How much caffeine is in Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee?

Each 2 oz cup (demitasse) serving contains approximately 50 mg of caffeine. For comparison, a standard 8 oz cup of brewed drip coffee contains around 95 mg. Actual content varies with dose, water temperature, and contact time.

What temperature should I use for Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee?

Target 90°C (194°F). Below this range the cup tends toward sourness and thinness from under-extraction; above it, bitterness rises faster than sweetness.

How long should Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee be extracted?

Extract for Slow simmer 3-4 mins until foam rises twice using Hand-Hammered Copper Cezve / Ibrik, at a ratio of 7g ultra-fine coffee powder per 60ml cold water, prepared at Powder Fine (Finer than espresso, flour consistency). Time and ratio move together: a heavier dose generally wants a shorter contact time.

Why does my Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee taste bitter?

Bitterness almost always indicates over-extraction. Shorten the contact time, lower the water temperature slightly, or grind coarser. Change one variable at a time so you can tell which one was responsible.

Who should avoid Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee?

Unfiltered coffee contains cafestol, which can raise LDL cholesterol if consumed in excessive daily quantities (>4 cups/day). Do not swallow the sediment (telve) at the bottom of the cup. This is general educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances.

Reviewed Aug 2026

Specialty Coffee · Istanbul, Turkey & Arabia

Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee

Name: How to Brew Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 4 min
Yield: 2 oz cup (demitasse)
Cuisine: Istanbul, Turkey & Arabia
Ingredients: 6.9 g whole coffee beans, freshly roasted; 59 g filtered water at 90°C

Türk Kahvesi

Unfiltered, velvety decoction boiled in a copper Cezve with aromatic cardamom.

Turkish coffee is prepared by simmering powder-fine roast coffee with water (and optional sugar or cardamom) in a long-handled copper pot called a Cezve or Ibrik. It is served unfiltered in small cups where the grounds settle to the bottom.

Sensory profile

Comparative scale

sweetnessModerate

acidityModerate

bitternessHigh

bodyVery high

aromaVery high

You should taste

How it unfolds

Aroma → Palate → Finish

AromaBefore and as you sip

No distinct note recorded here — the aroma reads as pronounced rather than carrying a nameable character of its own.

pronounced aroma

PalateWhile it is in the mouth

No distinct note recorded here — the palate reads as moderate rather than carrying a nameable character of its own.

moderate sweetness

FinishAfter you swallow

pronounced body

Where it sits

Stronger than 177 of the 345 other drinks in the catalogue, and weaker than 157.

That is 50 mg in a 2 oz cup (demitasse) serving — a concentration of 84.7 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.

CupCura editorial estimate. No public food database has measured this preparation, so this figure is our own and is not independently sourced.

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What people say

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Gear for this drink

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

Direct-drive motor with 64mm stainless steel flat burrs engineered specifically for pour-over, drip, and cold brew clarity.

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Traditional Ottoman Turkish Coffee

Sensory profile

You should taste

How it unfolds

Where it sits

Compare it against

What people say

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