Water is an essential element of life. Why? Because without water, you cannot brew coffee. All the different methods of brewing coffee require water in one way or another. Today, we will be talking about an intelligent coffee brewing method, that is, by using coffee drip bags.
Are you tired of instant coffee? Do you want to enjoy home brewed, delicious coffee in your busy life without going through the holy ritual of brewing? Then, coffee bags are here for you!
But first, let’s get to know what drip bag coffee is and how it can fulfill your day-to-day coffee needs.
What Are Coffee Bags?
Many questions come in when I mention coffee bags. Like: there are coffee brew bags like tea bags? What do they taste like? Are they instant coffee? Is it worth the money? Why isn’t the idea as typical as teabag? So let’s clear them all up.
Coffee bags are just cooler tea bags since there is coffee instead of tea in the bags.
Coffee bags are the way to go when you’re in a hurry in the office, outside, or even at home. You get to taste a nice cup of brewed coffee without spending extra time after the brewing method.
Coffee bags are single-use, and of course, really easy to carry. Whether a household party, camping trip, or a coffee convention, a coffee bag is always handy in times of your caffeine needs, providing authentic coffee.
How Are Coffee Bags Made?
Like teabags, a drip coffee filter bag is made of biodegradable, non-woven fabric filter paper. The bag is then filled with roasted coffee beans of fine grinds of your choice.
There are different drip coffee bags available such as Arabica, decaf, etc., but the most common coffee bag ingredients are dark roast coffee grounds.
Each bag contains about 7-9 grams of coffee ground, depending on the brand and coffee varieties. First, the filled bags are heat-sealed. Then the bags are packed and nitro-sealed to keep the freshness intact. The bags can be of various shapes, including square, round, and square, with three sides-sealed.
These shapes allow you to extract the most flavor out of each bag. Now you can serve or enjoy freshly brewed coffee without needing to gather mad barista skills!
Taste Profile
Having a cup of coffee made using a coffee bag will give you Deja Brew because it tastes the same as cups of coffee brewed using a percolator or filter.
You can modify the flavor and strength of the brew by adjusting the amount of water and time of steeping. The longer you steep, the stronger and super-rich coffee you get.
Types Of Coffee Bags
Coffee bags come in different styles to meet your needs. Let’s get introduced to a few of them.
Pachit
This is the most popular drip bag available on the market, which started the whole coffee bag hype. These bags originated in Japan around the 90s.
Pachit bags are the easiest to use, making them the go-to choice for coffee bag lovers. The bag is held up on the side of the cup. The coffee steeps into the water when water is poured, preparing your brew.
VFR
VFR is a more stable coffee bag held up on 3 points in the cup, also known as the “hanging coffee bag.” The wide mouth of the bag allows you to pour water in a circular motion, letting you ensure your brew is just right.
Round Type
Round type bags are simple round bags with an open mouth to pour water in to steep the coffee. First, you place the bag in the middle of the cup. Then you let the water seep through the bag into the cup.
Conic
As the name suggests, this coffee bag is more of a conic shape. The design is based on a classic filter dripper. You don’t need a dripper to use with this coffee bag type, either.
Conic coffee bags ensure the best quality of the brew through the filter, and just like the others, it’s easy to use.
Brewing With Coffee Bags
The perfect brew is always time-consuming. With coffee bags, the brewing becomes completely hassle-free. You don’t need to deal with any coffee brewing equipment and the difficulties of cleaning the grinds away.
Just add hot water to the coffee bag. Stir a little and wait a few minutes (3-5 mins). Then, squeeze and dispose of the bag and enjoy your fresh brew!
You can add milk or sugar to your preference. You can also make cold brew coffee with coffee bags. Add cold water instead of hot water, and you’re good to go.
Having fun Nomies? Check out our piece on cold brew coffee.
Are Coffee Bags A Big Thing?
Coffee bags are nothing trendy or new. Coffee bags have been around since the late 80s/early 90s. But it’s currently resurfacing in the market due to ease of access.
Every coffee lover wants to enjoy the best coffee cup they can brew. But, unfortunately, instant coffee is considered a disappointment among most coffee aficionados.
What better way to enjoy coffee that takes as little time as instant coffee to make but has the exquisite flavor of fine ground and brewed coffee? The answer is, of course, coffee bags.
Coffee bags make it easy for people with less experience with coffee grinding or machines to enjoy a refined taste of coffee within a short time.
