Italians say that the main secret of good coffee is the three letters "M". Translated into Russian, these main components of the proper brewing of a drink are: melange (a mixture of varieties), a hand (that is, a skill that comes with experience) and a machine. At the expense of the latter, coffee lovers disagree. Some people prefer geyser or drip machines. Anyone who does not want to bother with the preparation of the drink uses capsule or pod coffee makers.
But a true gourmet always remains faithful to the cezve, which the Slavs call the "Turk". There are two more components of the perfect drink: hand and melange. What mix of varieties to choose? What should be the grinding? Or is it better to buy coffee beans for the Turks? The ranking of the best brands will be presented in this article. We will also talk about how to brew coffee, and provide basic recommendations for gourmets.
Arabica and Robusta
Unlike tea, the raw material for which gives one biological species, Chinese Camellia, two plants are the supplier of coffee beans. One of them is Coffea arabica. The birthplace of this tree is Arabia, but now it is cultivated everywhere in countries with a suitable climate. Arabica is very whimsical, susceptible to disease, suffering from insects. She likes a dry, but not very hot climate. Many people think that good coffee for the Turks is 100% Arabica. But is it?
Let's see what a robusta is. The Latin name for this tree is Coffea canephora. In the tropics, robusta grows like we have nettles. The tree is completely unpretentious, tenacious, like a weed, and at the same time gives a plentiful harvest, despite the weather conditions. Naturally, robusta also costs much cheaper than carefully cultivated arabica. But these two types of coffee have different tastes. Arabica is soft, with caramel tender undertones. Its aroma reminds either cream or blueberries. Robusta is more "plebeian". But it has a higher caffeine content. And this substance gives the whole drink a strength and a distinct bitter taste. From all this, we can conclude that it is better to mix both types of grains to get the perfect drink.
Is it worth the price?
The most expensive type of coffee is a copy of the Luwak. It is produced only in Indonesia, the Philippines, southern Vietnam and India. One cup of drink on the island of Sumatra, directly near 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 the Turks? The huge price is due only to the mode of production.
After all, luvak mines are extracted from ... excrement of musangs, small animals that eat “coffee cherries”. In the stomach, the pulp is digested, and the fermented grains come out with feces. They are washed, dried, fried and made into a drink. Gourmets assure that the Mine-Luwak coffee has an excellent, harmonious, delicate taste. But the price of it, to put it mildly, bites. Is it worth paying so much money for the excrement of musangs? Good coffee for the Turks can be brewed from the usual varieties of Arabica and Robusta. And such a pleasure will cost much less
Roasting Secrets
Raw grains enter the wholesale market. So they are easier to transport, because fried beans are brittle and absorb moisture like a sponge. Raw coffee has a pale or light green, completely unappetizing appearance. And the taste of the grain resembles bitter burnt rubber or poorly roasted peanuts. Different countries that buy raw materials and pack them use their methods of roasting.
The best recognized Italian. We will not go into the subtleties of technology here. We will only say that the grains fried by this method give an abundant froth on the surface of the drink. In addition, the Italian type allows the grains to be stored for a long time without losing their flavor.
There are three degrees of frying. With a weak grain have a light brown color. Medium roasting gives the coffee a touch of chocolate. A strong degree of heat treatment brings the grains to a dark brown, almost black color. Then bitterness and the smell of haze appear. A good coffee for a Turk is one that has undergone a strong or medium roast.
Grinding secrets
Each technology for preparing a drink requires a special degree of grain grinding. For example, if you brew coffee in a French press, you need a coarse grinding. Particle sizes in this grinding exceed 1 mm. Thus, they reliably remain at the bottom of the French press and do not fall into the cup. A classic Italian type geyser coffee pot uses medium-ground powder. Boiling water, passing through it, fully reveals all the taste and aromatic properties.
