Your coffee guide

Tell us how you like your coffee. We will show you what to make, how to make it, what you need to buy, and which of our coffees fits.

• I love black coffee: Black coffee is just coffee and hot water, so nothing hides a weak bean. Here is the simple way, and which of our coffees to use.
• I want cold coffee: Two ways to a cold glass: a strong filter decoction poured over ice (ready in under an hour), or cold brew steeped overnight.
• I want South Indian filter coffee: Filter kaapi is a thick decoction, hot milk and a pour between davara and tumbler. It is simple, and it rewards a little patience.
• I like chicory coffee: Chicory is a roasted root that South Indian filter kaapi has long been blended with. It adds body and colour. Here is how to brew it, and how it compares with pure coffee.
• I have a moka pot or want an americano-style cup: A moka pot makes strong, small coffee on the stove. Add hot water and you have an americano-style long cup. (A true americano uses an espresso machine, which this is not.)
• I want French press or pour-over: Both start with whole beans you grind yourself. French press is full and rich; pour-over is clean and light.
• I want to buy coffee beans and grind at home: Whole beans keep their aroma longer, and you choose the grind each time. Here is the grind for each method and how to keep your beans fresh.
• I want a strong filter coffee decoction: The decoction is the heart of filter kaapi. Get it thick and fragrant and the milk does the rest. Here is the method, and what to change when it comes out thin or bitter.
• How much coffee powder do I need?: A starting point is easy to remember, and then you adjust to your taste. Here are the numbers for a steel filter and for a 250 g pack.
• How do I store coffee powder so it stays fresh?: Coffee goes flat quietly. Keep four things away from it (air, heat, light and moisture) and it stays fragrant to the last spoon.
• Filter coffee or instant coffee?: Both are coffee, but they are made differently and taste different. Here is a plain comparison, so you can pick what suits your morning.
• Arabica or Robusta?: These are the two main coffee species. Here is how they differ in the cup, and how our coffees are made.

The equipment shelf

Everything the guides suggest. We plan to stock these; they are listed but not on sale yet.

• South Indian steel filter: Two stacked cups with a pressing disc: it drips a thick decoction slowly. The classic way to make filter kaapi.
• Davara and tumbler: For pouring the kaapi back and forth, which cools it and builds the froth.
• Moka pot: A stovetop pot that pushes hot water up through the coffee. Strong, small cups.
• French press: Steep coffee in a jug and press the grounds down. Full-bodied and simple.
• Pour-over cone and filter papers: A cone that sits on your cup: you pour water slowly over the coffee. A clean cup.
• Gooseneck kettle: A thin spout gives a slow, steady pour, which pour-over needs.
• Hand coffee grinder: Grind beans fresh for each brew and pick the grind for the method.
• Kitchen scale (0.1 g): Weigh coffee and water, so the cup tastes the same every day.
• Cold brew jar with strainer: Steep coarse coffee in cold water overnight, then strain.
• Airtight coffee jar: Keeps air, light and damp away from your coffee between brews.

Ready to brew? Shop our coffee.