Traditional South Indian filter coffee is a method and a blend, not a single bean. Hot water drips slowly through a metal filter to make a strong decoction, which is then cut with hot milk and sugar and pulled between tumbler and davara for froth.
Freshly roasted by Gray Cup, our roasting partner, ships across India.
The ratio decides the cup
Filter blends are described by Arabica:Robusta ratio:
- 80:20 / 90:10: mostly Arabica: aromatic, smoother, mild bitterness.
- 70:30: the classic "kaapi" balance: strong, full crema, more kick.
- With chicory (often 70:30 coffee:chicory), adds body, a woody sweetness, stretches the coffee, and is the "authentic" South Indian taste for many people.
Chicory or no chicory
Chicory is a roasted root, not coffee. It has no caffeine, adds a dark syrupy body, and is traditional in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka filter coffee. If you want 100% coffee, look for "pure Arabica" or "no chicory" on the label.
Roast and grind
Filter coffee wants a medium to medium-dark roast and a fine-ish grind, finer than pour-over, coarser than espresso. Buy powder fresh and in small quantities; ground filter coffee stales fast.
Roasted vs green
The blends above are sold as freshly roasted, ready-to-brew powder or beans. Roasters building their own filter blend can source the Koraput Arabica base as green beans and add their own Robusta and chicory:
Prefer a ready roast-to-order filter blend? Gray Cup roasts Arabica/Robusta and Arabica/chicory filter blends from the same Koraput coffee.