Coffee Drink
Kopi Kothok Recipe: Boiled Coffee, Ratio and Tubruk Comparison
Kopi kothok is coffee brewed by heating ground coffee and water together in a pot. Let the grounds settle, pour slowly and add sugar to the cup so you can adjust sweetness independently of what stays in the pan.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- Not measuredCoffee from the home pot, measured after pouringBean choice, brewing and the actual poured portion affect caffeine.
- Calories
- Estimated 21 kcal (model)150 g (5.3 oz) coffee proxy plus the recipe sugarUses a generic brewed-coffee proxy with the measured white sugar.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- Target 150 g (5.3 oz) poured coffee plus 5 g (1¼ US tsp) white sugar; smaller recovery is possible
- Made with
- Roasted ground coffee and water; white sugar in this home adaptation
- Sugar
- Estimated 5 g total. From the 5 g (1¼ US tsp) granulated sugar; the coffee proxy has 0 g.
- Preparation
- About 10 minutes, including heating and a 2-minute rest
Nutrition models the defined 150 g (5.3 oz) coffee portion with all 5 g (1¼ US tsp) sugar consumed. It excludes the palm sugar pictured in the hero, snacks and milk. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Choose kopi kothok for a stovetop brew with a substantial texture; choose tubruk for the simpler cup-brewed approach.
- 2A gentle simmer and a settled pour keep the coffee satisfying without making the last sip gritty.
- 3Aim for the measured coffee portion, but stop before thick sediment follows and accept a smaller pour.
On This Page10 Sections
How to Make Kopi Kothok
The defining step is heating the grounds with the water. The Bojonegoro study and Yogyakarta tourism account describe that pot-brewing method. Here, sugar goes into the poured cup so you can measure it independently of liquid left in the pan.
Recipe
Kopi Kothok
- Makes:
- 1 small coffee; aim for 150 g brewed coffee before sugar
- Time:
- About 10 minutes, including 2 minutes resting
Ingredients
- 12 g medium-fine ground coffee
- 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) water
- 5 g (1¼ US tsp) white granulated sugar
Equipment
- Small saucepan with generous headroom
- Scale
- Liquid measure
- Timer
- Spoon
- Hob or compatible heat source
- Heatproof cup, at least 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz)
Method
- Combine 12 g medium-fine ground coffee and 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) water in a small saucepan with generous headroom.
- Warm over medium-low heat, stirring briefly. At a gentle simmer, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute; watch continuously and lift it off the heat if the coffee rises toward the rim.
- Remove from the heat. Rest undisturbed for 2 minutes so the grounds settle.
- Tare a heatproof cup on a scale. Pour slowly toward a 150 g (5.3 oz) coffee portion, stopping before thick sediment follows. Accept a smaller pour if needed; do not top up.
- Dissolve 5 g (1¼ US tsp) white sugar in the poured coffee. Let it cool enough to sip, and leave any gritty remainder.
Estimated nutrition: 21 kcal · 5 g total sugar. Per serving, including 5 g sugar.
Use a normal kitchen heat source and a pan you can lift and pour safely. You do not need charcoal, dry-frying or a vigorous rolling boil. Keep the handle away from the hob edge and the pan in view: coffee can rise abruptly as it heats.
Kopi Kothok vs. Kopi Tubruk
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Drink | Where brewing happens | What happens to the grounds |
|---|---|---|
| Kopi kothok, as described here | Coffee and water heat together in a pot | Rest the pot, then pour carefully |
| Kopi tubruk | Hot water meets grounds in the drinking cup | They remain in the cup while you sip |
| Turkish coffee | Very finely ground coffee is heated in a small pot | Served unfiltered, with its own recipe and service conventions |
| Kopi joss | Preparation and service vary | The charcoal addition distinguishes the served drink |
Kothok, Klothok and Klotok
Kopi kothok has a documented place in Bojonegoro, East Java. A 2019 design study by Kristian Oentoro drew on the area’s coffee-drinking tradition to develop a local pottery coffee set. The name also resembles klothok or klotok in Yogyakarta: the regional tourism office describes coffee and water cooked together at Warung Kopi Klothok in Kaliurang, Sleman.
