[Sam Kapasi]

Don't be surprised at the title.

Most people in India have no idea about what good coffee is about. I can speak for most of India, except most South Indians who have a very good idea. An idea that has been passed down for generations.

The rest of us Indians think Nescafe instant coffee is good coffee. Those who know it isn't good coffee, drink it because, well, we drink it. Then we go to Cafe Coffee Day or Barista or other coffee chains and go aaahhhh.

And that's why I'm writing this. It's no gourmet guide to good coffee. It's just a guide for those who drink instant coffee. An effort to get them to stop.

And to go ahhhh at home instead.

And so we begin.

[Sam Kapasi]

It started this morning. I woke up and walked out into the living room and I could smell the freshly ground coffee.

Believe me, there is no better smell to wake up to.

It's a proven fact. Did you know that in a study of smells, it is always recommended to have a pot of boiling coffee in the house, if you want to sell it.
I'm serious. If you're showing your house to a family and are looking to sell, boil some coffee just before they enter. Proven to make them like that home, just a little more.

So I woke up and then later, I was presented some coffee, that had been freshly crushed and then brewed and as I sipped it, I realised once again what I'd been missing over the years.

Like any good bombay-wallah, I was raised on Nescafé. And to be honest that's the way it stayed until Jenny moved in. She was completely appalled at what I drank, when I drank it.

But it's good coffee, international coffee from Nestle.
Bleughh.
Don't bleugghh me. What's wrong with this coffee?

Today I'll bleugh any instant coffee. And here's why.

[Sam Kapasi]

It's really quite simple. The basic difference between instant coffee and real coffee is the difference between packet soup and fresh soup. I can think of no better reference to offer you.

Oh, but instant is so much easier na? Wake up, boil some water and milk and stir in some instant coffee and some sugar.

Beta coffee piyoge?

Or sometimes you get a full doodh-wali coffee because you're special.
Somehow, especially in the north, if you're special, you get more milk.

Bleughh.

Real coffee is not hard to make. Forget about all the long "coffee percolator" and "filter paper" forget it. Real coffee is almost as easy to make as instant coffee.
And when you're done reading this guide, all it will take is just a little initial money and effort and you might change your coffee drinking habits forever.

No I'm not talking about espressos and macchiatos and other fancy coffees. I'm just talking of the good old I-just-got-up coffee. Or the why-don't-you-come-by-for-some-coffee coffee.
Or the I've-had-a-crap-day honey coffee. That works wonderfully.

Those that are used to real coffee may find my guide naive and silly. But I know there's many people out there who have no idea how real coffee is made at home.

This guide is for them.

[akshaymahajan]

I like.. Ok so hurry up so that i can have atleast a cup or two of nice coffee this weekend.

[Sam Kapasi]

It starts with buying real coffee. Real coffee is simply made from crushed beans.



While people from the south have easy access, it is actually difficult to buy coffee beans in other parts of India. Or rather it WAS difficult until the advent of Cafe Coffee Day.

If you want to make some real coffee, you need to buy coffee beans or crushed bean powder. However Cafe Coffee Day does not sell beans. They have packaged coffee powder, that is made from coffee beans (and in some cases, a mix of coffee and chicory)


You can buy different coffee at different prices. Of course we're not discussing blends and locations of coffee, but it is important to tell you that just like tea, coffee grown at different locations and at different humidity levels and altitudes will taste different. Try different kinds and you will find the one you enjoy the most.

However I have known some people that have purchased this coffee and tried to use it akin to making instant coffee, by simply adding it to boiling water and milk.

No, you cannot do that. It tastes awful. Wait and I will show you what to do with this powder.

I do not buy my coffee from Cafe Coffee Day or similar. I find them overpriced and besides, I don't like buying powder.

I like buying roasted beans.



I buy a kilo at a time and store it in airtight containers. When I need a quick fix to a stale smelling room, I put some out in a plate and leave it in the room. It looks lovely and smells great.

Once a week, we take out about 250 gms of this roasted coffee bean and put it in the mixer/grinder. It crushes quite easily, even easier than crushing masalas and pepper, which I know many good Indian homes do regularly.

Of course, you have to ensure that the grinder is bone dry and residue-free.

Once we crush the coffee, we store it in another air-tight container.

That's about all the preparation you need.

[amitoj]

This is something i have been searching for quite some time.

Bless you, O Yeti.

[Sam Kapasi]

Where can you buy roasted coffee beans?

Well, if you're from the south, you can buy them from any shop that sells spices and pepper and such. Coffee is a common consumable in the south, they drink "Filter Kaapi" and not this instant crap.