Fine (it is also called ultrafine) grinding is used for espresso. The technology of this drink is such that hot steam is passed through the powder. And what kind of coffee grinding is better for the Turks? The thinnest, the one in which the grains are crushed "into dust". Often on packs with a product it is specially indicated that it is intended for brewing a drink in cezve. This is evidenced by the inscriptions: "For the Turks," "Eastern Coffee" or "Turkish."
Choose a product depending on the country of origin
The same grapevine variety produces berries that are very different in taste. In the same way, the crop of an arabica tree largely depends on the terroir. Climate, soil, and height above sea level affect grains. It’s hard to say which coffee is better for the Turks. Gourmets praise different varieties in reviews, and depending on their taste preferences, you can choose the manufacturer that suits you best. So, we look at the map of countries where coffee is grown.
- Ethiopia. The homeland of Arabica, produces grains of excellent quality. The drink brewed from them differs in strength and has a chocolate taste with light wine and spicy notes.
- Yemen and Kenya. Medium acidity, high caffeine content. In the bouquet, the aromas of green apple and citrus are clearly felt.
- India. Grains from this country will appeal to those who do not like sourness. The drink has a bitter-sweet taste of dark chocolate.
- Tanzania. The best variety from this country is AA. The drink has a velvety soft taste with hints of almond.
- Brazil. The soil contains quinine, which is why coffee often has an unpleasant smell of drugs. Grains from Brazil are used in blends to give melange fortress and expressiveness.
- Qubit. Monosorta coffee from Liberty Island is rarely found on sale because it has a high acidity. It is used for blends. But those who have tried pure coffee from Cuba claim that the drink has a delicious vanilla flavor with the aroma of cigars.
- Indonesia. The taste of coffee felt the sweetness and spice of spices. The bouquet is woven from an amazing mixture of honey, cardamom and spices.
- Burundi. For those who love sourness, this is the best grain coffee for the Turks. The aroma felt berries, fruits and flowers.
- Salvador. Natural sweetness does not even add sugar to the drink!
- Brazil. The country is large enough to produce drinks with different tastes. Santos with distinctive chocolate notes is very popular.
Monosortovaya coffee or blend - what to choose?
Specialty stores sell gourmet grains. There you can make a mixture of arabica and robusta yourself. 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 extent. There are monosortovye coffee, which are enjoyed by gourmets success. It:
- Harari from Ethiopia. It differs in strength and rich bitter-chocolate taste.
- Santos from Brazil. Arabica of this variety has a balanced, “purely coffee” taste without any impurities. The drink is thick, aromatic. Santos is a great 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 wine 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 heavy drink without any acidity. On the palate there is a faint sweetness.
- Mocha from Yemen. Great ground coffee for coffee makers and Turks. A drink of velvety structure, thick, with notes of chocolate and spices. Also good for blends.
- Antigua from Guatemala. It is completely devoid of bitterness. Only the rich taste and aroma of milk chocolate.
- Blue Mountain from Jamaica. Delicate, soft, will appeal to those who do not like coffee too strong. Usually it is mixed with robusta to give expressiveness.
Rating of the best brands. Ground coffee Lavazza
How to make the perfect melange? How much do you need to take arabica coffee and how much - robusta? Leading global brands have already taken care to create a quality blend. The only thing left for the buyer is to open the package (often vacuum, preserving a rich bouquet of coffee mix) and make a fine drink. At the same time, the grains are already fried to the necessary degree and ground “to dust”, especially for cooking in cezve.
Here we have compiled a rating 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 beans, in ground form, in capsules and pods. For the Turks, only the first two types of products are suitable. If we talk about ground coffee, the brand performs different grindings - for French presses and all kinds of machines. The following Lavazza brands are suitable for cooking in cezve:
- "Espresso".
- Qualita Rossa.
- Decaffeinato (decaffeinated). It is suitable for people who find it harmful to consume a regular drink, but they like its taste.
