Coffee Bags – The Ultimate Shopping Guide For Convenience
Coffee lovers have followed in the footsteps of tea enthusiasts with the use of coffee bags. By coffee bags, we’re referring to coffee steep bags like tea bags, not the bags used to hold your coffee beans.
Is brewing a cup of delicious coffee now as easy as adding hot water? Can you skip all the expensive fancy equipment? Let’s find out in this ultimate shopping guide to the best coffee bags.
At A Glance:
- TOP PICK: Folgers Medium Roast
- BUDGET PICK: Taylors Of Harrogate
- Best Single Origin: Moliendo Kenya AA Muranga
The 6 Best Coffee Steep Bags In 2023
Brewing coffee with fresh coffee beans is reliably delicious, but it can be tedious. For this reason, coffee bags and other single-serve brewing methods are growing in popularity, according to industry experts (1).
Consumer demand shifted from brewing a pot of coffee to preparing it by the cup in a more convenient manner.
If you want to hop on this trend, Home Grounds has picked the best steeped coffee bags for this ultimate shopping guide. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to choose the best single-serve coffee bags for you.
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Folgers Medium Roast |
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Taylors Of Harrogate |
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Tribo Pour Over Variety Pack |
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SEE ON AMAZON
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Portfolio Igna Aponte |
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CLICK TO CHECK PRICE |
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Tribo Ethiopia Sidamo |
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see on amazon
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Moliendo Kenya AA Muranga |
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SEE ON AMAZON
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1. Folgers Medium Roast – Best Overall
Specifications
Roast Type: Medium
- Tasting Notes: Classic
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
The Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Roast swoops in to earn the top spot on this list of the best coffee bags. These medium roast single-serve coffee bags are made from coffee beans grown in the mountains, with high elevation ensuring premium quality.
Although these Kosher-friendly instant coffee bags are a bit pricey, the resulting cup of coffee is worth it. Folgers has perfected the coffee-making process, with expertise dating back to 1850.
They rely on a special double-drying process to bring out the most delicious tasting notes from their ground coffee beans.
These coffee bags take that expertise and amp up the convenience factor. Simply take a coffee bag from its pouch and place it into a cup, followed by 180-240 ml of boiling water. Leave it for a minute, and enjoy!
2. Taylors Of Harrogate – Budget Pick
Specifications
Roast Type: Medium-dark
- Tasting Notes: Dark chocolate, nuts, caramel
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Taylors Of Harrogate offers a range of ground coffee bags with rich flavours. The Flying Start variety is the perfect way to start the day, with an invigorating palate of dark chocolate, nuts and caramel for sweetness.
They are the most budget-friendly pick on the list, but you wouldn’t know it from their elegant packaging and bold flavour. Each box includes 10 caffeinated medium roast coffee bags, individually wrapped so they’re easy to take on the go.
These ground coffee bags work the same as tea bags. All you need to do is put the humble coffee bag in a cup, add hot water, and wait two minutes for it to brew. No hassle, no mess. Stir, squeeze, sip, smile.
3. Tribo Pour Over Variety Pack – Best Variety Pack
Specifications
Roast Type: Light to medium-dark
- Tasting Notes: Varied
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
This variety pack from Tribo contains an alternative to the traditional coffee bag. Rather than steeping these like tea bags, they’re a single serve pour over option. The bag folds out to attach to the sides of the cup, and you simply pour over your hot water.
This variety pack contains five of the brand’s popular single origins and blends to help you explore the range. There’s light roast Ethiopian Sidamo Kilenso G1, medium roast Guatemala Antigua La Minita La Flor, dark roast Papua New Guinea Wahgi Valley Kimel AA, medium roast Expedition Blend, and medium-dark roast Campfire Blend.
4. Portfolio Igna Aponte – Best Dark Roast
Specifications
Roast Type: Dark
- Tasting Notes: Cocoa, sugar cane, plum
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Single-serve pour over bags are an increasingly popular way to enjoy a convenient cup of joe – as can be seen from the quality and variety available. This option from Portfolio Coffee is made from the same single origin coffee that they sell as whole beans.
It’s sourced from the Inga Ponte farm in the Nariño region of Colombia, where it’s grown at altitudes of up to 2,000 metres. It offers a full-strength, low acidity brew, with the sweetness of plum and sugar cane, followed by a dark cocoa finish.
