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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
6 Min
27/01/2026
The hallmark of a good coffee is its robust smell, even before you take a sip. There are different variants of coffee, but every household swears by a particular type. Why is that? Whether it’s the slow-brewed artisanal coffees or the instantly convenient supermarket blends, there’s a story behind them. Stick around as you get the breakdown on how filter and instant coffee differ, why people love them, and what’s behind the flavours that keep millions hooked.
Coffee comes in many forms in India, but the undeniable aroma of it, in any form or flavour, is common, be it in instant brews, artisanal ones, or even filter coffee. You experience it with your nose and eyes first before taking a sip of the bitter brew. While filter coffee involves a slow brewing process with a metal filter and mixing the decoction with hot milk, instant coffee is quick and simple – just dissolve the powder in hot water or milk. Both have their place in Indian coffee culture, showing how tradition and convenience can coexist. Here’s a hot take.
Until the 17th century, coffee cultivation was largely restricted to Arabia. According to legend, in that century, the Sufi saint Baba Budan smuggled seven raw coffee beans from Yemen and planted them in the hills of Chikmagalur in Karnataka. Over time, coffee plantations spread under colonial influence, particularly in southern India, with the British encouraging large estates in regions like Coorg.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, filter coffee had become established in Tamil and other South Indian households, especially among the rising middle class. Its characteristic style, using a cylindrical metal filter to brew a concentrated decoction, often blending roasted coffee with chicory, and then mixing with hot milk, became deeply integrated into regional culture and social rituals.
The concept of a soluble, ‘instant’ coffee can be traced back to the 18th century: in 1771, a British patent was granted for a ‘coffee compound’, though it was not widely adopted. The first true patent for instant coffee was filed on January 28, 1889, by David Strang in New Zealand and granted in 1890. It used a ‘dry hot‑air’ drying method, and was marketed as Strang’s Coffee.
Satori Kato (a Japanese scientist in Chicago), in 1901, refined the powder method, and soon after, George C.L. Washington (US) developed and commercially marketed his own instant coffee process around 1910. A major leap came in 1938 when Nestlé launched Nescafé, using improved methods to produce stable instant coffee; later, post‑World War II inventions such as freeze‑drying further enhanced flavour and coffee’s shelf life. Today, instant coffee is produced by brewing coffee concentrates and then dehydrating, to yield soluble granules.
Preparation of South Indian filter coffee involves using a two‑part metal filter (often brass or steel), where finely ground dark roasted coffee (often Arabica + Robusta) mixed with chicory is placed in the top chamber, and boiling water is poured over to slowly drip a strong decoction. This decoction is then mixed with hot milk and sugar, and served in a tumbler and dabarah (or davara) set; pouring between the tumbler and saucer helps both cool and create that trademark frothy top.
Whereas preparation of instant coffee is quite quicker – dissolve instant coffee granules or powder in hot water (or milk), often with sugar and et voila, you have a batch of energy boosting liquid. For richer or fancier versions, people may whip coffee and sugar first to form a paste, then add milk (or use the whipped paste style) to achieve a frothy or creamy look and feel.
Filter coffee has a robust taste that hits your nose before coating your taste buds and has a pleasant bittersweet edge from the chicory (might be absent in some versions). Many drinkers like it sweet and milky rather than black, with the coffee served in a glass resting in a tumbler, which is meant to be poured back and forth to create that frothiness. The froth, aroma, and mouthfeel are as important as the actual flavour.
Taste preferences for instant coffee tend to lean toward convenience – sweetness, milkiness, and mild bitterness are common, since many instant blends are already formulated to be palatable with milk and sugar. Purity (minimal aftertaste, smooth dissolving) and consistent flavour are valued, though it cannot be compared to the full-bodied taste of quality brewed or filter coffee.
Culturally, filter coffee is deeply embedded in daily life, especially in South India: it’s part of morning routines, hospitality (offering to guests), family gatherings and social rituals. The tools (filter, tumbler, davara) and the act of brewing are rites of tradition; filter coffee has also been historically associated with identity (regional, caste, social status), with its aroma regarded as evocative of home and comfort.
Whereas instant coffee is widely used across Indian homes, especially in urban areas or when convenience is a priority. It plays a role in routines where time or equipment is limited (at work, early mornings). It’s affordable and sold in sachets and is increasingly competing with or supplementing filter coffee, particularly among younger people and with the rising demand for blends, flavour variants, and products that mimic café‑style drinks. It is appreciated for its shelf life, ease of preparation, and affordability. Call it the junk food of coffees, among coffee enthusiasts.
Whether it’s the slow-brewed filter coffee enjoyed at home or the quick instant coffee made during a busy morning, both types are important in Indian coffee culture. Filter coffee is preferred for its strong taste and ritual, while instant coffee is favoured for its cost, speed and ease. Neither is better or worse – they just serve different needs.
