RAISING A BREW-HAHA

Coffee professionals and aficionados help us decode the revival of manual brewing in India, while suggesting the best devices and nifty tools to add to your home coffee bar this season

- SUMAN MAHFUZ QUAZI

Coffee may have come in three waves, but it has managed to sweep us away like one big tsunami. Manifestations of its impact can be found everywhere from memes on the Internet to our shape-shifting pantry shelves, where with time, Bru - and Nescafe have been swapped with brands like, Araku, Subko, Blue Tokai and more.

Rajjat Gulati, now the co-founder of a fintech startup, points out, "There are better beans available increasingly now. I have been in the coffee-brewing space for over 10 years, and I am still discovering newer methods of brewing coffee at home". Formerly the owner of F5, a chain of cafés from Delhi-NCR, Gulati's observation points towards India's expanding craft and specialty coffee segment, which is expected to grow annually by 9.15 per cent, as per several market studies. Pioneered by homegrown ventures that are working closely with the farmers' ecosystem, the phenomenon has played a seminal role in informing our coffee culture. As a result, enthusiasts have switched from making grab-and-go stops at their local cafés to investing in brewing equipment and making their cuppas at home.