5. Tribo Ethiopia Sidamo – Best Light Roast
Specifications
Roast Type: Light
- Tasting Notes: Grapefruit, vanilla, floral
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Tribo makes another appearance on our list of the best coffee bags, with their excellent Ethiopia Sidamo G1. The delicate but complex flavour profile of Ethiopian coffee makes it an ideal candidate for pour over brewing, and now you can enjoy it without any equipment beyond a kettle and a mug.
These single-serve pour-overs come with a recommended brewing temperature of 90-92°C to help bring out the natural characteristics of the wash-processed coffee. You can expect a cup with floral aromatics and zesty grapefruit, which develop into sweeter notes of vanilla and caramel as it cools.
6. Moliendo Kenya AA Muranga – Best Single Origin
Specifications
Roast Type: Medium
- Tasting Notes: Toffee, lemon, almond
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Coffee bags and single serves are a great alternative to carrying coffee gear while camping, or having to make do with instant coffee. If you’re on the trail you can still start your morning with a quality single origin.
Moliendo Coffee source their AA Kenyan beans from the Nguku AB Thanga-ini processing station, which serves around 700 smallholder farms. The coffee grown here has a soft and aromatic flavour palate with a medium body. The defining taste is almond, which is lifted by zesty lemon and balanced with the sweetness of toffee.
How To Choose The Best Coffee Bags
Using an instant coffee bag to prep your brew is easy, swift, and clean. You can have your coffee and drink it too with these bags, no matter your budget or resources (2).
Coffee bags and single-serve pour overs can be brewed just by adding hot water, eliminating the need for a grinder or brewing equipment.
Thinking of trying out one or more of these six best coffee bags? Here are the most important factors to consider before you buy.
What Roast Type Do You Prefer?
There are three options when it comes to choosing your roast type amongst the best coffee bags: light, medium, or dark roast. If you want brighter fruity and floral flavours, stick with the lighter side. If you’re looking for more of a bold coffee taste, come to the dark side. Darker roasts also pair better with milk or creamers. It’s all a matter of personal preference.
Which Tasting Notes Do You Enjoy?
There are all manner of delicious tasting notes to choose from. That’s what makes coffee so exciting! Bolder offerings include rich chocolate, toasted nuts, and earthy cocoa. Lighter choices offer the flavours of wine, sweet caramel, and citrus fruit. There’s a coffee flavour out there sure to appease your palette.
Do You Crave Caffeine Or Avoid It Entirely?
All of these instant coffee bags are caffeinated, but there are decaffeinated options available. Between caffeinated and decaffeinated, the right choice for you depends on your health requirements and individual needs. The FDA recommends a daily caffeine intake of no more than 400 mg for a healthy adult (3).
One tip: if you only drink decaf rarely, keeping a few decaf coffee bags on hand is convenient. You won’t need to grind decaf beans or settle for that stale bag of pre-ground decaf lounging in the back of your cupboard.
What if coffee bags aren’t for you? Don’t despair, as there are other hassle-free methods of coffee brewing to suit your needs. There is some very good instant coffee available now, or you can sample the best coffee capsules.
The Verdict
Making coffee has never been easier thanks to individual coffee bags. The flavour and aroma of freshly brewed coffee are possible just by adding hot water. No grinding, dosing, or dialling in. No expensive brewing equipment. The best coffee bags bring delicious coffee to everyone, and everywhere.
Folgers Classic Roast tops our list of the best coffee bags. The medium roast coffee is so good, it made the list twice – once with caffeine, once decaf.
FAQs
You should squeeze your coffee bag before removing it from the steeping water. That way you get the most flavour directly into your brew. Squeeze your coffee bag with a teaspoon against your mug and stir thoroughly.
Coffee is better from a can if you drink coffee rarely and want something with a longer shelf life. Coffee grounds in a bag are a better choice if you drink coffee often and prioritize convenience. Either way, a delicious cup of quality coffee awaits you.
A coffee bag stays fresh for up to a few months, depending on its packaging. If coffee bags are nitro-flushed, they will stay fresh for up to a full year. Ensure your coffee is stored in a cool, dark place in an air-tight container to maximize its lifespan.
References
- Fanarioti, V. (2023, January 5). Specialty coffee must remember that convenience is everything. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2023/01/how-important-is-convenience-to-the-coffee-industry/
- Castellano, N. (2021, October 19). What are single-serve coffee bags? Retrieved January 3, 2023, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2021/10/what-are-single-serve-coffee-bags/
- Petre, A. (2020, June 3). What Is Caffeine, and Is It Good or Bad for Health? Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-caffeine
