What Makes Turkish Coffee Taste Different From Drip Coffee?

Turkish coffee is knock-your-socks-off strong. This is not necessarily because of the bean, but because of how the coffee is made. Perfect Daily Grind explains that Turkish coffee uses the immersion method to extract the coffee from the bean, which gives the coffee a bold flavor and fuller body.

Drip coffee, on the other hand, is more similar to percolated coffee — though drip coffee only runs its water through once. Percolators cycle their water through multiple times; a process known as over-extraction, as Roasty Coffee explains. Because of this, percolated coffee comes out more bitter, while drip coffee is described as cleaner and less strong: almost the opposite of the strong, bold flavor of Turkish coffee.

While Western immersion methods like the French press use a filter to remove the coffee grinds, the Turkish immersion method leaves those grounds in the cup, so the extraction process continues even after serving. Over-extraction of the caffeine can lead to bitterness, however (as it does with percolated coffee); which is why Eleven Coffees recommends that Turkish coffee be consumed within 10 minutes.