Tata Quick Filter Coffee Review – Hit or Miss?

Like you can’t prepare PB without peanuts, no South Indian breakfast is complete without a frothy cup of filter coffee. As therapeutic as the preparation process is, some days you need an instant fix to your caffeine cravings. One evening our Filter coffee craving hit peak at work, and we ordered an instant blend. This Tata Quick Filter Coffee review reveals all the steaming details. 

Do we regret or do we recommend it?

Quick details on Tata Filter Coffee are listed in the table below. 

What were we looking for when reviewing Tata Quick Filter coffee.

Filter coffee is fairly different than instant coffee. These key differences lie in the aroma, the appearance, and the flavors. We were looking for a similar intensity in this too. 

More details on our parameters in the following section. 

1. Flavor 

The flavor of filter coffee is quite distinct as compared to instant coffee. This is because filter coffee is usually a mix of Arabica/Robusta beans with a smaller proportion of chicory. Though complex, the flavor of filter coffee is less acidic and has a mild, natural sweetness. 

The standard ratio used in instant filter coffee is 80% coffee to 20% chicory. 

2. Aroma 

Lingering and inviting, the delicate brew of Filter coffee energizes the soul even before you’ve had a sip. 

Did this packaged filter coffee emit the same bold aroma or was it negligible? 

3. Convenience

If you’ve made filter coffee before, you know the steps it needs plus the brewing period. How convenient is an instant coffee-chicory blend in this sense?

A lump-free consistency, effortless storage?

4. Other Parameters

The price per cup, quality of ingredients, and shelf life were gauged here. 

Here is our experience with Tata Quick Filter coffee.

Price & Packaging

This coffee-chicory blend is packed in a sealed metal can with a plastic lid. It holds 100 grams of the powder and is priced at Rs 150/-. This has a shelf life of 18 months. 

Main Ingredients

Soluble coffee powder (55.4%), chicory, and nature-identical flavoring substances are the main ingredients used. Which flavoring substance is added is not mentioned.

How we made it

The can mentions adding 1.5 grams of the coffee blend to 100 ml milk/water. Stir and add sugar as per taste.

Following these instructions, we added 75 ml milk and 25 ml water with 1 tsp of the coffee blend and ½ tsp of sugar. Before describing our experience, here’s what you must know about Filter coffee.

Why is Filter Coffee called so?

This beverage gets its name from the way it is made. The process involves ‘filtering’ hot water through ground coffee beans which results in a rich brew/concoction. 

What does authentic Filter coffee taste like?

Though the flavor of the final product largely depends on the quality of ingredients like grade of coffee beans, type of milk, sweetener, and more, Filter Coffee has a less acidic, slightly subtle flavor when compared to regular coffee. 

It is the brewing process that brings a softer, more complex, but less acidic coffee flavor. 

Aroma & Appearance

Coffee powder from dark roasted beans has an intense aroma. This coffee-chicory blend had a similar aroma but it was NOT as strong as a good quality filter coffee would have. 

This coffee powder had a deep, chocolate-brown appearance. 

Convenience

Usually, filter coffee is prepared using the traditional stainless steel coffee filter that yields a decoction. This requires a level of expertise and some time on hand too. 

As for Tata Quick Filter coffee, this is just like any instant coffee powder (but is flavored and has chicory too). All you need to do is add hot water or milk to the powder, stir, and sip. 

We’d give it a 5 on 5 on convenience, but the following parameter explains why we did not. 

Taste

Just like aroma, the taste of this flavored coffee was disappointing. As mentioned above, we followed the recommended proportions but it resulted in a very milky coffee and we do not mean the consistency, the taste was too milky. 

We tried adding equal quantities of milk and water, it still did not taste good. Finally, we tried adding 1.5 tsp of the coffee powder but that only made it bitter. This bitterness wasn’t like that of strong, intense coffee, just bitter.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Tata Quick Filter coffee.

The only plus side to consuming Tata Quick Filter coffee was the ease of preparation. The aroma and taste were just a let-down.

Have you tried Filter coffee before, how did you like it? Do you think the essence of authentic filter coffee can be captured in a powder?