Turkish coffee is not difficult, it is just unforgiving. The coffee has to come up to the foam slowly and be taken off at the right moment, and thirty seconds of inattention gives you a boiled-over stove and a thin cup. A Turkish coffee machine automates exactly that, and nothing else.
What the machines actually do
They heat the water and coffee slowly, at a controlled rate, so the foam builds properly rather than being blasted into a boil. An anti-overflow sensor stops the brew before it climbs over the rim, and a sound alert tells you when it is done. The cup you get is closer to a careful stovetop brew than to anything from an espresso machine.
Choose by capacity first
One to two cups. The Minio is the compact single pot, made for one or two people at a time. Its award-winning design works for right and left handed users, which matters more than it sounds when the pot is hot.
Up to eight cups. The Minio Duo runs two pots, so you can serve up to eight cups in minutes at the push of a button. This is the one for a large family, or for a restaurant or cafe that serves Turkish coffee as part of the menu.
The full size Okka. The original, in black and gold or black and chrome. Cups are not included. The Optimum is the stainless steel version of the same idea, and the Grandio Duo is the larger twin pot machine.
The grind is not optional
Turkish coffee needs a powder grind, far finer than espresso, because the grounds are never filtered out: they settle in the bottom of the cup. No machine will save a coffee ground for espresso. Buy coffee ground for the cezve, or grind it yourself to flour.
Our Turkish and Lebanese coffees are ground to powder for exactly this. For the traditional method, and what jezve, cezve and ibrik mean, see how to make Turkish coffee and the Turkish coffee pot guide.
Sugar goes in at the start
This surprises people moving from espresso. Sugar is brewed with the coffee, not stirred in afterwards, because stirring destroys the foam. Decide sweet, medium or unsweetened before you press the button.
Cleaning
The pots on these machines are washable, and they need washing after every use: Turkish coffee leaves a thick sediment that will taint the next brew. Most machines include a coffee measuring spoon, which is worth using, since the ratio matters more here than in most brewing.
