What Are Coffee Bags?
Coffee bags are single-serve bags of ground coffee that you steep in a mug of hot water, the way you would a tea bag. The bag is the filter, so you need a mug and a kettle and nothing else. Each of our coffee bags holds 10g of freshly roasted coffee. If you have only met the name on a supermarket shelf, this page covers what is inside a coffee bag and what it costs.
The name is slippery. Steeped bags are also sold as infusion bags or even as a coffee filter bag, and in the coffee trade the term can mean coffee packaging, the pouches and packaging bags that whole coffee beans are sold in. Nobody steeps a bean sack. A drip coffee bag is something else again: a paper filter with fold-out ears that hangs on the rim of a cup while you pour water through it. Drip bags are for pouring and coffee bags are for steeping.
How do coffee bags work?
A coffee bag works by immersion. Hot water gets through the porous bag, pulls flavour from the freshly ground coffee inside and drains back into the mug while the coffee grounds stay put. Press the bag against the side of the mug, lift it out, and the only thing left to wash is the mug. It is a way to brew coffee without a grinder or filter paper, and you never handle a single coffee bean.
Our method in one line: one bag, about 230ml (8oz) of freshly boiled water, a stir, three to five minutes, then press and lift out. The coffee brew guide covers the other ways we like to make coffee at home.
Most people already know the routine from tea bags. A tea bag holds leaves and a coffee bag holds ground coffee, but the steps are the same: bag in the mug, water on, wait, lift it out, just as you would with a tea bag. Tea bags and coffee bags even look alike, apart from what is inside. Most UK kitchens already have the kit, and a box of tea bags in the cupboard to prove it.
Coffee bags also sit between the other single-serve options. Instant coffee is a dissolved powder, which is why it is quick. A coffee bag is real ground coffee that you brew, so you wait a few minutes and get freshly brewed coffee. Coffee pods need a machine and capsules to match. Instant coffee sachets and pods win on speed, and a bag wins on needing nothing but a kettle. Coffee connoisseurs may sniff at the format, and I see why: a bag will not match a V60 in practised hands. For a desk or a campsite it does the job.
Why do coffee bag brew times differ?
Packs on the shelf tell you to brew for anything from two to five minutes. That looks like a disagreement until you check what is inside. Immersion brewing depends on how much coffee is in the bag, how finely it is ground, how hot the water is and how long it sits, so a bag that says two minutes and one that says four are describing different products. Fill weight varies too: the coffee brands we have looked at put roughly 7.5g to 10g in a bag.
Our coffee bag holds 10g. With about 230ml of freshly boiled water, we say three to five minutes, and longer if you like a stronger cup. Lifting the bag out sooner gives a lighter one. Pressing it against the side of the mug before you remove it squeezes out the last of the flavour.
Which coffee is in our coffee bags?
We make two, both medium roast, both speciality coffee and both roasted here at West Berkshire Roastery, like the rest of our coffee products.
Bags of Gold
Bags of Gold is a medium roast, strength 3 out of 5, made from our signature small-batch roasts. The tasting notes are chocolate and caramel.
Simmer Down Decaf
Simmer Down Decaf is a decaf coffee from Cajamarca, a high-altitude region in northern Peru. It is a single origin, washed and medium roasted, with vanilla fudge, caramelised biscuit and a touch of hazelnut in the cup. The caffeine comes out with the Swiss Water Process, which uses water, temperature and time rather than chemical solvents.
What are coffee bags made of?
The bag itself is a porous filter material, and brands use different ones, including paper and plant-based mesh. Check the pack if it matters to you. Our brew bags come in recyclable packaging, and the inner bag in Bags of Gold is compostable. The product pages have the details for each one.
Are coffee bags more expensive than ground coffee?
Per cup, usually yes. Individual coffee bags cost more because you are paying for the portioning and the bag as well as the coffee, and brewing coffee from a bag of fresh ground coffee in a cafetière is cheaper. What the extra money buys is convenience: no grinder and almost no washing up.
Ours cost about 70p a bag in a pack of 10 (£6.95), about 69p in a pack of 30 (£20.55) and about 40p in the 300-bag box (£119.95). Supermarket bags generally cost less per bag than that. If you are not sure the format suits you, I would try a ten-pack before buying the bulk box. And if you would rather grind your own, we sell whole coffee beans too, plus cold brew coffee beans if cold brew is your thing.
How long do coffee bags stay fresh?
Ground coffee loses flavour and aroma faster than whole bean coffee, so the date matters. Look for the roast date on the box. Unopened, our bags keep for around six months from that date. Once a box is open, use the bags within four to six weeks and keep them resealed somewhere cool, dry and out of direct light. Decaf coffee loses its edge a little faster than regular coffee after opening, so a small pack beats stockpiling. Fresh coffee is the point of the format, so buy the size you will get through.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of coffee bags?
Coffee bags give you quality coffee with only a mug and a kettle. There is no grinder or machine to clean, and each bag is a measured single serve. They sit between instant and brewing from scratch. Quicker than a cafetière, and a lot more flavour than a spoonful of granules.
Are coffee bags real coffee?
Yes, it is proper coffee. A coffee bag holds roasted coffee that has been ground, the same thing you would put in a cafetière or filter machine. It is not freeze-dried or spray-dried like instant powder. The bag acts as the filter, so the grounds stay inside and you lift the bag out when the brew is done.
Are coffee bags better than coffee pods?
It depends what is in your kitchen. Pods need a compatible machine and the right capsules, while a coffee bag needs a mug and a kettle. Pods are quicker once the machine is warm. A bag takes three to five minutes, and you can use it anywhere there is hot water.
What are coffee bags best for?
Anywhere you want convenience without kit, such as a desk or a campsite with a stove. All you need is a mug and hot water. Boxes of bags also make small gifts for coffee lovers, and at home they suit the mornings when you want a good cup without getting the grinder out.
