe or other specification” narrowed to the communiqué’s articles; its annexes are named as not consulted. Reason: Only the articles were read; the annexes on ground coffee and extracts were not available in the copy consulted.
- – Cafestol per cup: the French press, Scandinavian boiled and espresso values shown in the chart are now given in the text and table with their standard deviations, and the source note says they come from the study’s abstract. Reason: The chart values were not stated in the text, and the source note said the results tables could not be read; all five values are stated in the abstract, which was consulted.
Sources
- AUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (2013). Turkish coffee culture and tradition. UNESCO.Quoted passage: a description; UNESCO element description of a social practice in Türkiye; no amounts, temperatures or times..
- ADemir, Y.; Bertan, S. (2023). Spatial distribution of Türkiye’s local Turkish coffee kinds. Journal of Ethnic Foods 10, 32. doi:10.1186/s42779-023-00200-8 · other copiesQuoted passage: a description; Document analysis of Turkish-language literature on local Turkish coffee kinds in Türkiye, mapped by GIS; no laboratory measurement..
- BMestdagh, F.; Glabasnia, A.; Giuliano, P. (2017). The Brew – Extracting for Excellence. In: Folmer, B. (ed.), The Craft and Science of Coffee, Academic Press, ch. 15, pp. 355–380. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-803520-7.00015-3 · other copiesQuoted passage: a description; Textbook chapter on brewing; Table 15.4 lists grind sizes in words for six methods..
- ANovaes, F. J. M.; da Silva, M. A. E.; Silva, D. C.; de Aquino Neto, F. R.; Rezende, C. M. (2023). Extraction of Diterpene-Phytochemicals in Raw and Roasted Coffee Beans and Beverage Preparations and Their Relationship. Plants 12(8), 1580. doi:10.3390/plants12081580 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; One arabica lot (bought in Rio de Janeiro) roasted light, medium and dark, brewed in several ways in a university laboratory in Rio de Janeiro; brew values shown in a chart only..
- AUrgert, R.; van der Weg, G.; Kosmeijer-Schuil, T. G.; van de Bovenkamp, P.; Hovenier, R.; Katan, M. B. (1995). Levels of the Cholesterol-Elevating Diterpenes Cafestol and Kahweol in Various Coffee Brews. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 43(8), 2167–2172. doi:10.1021/jf00056a039 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; Field samples of brews collected in the Netherlands, Greece and Egypt (Turkish/Greek n = 11–7 from restaurants in the Netherlands, 4 from retail outlets in Greece and Egypt); cafestol and kahweol by HPLC; values per cup as poured..
- AUrgert, R.; Katan, M. B. (1997). The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans. Annual Review of Nutrition 17, 305–324. doi:10.1146/annurev.nutr.17.1.305 · other copiesQuoted passage: a result cited from earlier work; Narrative review of human and analytical studies of coffee diterpenes; abstract only..
- ATsiaka, T.; Kritsi, E.; Bratakos, S. M.; Sotiroudis, G.; Petridi, P.; Savva, I.; Christodoulou, P.; Strati, I. F.; Zoumpoulakis, P.; Cavouras, D.; Sinanoglou, V. J. (2023). Quality Assessment of Ground Coffee Samples from Greek Market Using Various Instrumental Analytical Methods, In Silico Studies and Chemometrics. Antioxidants 12(6), 1184. doi:10.3390/antiox12061184 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; Ground coffees from the Greek market brewed as Greek coffee in the laboratory; phenolics and antioxidant tests, compounds by LC-MS/MS as relative intensities..
- AGıda, Tarım ve Hayvancılık Bakanlığı (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Türkiye) (2016). Türk Gıda Kodeksi Kahve ve Kahve Ekstraktları Tebliği (Tebliğ No: 2016/7). Resmî Gazete 29642, 3 March 2016 (via FAOLEX).Quoted passage: a definition; Turkish food regulation on coffee and coffee extracts; Article 12(ç) on names; its articles set no specification for Turkish coffee (annexes not consulted)..
- AUNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2015). Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 10.COM 10.B.32 (Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity). UNESCO.Quoted passage: a description; Inscription decision on a joint nomination by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar..
- A/BSpecialty Coffee Association (2024). SCA Standard 103-2024 Coffee Value Assessment: Descriptive Assessment. Specialty Coffee Association.Quoted passage: a definition; SCA standard for descriptive cupping; names cezve (ibrik) coffee as its example of a rough mouthfeel..
Tier A · authoritative · B · trade and expert · C · general. Supporting quotes for every source are in the data version of this entry. If a publisher’s site refuses access, try the doi link or “other copies”.
The literature for this entry was last searched on 27 Oct 2026. A statement that no source consulted for this entry shows something refers to the sources above; newer or missing work may exist.
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