Good coffee for Turks: brands, rating, cooking tips

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Italians say that the main secret of good coffee is three letters "M". Translated into Russian, these main components of the correct brewing of a drink are: melange (a mixture of varieties), a hand (that is, a skill that comes with experience) and a machine. Opinions differ on the account of the latter among coffee lovers. Some prefer geyser or drip type machines. Those who do not want to bother with the preparation of a drink, use capsule or pod coffee makers.

But a true gourmet always remains true to cezve, which the Slavs call "Turk". There are still two components of the perfect drink: hand and melange. Which blend of varieties to choose? What should be the grind? Or is it better to buy coffee beans for Turks? The rating of the best brands will be presented in this article. We'll also cover how to brew coffee and give you top gourmet tips.

Arabica and Robusta

Unlike tea, which comes from a single species, Chinese Camellia,coffee beans are supplied by two plants. One of them is Coffea arabica. The homeland of this tree is Arabia, but now it is cultivated everywhere in countries with a suitable climate. Arabica is very whimsical, prone to diseases, suffers from insects. She likes a dry, but not very hot climate. Many people think that a good Turkish coffee is 100% Arabica. But is it?

Let's see what Robusta is. The Latin name for this tree is Coffea canephora. Robusta grows in the tropics, as we have nettles. The tree is completely unpretentious, tenacious like a weed, and at the same time gives a bountiful harvest, despite the weather conditions. Naturally, Robusta is much cheaper than carefully cultivated Arabica. But these two types of coffee have different tastes. Arabica is soft, with delicate caramel undertones. Its aroma is reminiscent of cream, blueberries. Robusta is more "plebeian". It does, however, contain more caffeine. And this substance gives the whole drink a fortress and a distinct bitter taste. From all this, we can conclude that it is better to mix both types of beans to get the perfect drink.

Should I go by price?

The most expensive type of coffee is Kopi Luwak. It is produced only in Indonesia, the Philippines, in the south of Vietnam and India. One cup of drink on the island of Sumatra, right next to the plantations, costs about 350 rubles. In Moscow, you can buy 100 grams for 4,700 rubles. But is this type the best ground coffee, is it suitable for Turkish coffee? Hugethe price is determined only by the method of production.

After all, kopi-luwak is extracted from … excrement of musangs, small animals that eat "coffee cherries". In the stomach, the pulp is digested, and the fermented grains are passed out with feces. They are washed, dried, roasted and made into a drink. Gourmets assure that Kopi Luwak coffee has an excellent, harmonious, delicate taste. But the price for it, to put it mildly, bites. Is it worth paying so much money for musang excrement? Good coffee for Turks can also be brewed from the usual varieties of Arabica and Robusta. And such pleasure will cost much less

Roasting secrets

Raw grains enter the wholesale market. This makes it easier to transport them, because roasted beans are brittle and absorb moisture like a sponge. Raw coffee has a pale or light green, completely unappetizing appearance. And the grains taste like bitter burnt rubber or poorly roasted peanuts. Different countries that buy raw materials and package them use their own roasting methods.

Italian is recognized as the best. We will not go into the subtleties of technology here. Let's just say that the beans roasted by this method give a plentiful foam cap on the surface of the drink. In addition, the Italian type allows the beans to be stored for a long time without losing their aroma.

There are three degrees of roasting. With a weak grain have a light brown color. Medium roast gives the coffee a hint of chocolate. A strong degree of heat treatment brings the grains to a dark brown, almost black color. Then there is bitterness and the smell of smoke. A good coffee for a Turk is one that has passeddeep or medium roast.

Grinding Secrets

Each technology of making a drink requires a special degree of grain grinding. For example, if you are brewing coffee in a French press, you need a coarse grind. The size of the particles during such grinding exceeds 1 mm. This way they stay securely at the bottom of the French press and don't fall into the cup. The geyser coffee pot of the classic Italian type uses medium grinding powder. Boiling water, passing through it, fully reveals all taste and aroma properties.

Fine (also called superfine) grinding is used for espresso. The technology of this drink is such that hot steam is passed through the powder. And what is the best coffee grind for the Turks? The thinnest, the one in which the grains are crushed "to dust". Often on packs with a product it is specifically indicated that it is intended for brewing a drink in a cezve. This is evidenced by the inscriptions: "For the Turks", "Oriental Coffee" or "Turkish Style".