Lavazza coffee beans
It is no secret that the ground mixture very quickly loses its aroma, you just have to open the vacuum packaging. Therefore, many Italians prefer to buy coffee beans. And the leading brands prepared for gourmets, not sparing efforts in order to enjoy a fragrant drink, many brands of products. At the same company Lavazza coffee beans produced 11 items. Since the grinding is left to the buyer himself, the brand took care of blending and proper roasting. For cooking in cezve suitable:
- "Espresso". 100% arabica. Medium Roast.
- "Qual Oro." Arabica from Brazil. Medium Roast.
- “And Tierra.” Pure arabica. The drink is thick, with a chocolate flavor and high froth.
- "Bella Crema." A blend of Latin American arabica varieties. Vanilla-caramel flavor and dense foam.
- Espresso Grand. Indonesian arabica. Strong roast. It gives a chocolate aftertaste.
- Gold Selection. This arabica blend, as well as Super Gusto, gourmets are called the best for the Turks.
- "Top Class". 90% Arabica and 10% Robusta. Medium Roast. A reference for Italian coffee with a touch of bitterness.
- “Aroma cream” 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 robusta is more than Arabica (70 and 30 percent). Budget brand. Strong good coffee for the Turks.
Top brands
In second place in our ranking, compiled by experts, is Paulig. This is a Finnish brand, but production is established in different countries, including Russia. Raw materials are imported from Mexico and Latin America. Paulig ranks first in terms of price and quality.
In third place in the production of the best ground coffee is the Swiss company Jardin. She buys Arabica in Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and uses five degrees of roasting.
The fourth position in the ranking is occupied by the Austrian brand Julius Mine. The company logo in the form of a boy profile in fez has long become a standard of quality for coffee lovers. Julius Minele does not practice the Italian, but the Austrian method of roasting. It gives ready-made drinks sourness, creamy aftertaste and astringency. Freshly roasted coffee beans are immediately hidden in a vacuum package, thanks to which the product retains its powerful aroma.
Closes our rating of the top 5 best brands by the Italian company Carraro. Like Lavazza, she is known for her blends. The brand "Super Bar Grand Cream" combines seven varieties of Arabica from Ethiopia, Guatemala and other countries.
The second component of the perfect drink: the machine
We have already opted for the mixture suitable for us or monosortovaya 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 an aroma quickly evaporate. Therefore, you need to know how to grind coffee. No need to harvest powder for future use. Also, do not grind anything else in the coffee grinder, for example, pepper, cardamom and other spices.
There are two types of mills: manual and electric. Since we need a very fine grinding, the first type is not suitable. Electric mills can be domestic and professional. The latter have conical millstones that do not heat coffee, and, therefore, essential oils do not evaporate. Now a few words about cezve. It should be made of high quality copper, without connecting seams.
The third component of the perfect drink: hand
Now it remains only to find out how to make good coffee in a Turk. There are two ways: on fire or in the sand. The second is more authentic. So the Turk warms up not only from the bottom, but from all sides.
- Pour clean and dry sand into the pan.
- Warm it, stirring.
- Install the Turk. Warm up the vessel for 10 seconds.
- Pour 7 g of coffee per serving. If you like a sweet drink, then add sugar immediately. Then you can pour seasonings (cinnamon, cardamom).
- Pour 100 milliliters of cold, preferably even ice water. The fluid level should reach the narrowest point of the neck of the cezve.
- We move the Turk on the sand until the coffee warms up to 90-95 degrees. In no case should you bring the drink to a boil, otherwise all the aroma will disappear and the taste will be spoiled.
- Foam will appear on the surface of the coffee. We raise the cezve and wait until it falls off. No need to put dishes on a cold surface - just hold it above the pan (or fire).
- Put the cezve in a hot environment again. So repeat three times.
- Equally important is the serving of the drink. We put Turku on a table on a silver platter. The guest is served a small cup with a coffee spoon and the same glass of cold water.