Arzum Okka

Makes a great cup of Turkish coffee – I made my mother bring this back from her last visit from Turkey. She initially wanted to buy one of those machines that take their own water (glorified ibrik) but I mentioned the cheap sinbo at home was the exactly the same this bar the automatic water dispenser. I had her test it out over their and verified it was all in working order. She exclaimed that they did have a few issues but this was all down to user error and how they didn't follow instructions.

Once I received the machine in Australia, I recalibrated the machine (the machine runs a calibration to determine the optimal boiling point). My mother talked my ear off as I started making my first pot.

"It only makes 2 cups at a time". "It spills". "It costs too much". The last point was comical as the retailer's over charge and I ordered it online that ended up being ~300AUD.

So the machine makes the two cups. Hmm a little low. Mum chimes in and says it the level over their was also low. I grab the manual. "Oh look. There's a cup size toggle at the back of the machine I exclaim". You have 3 settings to choose from depending on the size of your cup: 52ml, 60ml, 68ml. After we drink the first cup I pour another using the last preset and it's perfect.

Next she complains that the taste "just isnt there". I say hold on. Grab the coloured manual (might I say that it comes in like 5 different languages) and flip to the section titled: Prepare (one, two) cup/s. It reads: "If desired, press the slow brewing button - which enriches the flavour of the coffee ala "koz atesi" (damn you product review for not allowing diacritics). So I press the button with the two flames then press the desired portion (2 in our case).

"Tastes nice now doesnt it" I ask her with a cheeky smirk. She averts her eyes from meeting mine.

Over the next few days, we make more cups and test various functions. Oh look there's a self clean button. Press it once and it cleans itself. Press and hold it to signal to the machine to repeat the process for another two (runs through 3 times). After making your cup, you could also just shut off the machine and it'll rinse itself and shut itself off, saving you a few presses.

I hear her on the phone to friends and family "Yes we bought a new machine. It takes its own water. It also beeps when it's done and get this,cleans itself as well".

Now she's raving about how this machine is great and saved her from washing it afterwards. She just needs to remember to empty and rinse the drip tray (machine will tell you) and to keep the reservoir full which the machine also alerts you to visually and audibly (doesn't even allow you to make a cup if it's too low).

Needless to say; I'm happy with this machine as it allows us to be hands and worry free. It produces a nice Crema and it tastes just as it would made on the stovetop. It can join our collection of electric ibrik and the myriad of ibriks that require manual input.

UPDATE: It broke. The mechanism that raises the portion of the chamber doesn't work anymore. Going to see if it can be fixed. [Deducted one star]