Narasu's filter coffee is one of South India's oldest roast-and-ground brands, running since 1926 out of Salem, Tamil Nadu. The short version: it is a range of dark-roasted coffee-and-chicory powders made for the traditional steel filter, sold in clear ratio tiers from a bold 85:15 down to a milky 70:30, plus a set of 100% pure (no-chicory) blends like Peaberry and Royal Extra Bold for purists. This guide covers every Narasu's variant, the coffee-to-chicory ratio behind each, honest price bands in rupees, and how to brew a proper decoction at home.
We are a coffee and tea machine supplier, not Narasu's. Treat everything below as an honest, factual buyer's guide so you can pick the right pack and brew it well.
What is Narasu's filter coffee?
Narasu's filter coffee is a South Indian roast-and-ground powder, not an instant coffee. You do not spoon it into hot water. You load it into a two-chamber stainless-steel "South Indian filter," pour just-boiled water on top, and let it drip slowly into a strong, syrupy decoction. That decoction is then mixed with hot milk and sugar to make the classic kaapi served across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.
The brand traces back to 1926, when Narasu's began as a manufacturing company in Salem, Tamil Nadu. That heritage matters to many buyers: it is a "grandfather's coffee" brand, known for a consistent dark roast and the bittersweet chicory note many South Indian households grew up on. If the category is new to you, start with our explainer on what South Indian filter coffee (kaapi) is, then come back to pick a Narasu's pack.
The chicory question, explained simply
Most Narasu's everyday blends mix roasted coffee with roasted chicory root. Chicory is not a filler in the cheap sense. It adds body, a dark caramel-bitter edge, holds the brew thick, and stretches the coffee so a spoonful makes a stronger-looking cup. The trade-off: more chicory means a softer, milkier, more "South Indian cafe" taste; less chicory means a sharper, cleaner coffee flavour. The "Narasus" ratio numbers on the pack (the apostrophe-free spelling many shops use) are simply coffee-to-chicory. Once you read them that way, choosing a variant gets easy. Separately, Narasu's also sells a few 100% pure lines with no chicory at all, for drinkers who want unblended coffee.
Narasu's filter coffee variants and their ratios
Here is the practical map of the main Narasu's filter coffee range, from boldest (most coffee) to milkiest (most chicory), plus the 100% pure no-chicory options. Ratios are the brand's own stated coffee:chicory splits.
| Variant | Coffee : Chicory | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peaberry (Peabery) / Premium Blend Pure | 100% coffee, no chicory | Pure, aromatic, clean roast | Purists; black coffee drinkers |
| Royal Extra Bold (REB) | 100% coffee, no chicory | Darker, heavier, punchy pure roast | A strong pure cup without chicory |
| Revive | Arabica blend | Smoother, more aromatic, lighter | Lighter, fragrant filter coffee |
| Dhivyam Premium | 85 : 15 | Bold and smooth, light chicory body | Strong cup, less bitterness |
| Udhayam (the signature) | 80 : 20 | Balanced everyday filter coffee | The default daily kaapi |
| Anandham (Hotel Blend) | 70 : 30 | Milky, robust, cafe-style | Sweet milk coffee, tiffin-centre taste |
Udhayam (80:20) — the everyday default
Udhayam is the variant most people mean when they say "Narasu's." At 80% coffee and 20% chicory it sits in the classic home-kaapi zone: strong enough to stand up to milk and sugar, with just enough chicory for body and that familiar bittersweet finish. If you are buying Narasu's for the first time and want the "normal" experience, this is it. It is also one of the most widely stocked packs, so it is easy to reorder.
Dhivyam Premium (85:15) — bolder, cleaner
Dhivyam pushes the coffee up to 85% and drops chicory to 15%. You get a bolder, more coffee-forward cup with less of the chicory bitterness. It is a good step up for someone who finds standard filter coffee a touch flat and wants more roast character without going fully pure. The decoction stays reasonably thick at 15% chicory, so you keep the body while gaining clarity.
Anandham Hotel Blend (70:30) — the milky cafe cup
Anandham carries the most chicory of the main blends at 70:30. That extra chicory is exactly what gives many South Indian tiffin centres and hotels their thick, sweet, milky coffee. If you love the cup you get at a Chennai or Madurai mess more than the one at home, Anandham is the blend that gets you there. It is also forgiving with a generous splash of milk and sugar, which is how most "hotel" coffee is served.
