Greek coffee is made from coffee ground to a powder, boiled with the water rather than filtered out of it, and served with the grounds settling in the bottom of the cup. It is the same family of brewing as Turkish coffee, with its own names, its own pot and its own habits.
What you need
- A briki, the small long-handled pot. The equivalent Turkish pot is the cezve or ibrik.
- Coffee ground to a powder, far finer than espresso. This is not optional: espresso grind will not brew properly and will leave a gritty cup.
- A demitasse cup, which doubles as your measure.
- Cold water.
The three sweetness levels
Sugar goes in before brewing, never after, because stirring the finished cup destroys the foam. Decide first:
- Sketo: no sugar.
- Metrio: one teaspoon per cup, the usual order.
- Glyko: two teaspoons, sweet.
The method
- Measure cold water with the cup you will serve in, one cup per person, into the briki.
- Add one heaped teaspoon of coffee per cup, and the sugar if you are having it.
- Stir now, while it is cold, until the coffee is dissolved. This is the last time you stir.
- Put it on a low heat. Low is the whole technique: rushing it is what ruins the cup.
- Watch for the kaimaki, the foam, rising up the sides. As it climbs toward the rim, take the pot off the heat.
- Pour the foam into the cups first, sharing it out, then fill with the rest.
Traditionally the pot is lifted before it truly boils, and some people return it to the heat once more for a second rise. Let it boil over and you lose the foam entirely, which is the mark of a badly made cup.
Drinking it
Let it stand a minute so the grounds settle. Drink down to the sediment and stop; the last centimetre is mud, and it is meant to be left. Serve it with a glass of cold water, which is not a garnish but part of the ritual.
Greek, Turkish and Lebanese
The brewing method is essentially shared across the region and the differences are in the detail and the name. Lebanese and other Arabic styles are often flavoured with cardamom; Turkish coffee is its own tradition with its own pot names. The coffees are roasted and ground for this method specifically, so buy one that says so.
The Turkish method, and the pot names, are covered in how to make Turkish coffee and the Turkish coffee pot guide. If you would rather press a button, see the Turkish coffee machine buying guide.
