Coffee Tea Bags. 5 Easy Caffeine Fixes
Coffee bags have been around for years, yet they've never quite achieved the same widespread popularity as teabags.
Despite this, these convenient brewing solutions are experiencing a renaissance as both independent roasters and commercial brands explore new ways to deliver quality coffee in an easy-to-use format.
Whether it's due to taste preferences or simply because people don't traditionally associate coffee with bag brewing, many brands have tried their hand at coffee bags with varying degrees of success.
However, recent innovations in coffee grinding and packaging technology are changing perceptions.
I first discovered coffee bags during a weekend trip to Cambridge when I'd forgotten my Aeropress filters. Searching for a caffeine fix in our Airbnb, I came across some coffee bags that I initially mistook for instant coffee.
While that particular coffee wasn't exceptional - being both old and of questionable quality - it sparked my interest in the potential of this brewing method.
Now, we're seeing a new wave of specialty coffee brands entering the market with high-quality coffee bags that promise both convenience and flavor. From biodegradable packaging to single-origin beans, these modern coffee bags are a far cry from the hotel room varieties of the past.
| Brand | Pack Sizes | Coffee per Bag | Price Range | Varieties | Biodegradable | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| True Start | 10-100 bags | 8g | ££ | 4 varieties | Yes | Single-origin, Corn starch bags |
| Raw Bean | 10 bags | 12g | ££ | 4 varieties | Not specified | Triangle bags, Single & dual origin |
| The Little Coffee Bag Co | 10-600 bags | 10g | ££ | 3 varieties | Yes (Bio-web) | Individually wrapped |
| Paddy and Scotts | 31-100 bags | 10g | £££ | 2 varieties | Yes | Regular & decaf options |
| Frontline Coffee | 35-50 bags | 10g | ££ | 2 varieties | Not specified | Supports frontline charities |
In many brew methods, you should bloom the coffee first, which means adding a small amount of water and letting the coffee soak it up while releasing CO2. This should be practised when brewing a coffee bag.
Another difference is that coffee soaks up much more water than tea does. This makes the coffee bag rather large as you pull it out of the cup so determining your brew ratio is important.
Although coffee bags up until a few years ago were only really seen in hotel rooms and corporate events, there has been a significant increase in quality products recently.
The undoubted convenience of coffee filter bags alongside the use of coffee grounds rather than instant coffee make it a pretty attractive product.
Here are some of the best coffee bags on the market today;
The 5 Best Coffee Tea Bags Online
Find our top coffee bags in the UK. If your favourite is missing please drop a comment below.
True Start Coffee
TrueStart Coffee is a UK-based coffee company founded in 2015 by Helena and Simon Hills.
The company was born out of their discovery that caffeine levels in coffee vary significantly, which led them to create coffee products with reliable caffeine content that provides energy without crashes or jitters.
Starting with their Barista Grade Instant Coffee, they've expanded to include Cold Brew Coffee, Fresh Coffee beans/grounds, and Coffee Bags.
The company emphasises social responsibility - they're B Corp Certified, Carbon Negative, and run ethical initiatives like partnering with female tailors in Malawi to create bags from used coffee sacks.
Since their humble beginnings at local sporting events, they've grown into a family business that prioritises clean, healthy coffee products while maintaining relationships with independent suppliers and focusing on spreading "positive energy" through their brand.
2. Raw Bean
Capacity: 10 Bags
Bag Size: 12g Coffee
Other Specs: 4 Varieties. Triangle Bags
Price: ££
Raw Bean Coffee was founded by coffee-obsessed Alex Cox who had previously worked for beverage giants such as Twinning and Clipper.
Raw Bean is all about going the extra yard when you are stood in front of the coffee offerings in a supermarket and opting for something more than your average tin or box of coffee.
Raw Bean keep things simple and never steer away from their main mission, which is to encourage fine coffee enthusiasts to politely overlook the well-stacked shelf of perfectly acceptable everyday offerings and instead choose something with a little extra wow!
The coffees that they showcase come from all over the world, the single-origin Bean bag comes from El Salvador while their “Duel Origin” Blend is a mix of Colombian and Guatemalan coffee.
These guys are big on quality when it comes to coffee bags and the end result is pretty close to a coffee you would expect out of a cafetiere.
3. The Little Coffee Bag Co.
Capacity: 10 - 600 Bags
Bag Size: 10g Coffee
Other Specs: 3 Varieties.
Price: ££
The Little Coffee Bag is designed to produce a cafetière style coffee for one, without the need for anything more than boiling water.
Their coffee bags, which are available in three different retail blends, are made from bio-web and contain 10g of oven-roasted ground Arabica coffee.
Each coffee bag is then individually wrapped to maintain freshness.
Each of their blends have been created with real dedication to quality and flavour.
The origin of our coffee beans are carefully chosen to ensure sustainability whilst our state of the art roasting methods ensure consistency.
