Our Guide to the Perfect Homemade Coffee
Or maybe: “Make me coffee as strong as I am, and as sweet as you are”? These seemingly humorous sayings say a lot about one thing — how important coffee truly is in our everyday life.
Drinking coffee here is not just a habit — it’s a ritual. A sign of attention, a way to welcome someone, comfort them, bring them joy, or simply — start the day right. And for that ritual to have its full effect, the coffee must be perfectly prepared. Because good coffee does not happen by chance.
To prepare proper homemade coffee, every step has its role. From choosing the Turkish coffee pot, the quality of the water, the temperature — all the way to the place where the coffee is served. Yes, even that plays an important role.
“For the proper preparation and good making of homemade coffee, we need good water, which means tap water, hard water. The choice of the Turkish coffee pot — enamel-coated, because in enamel the water boils fastest, the water does not ‘suffer.’ So, from hard water we do not make soft water, which is very important for the taste. Therefore, bottled water should never be used,” says Grand kafa professional taster Ilija Đurić.
He further says that the water must come to a boil, but not keep boiling, because boiling softens the water.
“When the water boils, it is removed from the stove, the desired amount of coffee is added, and it is stirred well so it starts rising. As soon as the foam begins to rise, the process is finished. The coffee is served where it is drunk — it should never be served in the kitchen and then carried in a cup — I call that ‘disturbing the coffee,’” Ilija explains vividly.
It sounds like a small science, doesn’t it? And yet — it’s all in the details. It is those details that make the difference between just a cup of coffee and a cup of enjoyment.
Steps for Brewing Good Coffee
Steps for Brewing Good Coffee
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Use an enamel Turkish coffee pot
To prepare traditional coffee, it is best to use an enamel Turkish coffee pot, because it distributes heat evenly and does not alter the taste of the coffee, which contributes to a clean and authentic flavor. -
Use hard tap water
For making coffee, it is recommended to use hard tap water, because it gives the coffee a better taste. Otherwise, soft water would make your drink tasteless. -
The water should boil, but not for too long
Heat the water until it boils, but it is important not to leave it on the heat for too long once it starts boiling, because prolonged boiling can soften the water and spoil the taste of the coffee. -
Remove the Turkish coffee pot from the stove when adding the coffee
When the water boils, remove the Turkish coffee pot from the heat before adding the ground coffee. In this way, the coffee will not become overheated and will not turn bitter. -
When the foam starts to rise, the drink is ready
After adding the coffee, return the Turkish coffee pot to the burner, but carefully, so the coffee does not boil too strongly. When a thick foam begins to rise on the surface, that is a sign that the coffee is ready and should be removed from the heat immediately. -
Pour the coffee into the cup where it is being drunk
Bring the finished coffee in the Turkish coffee pot to the place where it will be drunk, and pour it into a cup there. Serving it at the place where it is being drunk is important because, while it rests in the cup, fine extraction occurs most successfully, giving it a rich flavor.
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