A great source of knowledge on this topic is The India Coffee Board, belonging to the government of India

www.indiacoffee.org

In fact you can study about different types of coffees available in India here . : Coffee Board of India - Specialty Coffee : .

I am very lucky. I am able to buy roasted coffee beans from the COffee Board itself located right next to my office.

Coffee Board,
No 395 B&C, Lamington Road,
Mumbai -400 004
Phone : 022-23821549


People from Delhi can buy it from
Coffee Board, No 13/2,
Jamnagar House Complex,
Shahjahan Road
India Gate, New Delhi- 110 011.
Phone : 011-23073139(Off)

And Kolkata
Coffee Board,
5, Meredith Street,
Kolkata -700 072
Phone : 33-22375649

Alternatively you can find an India Coffee House and they will sell this to you as well.

Please note that these places also sell coffee powder. I find the coffee board powder to be too fine and don't like using it. Ask and insisit that they sell you roasted beans by the kilo.

People in Bangalore have Kalmane Coffee (I usually visit their shop at Forum) and many other options. In fact to be honest, most people from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will wonder what the whole fuss is about. Coffee beans are available freely.

If you can find some roasted coffee beans in your area, please do share the location on this thread.

Remember, the trick is to buy roasted coffee beans. You will never be able to roast them the right way at home.

Of course if you've kept them too long and you suspect that they've gone soggy, it's perfectly fine to roast them for a while on a hot tava and let them dry before you crush it in the mixer. But that's why I buy only a kilo at a time and store it in an airtight container.

Sure, you can save yourself the trouble and just buy some coffee crushed powder instead. But as they say in India, usme woh baat nahi hai, jo freshly ground powder mein hai.

When you will crush a roasted coffee bean and watch it explode with flavour, and then make coffee with that - you will have changed. usually I enjoy this for about a week or so. So don't think you need to grind the coffee every morning. Do it a few times a month, buss.But of course, if you can't find anything else, the next time, just buy a packet or box of "Dark Forest" coffee from CCD. That's the best place to start.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

The rest of us Indians think Nescafe instant coffee is good coffee. It's just a guide for those who drink instant coffee. An effort to get them to stop.

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

But I know there's many people out there who have no idea how real coffee is made at home.
This guide is for them.

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

It starts with buying real coffee. it is actually difficult to buy coffee beans in other parts of India. Or rather it WAS difficult until the advent of Cafe Coffee Day.

Very true about coffee in India.
It is still difficult to find coffee beans other than metro.
Looking forward to coffee making , wifey is already logged on this thread.

but,
sam,
jaldi karo, coffee thandi ho jayegi!!!

[sandeepmdas]

Time to get my Morphy Richards coffeemaker cleaned up. Got it as a gift, been wundering what to do...

Waiting for the next cup Yeti saab.

[Roy.S]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

...............
I buy a kilo at a time and store it in airtight containers. When I need a quick fix to a stale smelling room, I put some out in a plate and leave it in the room. It looks lovely and smells great...........

Excellent idea. I'm going to chuck some coffee grounds in my car. Most car perfumes make me sick.
After I moved south and tasted real coffee I've been unable to drink instant.

[theMAG]

I hate instant coffee. I love strong filter coffee - I've grown up with this.

[Wolfheart]

Interesting! How does one select good quality coffee beans? Does coffee house in Mumbai sell only domestic beans or even foreign coffee?

I'm not too big on coffee but my girlfriend loves it. Would be a great way to surprise her!

[ampere]

There are local Coffee Day outlets (non cafe) which are locally available. You can buy freshly ground powder at these places (In fact if you want you can also get them freshly grounded in your presence).

There are non-coffee day outlets as well. Lots of places have Coorg Coffee Outlets as well.

[manaa45]

Nice thread Sam, I know the difference between Freshly ground coffee and the instant ones.

One place where you cna get freshly ground coffee powder, I am not sure about the beans though, is a shop at Matunga Central Side. I dont know the shop's name but it is next to Hotely Ramashraya which is bang opposite Matunga Railway station (rear side). I have loved the smell of freshly ground coffee whenever I pass that side and pick up some because nobody drinks coffee at my home except for me.

I will try to get more details about the shop's name.

Mansi

[maddy42]

Yeti: The best Brand Manager! Thanks for introducing Tbhp to good coffee.

Its a pleasure to read about good coffee and that too in india which is a traditional Tea drinking market.
Coffee day may not serve the greatest coffee but it introduced india to a different culture which is a good sign for the growers.

Over to you Sam