If you haven’t tried a cup of Turkish coffee yet, you might be missing half of your life. Well, I may be overreacting.. Or maybe not. If you make it to my home, best believe that a cup of Turkish coffee will be prepared for you.
How Turkish coffee is brewed is most likely one of the oldest means to brew black coffee. If you’re a fan of intense and hard coffee, you may want to consider trying this out.
There are two ways how to brew a Turkish cup: by either boiling or infusing the coffee grounds.
However, infusing coffee is superior to the other. The vital element in this preparation is getting the right temperature. Heating up the brew excessively will eradicate your caffeine cup’s good and delicious parts.
What grind size should you use?
Turkish coffee necessitates an exceptionally fine grind, even finer than a cup of espresso.
This is because coffee grinds will be ingested when you drink, unlike other brewing methods. Therefore they should be as powder-like as possible.
Because you require an “extra fine” grind, most typical grinders, both electric and manual, will fall short.
To add up, an accurate extraction requires very fine coffee grounds, almost resembling a powder.
Why buy a Turkish coffee grinder?
Turkish brew’s robust, rich flavor is derived from very finely ground coffee beans. Turkish coffee is one of the oldest brewing methods, and its peculiar flavor originates from the dust-like grinds. A Turkish extra fine grind is even finer than an espresso grind. Thus any coffee grinder will not suffice.
That is why you should opt for a Turkish coffee grinder that is specifically designed to prevent you from drinking large chunks of coffee with each sip.
A hand grinder (a Turkish coffee mill) brews a cup of Turkish coffee. Manual grinders are preferred over electric grinders, while electric grinders can also be effective.
So, manual or electric?
If grinding Turkish coffee is such a difficult operation that necessitates a significant amount of effort from both the caffeine-deprived user and the grinder, why not simply purchase an electric grinder that will grind your Turkish coffee at the touch of a button?
The issue with regular electric grinders is that they are not designed to generate the precise grind that Turkish coffee requires. And electric grinders for Turkish coffee, in particular, can be expensive and extremely bulky.
The choice between electric and manual coffee grinders will be determined by how much coffee you intend to consume daily. Still, as a general rule, electric grinders should be avoided while producing Turkish coffee.
If price is not an issue and you want to enjoy your Turkish coffee without the trouble of manual grinding, go for it; nonetheless, we believe that a manual grinder should suffice in most circumstances. The electric grinder is better suited to a commercial situation where there is a high demand for authentic Turkish coffee daily.
Fine Turkish grind
Let’s go a little deeper about why a Turkish brew requires very fine coffee grounds. Turkish coffee, just like a French press, primarily utilizes the process of immersion for extraction. The main differences between the two methods are the required temperature, steeping time, and grind size.
Between the two, the French press has a lesser steeping duration than the Turkish. While Turkish coffee needs the finest grind size, the French press requires thick, coarse ones.
With Turkish coffee, the required temperature should stay below the boiling point. The reason for this is that heating up to the boiling point may cause over-extraction, thus, making the aromatic oils evaporate. With a low temperature, the steeping should then be a lot longer.
The best traditional Turkish coffee grinder
If I haven’t stressed it enough yet, let me emphasize again: one of the key factors to a great cup of Turkish coffee is the grind size. It should be almost like a powder, finer than espresso.
Be cautious as numerous electrical burr grinders falsely claim that they can grind the Turkish way. Since the grinder will give you the most important aspect of this type of coffee, it’s best to do your research and look for something that’s proven and tested.
Up until today, the best Turkish grinder will still be the manual, traditional variant. This may give you the best cup but using it is not the easiest thing in the world. This grinder has a burr grinding mechanism that successfully grinds your beans into powder.
It is not only quite challenging to master but also requires some physical effort to utilize this device. This is not something a healthy person should have a problem with, but for individuals with body pain and weakness, this may be a little too hard on the body.
Usually made of brass or copper, topped with Middle East ornaments, a traditional Turkish coffee mill is a beautiful sight. The most common you’ll find comes in a cylinder shape, with the upper portion housing the grinding system and the bottom housing the collecting compartment.
Once the grinding is over, open the lower compartment to collect your coffee grounds. To jumpstart grinding, hold the Turkish mill with one hand, and the other hand is for the other operational processes.
One version comes with a small wooden box at the bottom that adds to the mill’s stability. This variant is easier to handle with a slightly larger collecting container.
Traditional manual grinder
This traditional manual grinder, made directly from Turkey, comes in pretty decent size with durable burrs that are long-lasting. It is calibrated to give you that fine powder-like grounds. Its aesthetic screams the Middle East and is an interesting addition to your countertop.
Extra effort is required when grinding, but it finishes fast enough before the water boils. Although designed primarily for that desired Turkish grind, the grind size may be adjusted up to a certain degree.
