Tag: Coffee

What Does a Television mean today?

What does television mean today?
When was the last time, you watched television?
Has a television just becomes another screen today?
You have started watching a new series, that everybody has been talking about.
But you don’t want to miss out!
Do you start watching it on your phone first, then continue watching on the tablet and if it’s something binge-worthy do you continue watching it on your television screen to make the most of( The Sound, The effects and the distraction to a minimum) considering the notification from social media have been distracting you now and then to the work emails.
With the Television becoming our new “Big Screen” for movies and series!
Where do the cinema theatres go?
Is going for the movies to the theatres dead? How will the cinemas survive? Will a subscription model be applied to the cinemas as well?
A subscription that allows you to watch an X number of movies in a month with some F&B to go with it.
Since we haven’t had any good films make it on the Over The OTT platform.
All the interesting looking ones are waiting for cinemas to reopen to launch it
But compared to ₹900 a Year, ₹1500 Year and ₹400 a month for mobile devices on a certain platform for family viewing.
Where do the cinemas go?
Will one be spending on the movies.
Mind you even the television seems like a dull experience with the Advertisement coming up frequently.
Where does that leave advertising? Only on News broadcasting channels? Since most of the channels have been playing older episodes today, And more new content coming up on OTT platforms with a wider range of genres and stories available.
Are we all just streaming on different screens?

Coffee Capsules /Pods Available in India

The Pandemic Struck and we were forced into home quarantine,Isolation and with everything under lockdown. Being Home was the option. While I was a regular Nespresso drinker, I was running out of coffee capsules. But, then Indian coffee brands were my only options and thank God! Because they were amazing and well priced. But, My only hitch! If I did not google enough, I would hardly know about them. So, To make others life easy, I am sharing a list of coffee pods/Capsules that are from India or are easily available in India. 

Capsules/Pod Coffee:


Vero: An Italian word for real, True perfect. Is a Mumbai based brand that specialises in coffee Pods/Capsules and machines too. They have flavours like Irish Cream and green Coffee apart from Arabica, Vanilla, Chocolate, Decaf and Coorg. Apart from coffee capsules they also offer Green tea capsules.

Fresh Brew: Another Coffee capsules brand that offers pods. But the interesting part of this brand is they also offer Iced Coffee capsules like the original Nespresso has to offer and apart from this they have Javas, Sumatra, Colombia and many other flavours to offer.

Bonhomia : One of the first brands that I knew of that offers coffee capsules & Machine that’s compatible with Nespresso machines and we’re the first ones to offer flavoured coffees like Hazelnut, Vanilla and Tea capsules too.

Lavazza: The Italian coffee that was once so popular in India. Now offers its capsules for the Nespresso machine.

Davidoff: If You love your instant Davidoff coffee and want to have it from the Nespresso machine they have a couple of options like Rich, Espresso, Fine, Elegance, Prestige and style to choose from.

Coffeeza: A Coffee Brand that not just specialises in Capsules but also has Drip Coffee Bag. They have Ethiopian and a few more options for coffee capsules. They also have machines too.

Some More Of My Writing #5

Looking to Brew Coffee at Home?

Which Coffee Equipment should you invest in? 

Pour Over /V60: Looking to brew a cup of coffee that’s clean & light? 

Brew Time: 2-4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind Size: Medium 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating 

Step 2 Place the V60 on a Carafare and place the filter it should be wet first so that any paper taste will be diluted or removed. 

Now Add about 15 gm’s of coffee 

Step 3: Slowly swirl the water (Water should be around 200-300 Ml)  from the kettle over the coffee and around the filter, Let it bloom and repeat this process in between 30 seconds of interval.

Step4:  The coffee would be now brewed and flow into the carafe. For Iced Coffee just add the Ice in the carafe and follow the same process as earlier. 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, V60, Coffee, Stirrer and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Expert or a lot of practice to perfect the pour-over. 

French Press: Looking to brew an Americano? 

Brew Time : 3- 4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind size: Medium/Coarse 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating 

First, remove the plunger and add coffee to the French press base. 

Step 2: Add hot water   ( Water should be about 200-400 Ml) into the French press and stir the coffee from the top, insert the plunger until the brim.

After about 3-4 minutes plunge the plunger and serve the coffee 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, French Press, Coffee, Stirrer and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Easy, a perfect way to start learning and brewing coffee. 

Moka Pot:Looking to Brew an Espresso Style coffee? 

Brew Time : 3- 4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium-light/Dark Roast 

Grind size: Medium/Coarse 

Method: 

Step 1. : Add water  ( Water should be around 100 to 200 Ml) at the bottom base and insert the middle base and add coffee now tighten the Pot.

Step 2: keep the coffee on the gas stove for a couple of minutes, until the hissing sound starts coming and as and when the coffee starts flowing up reduce the speed and switch off the gas. 

Equipment Required: Water, Coffee,  and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Medium 

AeroPress: Looking for a coffee that would be brewed in less than 2 minutes? 

Brew Time: 1-2 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind Size: Medium Fine 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating set up the Aeropress maker. The coffee cup measure should be upside down. The rubber plunger should be pressed inverted from the bottom. 

Step 2: Add about 15 gm’s of coffee by placing the funnel on top first so that the coffee doesn’t spill out. 