Choosing a product depending on the manufacturing country

The same variety of grapevine produces berries that are very different in their taste characteristics. Similarly, the harvest of Arabica trees is largely dependent on the terroir. Climate, soils and elevation above sea level affect grains. It is difficult to say which coffee is best for Turks. In the reviews, gourmets praise different varieties, and depending on your taste preferences, you can choose the right manufacturer for yourself. So, let's look at the map of countries where coffee is grown.

• Ethiopia. Homeland of Arabica, produces beans of excellent quality. The drink brewed from them is strong and has a chocolate taste with light wine and spicy notes.
• Yemen and Kenya. Medium acidity, high caffeine content. Aromas of green apple and citrus fruits are clearly felt in the bouquet.
• India. Grains from this country will appeal to those who do not like sourness. The drink has a bittersweet aftertaste of dark chocolate.
• Tanzania. The best variety from this country is considered AA. The drink has a velvety soft taste with hints of almonds.
• Brazil. Soils contain quinine, which is why coffee often has an unpleasant smell of drugs. Grains from Brazil are used in blends to give the melange strength and expressiveness.
• Qubit. Single varietal coffee from Liberty Island is rarely available for sale due to its high acidity. It is used for bathing. But those who have tasted pure coffee from Cuba assure that the drink has a delicious vanilla taste with the aroma of cigars.
• Indonesia. In the taste of coffee, sweetness and spiciness of spices are felt. The bouquet is woven from an amazing mixture of honey, cardamom and spices.
• Burundi. For those who love sourness, this is the best Turkish coffee bean. Berries, fruits and flowers are felt in the aroma.
• El Salvador. Natural sweetness allows you to not even add sugar to the drink!
• Brazil. The country is big enough to produce drinks with different flavors. Santos are popular with distinct chocolate notes.

Single varietal coffee or blend - what to choose?

Speci alty stores sell gourmet beans. There you can make your own blends of Arabica and Robusta. Sellers can tell you the best proportions for blends. Also in specialized stores you can buy the best varieties of ground coffee for a coffee maker or for a Turk. The seller, at the request of the client, will grind the grains to the desired degree. There are also single-varietal coffees that are always a hit with gourmets. This is:

• Harari from Ethiopia. Differs in strength and rich bitter chocolate taste.
• Santos from Brazil. Arabica of this variety has a balanced, "pure coffee" taste without any impurities. The drink is thick and aromatic. Santos is an excellent base for blends.
• Kilimanjaro from Kenya. Arabica plantations are planted on the slopes of the volcano of the same name and grow quite high in a cool climate. The drink has a vinous taste with a hint of spices and a rich aroma.
• Geisha from Panama. Lime notes, distinct sourness, delicate bouquet.
• Monsoon coffee from India. Grains for this variety are dried on the seashore. A dense drink without any sourness. Slightly sweet on the palate.
• Mocha from Yemen. Excellent ground coffee for coffee makers and Turks. The drink has a velvety structure, thick, with notes of chocolate and spices. Also good for blends.
• Antigua from Guatemala. Completely devoid of bitterness. Only rich taste and aroma of milk chocolate.
• Blue mountain from Jamaica. Delicate, soft, will please those who do not liketoo strong coffee. It is usually mixed with robusta to give expression.

Rating of the best brands. Ground coffee Lavazza

How to make the perfect melange? How much Arabica and how much Robusta should be taken? The world's leading brands have already taken care of creating a high-quality blend. The only thing left for the buyer is to open the packaging (often vacuum, preserving the rich bouquet of the coffee mixture) and brew a wonderful drink. At the same time, the grains are already roasted to the required degree and ground “to dust”, especially for cooking in cezve.

Here we have compiled a ranking of the best brands that supply ground coffee. Lavazza is the undisputed leader. This Italian brand, created at the end of the 19th century, produces coffee in beans, in ground form, in capsules and pods. Only the first two types of products are suitable for Turks. If we talk about ground coffee, then the brand performs different grinding - for French presses and various kinds of machines. The following brands of Lavazza are suitable for cooking in cezve:

• Espresso.
• Qualita Rossa.
• Decaffeinato (decaffeinated). It is suitable for people who are unhe althy to drink a regular drink, but they like its taste.

