ELI5: how does Turkish coffee that is brewed on hot sand work?

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ELI5: how does Turkish coffee that is brewed on hot sand work?

Comments

  1. _Streaker_ Avatar

    IIRC the hot sand heats up the liquid inside causing it to expand and look like it’s filling up magically

  2. aRabidGerbil Avatar

    The sand is heated from below; and by pushing the ibrik into the sand, it is heated from the sides as well as from the bottom, which helps it brew faster.

  3. A1phaBetaGamma Avatar

    It ensures even distribution of heat. Meaning there aren’t any “hot spots” where a flame directly touches the coffee, causing it to burn. It also provides a very consistent temperature which helps consistency. How heat is transfered from a flame to the body of the pot and then to the actual coffee can actually have some variation. Adding this sand as a buffer between the flame and the pot means the temperature is fairly consistent and also the heat transfer as the sand “hugs” the pot.

    It also has other advantages such as the ability to brew several pots simultaneously

  4. klod42 Avatar

    Sand is just for show. Turks don’t even drink Turkish coffee very much. It’s most popular in the Balkan. You can brew it on any kind of heat source and we do it every day on electric stove. 

  5. chewy201 Avatar

    Water boils from the hot sand and gets pushed up into coffee grounds. That then makes foam who is put into cups to drink.

    Looks like magic in a lot of coffee coming out of seemingly nothing. But it’s honestly just a lot of foam and little actual liquid.