When you put a French Press next to a cezve, you are looking at two worlds of coffee that could not be more different. French Press coffee is smooth, while Turkish Coffee has that thick and unfiltered presence. In this guide, we will break down how French Press vs Turkish Coffee compares in flavor, brewing style, caffeine, and culture.
What is French Press Coffee?
The French Press is a classic immersion brewing method. Instead of water quickly passing through grounds like in drip coffee, the grounds sit and steep in hot water before being separated by a metal plunger filter.
French press works best with:
- Medium to dark roasts.
- Coarsely ground beans
Is It Easy to Make Coffee with a French Press?
Yes, and that’s why so many home brewers love it. The French Press doesn’t require advanced skill or expensive equipment.
You simply measure your grounds, add hot water, wait about four minutes, and press. The technique is easy to master after just a couple of brews, and consistency is high compared to trickier methods like pour-over or espresso.
The only detail to watch is your grind size and steeping time, but once you have that down, the process is almost foolproof.
How Much Caffeine is in Coffee from a French Press
A typical 8-ounce (240 ml) cup of French Press coffee contains around 100 to 120 mg of caffeine. But all of this can be affected by many factors. Here is how we calculate it:
- Ratio: Standard recipes use about 1:15 to 1:17 coffee-to-water. More coffee means more caffeine.
- Brew method: A coarse grind and 4-minute steep time extract more caffeine than drip, but less than espresso.
- Beans: Arabica has about 1.2% caffeine, Robusta about 2.2%, so your choice of beans matters.
How Does Coffee from a French Press Taste?
French Press coffee is rich and aromatic because the metal filter doesn’t trap oils the way a paper filter does. You’ll often notice earthy notes, chocolate-like depth, and a lingering mouthfeel.
What Flavors Can You Add to a French Press Coffee?
Many people enjoy it black to capture the full richness of the brew, but it also works well with additions. Milk, cream, or half-and-half can soften the intensity and add sweetness.
Facts About Turkish Coffee
Turkish Coffee is one of the oldest brewing traditions in the world. It’s unfiltered, thick, and prepared in a small copper or brass pot called an ibrik or cezve.
Turkish coffee works best with:
- Ultra fine grind that is like powder.
- Dark roast, or medium-dark.
How to Brew This Coffee?
To make Turkish Coffee, you’ll need:
- A cezve (a small, long-handled pot, usually copper or brass).
- Extra-finely ground coffee.
- Water and sugar, optionally.
The process is simple but requires patience. You mix water, coffee, and sugar (if desired) in the cezve, then slowly heat it until the foam rises to the top. Once it foams, it’s poured into a small cup without filtering. The grounds settle at the bottom, giving the drink its signature thickness.
Caffeine Kick from Tukirsh Coffee
A small cup of Turkish Coffee (about 2-2.5 oz) made with 1 tablespoon of grounds contains around 50-65 mg of caffeine. That’s less than a standard cup of French Press coffee but more concentrated in flavor and intensity.
How Does It Taste?
Turkish Coffee is strong, dense, and unlike any other brew. It has a syrupy texture, with earthy and roasted flavors upfront. Because it’s unfiltered, you’ll taste more oils and fine particles, which create a lingering richness on the palate.
Flavor Variations
Traditionally, Turkish Coffee is brewed with sugar already mixed in. You can order it with no sugar, a little, medium, or very sweet. Another common twist is to prepare Turkish coffee with cardamom, which gives the cup a warm, spicy note that balances the bitterness.
French Press vs Turkish Coffee – Key Differences
Here is how French Press vs Turkish coffee stand side-by-side:
| Comparison Point | French Press Coffee | Turkish Coffee |
| Brewing Method | Immersion brewing. You steep grounds in hot water for 4 minutes, then separated with a plunger filter. | Unfiltered. Coffee, water, and sugar are heated in a cezve until foam rises, then poured directly. |
| Grind Size | Coarse grind | Ultra-fine, powder-like grind |
| Best Roast | Medium to dark | Dark or medium-dark |
| Ease of Brewing | Simple, consistent, beginner-friendly | Requires practice, timing, and patience |
| Caffeine Content | 8 oz cup: about 100-120 mg | 2-2.5 oz cup: about 50-65 mg |
| Flavor Profile | Full-bodied, earthy, chocolate notes, aromatic oils | Thick, syrupy, earthy, roasted, often sweet or spiced |
| Serving Style | Usually served in a mug, often with milk, cream, or sugar | Served in a small cup, the grounds settle at the bottom |
| Flavor Variations | Can add milk, cream, sweeteners, or spices | Traditionally with sugar or cardamom |
Want to see how Turkish coffee compares to stove-top espresso? Check out our breakdown of Moka Pot vs Turkish coffee.
FAQ
What is the main difference between French Press and Turkish Coffee?
French Press uses immersion brewing with coarse grounds steeped in hot water, then filtered with a plunger. Turkish Coffee is brewed with ultra-fine grounds in a small pot called a cezve and served unfiltered.
Which is stronger, French Press or Turkish Coffee?
Turkish Coffee tastes stronger because it’s dense, unfiltered, and served in small concentrated cups. French Press has a bold flavor too, but the larger serving size dilutes the intensity compared to the punch of Turkish Coffee.
Does French Press coffee have more caffeine than Turkish Coffee?
Yes. An 8-ounce cup of French Press has about 100-120 mg of caffeine, while a 2-2.5 oz cup of Turkish Coffee has around 50–65 mg. Turkish Coffee feels strong because of its concentrated serving, but total caffeine is higher in a full cup of French Press.
Which method is easier to brew at home?
French Press is easier. You just add coarse grounds, hot water, wait four minutes, and press. Turkish Coffee requires careful timing to get the foam just right.
Key Takeaways on French Press vs Turkish Coffee
Here is what you should keep in mind when it comes to the comparison between these two brews:
- French Press: coarse grind, medium-dark roasts, 100-120 mg caffeine per cup, easy to master.
- Turkish Coffee: ultra-fine grind, medium-dark roasts, 50-65 mg caffeine per small cup, rich in tradition.
- French Press works best for everyday routines.
- Turkish Coffee is ideal when you want intensity and ceremony.