Best Instant Kadha Mix Powder Brands in India – Mishry

Kadhas are not just meant for sick days when you want to soothe a raging cold or cough. They are said to improve our immunity using natural ingredients which is why their use increased by a huge margin during the pandemic. 

Packaged kadhas are a boon for those who live alone or do not have the time to tediously collect ingredients and simmer up a cup everyday.

After testing five kadha powders and two ‘tea’ bags, we chose Zandu Ayush Kwatch Ghan (Mishry Top Pick – Unsweetened) as the best instant kadha mix powder brands in India. For those looking for a sweeter kadha mix, Octavius Kadha is our Top Pick (Sweetened). In the tea bag section, Vahdam Teas Vedic Kadha emerged as a clear winner. All our picks have clean ingredient lists and taste the best in our line-up of kadhas. 

21 Immune-Boosting Indian Foods That should be in Your Diet

A table comparing all the brands we reviewed to find the best kadha mix and bag brands – 

What were we looking for? We wanted a conveniently packed kadha mix/bag that not only has a clean ingredient list, but is also tasty.

To find the best instant kadha mix powder brands, we chose to test and rate them on the following parameters. 

1. Ingredient List + Nutritional Information

A kadha is supposed to have natural ingredients that help enhance our immune system and soothe aggravated symptoms of cold and cough. While there is no way with which we can gauge the efficacy of a product made using ayurvedic ingredients, we checked for the ingredients the kadha is made of. What are the Top 5 ingredients? 

Does it contain any preservatives and unwanted additives? Does it contain sugar? If yes, what is the sugar source? 

2. Flavor

What’s the point of a packaged kadha if it tastes bad? We understand that kadhas aren’t supposed to taste like your favorite candy, but they shouldn’t taste off-putting either. We were looking for the best tasting kadha in the line-up we chose to review.

3. Price – Value For Money

How are the kadha mixes and bags priced? Are they priced competitively? If priced higher than the competition, does the quality of product justify it? Is the kadha mix/bag value for money? 

4. Overall Experience 

Under this umbrella category we compared the brands for their packaging, aroma and ease of preparation.

• Packaging – Single-use sachets that are easy to carry? Stirrers included? How travel friendly is the packaging? When inspecting the bags, we checked for staple pins and the quality of the tea bag. Is the ratio of size of bag and contents in sync?
• Ease of preparation – Is warm water all you need to prepare the kadhas or is there more to it? Do they mix well in warm water (powders)? 
• Aroma – An inviting fresh, herby aroma is what we were looking for. What are the other herbs and spices we can smell the most?

Our kadha brands were divided into two categories – 

• Kadha mix (powders): This category had 5 contenders. 
• Kadha tea bags: This category had 2 contenders.

A detailed review of all the kadha mixes we tried. In this section we discuss the product details, our testing method, pros, and cons.

How did we test this? Firstly we conducted an inspection where we observed the packaging and labels for the ingredients, price and contents of the tea bag/kadha mix.

Then, we tested the kadha mixes and tea bags as per the instructions given on the pack. The brewing time, amount of water were all as per the brand specifications.

Our taste test revealed our Top Picks in both categories.

Mishry’s experience – From the type of packaging to the fresh, quality ingredients used – everything worked in favor of Vahdam’s Vedic Kadha. This is not a bitter-tasting kadha and all the ingredients work together beautifully to make a soothing, warming cup.

Taste wise, notes of raw turmeric along with black pepper are the most prominent followed by tulsi and ginger. The flavor of clove is noticeable and gives a mild kick at the back of your throat. We appreciate the fact that there is no added sugar. Although you can add some natural sweetener to it, it is not needed.

Did you know that the presence of pepper helps maximize the absorption of curcumin in our body?

What you should know – Vahdam Teas Vedic Kadha is priced at Rs 199/- for a box of 15 sachets (Rs 13/- for each sachet). Each sachet is individually wrapped and holds 2 grams of the ingredients. The shelf life of the product is 24 months. The pyramid-shaped nylon mesh bag is staple-free. We liked the ratio of the bag size and ingredients as this leaves room for the ingredients to swell up and release their aroma and flavor to their full potential. Ingredients like turmeric, ginger, pepper, tulsi, and amla are used. Apart from these cumin oil, cloves, ajwain and fennel is used as well.

Mishry’s experience – The light beige granules of this kadha mix dissolve in warm water seamlessly. Octavius is a tasty, soothing kadha that contains sugar. For those who prefer adding sweeteners to their cup of kadha, this is the best one out there. The clean ingredient list, herby aroma and fresh flavors are what made this kadha the best amongst the contenders we tested. The mild sourness that comes from amla makes its presence felt.