Step 3: Now add the heated water ( About 150-200 Ml) and stir the coffee for about  30 seconds to 60 seconds. Now place the filter on the cap and lock the Aeropress ( Note the filter should be rinsed, wet before inserting it, for a better brew experience ) 

Step 4: Now slowly invert the Aeropress on to the mug and press the Aeropress. (Note if the coffee flows without the plunge, you need a finer grind) 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, Aeropress, Coffee, Stirrer, Funnel and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Medium to slightly difficult 

Verdict: choose the coffee equipment, By knowing how much time! You are willing to spend to make a cup of coffee each day

To watch videos on how to make the coffee using the equipment and to know more about coffee follow my Instagram account -Link is mentioned below.

https://www.instagram.com/akhilnanda/?hl=en

Coffee From India #Kaffeécino #2

Always had a capsule coffee machine at your place and ran out of the Nespresso capsules?
There are a couple of options available. 
Vero Coffee: 
Besides, eating Indian chocolates. I also ended up having a lot of Indian coffee. Having got a Nespresso capsules machine and ran out of capsules. I looked for options and found Vero coffee as the best bet. With variety such as Malabar coffee, Irish Coffee and Arabica coffee. Vero was a surprise package and in all, they have 13 flavours to choose from. Starting from ₹390 for a pack of ten capsules 
Bonhomia Coffee:    This pandemic also allowed me to try another capsule coffee where it’s very economical compared to Nespresso capsules and flavours too are the same as Nespresso, but the highlight they also offer Green Tea & Black Tea for tea lovers and the only tea capsule that are available In India. So both The Tea & Coffee drinkers can enjoy themselves. Bonhomia also has its coffee machines that are worth investing.The pricing too is very economical and the quality is great too. ₹1500 for a pack of thirty capsules 

Instant Coffee:

Rage: An instant Ethiopian Coffee served in a test tube is a brand from Delhi that’s also the first plant-based Coffee in the world and I had been itching to try this one, even though I am not a fan of instant coffees and Rage has been one of the coffee that is Good! 
Roasted Coffee:
Bru Filter Coffee: 
After I ran out of my Italian grounded coffee. I  Tasted the Bru Filter roasted Coffee and it was just like South Indian filter coffee Dark & Strong and is very easily available and well priced 
Sunbean ITC Gourmet Coffee:
ITC has been a huge surprise for me when it comes to the Fabelle chocolates, The Coffee as it’s not easy to associate a company that has been known for Sunfeast Dark Fantasy Biscuits in the FMGC category and otherwise have been identified as a toboacco and hospitality company. 
The Packaging of the product to the taste of the coffee it is one Indian company that’s worth trusting. And having just two options of grounded coffee available one that’s made in the hills of the south and the other one inspired by southern America both the packing have a motif that’s are significant of the coffee region.

Speciality Grounded Coffee:

Cohoma Coffee Company: 
For the longest time I thought it was an international brand the typography used for their brand name and the combinations offered with the beautiful black packaging with a coloured design on the bottles as well as the Tin boxes. This couldn’t have been India and when I googled the country of origin for this there it was an  Indian brand.
This coffee is very bitter in taste and isn’t everyone’s cup of Coffee and those who like their coffee very strong will enjoy it.  
Araku: it’s not every day you hear about coffee that’s more popular in Europe than in India for the packing and for the flavours it has to offer. Araku isn’t necessarily strong or dark coffee but is mild with interesting coffee notes like peppers, Red fruit and dark chocolate that’s the signature collection to the toffee, Dark chocolate and sugarcane been the selection collection and many more collections to offer. They also have capsule coffee and a wider range for the European market that isn’t available in India Yet. 
Araku should be on your list to try… 
Third Wave Roasters: A speciality coffee place from Bangalore! That I had been reading a lot about and so when I was looking to try something different I tried their signature south Indian Filter Blend and it tasted and reminded you of the strong, Dark South Indian coffee. Third Wave Roaster also has cafes in Pune & Hyderabad besides Bangalore if you would like to visit them or you can order them from Amazon!  
The packing of Third Wave Roaster reminded me of Blue Bottle the USA coffee Chain that offer an interesting range of coffee flavours and the simplicity of the design in packing. 
Subko: While reading a  digital magazines publication issue! I came across this cafe in Mumbai! Though they were supposed to open in March! The lockdown forced them to keep shut! And a few months later they opened in Bandra. I haven’t been to the cafe yet! As I am not in Mumbai anymore…
But, that did not stop me from trying out their roast by ordering them from their website. They have a range of roast right from Meghalaya to the southern estate. 
The packaging and the taste of coffee are well balanced. I ordered the Woodway estate that has flavours of Carmel, Dates and cocoa a good coffee option if you are looking for something that’s not sweet but also slightly dark. 
KC Roaster- Marahulla Grounded Coffee : 
Home became the new destination. I had just ordered Pour-over Coffee equipment. 
It’s like having drip Coffee, that’s known as V60 as it’s a 60-degree angle in a v shape where you need to add filter paper and have a carafe below for the coffee to drip down. So to enjoy this I ordered grounded coffee from one of my favourite cafes in Mumbai.
And having already enjoyed all Indian homegrown coffee & chocolates. This has been one of the smoothest coffees with notes of Cocoa & Caramel. 
Kelagur washed was another good smooth coffee that was not too strong even though it’s said to be an ultra Dark Roast 
but had the taste of dark chocolate and a little buttery. You should try these two from KC Roaster.