BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Welcome to Apurva Mali - ECPv6.2.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Welcome to Apurva Mali X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://apurvamali.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Welcome to Apurva Mali REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Asia/Kolkata BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0530 TZOFFSETTO:+0530 TZNAME:IST DTSTART:20230101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20231116T080000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20231116T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20231116T071238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231116T095430Z UID:10000016-1700121600-1700154000@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:The more I enjoy coffee the less I drink.. DESCRIPTION:I began my journey with speciality coffee with the ‘more is better’ approach. I had to limit myself to 3 cups since the 4th one around 3 PM was incredibly tempting. \n\n\n\nA year and a half later\, I enjoy that one double expresso before 11 AM because I have realised what coffee is supposed to do and what it’s not. Coffee helps with Caffeine/dopamine hit\, focus\, concentration\, enjoying the process\, amazing taste in my mouth and overall alertness through the workdayCoffee does not help make up for Lack of sleep\, lack of motivation and an overall messed up routine. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/the-more-i-enjoy-coffee-the-less-i-drink/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230929T080000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230929T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230929T105901Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230929T110144Z UID:10000015-1695974400-1696006800@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Green Tea versus Coffee DESCRIPTION:Green tea has been increasingly taking up space in my early morning routine for several obvious reasons. Green tea with much lower caffeine is a gentle and caring nudge to wake me up compared to the strong kick from coffee. And there are the perceived benefits of green tea\, ranging from a calm mind to weight loss\, digestion and whatever else you’re willing to believe..I typically wait 90 minutes after waking up for my first green tea\, usually a ceremonial-grade matcha. It is followed immediately by pure green tea\, either a commercial Lipton tea bag or Chinese tea leaves from a speciality tea store. The consumption of green tea and the moderate amounts of caffeine from it has reduced my consumption of coffee. It is usually one expresso daily\, from the earlier 2-3 coffees. One does not replace the other; both find their places in my morning routine. And I have an 11 a.m. cut-off for both. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDetails\n \n\n\n\n\nDetails\n \n\n\n\n\nDetails\n \n\n\n\n\nDetails\n \n\n\n\n\nDetails\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDetails URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/green-tea-versus-coffee/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/is-green-tea-better-or-coffee_551be9856eb6b_w1500.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230925T080000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230925T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230925T091401Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230925T091402Z UID:10000014-1695628800-1695661200@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Colombian Experimental Anaerobic DESCRIPTION:Here’s what the website and coffee packets say :Processed in an experimental anaerobic natural and dried in proprietary drying chambers. Expect notes of stone fruit\, white fruits\, tropical fruits and caramelHow I prepared it :Using an Aeropress. 17 grams in\, 190 ml out.And what I experienced: A smooth filter coffee. The beans smell like spices\, and the coffee tastes balanced with no overwhelming fruity (sour) or chocolatey (bitter) taste. And nothing too distinct yet for my taste buds..Would I order it again? Perhaps not. It’s not bad\, but not special for me either.. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/colombian-experimental-anaerobic/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_6070-scaled.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230918T080000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230918T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230918T071058Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230918T071100Z UID:10000013-1695024000-1695056400@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Overwhelmed with choices !! DESCRIPTION:If you’re into specialty coffee and live in Dubai\, the choices for the range of coffee beans seem unlimited. Various roasteries offer specialty roasted coffee beans from across the world. They range from the run-of-the-mill Brazilian to some super exotic South American and Yemeni varieties. They are typically sold in packets of 250 grams. One expresso takes up 18 grams of it. A filter coffee made with the Hario V60 would require 15 grams.As a single home consumer with an appetite for roughly 35 grams daily\, getting the best experience often involves having not more than 3 packets of 250 grams each.I have often ended up with too many expensive coffee bean packets which lose flavour with time\, or been left with only one that I dont particularly enjoy. The Solution.I keep 3 packets in rotation. \n\n\n\nTwo of those three have to be the flavours I enjoy\, and the third one leaves room for experimentation – and training my taste buds to appreciate the heavy cacao notes\, or the super floral ones\, that are in the process of getting ‘acquired’ by my taste buds. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/overwhelmed-with-choices/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Coffee_Flavours_by_Region_1024x1024.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230912T100000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230912T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230912T112242Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230912T112244Z UID:10000012-1694512800-1694516400@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Second Cup of coffee DESCRIPTION:Wake up. Do other stuff while thinking about the morning coffee. 120 minutes since wake up time\, and I’m primed and ready for that perfect double expresso by 0945. Coffee done and I’m dopamine-innated. If there’s such a word. I was pretty sure about another one at 11AM to keep me going all day. Expresso would be overkill and take roughly 10 minutes to prepare. I turned to the ever-reliable Swiss*made Jura Z6. One button press\, 15 seconds and a pretty diluted 45 ml result appears. It does the job just right. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/second-cup-of-coffee/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/images.