Coffee beans Lavazza

It's no secret that the ground mixture loses its aroma very quickly, one has only to open the vacuum packaging. Therefore, many Italians prefer to buy coffee beans. And leading brands have prepared for gourmets who spare no effort in order to enjoy a fragrant drink, many brandsproducts. The same company Lavazza produces 11 coffee beans. Since the grind is left to the buyer, the brand has taken care of blending and proper roasting. Suitable for cooking in cezve:

• Espresso. 100% Arabica. Medium roast.
• Qualita Oro. Arabica from Brazil. Medium roast.
• "And Tierra". Pure Arabica. The drink is thick, with chocolate flavor and high foam.
• Bella Crema. A blend of Latin American varieties of Arabica. Vanilla-caramel flavor and thick foam.
• "Espresso Grand". Indonesian Arabica. Strong roast. Gives a chocolate flavor.
• Gold Selection. This Arabica blend, like Super Gusto, is called by gourmets the best for Turks.
• "Top Class". 90% Arabica and 10% Robusta. Medium roast. The benchmark for Italian coffee with a slight bitterness.
• "Crema Aroma" with 20% Robusta content. Soft, creamy taste.
• "Crema e Gusto Forte". Also contains 20% Robusta. High caffeine content, distinct bitter taste.
• Crema e Gusto. The only blend where more robusta than arabica (70 and 30 percent). budget brand. Strong good coffee for Turks.

Top Brands

In second place in our ranking, compiled by experts, is Paulig. This is a Finnish brand, but production has been established in different countries, including Russia. Raw materials are imported from Mexico and Latin America. Paulig ranks first in terms of value for money.

Third in production of the bestground coffee is the Swiss company Jardin. She buys Arabica from Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and uses five roast levels.

Fourth position in the ranking is occupied by the Austrian brand Julius Meinl. The company logo in the form of a profile of a boy in a fez has long been a quality standard for coffee lovers. "Julius Meinl" practices not the Italian, but the Austrian method of roasting. It gives ready-made drinks sourness, creamy aftertaste and astringency. Freshly roasted coffee beans are immediately sealed in vacuum packaging, thanks to which the product retains its powerful aroma.

The Italian company "Carraro" closes our rating of the top 5 best brands. Like Lavazza, it is known for its blends. Super Bar Grand Crema combines seven Arabica varieties from Ethiopia, Guatemala and other countries.

The second part of the perfect drink: the machine

We have already opted for a suitable blend or single varietal Arabica. It's time to make a drink. If we bought coffee beans, we need to grind them for the Turks, that is, to the state of "flour". You can, of course, use ground coffee. But it should be remembered that the essential oils that give the drink aroma quickly disappear. Therefore, you need to know how to grind coffee. No need to prepare the powder for future use. Also, do not grind anything else in a coffee grinder, for example, pepper, cardamom and other spices.

There are two types of mills: manual and electric. Since we need a very fine grind, the first type is not suitable. Electric mills can be household and professional. The latter have conical millstones that do not heat up the coffee and hence the essential oils do not evaporate. Now we need to say a few words about cezve. It must be made of high quality copper, without seams.

Third part of the perfect drink: hand

Now it's just a matter of figuring out how to make good Turkish coffee. There are two ways: on fire or in sand. The second one is more authentic. So the Turk warms up not only from the bottom, but from all sides.

1. Pour clean and dry sand into the pan.
2. Heat it up while stirring.
3. Install the Turk. Warm up the vessel for 10 seconds.
4. Pour 7 g of coffee into one serving. If you like a sweet drink, then add sugar immediately. Then you can add spices (cinnamon, cardamom).
5. Pour 100 milliliters of cold, preferably even ice water. The liquid level should reach the narrowest point of the neck of the cezve.
6. We move the cezve along the sand until the coffee warms up to 90-95 degrees. In no case should the drink be brought to a boil, otherwise the entire aroma will evaporate and the taste will be spoiled.
7. Coffee foam will appear on the surface. We raise the cezve and wait until it falls. No need to put the dishes on a cold surface - just hold them over a pan (or fire).
8. Put the cezve into a hot environment again. So repeat three times.
9. Serving the drink is no less important. Turku put on the table onsaucer. We serve the guest a small cup with a coffee spoon and the same glass of cold water.