Turkish Tea

Everything for Turkish tea at home

Turkish tea (çay) is brewed strong in the top pot of a two-tier çaydanlık, then topped up in each glass with hot water from the bottom pot, so every guest can ask for it dark (koyu) or light (açık). It is served in small, waisted glasses on saucers with sugar cubes on the side, and refilled until someone lays a spoon across the glass.

The four parts of a çay setup

• A double teapot. Most of our range is Özlife stainless steel in medium and family sizes, with ACAR enamel and engraved sets for a more decorative table.
• Glasses and saucers. Buy them matched (usually 12 pieces for six people) or pick glasses and saucers on their own in sizes from 90 cc to 170 cc.
• Tea spoons. ACAR 6-piece decorative spoon sets in silver tone, gold tone, tinned, antique copper and antique gold, each with a coloured accent.
• The tea itself. Turkish black tea from Çaykur, grown around Rize on the Black Sea coast.

How to choose

Start with how many people you usually serve. Six is the standard set size and suits most dinner tables; ACAR's Osmanlı 2-person sets are an easy start for couples or a small gift. Then match finishes: gold-tone glass sets look right beside a gold Özlife teapot, while plain clear glass shows off the deep red colour of a well-brewed pot. If you host often, a family-size teapot means fewer refills.

What to serve alongside

Tea is rarely served on its own. A serving tray carries glasses from the kitchen to the sitting room, and a dish of lokum or simit and cheese turns a glass of çay into a proper break. For a step-by-step method, read How to Brew Turkish Tea in a Çaydanlık.

Everything ships from Toronto to addresses across Canada with Canada Post, and if a glass arrives broken, send us photos within 48 hours and we'll replace it or refund it in full.