Coffee is the most popular drink after water. Over 400 billion cups are consumed worldwide annually. This statistic demonstrates how much coffee is cherished and consumed worldwide.
There are various types of coffee. Each one’s brewing method, beans, flavour, caffeine content, etc., are distinctive. With so many types, discussions between each category are inevitable.
Turkish coffee and Espresso, one of the types of coffee, has been a part of several discussions for a long time. One thing that has been a subject of debate: Is Turkish coffee stronger than Espresso?
Typically, caffeine and flavour are the two factors that are used to compare which coffee is stronger. For many of you, Turkish coffee might be stronger than Espresso, and for many, it would be otherwise. However, there are a few key differences between these coffees that make one coffee stronger than the other.
In this article, we’ll learn about Turkish coffee, Espresso, their brewing process, and some key differences between them. We’ll also find the answer to whether Turkish coffee is stronger than Espresso.
What is Turkish Coffee?
The tradition of drinking Turkish coffee is well-known in countries like Turkey and Armenia—one of those coffees people drink more at home.
Turkish coffee comes from Arabica beans, but what separates it from other coffee drinks is how it is brewed.
First, using a traditional Turkish coffee grinder, the beans are ground into a fine powder. Once the beans are a fine powder, they are added to a pot called ‘Cezve.’ Along with fine powder, cold filtered water and sugar (if needed) are added to the pot.
Following the addition of the ingredients, the pot is heated on medium until foam begins to form. Later, the pot is taken off the heat and thoroughly stirred. The pot (Cezve) is then put back on the stove, and the same process is repeated until the liquid turns thick enough.
The final step is to let the pot cool while the grounds settle to the bottom before being served in a ‘Kahve fincanı’ (traditional cup.)
What is Espresso?
Espresso is a potent coffee beverage typically offered at parties, cafés, and business meetings. It often serves as the coffee base for a latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and other well-known espresso drinks.
People often consider Espresso a coffee bean; instead, it is a brewing process involving grounding coffee beans through high pressure of hot water. Once the brewing process is completed, a Crema (brown foam) appears on the top. These tiny air bubbles are flavourful and enrich the coffee when served in a demitasse-style cup.
Turkish Coffee vs. Espresso: What makes them different?
Now that you know what Turkish coffee and Espresso are and how to brew them, let’s learn about their key differences before discussing: is Turkish coffee stronger than Espresso?
Coffee Beans
The use of beans in both coffee depends on your interest. However, Arabica and Robusta, both coffee beans, are usually used for Turkish coffee, whereas, for Espresso, Arabica works the best!
Brewing Process & Time
Turkish coffee requires more time to brew than Espresso.
Espresso may be made in under 30 seconds by applying high-pressure hot water. Turkish coffee, on the other hand, takes 5 to 10 minutes to prepare because it includes grinding coffee beans in boiling water.
Roasting
Turkish coffee requires medium roasting because it is made with hot water, whereas Espresso requires a dark roast to fully extract the flavour.
Grind
One of the major differences between Turkish coffee and Espresso is the size of the grind.
Turkish coffee is brewed with a finer grind than Espresso, which typically uses the finest grind.
A finer grind makes it easier to brew Turkish coffee while maintaining the flavour. However, the finest grind speeds up the brewing process for Espresso.
Espresso requires a 400-micron grind, whereas Turkish coffee requires a 200-micron grind.
Caffeine
An ounce of Turkish coffee typically yields 30–32 mg of caffeine. Espresso, on the other hand, has 30–35 mg of caffeine per shot. If you drink a double shot of Espresso, your coffee has approximately 60–70 mg of caffeine.
Filtration
Turkish coffee requires no filtration because it is brewed with boiling water. Though, Espresso does need filtration for brewing shots.
Temperature & Pressure
Turkish coffee is prepared by boiling water reaching up to 100 °C.
Espresso is brewed by applying high pressure, which has to be between 10-15 pars.
Is Turkish Coffee Stronger than Espresso?
The debate between Turkish coffee and Espresso dates back to history. The hot topic is always the same— is Turkish coffee stronger than Espresso and vice versa?
Let’s find an answer to this using some strength volume.
Flavour and caffeine are two ways to tell about a coffee. Both Turkish Coffee and Espresso have fantastic flavours. However, regarding caffeine, Espresso beats Turkish coffee by a slight margin.
Turkish coffee has a caffeine concentration of 30-32 mg per ounce. Contrarily, each shot of Espresso includes 30-35 mg. The espresso coffee’s caffeine concentration rises as additional shots are added.
In this case, Espresso has more caffeine than Turkish coffee, indicating a stronger coffee between them.
The answer to the issue of whether Turkish coffee is stronger than Espresso is, therefore, NO!
Can Turkish Coffee be a Type of Espresso Drink?
Turkish coffee is brewed with boiling water, while Espresso is produced by applying high pressure. Given the difference in the brewing process, Turkish coffee cannot be used as Espresso.
Take Away
Espresso and Turkish coffee each have distinctive aromas. They differ in several ways, including how the coffee beans are used and how they are cut. Returning to the actual arguments, this article (which contains caffeine) has covered some factors demonstrating why Espresso is stronger than Turkish coffee.
