Cezve (Ibrik)
The cezve or ibrik, the long-handled pot for Turkish coffee: its shape, copper, brass, steel and ceramic versions, sizes, and its names from Greece to Russia.
What is a cezve?
A cezve is the small, long-handled pot with a pouring lip used to make Turkish coffee. It's wider at the base than the neck, which helps the foam form, and comes in sizes for one cup or several. Traditionally it's thick forged copper or brass; today it's also made in stainless steel, aluminium and ceramic. Greeks call it a briki.
A cezve (say jez-VEH) is the small pot with a long handle and a pouring lip that Turkish coffee is brewed in. Its shape does a job: wide at the base and narrow at the neck, it concentrates the foam that a good Turkish coffee is judged by. This page covers its shape, materials, sizes and many names. For how to brew, see the Turkish coffee guide.
The short version
- A long-handled pot with a lip, made for Turkish coffee.
- Wider at the base than the neck, which builds and holds the foam.
- Copper or brass traditionally; steel, aluminium or ceramic today.
- Sized by cups: fill it only to the neck.
- Also called an ibrik, briki, džezva or turka.
Why is a cezve shaped that way?
A proper cezve is wider at the base than at the neck, with a lip for pouring, Wikipedia says. The tapering shape encourages foam to form and holds in the volatile aromas, and a good Turkish coffee has the thickest possible layer of froth on top. Turkey’s official definition of Turkish coffee, registered in 2026, says it’s traditionally made in a cezve so that the heat and the foam can be controlled.
What are cezves made of?
| Material | Notes |
|---|---|
| Copper | Traditional, usually thick and forged; some believe copper improves the taste |
| Brass | Traditional |
| Silver or gold | Occasionally, for special pots |
| Stainless steel | Modern; works on induction |
| Aluminium | Modern and cheap |
| Ceramic | Modern |
Sources: Wikipedia (English and Turkish). Handles are often wooden, Turkish Wikipedia notes. More on copper in copper cezve.
What size cezve should you buy?
Cezves are made in sizes for different numbers of cups, Wikipedia says. Buy one that matches how many you usually make: a cezve works best filled to where the neck narrows. Each cup takes about 7 g of coffee and one fincan of water, and a traditional fincan holds 60–90 ml, according to Turkey’s official definition, which sets the ratio at 1 g of coffee to 10 ml of water.
What is a cezve called in other countries?
| Name | Where |
|---|---|
| Cezve | Turkey |
| Ibrik | Common in English; in Turkish an ibrik is just a pitcher |
| Briki (μπρίκι) | Greece |
| Džezva (џезва) | Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia |
| Srjep (սրճեփ) | Armenia |
| Rakwa, ghallaya, kanaka | Arab world |
| Turka (турка) | Russia |
Source: Wikipedia, Cezve. The word comes from Arabic jadhwa, “ember”; ibrik goes back through Arabic and Aramaic to Persian words for “water” and “pour”. In the Balkans and parts of central Europe the cezve is a long-necked coffee pot.
Are there other ways to heat a cezve?
Yes. The old way is to push the cezve into a pan of hot sand over a flame, which lets the coffee foam up almost at once; see Turkish coffee on sand. There are also electric cezves that do the heating for you; see electric ibrik.
Cezve and other kit guides
- Turkish coffee guide: the recipe and the foam.
- Fincan: the cup it’s served in.
- Turkish coffee grinder: for the powder-fine grind.
Questions & answers
Is a cezve the same as an ibrik?
Yes, in English. Ibrik is the common name outside Turkey for the same pot, Wikipedia says, though in Turkish an ibrik is simply a pitcher or ewer. Greeks say briki, Serbs and Croats džezva, Russians turka, and in the Arab world it can be a rakwa or kanaka.
What is the best material for a cezve?
Traditionally thick forged copper, which some people believe improves the taste, Wikipedia says. Brass is also traditional; stainless steel, aluminium and ceramic are modern alternatives. Only steel or induction-ready pots work on an induction hob.
What size cezve do I need?
One sized for the cups you usually make. Fill it only to where the neck narrows: too much coffee boils over, and too little spreads too thinly to foam. Each traditional cup takes 60–90 ml.
Can I make Turkish coffee without a cezve?
Yes: a small saucepan works, with less foam. Turkey's official definition of Turkish coffee also allows automatic machines with concealed heating elements, as long as they control heat and foam.
Sources
- Cezve. Wikipedia
- Turkish coffee. Wikipedia
- Türk Kahvesi / Turkish Coffee, traditional product name registration G8. Turkish Patent and Trademark Office
- Cezve. Turkish Wikipedia