How to choose a Turk for making coffee

It is believed that the most delicious coffee is obtained in a Turk (cezve). But the taste of the drink also depends on the material from which the dishes were made, the shape and volume of the cup, the thickness of the bottom and walls. In today's article, we will tell you what to look for when buying a turkish.

Top Turkish coffee makers

On sale there are both Hand made cezves and factory products. Most Turks are produced in Armenia, South Ossetia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Some products of oriental craftsmen have a lifetime warranty. For example, the Soy company is engaged in the manufacture of handcrafted jazz. Her products are considered the best in the world. They are forged from a sheet of copper, decorated with beautiful relief embossing and have a silver coating inside. It is believed that 'Soy' Turks can be inherited.

The 'Ceraflame' company is considered one of the best among the manufacturers of factory-made ceramic Turks. Its products are non-toxic, resistant to sudden changes in temperature and scratches, and can be used over an open fire. Turks 'Ceraflame' have a regular conical shape and differ only in color and volume.

Among Russian manufacturers, the leaders are LLC “Stanitsa” and “Gus-Khrustalny Glass Factory”. The Stanytsia company produces turks from stamped copper. In general, these are high-quality products with a fairly thick bottom, a long handle and a beautiful design. Gus-Khrustalny Glass Factory products are made of rock crystal. These are very beautiful transparent Turks, and, contrary to the fears of consumers, nothing terrible happens to them when heated. But it is worth noting that crystal cezves are cast with increased fragility and are more expensive than average Turks.

In addition to the aforementioned companies, residents of the Russian Federation and the CIS countries prefer the companies' cezves:

1. Vitesse;

2. Fissman;

3. Standard art products;

4. Regent

5. TimA.

Types of Turks for coffee

Copper Turk

Initially, all cezves were made of copper. This material has high thermal conductivity and the dishes are heated evenly. Thanks to this, each grain of coffee gives off its taste and aroma as fully as possible, and the drink turns out to be very tasty. The product also cools down quickly, so it is easier for a person to save the 'running away' coffee.

Copper is prone to oxidation. During this process, substances hazardous to health are formed, so the inside of the products is covered with either food tin or a layer of silver (in expensive models). If the protective cover is damaged, the Turk is considered unusable.

Advantages

• Long service life – tens of years;

• Suitable for gas and electric stoves and for preparing coffee over an open fire, stove, coals and hot sand;

• Copper Turks have high strength;

disadvantages

• Material toxicity;

• Carbon deposits can form on the Turks;

• The food-tin-coated cezves must be washed carefully so as not to damage the protective layer;

Cezve made of clay

This is one of the oldest types of jazz. They are made from refractory clay – an environmentally friendly and safe material. Clay has little thermal conductivity, so the product heats up evenly and slowly. This improves the taste of the drink.

Clay retains heat well after the drink has been removed from the fire. This makes the coffee stronger and richer. In addition, oxygen passes through the pores of the material and improves the taste of the drink.

The best clay for Jaz is considered to be Zisha or Yixing clay in China. This material is rich in quartz, kaolin, mica and iron oxide. It is iron oxide that gives the clay a reddish tint. Yixing clay has a special porous structure that allows the dishes to 'breathe'. It absorbs the aromas and evaporated oils from the beverage, then releases them and saturates the next coffees.

Advantages

• Health safety;

• Low cost;

• In a clay turk, a delicious and aromatic drink is obtained;

disadvantages

• Because clay absorbs the aroma of the drink; it is not recommended to brew different types of coffee in dishes made of this material. Therefore, if you decide to change one type of drink to another, you will need to carefully process the product (leave it in a soda solution overnight and wash it thoroughly in the morning) or buy a new Turk;

• The drink may run away after being removed from the stove;

• Increased fragility – if dropped or hit hard, the product will break;

Ceramic Turk

Cezves made of ceramics are similar in their properties to ordinary clay products. They slowly heat up and cool down, so coffee sometimes runs away after being removed from the heat. The drink in such a bowl turns out to be tasty and aromatic.

Advantages

• Ceramic products do not absorb the taste and aroma of the drink, so they can be used for different types of coffee;

• Low cost.

disadvantages

• Coffee can run away;

• Turku must not be dropped – it may break.

Turk from cupronickel

Cupronickel is an alloy of copper and nickel. Cezves made from this material are less toxic than pure copper, but they also have a protective tin coating. The thermal conductivity of such Turks is lower than copper ones, so they heat up and cool down more slowly.

Advantages

• High mechanical strength;

• Durability;

• Corrosion resistance;

disadvantages

• Cupronickel Turks are rarely found on sale.

Brass turk

Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper, sometimes other metals are included. Brass cezves have good thermal conductivity (less than copper) and beautiful appearance. The material retains its shine for a long time, is easy to polish. Such items are often decorated with embossing and appliqués. Just like pure copper cookware, brass cezves must have a protective inner coating. brass is highly oxidized and not resistant to corrosion.

Advantages

• Uniform heating of the drink;

• Brass Turks are cheaper than copper ones;

• Durability – can last for several decades;

• High strength;

disadvantages

• If the protective layer is damaged, the product is oxidized;

• If cezva is rarely used, it can darken.

