How to Use Coffee Bags
To use a coffee bag, put one bag in a mug, pour on about 230ml of hot water and stir. Leave it for three to five minutes, press the bag against the side of the mug with a spoon, then lift it out. Add milk or sugar if you like. You need nothing else.
This guide is about coffee bags, the single-serve bags of ground coffee that you steep like a tea bag. Drip bags, the paper filters with fold-out ears that hang on the rim of a cup, work differently, and so does an empty coffee bean pouch.
What you need
You need a kettle, a mug, a teaspoon and one coffee bag. The bag is its own filter, so there is no paper to fold and no grinder to wash up afterwards.
How to make coffee with a coffee bag
- Put one coffee bag in your mug.
- Boil the kettle, leave it for a minute, then pour about 230ml (8oz) of water over the bag.
- Give it a stir and leave it to brew for three to five minutes.
- Press the bag against the side of the mug with the back of the spoon, then lift it out.
- Add milk or sugar if you want them.
Each of our coffee bags holds 10g of freshly roasted ground coffee, which is one mug's worth. The minute's wait comes from our coffee brew guide, which aims for water at 91 to 94 degrees centigrade so the coffee is neither over nor under extracted.
How long to brew a coffee bag
Three to five minutes is the range, and where you land in it is your call. Lift the bag out nearer three minutes for a lighter cup. Leave it nearer five, or a little longer, for a stronger one. We would start at four minutes, taste it, and move from there.
Packs on the shelf disagree, some saying two minutes and some five, because the bags differ in fill weight, grind and water temperature. Our post on why coffee bag brew times differ goes through it.
How much water and how many coffee bags
Use one bag for one mug. With 10g of coffee in about 230ml of water you get roughly 43g of coffee per litre, so the amount of water does a lot of the work. Pour on less for a stronger cup and more for a milder one.
Mugs vary more than you would think. Measure 230ml once, with a jug or the markings on your kettle, and see where it comes up in your favourite mug. Then you know where to stop pouring.
Fixing a weak or bitter coffee bag
If your coffee bag is weak
Check the water first. A mug that holds much more than 230ml will water the coffee down, so measure it. Water that has gone cold will under-extract the coffee too, so pour soon after your minute is up. Then give the bag the full five minutes and press it hard against the side of the mug. Still light? Pour on less next time.
If your coffee bag is bitter
That points the other way: the coffee has had too long, too little water or water that was too hot. Leave the kettle for its minute and lift the bag out a minute sooner. If a cup is weak and bitter at the same time, look at the water itself. Our post on the best water for brewing coffee says distilled water can do that and suggests filtered water that keeps some minerals.
Coffee bags to try
We make two coffee bags, both medium roast and both roasted here at West Berkshire Roastery. Bags of Gold is strength 3 out of 5, with notes of chocolate and caramel. Simmer Down Decaf is a Swiss Water Process decaf from Cajamarca in Peru, with notes of vanilla fudge and caramelised biscuit. You will find both in our coffee bags collection. We suggest a ten-pack first, to see whether the format suits you.
If you would rather grind and brew your own, that guide covers the other methods too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you leave a coffee bag in the water?
Leave it in for three to five minutes. Closer to three gives a lighter cup and closer to five a stronger one, and you can go longer if you like your coffee bold. Our bags hold 10g of ground coffee, brewed in about 230ml of hot water. Press the bag against the mug before lifting it out.
Do you squeeze a coffee bag?
Yes, press the bag against the side of the mug with a spoon before you lift it out. That squeezes the last of the flavour out of the grounds. The bag will be hot, so let it cool on a spoon or saucer before you throw it away. Do not squeeze it by hand straight from the mug.
How much water do you use for a coffee bag?
About 230ml for one coffee bag. Our bags hold 10g of ground coffee, so that works out at roughly 43g per litre. Use a little less water for a stronger cup or a little more for a milder one. Measure it once, because mugs hold more than they look like they do.
Should the water be boiling when you pour it on a coffee bag?
Boil the kettle, then leave it for a minute before you pour. Our brew guide aims for 91 to 94 degrees centigrade, because water that is too hot over-extracts the coffee and water that is too cold under-extracts it. Pour about 230ml over the bag, stir, and brew for three to five minutes.
