Introduction: How to Make Filter Coffee, the South Indian Way

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In southern parts of India, the day starts with a strong cup of coffee. Though there are many ways to brew coffee, here many people prefer the traditional 'Filter Coffee' for its pleasant aroma and taste.

This instructable will guide you on how to make filter coffee at home

Step 1: Filter Coffee Powder

In our place there are specialized shops, who blend the coffee beans with chicory in varying percentages, roast and grind the mix to the required grain size and pack it in front of you as per your requirement. There are few blends available with chicory mixed between 20 to 30 percent to the coffee beans and you can choose a blend of your choice. The ground coffee powder is neither fine nor coarse grained.

Normally, the coffee powder is packed in air-tight plastic bags, but once you open the packet, immediately transfer the contents to an air-tight container to keep it fresh.

Step 2: The Equipment

To brew filter coffee, you need a special metal device known as the coffee filter as shown in the pictures here. This device consists four parts:

  • The top cylindrical cup with very fine perforations at the bottom. This cup is loaded with the coffee powder with boiling water for brewing.
  • A disc shaped perforated piece with a small handle. This part is used to press the layers of coffee powder tightly inside the upper cup and nests inside it.
  • The bottom cylindrical cup is identical to the top one but without the perforations. This cup stores the brew filtered through the upper cup.
  • A lid to tightly close the upper cup

Step 3: How to Brew the Coffee

  • Boil water in a container. The amount of water may be slightly more than that of the capacity of the filter cups
  • Assemble both upper and bottom cups in place
  • Add the filter coffee powder in layers on the upper cup and press down with the perforated disc with the handle. You can fill about one fifth to one sixth capacity of the upper cup. More coffee will give you a stronger brew.
  • Leave the perforated disc inside the upper cup on top of the coffee powder
  • Pour boiling water over the coffee powder to full capacity of the upper cup
  • Immediately close the upper cup with the lid and keep it aside
  • It will take about 15 to 20 minutes for the brewed coffee to filter through the perforations, which will get stored in the bottom cup

Step 4: Make Coffee

Normally in our home coffee is made for all the family members together. So we use a larger vessel which may serve for about four people. Traditionally filter coffee is served in Eversilver Tumblers.

  • Boil milk in a separate container
  • Add required amount of brew to the container. Here one large spoon of brew per person
  • Add sugar to taste. Less the better as some people like less sugar. You can add it if somebody wants more.
  • Add boiled milk to the brew. Use of a milk filter helps to keep out the cream from the coffee
  • Distribute the coffee to tumblers and serve hot. If any body wants a strong coffee, add little amount of brew to their coffee

This coffee has a very pleasant aroma and is very stronger and tastier than other methods used in brewing coffee.