For some the sweetness may feel a bit overwhelming, especially because you do not expect a kadha to be sweet. You expect bitter flavors. Octavius does a fab job of making a good-tasting kadha premix.

The addition of sugar might be an issue for those who need a kadha without any sweetener. For them, we suggest that you pick our unsweetened winner.

Product information – Octavius’s Kadha Mix comes in a carton with 30 single-use sachets and is priced at Rs 300/-. Each sachet contains 4 grams of the granule-like mix. It is best used before 24 months. Ingredients like Gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), Kalmegh (Green chiretta), Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Guduchi (Heart-leaved moonseed), and Amla are used to make this mix. Other ingredients like kali mirch (pepper), Yestimadhu (liquorice/mulethi), kankol (tailed pepper), dalchini, haridra, and vasa are also used. This is a sweetened mix and contains – madhu (honey) and sugar.

Mishry’s experience – A kadha mix with a very clean ingredient list, no added sweeteners, or preservatives. Zandu’s kadha tastes very refreshing and has a spicy-peppery hit which comes from dried ginger powder. It also has sweet-warming notes of cinnamon and herby astringency of tulsi. Even without the addition of any sweetener, the kadha tastes nice.

Product information – Zandu’s kadha mix is priced at Rs 300/- and contains 30 sachets. Each sachet contains 600 mg of the ash-colored powder mix (fine granules). The shelf life of the product is 24 months. It is made using ingredients like tusli, twak, sunthi, and marica. You can add lemon, jaggery or honey to enhance the taste.

Even though the list of immunity-boosting ingredients are plenty, Dabur’s hot sip did not win because it contains a preservative. Moreover, the kadha tasted a bit over-sweetened. That said, the fresh herby flavors of the kadha were appreciated. 

Product Information – Dabur’s Hot Sip is priced at Rs 300/- for a 30 sachet box. Each sachet holds 4 grams of the kadha mix. The shelf life of the product is 18 months. The top 5 ingredients include Dhanyaka, Maricha, Vasa, Shweta Jiraka, and Shankhpushpi. It also contains Potassium Sorbate I.P. as a preservative.

Priced at Rs 199/- for a box that contains 20 sachets. Each sachet holds 4 grams of the granulated powder mix. It is best used before 18 months from the date of manufactures. Ingredients like Tulsi, Sunthi, Manuka, Nimbu, Amla and Ashwagandha make it to the top amongst the 14 ingredients used. It uses a preservative called Potassium Sorbate.

Saffola’s Immuniveda Kadha did not win because of two major reasons – it has a preservative and the sweetness is on the higher side. Although the ingredient list has lots of immunity-boosting herbs and spices, the presence of a preservative (even if it’s approved) is a bit unwanted. We have a brand that provides a tastier kadha with a cleaner ingredient list.

Mishry’s experience – Neuherbs Kadha Tea did not win for several reasons. The first major drawback being the use of staple pins on the bag. Secondly, this contains added flavor (lemon). Taste wise, the kadha is herby and soothing. But the flavor of lemon is not intense or doesn’t enhance the overall kadha flavor. So the whole point of adding extra flavors falls flat. Why add it in the first place? 

Product information – Priced at Rs 195/- for a box that contains 25 tea bags. The shelf life of Neuherbs kadha tea is 18 months. Ingredients like Tulsi, Cinnamon, Ginger, cardamom, black pepper, and turmeric make it to the top. It contains added flavours (natural and nature identical flavouring substances).

Cure Kadha did not win our review because of the ingredient list. The second ingredient used is cornstarch which seems like an oddball amongst all the immunity-boosting ingredients we expect in a kadha. Apart from that it contains a preservative and an emulsifier. Taste wise the kadha has a herby tone along with a peppery spiciness that hits the back of your throat.

Cure Kadha is priced at Rs 199/- for a box that contains 20 sachets. Each sachet holds 4 grams of the mix. The product should be best consumed before 12 months from the date of manufactures.

Our winners were from three categories – kadha bags, kadha mix with sweetener, and kadha mix unsweetened. 

We chose Zandu Ayush Kwatch Ghan as our Top Pick (Without sugar) in the kadha mix section. For those who prefer sweetened kadhas, we chose Octavius Kadha as our Top Pick (With Sweetener). Vahdam Teas Vedic Kadha was chosen as our Top Pick in the tea bag category. 

Within their category they tasted the best, had the cleanest ingredient list and owing to the quality they offered, were value for money.

Here are some interesting FAQs on best instant kadha mix powder brands.

Packaged kadhas that taste good and offer lots of convenience. Our Top Picks include Zandu, Octavius and Vahdam Teas!

We picked three winners during our kadha review for their clean ingredient list, fresh, herby taste and aroma. We also feel that their pricing was in sync with the quality offered.

Do you prepare kadha at home or are store-bought ones your preference?

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.