Cast iron turk

Such products warm up slowly and cool down slowly. They withstand temperature extremes well and allow the coffee to 'simmer' after it has been removed from the heat. Therefore, the drink becomes richer.

Advantages

• Durability;

• Safety and environmental friendliness of the material;

• Durability and reliability;

disadvantages

• Rarely on sale;

• Rust can form on cast iron cookware;

• Cast iron cezves are heavy and uncomfortable;

Glass turk

Glass Turks have thin walls, so they warm up quickly. In addition, preparation of a drink in such a cezve is not difficult even for a beginner – due to the fact that the product is transparent, it is easier to control the coffee brewing process.

Advantages

• In a glass turk, you can prepare not only coffee, but also tea, cocoa and other drinks;

• Heat up quickly;

• Such products do not rust or oxidize;

disadvantages

• Require careful handling;

• The coffee is not as tasty as when prepared in other Turks;

• Poorly withstand temperature changes;

• Can break or crack easily;

Turk made of stainless steel

Stainless steel Turks are not good for making coffee. In such a container, coffee is heated unevenly and the taste of the drink deteriorates.

Advantages

• Durability and reliability;

• Affordable price;

• Low weight;

• High corrosion resistance;

disadvantages

• Stainless steel Turks have an irregular scoop shape, which negatively affects the taste of coffee;

• Poor heat conduction;

• Poor quality stainless steel dishes spoil the coffee with an unpleasant taste;

Aluminum turk

Aluminum cezves are the cheapest option for the Turks. When heated, they react with the drink, which deteriorates its taste.

Advantages

• Reliability – cezve cannot be broken or broken;

• Affordable price;

• Low weight;

disadvantages

• Coffee in such a Turk has an unpleasant aftertaste;

• Aluminum cookware is easy to scratch and damage.

Turkish coffee selection options

The form

A correct cezve should have a narrow neck and a wide bottom. In this case, the diameter of the bottom can be 2–3 times larger than the diameter of the neck. This is necessary to create a protective foam 'plug' that prevents the aroma from evaporating.

The larger the bottom diameter, the better the water is heated and the necessary substances are extracted from the coffee grains into the drink. It is in such a Turkish coffee that the most delicious, aromatic and rich coffee is obtained.

Volume

Ideally, the volume of a turkey should be calculated for one small cup. However, this is not entirely practical, especially if you have a large family.

When cooking, you should use the Turk to the maximum so that the foam rises to the neck. Otherwise, the taste and aroma of the coffee may deteriorate.

For one person, you should choose products with a capacity of 100-150 ml. For two or three people, 350-500 ml dishes are suitable. The largest Turks with a volume of 750 ml are designed for a large company.

Bottom and walls

The bottom and walls of the cezve should be thick so that the drink warms up evenly, and the coffee grains release aromatic substances as fully as possible. The bottom should also be firm and flat, because even slight deformations lead to the fact that the coffee does not heat up correctly and this impairs its taste.

A pen

The cezve handle should be long enough so that you do not burn yourself when removing the cookware from the fire, and have a low thermal conductivity. Wooden handles are considered the most optimal – they are durable, wear-resistant and do not heat up when preparing a drink. You can also use Turks, the handles of which are covered with additional insulation (for example, rubberized).

It is not recommended to choose cezves with metal handles that get hot while brewing coffee (which means you risk getting burned) and cezves with plastic handles. When heated, plastic emits an unpleasant odor, which can negatively affect the taste of the drink.

Which Turkish coffee to choose

1. The best Turks are copper. They are strong and durable, and generally have a perfect tapered shape.

2. When brewing coffee on sand, choose pans with a handle that is straight up.

3. Clay Turks are most suitable for those people who prefer one type of coffee.

4. Decorations in the form of appliqués on cezve complicate the maintenance of dishes and quickly deteriorate.

5. Products made of copper, ceramics and aluminum do not have ferromagnetic properties, which means they cannot be used on an induction hob. The best option for such plates is ceramic cezves.

6. When buying a copper, cupronickel or brass turk, be sure to check the integrity of the protective layer. If it is damaged, the Turk should be discarded or taken to the master for re-tinning.

   If you want to take a Turk on a hike or travel, opt for products with removable handles. This will make it easier for you to place the dishes in your backpack, and you can save space for other things.

!

Don't buy Turks that are shaped like a ladle. Otherwise, the taste and aroma of the coffee will be seriously affected.

How much does a Turk cost for coffee

The price for cezves varies from 150 to 8,000 rubles. The cheapest models are made of stainless steel and aluminum and have an irregular bucket shape, so it's hard to call them Turks. The most expensive goods are made of copper and have an inner silver coating – such cezves are of high quality and durability.

1. Copper Turks cost from 500 to 8,000 rubles. A good quality product can be bought for about 1,000–2,000 rubles.

2. The more decorative inserts and appliqués on the Turk, the more expensive it is.

3. The price of stainless steel Turks is 150–2,000 rubles.

4. Aluminum cezves cost about 150-700 rubles.

5. The cost of ceramic Turks varies from 1,000 to 3,000 rubles, the prices for pottery are slightly lower.

In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose a filter for drinking water and the secrets of choosing a kettle for the stove.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.