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230910T100000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230910T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230910T064733Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230910T065027Z UID:10000011-1694340000-1694343600@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Sunday coffee - To have or not? DESCRIPTION:I’ve started drinking proper strong coffee since the age of 21. And it has usually been associated with various forms of ‘getting up’ and ‘gearing up’. I need to be charged up for that critical university exam\, the work day\, and the hangover day. And with that understanding\, a relaxing Sunday would require me to relax and not consume coffee – the very drink I associated with ‘getting moving’.That’s until I got into speciality coffee. You see\, it’s more than just caffeine and its associated effects. The taste of coffee\, the ritual involved in preparing the cup. This morning\, 10 September 2023\, on a Sunday\, I found preparing that special expresso with my own blend\, equally relaxing. I guess it’s not work if there is joy and satisfaction in the process. And the 150 miligrams of caffeine..yeah\, that’s happiness too 🙂 URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/sunday-coffee-to-have-or-not/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/f2473110372879b7c596328715ed5f45-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230908T093000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230908T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230908T054441Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230908T054443Z UID:10000010-1694165400-1694170800@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Dubai's Best Coffee Roasters DESCRIPTION:There’s approximately 500 coffee roasters in Dubai offering specialty coffee beans. I’ve tried maybe 50 of them\, mostly in the Al Quoz industrial area\, and these are my favourites 1) Cypher : Limited range. Prices are affordable compared to others. I absolutely love their Yemeni coffees from QIMA \n\n\n\n2) Three Coffee : No one does marketing and colour-coded branding like them. I would especially order the extra special filter coffees for V60 pour overs. They’re particularly good with South American origins. \n\n\n\n3) The Barn Dubai : Coffee beans roasted in Germany and shipped here? That’s ridiculous I thought! Until I tried that perfect Expresso bean\, which has notes of sweet caramel and Orange. Located inside a park next to an Ice Cream shop. \n\n\n\n4) Falcon : Wide range. Affordable and discounts available on larger purchases. Decent quality and taste. \n\n\n\n5) Expresso Lab : When I first fell in love with Yemen-expresso from their Dubai Design District cafe. Pricey\, premium and worth trying ! URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/dubais-best-coffee-roasters/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Image-08-09-2023-at-9.25-AM.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230906T100000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230906T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230906T062558Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230906T062559Z UID:10000009-1693994400-1693998000@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:5 steps to a great caffeine hit DESCRIPTION:Wake up\, mix instant coffee and wake up again with Coffee ? There are procedures to be followed for the best caffeine hit. The steps are as follows :1) Ensure you have a good night’s sleep – 7 to 8 hours2) No food and no caffeine for the first 120 minutes after waking up3) The body is well hydrated and ready to take on strong coffee. Vitamins have already been consumed for the day. Did you know coffee depletes magnesium from the body?4) Absence of stimuli – Lack of loud sounds\, smell and other such stimuli. Focus on coffee getting inside my mouth and into my bloodstream5) Phone on silent – Dont need any distractions in the form of calls or messages during the important process of preparing and consuming the 36 grams of expresso goldAfter following the above steps\, a black coffee of choosing is prepared and consumed without sugar. And without any food. The end result is the perfect dopamine hit. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/5-steps-to-a-great-caffeine-hit/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MoltenLavaEspresso_1024.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230904T073000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230904T113000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230904T102118Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230904T102118Z UID:10000008-1693812600-1693827000@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Caffeine Limit Achieved DESCRIPTION:The caffeine consumption today involved 1) 180mg Caffeine : 2.5 grams Matcha drink2) 200 mg Caffeine : Double Expresso 36 grams \n\n\n\n3) 100mg : Filter Coffee made with V60 Pourover URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/caffeine-limit-achieved/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-04-at-2.04.20-PM.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230901T100000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230901T103000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230901T083437Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230904T071504Z UID:10000006-1693562400-1693564200@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:A Friday Bombe Expresso DESCRIPTION:Rating : 3.8/5\n\n\n\n\n\nOne of the more popular expressos around..It comes from the Ethiopian ‘Bombe’ village region. Has the makings of a very good straight-up expresso. One double shot at 10:30 AM today is enough to get me through the day. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/a-friday-bombe-expresso/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_5483-scaled.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230831T100000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230831T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230901T094821Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230904T094555Z UID:10000007-1693476000-1693479600@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Kenyan Matuda coffee (Fruitbomb) DESCRIPTION:ThreeCoffee Roasters groups this coffee\, Kenya Matunda\, under their Fruitbomb series. It is a welcome break from either the nutty Brazilian or classical Bombe-type Ethiopian Expresso. Very good experience. Fruity mouthfeel and yet is not overwhelming. \n\n\n\nAt 1130\, it was decision-making time. Do I go for my 2nd expresso? I decided against it. One matcha and one double Ex are enough to keep me going for the rest of August.Fruity Expresso = ‘palate-cleanser’ for Expresso lovers? URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/kenyan-matuda-coffee-fruitbomb/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_5442-scaled.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230830T120000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230830T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230830T064844Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T074151Z UID:10000003-1693396800-1693396800@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Flirting with the Flair DESCRIPTION:It was a regular Sunday morning – Except that..I had to make trial shots using the Flair58+ for the first time. \n\n\n\nIt took me only four bad shots to figure out the right grind size and technique. Some Italian dark roast was sacrificed in the process. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/flirting-with-the-flair/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/expresso-Disaster.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230826T120000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20230826T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T013125 CREATED:20230825T145937Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T075609Z UID:10000002-1693051200-1693051200@apurvamali.com SUMMARY:Welcome Flair DESCRIPTION:Saturday is a family day out\, and I got a call from the UPS courier guy. The Flair 58+ had arrived straight from its website in the US ! 2 days earlier than expected! Dreams do come true\, and faster\, if they run on caffeine 🙂 Drove from the other end of Sheikh Zayed Road to meet the UPS delivery guy. I was slightly bummed to pay an additional $120 for the customs fees. Did a quick assembly with child-like excitement and nervous energy. Bedtime reading was that Flair coffee manual with links to some YouTube videos. Went to bed with some mental rehearsal of making that shot the following morning. URL:https://apurvamali.com/coffee-diaries/demo-coffee/ LOCATION:Dubai ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://apurvamali.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ahgasd.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR