How To Make
The Perfect Greek Coffee

To create the perfect Greek coffee at home, you’ll first need to know what a great Greek coffee looks and tastes like. We’ll assume if you’re making it at home, you have a strong affinity for the taste, but just in case:

• Greek coffee is thick and strong, with a richly intense flavour.
• It is traditionally served with a heavy foam on top.
• For the most authentic taste, it should be prepared in a briki
• And served in a demitasse cup (a small traditional Greek coffee cup, sometimes referred to as a ‘half-cup’)
• Greek coffee is served with the coffee grounds still present at the bottom. This is very important for another Greek traditon: This is the tradition of fortune-telling from the leftover coffee grounds.

Now we’ve clarified on the details, here’s how to make the perfect Greek coffee at home:

You Will Need:

• Ground Greek Coffee
• A Briki Pot (typically available in 2, 4 or 6 cup sizes)
• Demitasse/Greek Coffee Cup
• Cold Water
• Sugar (to taste to your liking if desired)

Time To Make:

6-8 minutes

Step 1

Use your demitasse cup to measure out the amount of water you’ll need per cup you want to prepare and pour into your briki pot.

Step 2

Add one teaspoon of ground Greek coffee per cup you want to prepare, and add sugar to taste. There are four ways to prepare your Greek coffee with sugar, and it may take a little experimenting to find the right method that works for you:

1. Sketos (unsweetened) – No sugar and one teaspoon of coffee.
2. Metrios (semi-sweetened) – One teaspoon of sugar and one of coffee.
3. Glykos (sweetened) – Two teaspoons of sugar and one of coffee.
4. Vary Glykos (heavily sweetened) – Three teaspoons of sugar and two of coffee.

Step 3

Stir all ingredients together in the briki pot and bring to boil over a medium heat on the stove. Gently allow the mixture to boil, only stirring once to dissolve the coffee. Do not repeatedly stir the mixture.

Step 4

As the mixture boils, turn the heat from medium to low. The kaimaiki (foam) will begin to form quickly in the briki pot. Do not allow the kaimaiki to overflow from the pot. Once it reaches the brim, remove the pot from the stove. It is ready to serve.

Step 5

 Pour Kaimaiki evenly between each cup before topping up with the coffee. Pour the coffee slowly and gently into the cups, down the side of the cup allowing the foam to rise to the top.

And that’s it!

Greek coffee is enjoyed slowly, so make sure you take your time and really savour the taste. It is also customary to serve Greek coffee with a glass of ice water. Check out Kafe Express for a whole new way of making Greek Coffee.