Peaberry, Royal Extra Bold and 100% Pure — no chicory at all
Narasu's runs several unblended lines. The Peaberry (often printed "Peabery") and Premium Blend Pure packs are 100% pure roasted coffee with zero chicory; Royal Extra Bold (REB) is also a 100% pure coffee, just darker and punchier in the cup. Peaberry refers to the single round bean that forms inside some cherries, prized for a brighter, more concentrated flavour. These are the picks if you want pure coffee aroma, drink it blacker, or simply do not like the chicory note. Expect a thinner-bodied, faster-running decoction than the chicory blends, so dose your coffee-to-water up slightly and grind on the finer side.
Narasu's filter coffee price in India
Prices move with pack size, retailer and season, so treat these as honest bands rather than a live quote — always check the actual listing before you buy. As a rough guide, Narasu's filter coffee in India tends to land around:
| Pack | Typical price band (INR) |
|---|---|
| Small sachet / pouch (around 50 g–100 g) | from about ₹40–₹60 |
| Udhayam / Anandham 500 g | around ₹250–₹350 |
| Dhivyam Premium 500 g | around ₹350–₹500 |
| Premium Blend Pure / Peaberry 500 g | around ₹500–₹700 |
| 1 kg multipacks (2 × 500 g) | around ₹500–₹1,000+ |
Two patterns hold across the range. First, more pure coffee costs more: the 100% Peaberry and pure blends sit at the top, the higher-chicory Anandham at the bottom. Second, multipacks and 1 kg bundles usually work out cheaper per cup than single small pouches. For a wider sense of where roast-and-ground sits versus instant and beans, see our coffee powder 1 kg cost guide.
Where to buy Narasu's filter coffee
Narasu's is widely stocked, so you rarely have to hunt. Honest where-to-find guidance:
- Local kirana and supermarkets across South India almost always carry Udhayam and Anandham; ask for the ratio you want by number (80:20, 70:30).
- Online grocery and marketplaces — large e-commerce and quick-commerce apps list most variants, including the harder-to-find Peaberry and Dhivyam packs, and ship pan-India.
- Specialty and South Indian grocers outside the South (and abroad) stock it for the diaspora, often in 500 g vacuum packs.
If you are weighing Narasu's against other regional names, our roundup of South Indian coffee powder brands and our best filter coffee powder picks put it in context against Malgudi, Cothas, Narasu's peers and more.
How to brew Narasu's the right way
Good powder still needs good technique. The South Indian filter does the work, but the dose and water temperature decide the cup.
- Dose: add 2–3 tablespoons of Narasu's powder to the top (perforated) chamber for a single strong serve. Use more for the pure/Peaberry blends since they brew thinner.
- Press lightly: level and gently press with the disc. Do not pack it hard, or the drip stalls.
- Water: pour just-off-the-boil water (not violently boiling) over the powder, fill, and cover.
- Wait: let it drip undisturbed for 10–20 minutes into the lower chamber. The result is your dark decoction.
- Mix: add 2–3 spoons of decoction to a tumbler of hot milk, sweeten to taste, and froth by pouring between tumbler and davara.
For the full method, including ratios and the dabara-tumbler pour, see our step-by-step on how to make filter coffee decoction. If you are still buying gear, our brass vs steel filter guide helps you choose the pot.
Narasu's vs the rest: how to choose
Quick decision aid if you are standing in the aisle:
- Want the classic, no-fuss home cup? Udhayam 80:20.
- Want it bolder and more coffee-forward but still with body? Dhivyam 85:15.
- Want the milky, sweet "hotel" taste? Anandham 70:30.
- Want pure coffee, no chicory? Peaberry or Premium Blend Pure for a clean roast; Royal Extra Bold for a darker, punchier pure cup.
- Want lighter and more aromatic? Revive (Arabica blend).
Narasu's leans dark-roast and traditional, so if you prefer a lighter single-origin style you may want a roastery bean instead — our coffee bean varieties guide explains the spectrum.
Serving cafe-style filter coffee at scale
The hand-filter is perfect at home. For an office pantry, a tea stall, or a small outlet serving dozens of cups an hour, you eventually want a machine that delivers a consistent strong brew without someone minding a drip filter all day. If that is your situation, we install, refill and service brewing and vending machines across India — browse coffee makers and vending machines, or tell us your daily cup volume and we will suggest a fit. Either way, a bag of Narasu's at home is a fine place to start your filter-coffee habit.