Malgudi & Continental Filter Coffee vs Gray Cup
Malgudi and Continental are budget South Indian filter coffee brands built around chicory. Here's how they compare to Gray Cup's blends.
Malgudi, a brand under Continental Coffee, is a widely available South Indian filter coffee sold at the budget end of the category - often described simply as "Continental filter coffee" or "Malgudi filter coffee" in stores. Budget-tier filter coffee brands like this are a useful comparison point for understanding what chicory does to price and taste.
Where Malgudi Sits
Budget South Indian filter coffee brands, as a category, tend to lean chicory-forward. Chicory is a cheaper input than coffee, it thickens the decoction and gives it body even at lower coffee content, and it produces a mellower, less bitter cup - all of which supports a lower shelf price. This is a well-known category pattern for budget filter coffee generally, not a specific published ratio claim about Malgudi's formulation, which the brand doesn't fully disclose.
For a lot of households, that's exactly the appeal: an affordable, thick, familiar decoction for everyday drinking.
Where Gray Cup Sits
Gray Cup treats chicory as optional rather than a cost lever - you choose whether you want it and how much:
- Chicory-optional - go pure Arabica-Robusta if you want more coffee character, or pick a chicory blend if you specifically want that thicker, mellower cup.
- Custom ratio - dial in anywhere from a high-Arabica blend to a traditional 70:30 mix.
- Roasted to order - small batches, not sitting in long retail distribution.
Which One Fits You
If you specifically like a chicory-heavy, budget-friendly filter coffee and don't need to adjust the ratio, a brand like Malgudi serves that need well and is easy to find. If you want to choose exactly how much chicory (if any) goes into your blend, or want a fresher roast, Gray Cup's custom approach is built for that. The chicory-forward budget segment and the custom-ratio segment are simply solving for different things.
Related Reading
Coffee vs Chicory explains exactly what chicory changes in the cup, and Best Filter Coffee Powder in India compares powders more broadly.
Malgudi and Continental lean into an affordable, chicory-forward filter coffee; Gray Cup makes chicory a choice rather than a given, with a ratio and roast date you control. Pick based on whether you want a set budget blend or a customisable one.