What are people’s opinion on Turkish coffee?

I was on holiday in Crete this summer and I visited a cafe that was famous for its Bougatsa (dessert of filo dough and sweet custard) so I got a Greek coffee to go with it and it was possibly the worst coffee I’ve ever had. It tasted like ten scoops of instant had been dissolved in to a 300ml cup of boiling hot water - incredibly bitter.

Did I just come across bad Turkish/Greek coffee or is it supposed to taste like that?

I’m not impressed with Crete coffee, only time I’ve had one I had ordered a black coffee and got a glass of hot water and a plastic tube of Nescafé instant.

Are we talking about coffee drunk in Greece/Turkey, or any coffee made in an ibrik/briki/cezve?

If the latter, it is much like any other method, great when dialled in with that coffee you like.

I do drink it ‘as is’ from time to time, but also filter it through Chemex or Filtropa papers for a cleaner cup too.

I was in an Anatolian restaurant a couple of weeks back, had an absolutely delicious coffee.

I think you came across bad(ly made) coffee.

In my family all love Turkish/Greek/Balkan style coffee, but also find that in some (most) places, they privilege looks vs. taste, and overheat it to get as much ‘crema’-like foam on top. End result: bitter, burnt-taste.

    CoyoteOldMan That’s what I think too. If I come across Turkish coffee again I’ll give it a try, haven’t got my hopes up though 😬

        I had a couple of good ones years ago, once in the middle east and once at a turkish restaurant here. Repeatedly disappointed since. This last weekend I built up the courage to try again at a place thatcalled itself a ‘Turkish Cafe’ and was hit with another pre-ground powder special.

        hthec FWIW, I bought from https://www.specialtyturkishcoffee.com/ - largely because I’m left-handed, the rest of the family is right-handed and this one works well for both.

        It’s a nicely finished object, probably too expensive with the dollar at $1.10/£ - I bought at 1.40. Also, it works well for 2 cups, and 3 small ones (180 ml water) is pretty much the limit. The site is worth visiting as there are videos with recipes and tips which I found valuable.

            I’d recommend getting one copper cezve from Amazon and some coffee and try it at home.

            You can return for free if you not happy with it anyway 🙂

            It is quite tasty with right coffee and technique.

              As a ready/grounded pack, you can’t go wrong with Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi but I always prefer freshly roasted from the shop, they grind it while you wait, whenever I visit Türkiye.