Malta Coffee Roastery

Malta Kurukahvecisi is a business located in the Fatih district of Istanbul that has been producing Turkish coffee since 1961 using traditional coffee roasting methods. Its founding began in the 1910s when Salih Dönmez, who had moved from Erzincan to Istanbul, started roasting coffee in the Tahtakale area. Through years of developing his expertise, he opened a shop in Malta Çarşısı in Fatih to establish his own brand and developed a unique technique for roasting Turkish coffee. Instead of roasting the coffee beans to a dark color, Salih Dönmez roasted them to a medium-light hue, achieving a distinct aroma and quickly gaining many regular customers.

The Malta Kurukahvecisi brand is currently operated by its third-generation representative, Selim Dönmez. The coffee beans are roasted to a medium-light degree using Brazilian Rio Minas beans. The roasting process is stopped immediately after the first crack sound from the beans, which enhances the clarity of the coffee’s flavor notes. After being roasted, the beans are rested for one to two days before being ground in one of only two historic stone grinders in Türkiye.

^{Stone Grinder (Source:} Abdurrahman Mujeeb / YouTube⁾

On average, 15 kilograms of coffee are roasted daily and sold both retail and wholesale. Over the years, by preserving its traditional methods, it has become a preferred choice in many restaurants and venues. Through Selim Dönmez’s initiatives, the shop has recently opened its doors to customers seeking freshly brewed Turkish coffee, renovated its interior, and expanded its customer base.

Malta Kurukahvecisi, with its century-long coffee tradition, offers coffee lovers a historical and flavorful experience. The coffee arrives as raw green beans, is roasted on-site, and then ground in a stone grinder. This process ensures a finer and more flavorful brew. Initially sold only as ground powder, the coffee later began to be served in cups, attracting particular interest from students of Istanbul University. As its customer base expanded, even after major coffee chains began spreading across Istanbul, demand continued to grow. The promotional efforts of large coffee chains raised awareness of coffee culture and positively impacted businesses like Malta Kurukahvecisi, increasing overall demand for coffee.

Today, Malta Kurukahvecisi continues to preserve the culture of traditional Turkish coffee, serving customers in Istanbul’s historic marketplaces while carrying forward the legacy of its past.