Now whistle at these kettles

Subodh Samuel

If you peek into the nearly two-millennia-old history of tea, you realise that what is served today at the cafes is a much-modified version. The British introduced it in India, and it soon became our very own beverage consumed for medicinal purposes or to feel rejuvenated. Usually it is served as a welcome drink. Soon, coffee too became as popular and its interesting varieties lured the young and the old alike.

However, it’s only after the commercial viability of coffee and tea was discovered that experiments with these began. A chain reaction of the increasing popularity of the beverages is the entry of popular western cafes like American global chain Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Italian Barista Lavazza, Britain’s Café Coffee Day and Costa Coffee, and many more in India.

Over the past one decade or so, the outlets of these brands have ushered in a unique tradition. Coffee shops where the air breathes of coffee beans have become a popular hangout for the young. Unlike the fancier white-tablecloth restaurants, the casual ambience of cafes gave birth to coffee culture.

Brew-it-yourself beverages

There is an emerging new world of tea connoisseurs and it is for them that chai-bars, tearooms and tea lounges are dotting big cities where they sample teas made from herbs, fruits, seeds and roots steeped in hot water. While the four basic teas are green, black, white and oolong, the exotic ones are blooming, chamomile tea, hibiscus, jasmine, orange pekoe, rooibos, pu-erh...

Cafes and tea bars also introduced a variety of coffee and tea-making machines in all shapes and sizes, which promise to steam up the beverage as per your liking. These machines can also be brought home. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that these machines have elevated the mundane chore of coffee and tea making into an art.

From machines that automatically make tea and keep it warm for the whole day to the all-in-one grind-and-brew coffee makers that first grind the beans and then brew the coffee, these machines are home gadgets that come with press-button technology and timers.

Touch and get going

All you have to do with these automatic devices is to put the ingredients in place before going to sleep, press the timer and you’ll have a steaming cup of tea or coffee awaiting you when you wake up next morning. Many hi-tech tea-making machines come with a menu that tells you the ideal temperature and for how long any specific blend of tea leaves need to be infused to make a cup of tea of your choice.

Though the tea makers that brew loose or bagged tea are advanced versions of electric kettles, it is the coffee machines that have transformed into technological gizmos. These offer in-built timers that allow the units to be pre-set to brew coffee at the break of dawn. Some special machines even have in-built grinders for that unique bean-to-coffee cup experience. Shut-off timers automatically turn-off coffee-makers. In-built water filters are appreciated by people concerned about the quality of tap water.

A popular choice

Such is the rising demand of these coffee-makers that even Starbucks has launched its exclusive collection of automatic brewing machines to give coffee lovers its latte experience at home. The Verismo is a one-cup brewing machine that will allow Starbucks fans to brew coffee, latte and espresso at home, using single-serve coffee pods. Costing around Rs 12,000, it is a small price to pay to get the authentic taste of brand’s coffee.

Most coffee and tea-makers are priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000. However, those who want a quality experience can go in for high-end models like De Longhi Magnifica (Rs 45,000) or the Krups Espresseria (Rs 31,000). And, for those who have enough to splurge and a passion for coffee to boast of, there is the GS3 coffee-maker by Italian company La Marzocco that costs an eye-watering Rs 4.14 lakh.

Tea-makers on the other hand are relatively evenly priced. Though a regular one can be bought between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000, there are no machines that are extravagantly priced. Almost all electric kettles have shut-off times, variable settings with preset temperatures. These are cheaper than automatic tea-makers, but perform the job equally well with a little manual help.

However, some purists feel that instead of parting with big money for a high-powered machine and grinder, not to mention the time spent figuring out how to make all sorts of adjustments, preparing quality coffee and tea should be best left to the professional chai-bars and coffee lounges.

How to make the right buy  

Before bringing home a tea or a coffee-maker, consider the following: 

• Take into consideration the number of people who would be drinking tea or coffee at the same time and only then decide whether you require a small, medium or large machine. This will not just help you buy the right machine but will also save money as well.  
• If space is your concern, then first measure the area you have marked out for the machine and then go in for a tea or a coffee-maker that fits into that space. Though the counter-top models are most popular, but if space is a constraint, you should go for an under-cabinet unit.  
• If you often make coffee or tea as an after-dinner or lunch beverage, then buy a machine with a carafe that can be separated from the machine. This will help you carry the brew to your dining table while keeping it piping hot for a longer period of time.  
• Desist from buying an overly advanced machine with complex features. This will not just make the process complicated but could also be de-motivating. A tea or coffee maker that has features like an in- built timer, pause-and-serve features and automatic shut-off is the best.