How To Make Turkish Coffee Without Ibrik? (A Quick Guide)

Last Updated on May 7, 2022 by John Moretti

Turkish coffee is unique. This type of coffee is native to the Mediterranean and is typically brewed with a specialized coffee pot called an ibrik or a cezve. Traditional Turkish coffee calls for the use of these pots, but what if you don’t have one on hand? Can you make Turkish coffee with an ibrik?

To make Turkish coffee without an ibrik, use a small pot on the stove over high heat. Preheat 75ml of water and add 7g of ground Turkish coffee. Stir the brew lightly and wait for it to bubble. Remove the brew before it boils. Serve without filtering. Beware of too much heat and over-extraction.

Brewing Turkish coffee is relatively simple. This delicious traditional coffee is unique in every way, including the brewing process. The truth is, there are multiple effective ways to brew great-tasting Turkish coffee, even if you do not have the traditional brewing equipment. Let’s learn how!

Do You Need An Ibrik To Make Turkish Coffee?

Turkish coffee is unlike any other coffee anywhere in the world. This coffee is very intense, very strong, rich, flavorful, unfiltered, and often spiced with ingredients such as cardamom seeds. The coffee itself is unique, but so is the Turkish coffee brewing process.  

Making Turkish coffee usually requires using an ibrik, which is a small traditional Turkish coffee brewing pot, but it is possible to make this type of coffee without an ibrik. 

Brewing Turkish coffee relies on a few basic principles, including the use of very finely ground spiced coffee, very high heat, a small amount of water, and correct brewing technique. 

The ibrik is traditionally used for making this type of coffee simply because the way it is designed makes brewing this coffee a little easier, but it is possible to follow the same methods and techniques without it and end up with the same result. 

Brewing Turkish coffee is interesting and enjoyable, but it does take some practice to get it right. Fortunately, you can brew this coffee at home without an ibrik, so long as you have the correct type of coffee to brew with.

How To Make Turkish Coffee Without An Ibrik

Photo of a small pink sauce pan or pot

The best way to make Turkish coffee without an ibrik is to use a very small pot or some other type of small heat-resistant vessel. The smaller, the better, but if you only have a small-sized regular cooking pot, this will work as well.

To prepare the coffee, begin by preparing the coffee and water that will be used for the brew. This drink should be made very small, with no more than about 75ml of liquid per cup. With this in mind, prepare about 7g of ground Turkish coffee per 70ml of water for brewing.

Place the water into the brewing vessel that you will use and preheat the water on the stove until it is above room temperature. At this point, add the ground coffee to the water and stir the brew twice in opposite directions. 

Be sure that the stove is on high heat and wait for the coffee to heat up. As the brew begins to bubble, just before it boils, remove the brew from the heat. This should take 1 -3 minutes.

The brew is now ready to serve. Carefully pour the coffee into a small mug, and do not filter the coffee. Turkish coffee is always made without filtering. Pour the coffee liquid and the coffee grounds directly into the cup or mug that you will drink it from.

Wait a few minutes for the coffee to cool, and allow the ground coffee to sink to the bottom of the mug. Once this process has happened, the coffee is ready to drink and enjoy. Be careful not to drink the coffee quickly, or you may end up with a mouthful of ground coffee!

If you prefer a sweeter cup of coffee, simply add a teaspoon of sugar into the coffee before adding it to the hot water. This can take the edge of this intense coffee drink.

Is Turkish Coffee Made Without An Ibrik As Good?

Photo of coffee in white cup and saucer beside some sweets

Some Turkish coffee lovers say that a traditional ibrik is a non-negotiable requirement for brewing Turkish coffee and that this brew is just not the same without it. Can this coffee be as good when it is not brewed in an ibrik?

Turkish coffee can be delicious without using an ibrik. In fact, Turkish coffee made without an ibrik can be as good as coffee brewed with an ibrik. It only requires slightly more care and skill when brewing the coffee. 

The trick to making Turkish coffee without an ibrik is to not burn the coffee or allow it to over-extract. This is challenging because the coffee heats up in a different way compared to using an ibrik, but if you take the time to refine your process, you are likely to produce excellent Turkish coffee, whether you use an ibrik or not.

What To Look Out For When Making Turkish Coffee

Photo of a sauce pan on stove with fire

This leads us to talk about some important aspects of brewing Turkish coffee to look out for in order to make the brew as good as possible and as authentic as possible.

The first problem to be aware of when brewing this coffee without an ibrik is that the pot or vessel you use will not heat up as quickly as the ibrik, which means that the brew will require more time to complete. 

An important aspect of Turkish coffee is high heat, so it is important to allow the brew to heat up almost to boiling point before removing it from the heat. 

Another issue to be aware of is over-extraction. Without using an ibrik, it is difficult to know how much water to use for the brew. This problem is avoided by carefully measuring the water that you use for brewing. Never use more than 75ml of water per cup of Turkish coffee. 

Following these simple brewing guidelines will lead you to brew excellent cups of Turkish coffee without ever needing to use a traditional ibrik brewer. 

Conclusion

Turkish coffee is delicious and interesting. There is no other coffee like it. If you are craving a cup of this unique beverage, you can make it easily without the traditional brewer. Turkish coffee can be made using simple methods, and the results can be as good as using the traditional ibrik brewer.

Take the time to refine your brewing method and experiment with brewing vessels until you find what works best for you. This will allow you to brew perfect Turkish coffee whenever you desire it, even if you do not own an ibrik!