Instant coffee became popular because it saves time. Coffee bags are returning because they save time while providing a more refined coffee experience than instant coffee, making coffee products more lucrative and accessible with memorable flavors.
And by the looks of the current market, this isn’t a momentary hype that will die away anytime soon. Coffee bags are here to stay.
Are Coffee Bags Worth the Money?
Coffee bags are convenient to use, saving you both cooking time and effort.
If you are an instant coffee drinker, it’s easier for you to switch to coffee bags if you don’t have brewing equipment or the experience needed to get the best out of them. But, there is a catch.
Though it sounds like a great deal, coffee bags can still cost quite a lot compared to regular instant coffee. For example, per ounce of coffee costs $4, while regular ground coffee costs less than $1 per ounce. Yet, the high cost may be worth it. Think about all the hassles it takes away. Time is money, after all.
Are you still worried about the cost? Why not take the DIY route to cut it down a bit?
DIY Coffee Bags
You can get a bit creative and create your own crafted ground coffee bags at home. The best part of it all? You can create single-serve coffee bags just from household items.
Here’s how you make DIY coffee bags:
- Take filter paper or a cheesecloth
- Cut the paper/ cloth into a bag-like shape
- Put your preferred coffee ground inside
- Seal the paper bag with a stapler or by sewing stitches
Don’t be upset if the bag doesn’t look fancy. Practice makes us all perfect in time.
Learn more from our piece on how to save money on coffee.
Downsides Of Coffee Drip Bags
There are 2 sides to every coin. Though coffee bags can be an easily accessible way for you to have your daily fix of caffeine without extra hassle, there are a few demerits to coffee bags.
Cost
The first significant setback in coffee bags is the cost, as we discussed earlier. Though it saves you time to ground your coffee from scratch to have a cup, it can also cost a lot of your hard-earned money, which doesn’t fare well in the long run.
No Control Over The Amount
When using a coffee bag, you can’t control the amount of coffee that gets mixed into your cup since a fixed amount is already sealed inside the bag you are using. And this is a common complaint about drip coffee from coffee lovers that can make your coffee taste awful.
Let’s say a bag contains 10 mg of caffeine. If you want more, you can always dip another extra bag in the mix but have the risk of the coffee getting too dark. And if you want less, you can’t reduce the number of beans in the bag (unless you know magic, that is).
Coffee Bag Vs. Instant Coffee
While coffee bags and instant coffee both being convenient coffee options, they both have their pros and cons.
Instant coffee is also an easy option for fuss-free coffee life. So, why do we need coffee bags? Well, coffee bags are superior to instant coffee in taste and quality. Instant coffee is already brewed concentrated liquid that has been dehydrated and made into crystals. Therefore, it tastes different from a freshly brewed cup.
On the other hand, the coffee bag is closest to the freshly ground beans. The taste gives you the same feeling as you ground the beans yourself. Coffee bags taste like authentic coffee made from refined coffee beans without the extra hassle.
Instant coffee is mainly made of cheap Robusta blends. But you can enjoy the barista-style flavor and aroma from premium quality coffee bags. Also, the coffee bags are environmentally-friendly since the bags are biodegradable. So, you can enjoy your morning brew free of guilt.
Had fun reading? You’ll love to read our piece on colombian coffee.
Bottom Line
Despite having a few downsides, coffee bags are still pretty popular worldwide for coffee lovers who are looking to get the best of their morning cup of coffee without wasting much time to perfect it. An even better way to use coffee bags is to make them part of your coffee travel kit.
Are coffee bags available in your part of the world? If they are, how was your experience with them?
FAQs
Coffee drip bags are becoming more and more popular because of their convenience factor. It has a bright future. Coffee bags may become as common as tea bags in the future.
Both coffee bags and instant coffee provide a convenient option. But coffee bags come with great taste and flavor also. That is why single-serve bags are superior to instant coffee.
Yes, for whoever wants an easy solution for a busy life, single-serving coffee bags are a great solution. With coffee bags, the brewing becomes faster and completely hassle-free. No coffee machines and equipment cleaning are needed.
Ideal coffee bags are made of biodegradable, non-woven fiber filter papers. Since your drink doesn’t get any pollution from the package, they are the safest, and you can recycle them easily after use.
Single-serve coffee bags are the bags that you can only use for one full mug of coffee and serve once. The coffee grounds present in the bag lose their flavor and value after making a single brew using the said bag.