Those names can lead you to related pot-brewed coffees, but they also refer to particular local traditions and businesses. If you are looking for the well-known Kaliurang venue, include its location in your search; Bojonegoro’s kopi kothok is a separate regional reference.
Kopi Kothok Ratio and Serving Size
The starting input is 12 g coffee to 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) water, 1:16.7 if the water weighs 200 g. Some water evaporates; wet grounds and coffee stay in the pan. The recipe therefore separates the following measurements:
| Measurement | Meaning in this recipe |
|---|---|
| 12 g dry coffee | What goes into the saucepan |
| 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) water | Input before heating; not a 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) finished drink |
| 150 g (5.3 oz) poured coffee | A target portion weighed after brewing |
| 5 g (1¼ US tsp) sugar | Added to that cup, so it is separate from pan losses |
If you recover less than 150 g (5.3 oz) before thick sediment follows, keep the smaller serving. Do not force the remaining sludge through or quietly count a water top-up as recovered coffee. You can instead add less sugar to suit that smaller cup. For two intended portions, heat 24 g coffee with 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) water in a larger pan, simmer gently for 1 minute and rest for 2 minutes. Aim to pour 150 g (5.3 oz) coffee into each cup, stopping before thick sediment follows, then add 5 g (1¼ US tsp) white sugar to each. Accept smaller pours without topping up.
Flavor and Tasting Notes
Kopi kothok has the substantial feel of coffee brewed with its grounds in the pot. With a dark roast, expect a firm bitter edge and lingering toasted flavors; the small sugar addition softens that edge without adding milk. Resting and pouring carefully leaves the heaviest sediment behind, although the cup will still feel less clean-cut than paper-filtered coffee.
I would use a medium-dark roast with a cocoa-like finish because it gives this simmered coffee depth without relying on an aggressively smoky roast.
For milk-based variations, explore kopi susu or coconut-milk kopi santan.
Kopi Kothok Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
A 150 g (5.3 oz) coffee portion with 5 g (1¼ US tsp) white sugar has an estimated 21 kcal and 5 g total sugar, using generic brewed coffee as the proxy. Caffeine has not been measured for this pot. The table holds the coffee portion constant:
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| White sugar in the cup | Modeled calories, including coffee | Modeled total sugar |
|---|---|---|
| 0 g | 2 kcal | 0 g |
| 5 g (1¼ US tsp), recipe amount | 21 kcal | 5 g |
| 10 g (2½ US tsp) | 40 kcal | 10 g |
Coffee-proxy and sugar calculation
USDA brewed coffee record 171890 supplies 1 kcal and 0 g total sugar per 100 g; granulated sugar record 169655 supplies 387 kcal and 99.8 g sugar per 100 g. The unrounded middle row is 1.5 + 19.35 = 20.85 kcal, with 4.99 g sugar. These comparisons hold the coffee portion constant and change only the sweetener. The estimates cover the complete modeled serving.
Fixing Bitter or Gritty Kopi Kothok
| Mistake or symptom | Better fix |
|---|---|
| Coffee rises toward the rim | Lift off the heat; use more pan headroom and less heat next time |
| Too gritty | Rest without stirring, pour slowly and stop earlier |
| Bitter or drying | Try a gentler or shorter simmer, then adjust roast or grind separately |
| Too weak | Raise the coffee dose slightly next time while keeping water input fixed |
| Too sweet | Reduce the weighed sugar in the served cup |
A fine strainer may catch larger particles, while paper filtration changes the texture more substantially. Neither is required for this home version.
Common Questions
Is kopi kothok the same as kopi klothok?
Can I use any coffee?
Must sugar be boiled with the coffee?
Is kothok more caffeinated than tubruk?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
4 references
External links open in a new tab
Method and local context
- Kothok in Bojonegoro, page 194Productum · Kristian Oentoro · 2019 field-based teapot-design study; supports local context and boiling grounds with water.(opens in a new tab)
- Warung Kopi Klothok, KaliurangYogyakarta Tourism Office · Official local account of pot-boiled coffee and the named venue; no current prices or hours are relied upon.(opens in a new tab)