[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Addy has summed up the various issues and those stand as perfect.

The problem increases as people with small holdings are willing to pay any amount to just get done with their work and relax. They thus increase the wage price and add food and deserts and drinks for the workers to be over with their job.

So this hike in price is sufficient for the worker to demand the same from everyone.

Add on the system of workers not willing to stay at the plantation. Few taxi operators act as agents and pick and drop them from their houses which can be situated at sometimes upto 100kms away. So the price of the jeep and driver and fuel is added onto the head of the plantation owner.

Last but not least is previously owners used to pay low wages and thus the feeling of being exploited does arise. But nothing in the extreme category.

With no offense to any one. This situation is similar to the organized industry like IT, BPO, Technology, Manufacturing, etc. everyone expects increases in the income, reduction in the hard labour, improvement in the life style, small and big pleasures etc. This is part of the thing called "Growth"

one of the method to avoid this is "automation", that is why Brazil has gone for automated systems in plantations.

[maddy42]

As mentioned by Addy before Automation or mechanization is Impossible under the current setup.

Reasons are:
1) Automation requires coffee to be cultivated like a vineyard. No trees and rows of coffee trees with space between two rows for movement of harvester and other equipment. Flat tracts of land is ideal

The way coffee is grown is in hills with a lot of importance for trees in the system. So the fit doesnt occur for manual to automation plugin.

2) Costs involved to fully automate is too high for an individual farmer with around 100 acres of plantation to undertake. The cost of equipment at the intial stage is too high at the moment as these are not made in India.

Future may require us to go into this setup but it would take some time

[vivekiny2k]

Just to see what the ruckus is all about, we bought a coffee maker and grinder last week.

Wifey had been wanting it for a long time. I have quit both coffee and tea for a decade, only take occasionally for a change. It was good, I didn't find anything remarkable, but I may have ben spoilt by instant cofee. Funnily enough, the only reason I preferred cofee back in the days was because it was easy to prepare (read instant). boil, mix, sip.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

Just to see what the ruckus is all about, we bought a coffee maker and grinder last week.

+1 here. Bought myself a South Indian Coffee filter (Rs 185, Pick'n'Pac at Punjagutta, Hyderabad) and Bru filter coffee powder (Rs 45, Notebook worth Rs 10 free).

Waiting for my Nescafe to get over before I get back to pure coffee.

Thanks Yeti and everyone.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Today I had a Kol Gelato Mocha Coffee at Kalamane's opp. Model Art to celebrate my new vintage Merc scale model. Had one browny too. I went into a trance over the stuff. So damn good. The quality, flavour taste and aroma are just great. The bill came to just Rs 105, while in coffee day, something similar would cost Rs150, and wouldn't taste as good!

[navpreet318]

Coffee beans are here.Now to go and get a french press tomorrow!! and enjoy awesome pondicherry coffee!!

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by bblost

+1 here. Bought myself a South Indian Coffee filter (Rs 185, Pick'n'Pac at Punjagutta, Hyderabad) and Bru filter coffee powder (Rs 45, Notebook worth Rs 10 free).

Waiting for my Nescafe to get over before I get back to pure coffee.

Thanks Yeti and everyone.

bblost, the Bru coffee powder is 45% chicory! It should ideally be 10 - 15%, or 20% max. Buy Kothas or Coorg.

[aargee]

@Gansan Sir - just was about to recommend nearly the same

Originally Posted by bblost

Bought myself a South Indian Coffee filter (Rs 185, Pick'n'Pac at Punjagutta, Hyderabad) and Bru filter coffee powder (Rs 45, Notebook worth Rs 10 free).

Waiting for my Nescafe to get over before I get back to pure coffee.

Having bought the genuine, good old, traditional Coffee filter, you need to get the real Coffee beans powdered & enjoy the real taste of filter Coffee. Check out the rear pack of Bru, it should say Chicory mix is atleast 30%+ & that's good only for tasting the second decoction same as first & genuine in no way. Try to get hold of the real powdered Coffee bean.

Something to read for Coffee lovers - http://www.indiacoffee.org

[anku94]

Can one buy coffee beans online ?

[bblost]

Not beans but coffee powder is available at Filter Coffee | Filter Coffee online | Buy Filter Coffee online | Page 1


@aargee and Gansan:
I bought bru because it was readily available. Bought the smallest pack. Will pick up better coffee when I come home to Chennai.

