How to brew South Indian filter coffee
A South Indian filter has two chambers. Coffee goes in the top, boiling water follows it, and gravity does the rest. There is very little to go wrong — but the small things decide whether you get a thick, clear decoction or a stalled, bitter one.
The four steps
- Two teaspoons in the upper chamber. That is roughly 10 g, and it makes two strong cups. Level the bed with the back of the spoon rather than pressing it down.
- Set the pressing disc, then pour 100 ml of boiling water. The disc — the perforated stud — spreads the water so it wets the whole bed instead of drilling a channel through the middle. Pour steadily onto the disc, not around it.
- Close the lid and wait about ten minutes. The decoction should drip, not stream. If it finishes in three minutes the grind is too coarse; if nothing has come through in fifteen it is packed too tight.
- Add hot milk and sugar to taste. One part decoction to three or four parts milk is the usual counter measure.
Why it stalls
Almost every stalled filter is a tamping problem. Filter coffee is not espresso: the grounds want to sit loose so water can move through them. If you press the bed down with the disc, you have built a plug.
The second cause is water that is not actually boiling. Water off the boil extracts unevenly, and the decoction comes out thin and sour no matter how long you leave it.
Storing what is left
Ground coffee gives up its aroma to air faster than anything else in the kitchen. Reseal the pack firmly after each use, or tip it into an airtight jar. Keep it cool and dry, away from spices — coffee will pick up the smell of anything sitting next to it.
Use a dry spoon every time. A damp one leaves moisture in the pack, and moisture is what turns a fresh grind stale.