Chikmagalur Coffee Beans: What Makes Them Special
The Kaapiswada family · 2026-10-21
Chikmagalur coffee beans come from the Western Ghats hills of Karnataka, where altitude, shade and monsoon rain shape the crop. We grow ours on our own family estate in the Mullayanagiri foothills, and we sell them as whole Arabica beans across India.
This is the story of those beans, told by the family that grows them. If you would like to start with beans, see our Roastswada whole Arabica beans.
Where Chikmagalur is
Chikmagalur is a coffee-growing district in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. The hills, the shade trees and the monsoon give the region its character.
The part of Chikmagalur we know best is the Malnad region, around the foothills of Mullayanagiri. That is where our family has lived and grown coffee for more than fifty years.
What makes Chikmagalur coffee beans special
Three things shape these beans, and we see all three on our own land:
- Altitude: cooler hill air ripens the cherry slowly.
- Shade: coffee grows under a canopy of shade trees, not in open sun.
- Monsoon: the Malnad rains feed the estate every year.
We are careful not to promise a flavour, because every harvest is a little different. What we can say is where the beans grew, and how we looked after them.
This is also why we like to name the place on the pack. A bean that says "Chikmagalur" and "family estate" gives you something real to ask about, which a vague label does not. If you want to know more about our land, our family or the way we work, you are welcome to message us.
How our estate grows coffee
Our estate is Varalakshmi Estate, a 100-acre family estate in the Mullayanagiri foothills of Chikmagalur. We grow Arabica there, under shade, and we have more than fifty years of family experience with coffee.
Because we grow our own coffee, there are no middlemen between the estate and your pack. The same family that tends the plants decides what goes into the pack, which is why we keep the range small: three coffees, each in a 250 g pack, each from our own Chikmagalur estate. You can read more in our post on Chikmagalur estate coffee and what makes it different, and on our story page.
From our estate to your cup
Our whole Arabica beans are sold as Roastswada (like Kaapiswada Roastswada: whole Arabica beans from our own Chikmagalur estate). The pack says "Arabica roasted beans" and "from our family estate, Chikmagalur", and it comes in 250 g.
If you would rather have ready-ground coffee, we also make Pureswada, which is 100% Arabica powder, and Swadamalnad, our 80% Arabica and 20% chicory blend. You can see all three on our coffee page.
How to use whole beans
- Measure the beans you need for one brew.
- Grind them just before brewing. For South Indian filter kaapi, grind fine, like fine rava with a little powder.
- Brew in your steel filter, then mix the decoction with hot milk.
- Store the rest of the beans airtight, away from light, heat and moisture.
For the full filter method, see how to make filter coffee at home.
How to order across India
You can order Roastswada (like Kaapiswada Roastswada: whole Arabica beans from our own Chikmagalur estate) on kaapiswada.in through the coffee page. We sell online across India, and we do not run a cafe.
If you want to try it, see our Roastswada whole Arabica beans, or our 100% Arabica ground Pureswada.
New to Arabica? Our guide to Arabica coffee beans in India explains the grades, and how to choose the best coffee beans helps you pick. For filter kaapi, see Swadamalnad.
New to buying beans? Our guide to roasted coffee beans explains roast levels and a first purchase, and what 100% Arabica coffee beans means explains the label.
Questions people ask
Is Chikmagalur coffee Arabica? Chikmagalur grows both Arabica and Robusta. The coffee we grow on our estate is Arabica, grown under shade. See Arabica vs Robusta for filter kaapi for how they differ.
What is single-estate coffee? It means the coffee comes from one estate instead of many farms mixed together. Ours is grown on our own family estate in Chikmagalur.
Where can I buy beans from Chikmagalur? You can order ours on kaapiswada.in. We deliver across India.
Do you sell whole beans? Yes. Roastswada is our 100% Arabica whole beans, in a 250 g pack, from our own estate in Chikmagalur.
Where exactly is your estate? Varalakshmi Estate is in the Mullayanagiri foothills of Chikmagalur, Karnataka.