Recently, preparing Ibrik/Cezve coffee has gained more popularity. By many professionals take an interest to brew coffee by Cezve, and many coffee lovers ask about the taste or the aroma of this kind of coffee.
Ibrik is the name of a special pot with a uniquely designed handle that has been used for making Turkish coffee for many years.
Cezve is another name for this pot. Therefore, we can say that they both refer to the same device.
There are a variety of pots in the market with different sizes, especially in Turkey, that have different designs and all are suitable for making Ibrik coffee.
Their differences are in their handle, capacity, and the raw materials that have been used for making the pot.
For example, some of them are made from copper. Others are made from stainless steel or even in some cases from silver.
Ceramics as a popular raw material is another material for making the pot for brewing Turkish coffee.
It is worth mentioning that in the past decade, there has been competition for making Cezve coffee in countries like Turkey and Russia. Coffee lovers participated in this event. During the competition, professionals, by using their own method, try to brew the best coffee by using a simple pot (ibrik – cezve).
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What is ibrik coffee?
With its huge popularity, everybody knows different types of coffee. Many people drink this unique fresh drink every morning right after they open their eyes.
therefore, it remains to explain what the ibrik is and how to use it to make ibrik coffee.
As we mentioned above, a cezve is a simple device with a long handle that is similar to a pot.
It can be made with a variety of raw materials and with different sizes and designs.
The most stylish cezves are hand-made by using a hammer. But, you can find a variety of pots in the market
Simply, it has the same duty similar to the teapot.
read more: How To Prepare Turkish Coffee
But, some people ask why cezve coffee has become popular is some parts of Europe?
This is an important question for us as well. The tradition is the main reason that some people and professionals prefer to brew and drink cezve coffee.
For example, some professionals in Russia who participated in the championship said that they had Ibrik as a simple hand-made tool to have the best coffee in their childhood.
For them, cezve is not just a hobby. It’s a desire to develop a tradition. To have a variety of ingredients in their coffee to the highest level of perfection.
Therefore, there is a new trend to bring the tradition back to families, especially in the Russia and east of Europe. The aim is to give a new opportunity for making delicious cezve coffee.
It is important to mention that it’s a strong, exceptional, and tasty coffee. in each shot, you just need 2 or 3 ounces of drink.
This method is one of the earliest ways to make coffee and the tradition goes back to the 7th century.
It is worth mentioning that UNESCO listed Ibrik coffee as intangible cultural heritage and it’s considered a symbol of tradition for several countries in the East.
What does ibrik coffee taste like?
To be brief, if you make it correctly, it’s unbelievable!
Ibrik coffee looks like a combination of coffee and dessert. It has a rich finish and gives a creamy and sweet taste.
if you are going to drink cezve coffee perhaps you need to serve a glass of cold water with cezve coffee to refresh your palate. It helps you enjoy your coffee.
Remember ibrik is always served hot. Also, usually, people add sugar to their drinks. furthermore, in some cases, professionals may add cinnamon, cardamom, or mastic to the cezve.
Therefore, the taste can be changed by adding different ingredients. But, inherently cezve coffee is thick and creamy.
read more: Coffee Percolator
How do you make ibrik coffee?
To make ibrik coffee, before everything, you need a unique pot with a long handle. Some people advise copper ibrik with silver or tin coating. But, for sure you can choose different materials with different designs that are accessible in the market.
Then, you can begin:
- Choose some freshly roasted beans and grind them into dust. “Get acquainted with 4 different methods of coffee roasting.” read more: coffee roast
- Pour the coffee grounds into the cezve (18 grams would be enough for each serving).
- Add 3 grams of sugar (preferably cane sugar)
- Add other ingredients and additives (it is optional and you can ignore this step)
- Add 140 grams of water at room temp
- Stir them and put the Ibrik on the stove (for gas stove use a medium flame and for electric stove set the temp to medium)
- After raising the foam, take the cezve by holding the handle and pour the coffee into a cup.
- Wait a minute and then your drink
If you want to know more about the coffee kettle, read the article on buying a coffee kettle.
Ibrik buying guide
If you want to buy a cezve, there are different factors that may have great importance for choosing the best pot.
First of all, it is necessary to decide about the material. Then, it’s the capacity and the handle that matters a lot.
Primarily, Ibrik is made of stainless steel, brass, or copper. But, it can be from silver or even ceramics.
Each of them offers a unique property:
Brass
It is a metal (to be more accurate an alloy) with a golden tone. Sometimes, it seems to have an old style, but it looks great in the kitchen.
The main advantage of brass is its higher resistance against corrosion compared to copper. Therefore, you can count on a longer life span.
Copper
Nowadays, copper is a stylish metal for kitchens and you can buy hammered hand-made ibrik with a lining that improves the lifespan of your pot.
Remember, cooper is a bit more corrosive. Therefore, copper pots always need a lining.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is not usually hand-made, but it can have a pretty sleek design. It is easy to clean stainless steel pots and for this reason, you may prefer this material.
Of course, steel is a more modern tool and for this reason, some professionals prefer copper or brass. But, its more long-lasting and easier to use and clean.
But as a whole, everybody can use all three materials to make a strong cezve coffee. For this reason, if you’re a cezve coffee lover, it is a good idea to have all of them in your kitchen. They do not take a lot of space. Therefore, it’s Okay to have them all and use them based on preferences.
Handle
Usually, the handle is not as important as the material. But, it can give a more stylish view. Furthermore, to avoid burning your hand, you need to care a bit more about the handle and its material.
Some handles for stainless steel Ibriks are made from plastic. But, remember if you’re going to put the pot on the gas stove, a plastic handle is not safe.
Even, if they are non-burning materials, over time they will lose their quality. Also, they are not fitting for this application.
Tt worth mentioning that many of copper and brass cezves have a wooden handle and in some cases brass handle or a combination of them both.
It’s better to have handles with an upper wooden coating to avoid burning your hand.
Capacity
When it comes to capacity, you have to consider how many cups of coffee you want to serve each time.
Ibriks are in the market in 1-serving sizes up to 6- serving sizes.
Remember that due to the creamy and strong taste, ibrik coffee is served in small cups with 2 or 3 ounces in each shot. Therefore, you’re not going to drink a big cup of coffee and this means that the pots usually have a limited capacity.
Note: If you are a big fan, you can buy a 6-serving cezve and a 2-serving ibrik.
Also remember, you need to make your coffee by using super fine ground. Therefore, a powerful grinder is a must for making ibrik coffee.
Cezve vs ibrik
The last question that we’re going to answer is that: “why do we have two names for the device, is there any differences?”
The difference comes out from the different names that we have for the same devices in different languages.
In fact, the devices (in this case the coffee pot) have different names in Turkish and Arabic.
Cezve is the Turkish name and ibrik is a name that has come from Arabic. Therefore, there is no difference in real-world between devices but the languages use different names. This means you can use them interchangeably.
Note: People in the USA usually use Iibrik as the name for this pot and the type of coffee that has been made by using it.