I have always wondered and hope someone can clarify.
What is the funda behind the coffee:chicory blend?
What do the %ages mean.

thanks,

[aargee]

Originally Posted by bblost

I bought bru because it was readily available.

I assumed that, Bru is good to an extend.

Originally Posted by bblost

What is the funda behind the coffee:chicory blend?
What do the %ages mean.

Though I knew a little, but this question provoked me to learn more
1. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1976949-post.html
2. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1976626-post.html (very comprehensive)

Common chicory, Cichorium intybus, is a bushy perennial herbaceous plant with blue, lavender, or occasionally white flowers. Various varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or for roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. It is also grown as a forage crop for livestock. It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and in North America and Australia, where it has become naturalized. "Chicory" is also the common name in the US (and in French) for curly endive (Cichorium endivia); these two closely related species are often confused.

Source - Chicory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a hardy perennial that was brought to North America from Europe in the 1700s, and is now well-established across the continent. Though chicory has a variety of uses, it's best known for its association with coffee.
At many points through history, coffee has become unavailable or too costly. During these times, people have often turned to roasted chicory as a substitute. Folks also used to make coffee from roasted acorns, yams and a variety of local grains. Anything was better than going without!

Source - Chicory

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by bblost

I have always wondered and hope someone can clarify.
What is the funda behind the coffee:chicory blend?
What do the %ages mean.

A little chicory blended with coffee powder adds strength and color to the decoction. There are people for whom flavour alone is not enough and the strength +dark color should be there in the coffee! The cost of the blend is a little cheaper than pure coffee, but that is unimportant.

For instance a 80:20 blend means 80% pure coffee powder blended with 20% chicory. Typically a one KG pack will contain 800 grams coffee and 200 grams chicory.

Add too little chicory and the desired strength will not be there; add too much, the coffee flavor will be affected. So a 85:15 blend (Cothas/Narasu's Udhayam) is best, or at the most 80:20 (Coorg). If you buy powder, that is. If you go to shops where they freshly roast and grind the beans for you, you can specify your own ratio.

I still remember the my mother's favourite formula which she will get from such a shop during my school days - 1/4 KG Peaberry(?), 1/4 KG Plantation (?) and 100 grams chicory. I never could figure out what variety of beans peaberry and plantation meant!

[whitesquall]

Hi Sam,

You said "South Indians" know their coffee at the beginning of the post. But, I must congratulate you on bringing people from across the places to contribute to this topic and this has become a information treasure! Way to go man!

I am a huge fan of filter coffee and I make do with instant coffee in emergencies (when I am alone at home)!

[DaiusPitar]

Sam, fantastic thread on coffee...How come no one thought of this before?

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm not one who is fussy about the brand or type of coffee. But what I do know is the best coffee in Mumbai is served at Manis & Sharda Bhavan (both typical South Indian restaurants). Unbelievably refreshing, and beats CCD / Barista hands down!

with the latter part GTO. I am a south indian filter kaapi fan and what you get at CCDs/baristas/Gloria Jeans etc. are no comparison to the filter kaapi from Sharada Bhavan, Manis and now the Arya Bhavan opposite Matunga station and next to Sharada Bhavan.

I always wondered why chains of Indian origin like the Baristas and especially south indian origins like the CCDs do not their bit to promote local traditions of drinking coffee (read south indian FILTER KAAPI only )

French press coffees, drip coffees, espressos etc. all have their flavours and charms. But the south indian filter kaapi is also in its own right an indigenous preparation style not comparable in taste to that available elsewhere.

The only similar organised non-udupi style place was Kalmane Koffee in Bangalore. Great filter coffee with choice of roast and strength. Is it still around and how are they doing?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by DaiusPitar

I always wondered why chains of Indian origin like the Baristas and especially south indian origins like the CCDs do not their bit to promote local traditions of drinking coffee (read south indian FILTER KAAPI only )

French press coffees, drip coffees, espressos etc. all have their flavours and charms. But the south indian filter kaapi is also in its own right an indigenous preparation style not comparable in taste to that available elsewhere.

Why will some one pay the outrageous prices at some of coffee chains if what they sell is available at the neighbourhood Udipi restaurant for a fraction of the cost?

They aren't selling coffee, they are selling a lifestyle!!