4. Paddy and Scotts
Capacity: 31 - 100 Bags
Bag Size: 10g Coffee
Other Specs: 2 Varieties.
Price: £££
Paddy and Scotts started launched in 2007 as Paddy and Scott selling freshly roasted coffee out of the boot of their car. They began as a pair of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed coffee-loving entrepreneurs armed with a two-kilo roaster and the foresight that speciality coffee was about to boom in the UK.
After years of building their brand and establishing great relationships throughout the coffee supply chain they now have a huge network of ‘heroes’ that all contribute to the amazing coffee brand that is Paddy and Scotts.
The coffee brewer bags that these guys showcase come in regular and decaf coffee bags. The biodegradable brew bags are easy to compost and the boxes range from 31 bags (enough for 1 month) up to 100 bags.
5. Frontline Coffee
Capacity: 35 - 50 Bags
Bag Size: 10g Coffee
Other Specs: 2 Varieties
Price: ££
Frontline Coffee was founded in 2018. They are a firefighter run and owned coffee company roasting speciality coffee supporting frontline charities.
Their mission is to support frontline charities, financially and through awareness of the services they offer.
They come in boxes of 15 or 50 and have an option to subscribe to weekly deliveries.
They offer two coffee bags, the first a blend from Latin America and the second a single origin Ethiopia - which is interesting to see such a highly prized coffee used as a coffee bag.
▻ Do Coffee Bags Go Bad?
Coffee bags contain coffee grounds while will slowly start to loose flavour through time. Although it does take a while for coffee bags to go bad in a sense of rotting and mould, the taste of the coffee will certainly start to decline after a couple of months after the roast date. Try to always store any type of coffee in coffee storage containers.
▻ Are Coffee Bags Recyclable?
It depends on the brand and the material they use to make the coffee bag. More brands are now using biodegradable coffee bags made out of materials like cornstarch so you can just lob them straight onto the compost pile.
Batch coffee club packaging is 100% compostable and produced by coffee packaging manufacturer MTPak.
▻ When Was the First Coffee Tea Bag Made?
Teabags were introduced in the early 20th Century but it wasn’t until the 1970s until a coffee brand decided to use the bag technology for coffee. The original coffee bags didn’t really catch on though even after another brand took on the idea in the 1980s.
Today you can find coffee brands all over the world putting their own twist on coffee bags.
▻ Where to Buy a Coffee Bag?
Coffee Bags can be purchased from any of the brands above.
Not to be confused with drip bag coffee which is slightly different to coffee bags in that they have a mechanism that sits on top of your cup and opens up creating a makeshift pour-over.
▻ How Much Coffee is in a Coffee Bag?
This varies from brand to brand, it normally ranges from 8g of coffee to 12g of coffee. For comparison a shot of espresso out of your average home semi-automatic espresso machine would use around 18g of coffee.
▻ What is a Coffee Bag for Cold Brew?
These tend to be large cotton bags that hold a large quantity of coarser ground coffee which is required to make cold brew coffee.
▻ Is a Coffee Bag Ground Coffee?
Yes, a coffee bag is essentially ground coffee inside a bag that traps the coffee but releases brewed coffee when added to water.
▻ How to Use a Coffee Tea Bag.
The best way to use a coffee bag is to first place it in your coffee cup. Then pour a small amount of hot water (boil or heat your stovetop kettle and wait 30 seconds) on top of the bag. This is called blooming the coffee and is an important step when making any filter method as the coffee grounds soak up the water and release CO2.
After around 30 seconds pour over the rest of the water filling up your cup. We prefer not to stir the coffee bag but make sure that all of the coffee inside the coffee bag is submerged inside the brew.
After 3 minutes pull out the coffee bag and let the coffee fall from the bag (try not to squeeze as this may result in a bitter-tasting brew.
How Long Does a Coffee Bag Stay Fresh?
The shelf life of a coffee drip bag can vary depending on the type of coffee and the packaging.
Drip coffee bags, also known as pour-over coffee bags, usually have a shelf life of about 6-12 months.
They are similar to tea bags and have a similar packaging, which helps to preserve the coffee's aroma and flavour.
It's important to keep the drip bags in an airtight container and away from light, heat and moisture to extend the shelf life.
It's also worth noting that the coffee will start losing its flavor as soon as it's been roasted, so it's best to use it as soon as possible after the roast date.
Should You Squeeze Coffee Bags?
It is generally not recommended to squeeze coffee drip bags because it can affect the flavour and strength of the coffee.
Squeezing the bag can release bitter compounds and oils that are not meant to be extracted during the brewing process, which can make the coffee taste overly bitter.
Additionally, squeezing the bag can also cause the coffee to be over-extracted, which can lead to a brew that is too strong and overpowering.
It's best to follow the instructions on the coffee drip bag packaging and let the coffee steep for the recommended time before removing the bag.
This will help to ensure that you get the best flavour and strength from your coffee.