Electric Turkish grinders
Suppose you are not all for the physical effort and the complicated means of a traditional grinder. In that case, there are electrical automatic grinders in the market that will let you have your nice cup of Turkish coffee with zero sweat.
However, convenience does not come without a price. Most of these European grinders grind to Turkish size automatically.
Keep in mind as well that there are some manufacturers and companies that claim that their products are capable of delivering a Turkish grind, but not all are speaking the truth. Turkish burr grinders require powerful motors most home grinders are not equipped with.
The commercial electrical grinders that can grind to the required size need a special set of burrs to accomplish the task. If you are into Turkish coffee and have the money to spend, you may opt for these.
A commercial grinder may cost around $800 to $1000, with the burrs costing around $200. Good options are the Bunn G1, G2, G3, and the MHG. They may also purchase a special Turkish burr kit.
Another good coffee machine for this brew is the Mahlkonig ek43. The downside is that it is twice pricier than the Bunn, but rest assured that it is also the better-performing one. If properly equipped with the appropriate burrs, this machine can give you the best Turkish grinds. Y
Capresso Infinity Burr grinder
This variant is a cheap home grinder that is of high quality. For its price, this is a steal. It is simple, easy to use, and straightforward, with 16 available grind settings. We say that it’s perfect for brewing at home.
The grinding options are vast: from very coarse to even finer than espresso, such as that of the Turkish. Choose the brew you want, and this grinder will give you the necessary coffee grounds.
A downside is that although it is a great grinder, it still cannot perfectly grind to the size we want for our Turkish coffee. A compromise, though, is to grind at the finest possible setting with the Capresso Infinity machine and have it go through the grinder again.
Although the discussed machines have their fair share of weaknesses, they are durable and reliable. They are some pretty good investment pieces.
This grinder is not a toy, and the price tag reflects it. Because it is too expensive for personal usage, the BUNN grinder will be found primarily in business settings. Indeed, you’ve probably seen BUNN grinders like this one in your neighborhood coffee shop.
This model’s hopper holds a full pound of coffee and can brew in less than 30 seconds. You’d think that speed would allow you to roast your coffee beans in a matter of seconds, but it has a turbo mechanism that propels coffee beans through the grinding chamber faster than they can heat up. A three-year guarantee is included with the burrs, a useful bonus for business usage.
It readily produces a consistent Turkish grind, but it can also produce any other grind size. The operation is pretty straightforward; once set up, you must insert a container, and it will begin grinding.
If you can afford one of these bulk coffee grinders for your kitchen and don’t mind having a massive piece of a machine on your counter, this is the grinder for you. On the other hand, this person can grind more coffee in seconds than any family could consume.
Supermarkets, coffee houses, and cafes are the best applications. This is a popular commercial grinder, and the burr guarantee is a bonus. This is the grinder for you if you need a good grinder for your business that can also manage a Turkish grind.
Turkish coffee blade grinders
If you go deep into research for this brew, you may find a lot of negative comments about blade grinders. But if you want a Turkish coffee but are not ready to shell out a hefty amount of money, blade grinders may be an acceptable alternative.
Here’s how to successfully utilize a blade grinder in the preparation of your cup of Turkish coffee.
- Grind your coffee to the finest possible size using a burr grinder such as the Capresso Infinity. If there’s a Turkish grind size option, choose this.
- The grounds will most definitely not be the right size yet, so put them in the blade grinder and grind again.
We have established that blade coffee mills may risk overheating the beans and even give you an uneven grind. However, you may utilize the pulse technique to prevent these problems.
To do this, grind for only short periods. This will give your coffee time to cool down between pulse cycles, eradicating the risk of overheating. Take note that time may vary from one coffee machine to another.
Another trick to consider is to add the coffee grounds to the device. This is done because ground coffee naturally adheres to the walls and the bottom part of the machine creating an uneven grind since only a small portion of the grounds are being hit. If you mix the grounds into the machine, the coffee is again allowed to cool down, and a more even grind is allowed.
Don’t worry! If you don’t own a burr grinder, you may still utilize your blade alone, given that you will have to do the process for longer. Remember that the finer the ground gets, the more often you need to pause because it becomes more at risk for overheating.
Zassenhaus manual coffee grinder
Most Turkish with burr grinders do not have a setting for Turkish. In cases when they do, it still doesn’t seem to grind the coffee enough. With this, blade grinders come in handy.
For this very reason, I’ve learned to adore manual coffee grinders. This device has no overheating involved while giving you the powder finish you need.
One of the best in the market is the Zassenhaus Model 175m. We deem it perfect for grinding Turkish, Espresso, and Greek coffees.
It can produce an ultra-fine powder, a much-needed ground for the brew you want to achieve. Occasional recalibrating may be needed, but overall, this is a high-end coffee grinder that will cater to your Turkish coffee needs.
FAQ
How fine is Turkish grind?
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Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.
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