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Complete Guide to Taking Care of Your Turkish Coffee Pot

When it comes to coffee there are countless types with with all sorts of different flavors, be it a shot of double espresso for a quick caffeine kick or a nice cup of frappé for a hot summer day.

I don’t know if it’s the taste or Turkish coffee’s undeniable link with leisure time or it’s just because old habits don’t go away that easy, but out of all these beautiful drinks my favourite one is Turkish coffee and that’s what this blog is all about.

There’s this weird misconception about Turkish coffee – even among Turkish people that it’s supposed to be brewed slowly. I think the key to making good Turkish coffee is brewing it in 2-3 minutes and to do that properly you’re going to need a copper Turkish coffee pot or as we call it “cezve”.

As there is a right and wrong way to brew your Turkish coffee there is also a right and wrong way to clean and keep your Turkish coffee pot, if you want to keep it in good condition for a long time.

Cleaning your Turkish coffee pot is a fairly easy process. Simply use mild soap and warm water to wash the inside of it and rinse it fully. After that, dry your Turkish coffee pot and it should be ready for reuse. To clean the outside just using water should be enough since it never makes contact with your coffee.

Let’s explore best ways to clean your Turkish coffee pot and keep it properly for many years to come along with the mistakes you need to avoid if you don’t want to ruin your handsome-looking pot.

Why are Turkish coffee pots made of copper?

Traditionally Turkish coffee pots are made of copper and some modern types can be made from aluminum, zinc, glass as well as electric coffee makers made from stainless steel.

Just like the difference between a juicy piece of steak prepared using cast iron skillet versus a cheap pan, Turkish coffee prepared in copper pot tastes better and it’s frothier and thicker, which are all things that you want from a properly prepared Turkish coffee.

The first reason why copper is preffered over other materials for Turkish coffee preparation is due to copper’s conductivity. Copper lets heat pass through efficiently and this causes even and reliable heating through the surface.

This way Turkish coffee can be brewed quickly and we get to avoid bitterness that’s caused by long and inefficient extraction time.

Along with that, once you turn off the heat copper cools down quickly which protects the coffee beans from overextracting and again, getting bitter.

And last but not least copper gives your Turkish coffee pot a unique and stylish look that’ll make you proudly show it off.

How to Clean Your Turkish Coffee Pot for the First Time

When you get your Turkish coffee pot for the first time you might get too excited and be tempted to try it right away.

But you can never know how unclean it may be so always clean your Turkish coffee pots before the first use.

Give it a gentle wash with mild soap and warm water. Rinse it carefully until there is no soap left. And dry it gently with a cloth.

After doing this your Turkish coffee pot should be ready for use.

How to Properly Maintain Your Turkish Coffee Pot

Copper is a sensitive material that’s prone to corrosion and requires special care to be kept properly. But don’t worry, maintaining your Turkish coffee pot is a fairly easy process. If I can do it, you can do it too!

The first rule about cleaning your pot is that after you’ve brewed your Turkish coffee, you must immediately wash it with water to make sure there is no coffee that’s left in it.

In order to clean the outside of your pot, wash it with warm water and rub it gently with a clean soft cloth. Since it never makes contact with your coffee, you don’t even need soap to clean the outside. As for the browning, let it happen since it looks authentic and doesn’t cause any problems.

Cleaning the inside of your pot is pretty much the same process as cleaning it for the first time. Simply use mild soap and warm water and rinse it carefully. After you dry it completely your Turkish coffee pot should be ready to use again.

And lastly the silver-colored part inside of your Turkish coffee that makes contact with the coffee is made from tin and it should be “retinned” every 10-20 years by a professional. This is not something that you can do on your own and it’s the part where you’ll need to find yourself a tinsmith.

What to Do With a Burnt Turkish Coffee Pot

If you’ve burned your Turkish coffee pot and started thinking that it’s game over for it, well… you might be right.

If I’ve ever burned a coffee pot I wouldn’t try to use it again, but if you’re the tight-fisted type there is a way to save your burnt Turkish coffee pot as well.

Here is what to do step-by-step;

  • Fill it with water. If you leave your burnt pot for long time, coffee that’s left inside of it will get absorbed more and more, making it harder to save. First step is to wash your pot with cold water and then fill it with hot water. It should be left like this for around 20-30 minutes.
  • Rub it with baking soda. The next step is to empty your copper pot and rub baking soda on the burnt part. You can do it using a soft cloth. Afterwards, put some more hot water in your pot and leave it again for another 20-30 minutes.
  • Rub lemon on it. For the next step we’re going to use the acidity of a lemon. Cut a lemon in half and rub some salt on it. Then rub the lemon on the burnt part of your copper pot. Next, leave the lemon in the pot, add some hot water and leave it for the last time for 20-30 minutes.
  • Wash it clean. Finally, all the burnt coffee in your pot should be soft enough to wash. For the last step, wash your Turkish coffee pot with mild soap and warm water. Rinse and dry it using a soft cloth.

List of Things to Avoid With Your Copper Turkish Coffee Pot

coffee mugs in a dishwasher

As there are things that you need to do with your Turkish coffee pot, there are also things that you need to avoid doing in order to extend its lifespan.

  • Don’t put it in a dishwasher. Cleaning materials that you put in your dishwasher can be too strong for your copper pots and will eventually render them useless.
  • Don’t rub it harshly with abrasive material. Copperware is precious and sensitive, using abrasive material such as a scouring pad will cause your Turkish coffee pot’s surface to wear away.
  • Don’t use a metal spoon to stir your coffee, use wooden material instead. Using a metal spoon will damage the pot, by using wooden or silicone material to stir your coffee you will keep it in top condition.
  • Don’t heat it dry. This will degrade your copper pots quite badly. Make sure to never leave your empty Turkish coffee pot on the stove.

Conclusion

The key to making a nice cup of frothy Turkish coffee properly is using a copper pot, it’s also called “cezve” or “ibrik”. This is because copper gets hot and cold quickly by conducting heat effectively.

If you don’t want to ruin your Turkish coffee pot, you need to properly clean and keep it.

Before using it for the first time wash it with mild soap and warm water. Then rinse your Turkish coffee pot and dry it gently.

And to maintain it wash the inside with mild soap and warm water. Rinse and dry it with a clean cloth completely. To clean the outside, using water should be enough, make sure to dry the outside as well.

So there you go, cleaning and maintaining your Turkish coffee pot is easy as that.

If you’ve found this post helpful or interesting, please don’t forget to share it on the social media. Help spread the enjoyment that Turkish coffee brings! 😉