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: Brown Bear Mambo Italiano
- BUDGET PICK: Taylors Of Harrogate
- BEST DECAF: Raw Bean Decaf
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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Brown Bear Mambo Italiano |
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Taylors Of Harrogate |
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Moreish Peruvian |
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Black Donkey Devil’s Roast |
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New Kings Coffee Ethiopia |
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Raw Bean Decaf |
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1. Brown Bear Mambo Italiano – Best Overall
Roast Type: Dark
- Tasting Notes: Rich, sweet
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Brown Bear Coffee takes out the top spot for the best coffee bags with their Mambo Italiano. If you have any concerns about not getting enough flavour out of a coffee bag, this is the option for you.
By blending dark roast beans from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Latin America, they have created a rich, sweet coffee with plenty of body, that will even hold up to the addition of milk.
Brown Bear also get extra kudos for their company mission. They donate 5% of all sales to Free the Bears UK, and have rescued more than 950 bears to date. The coffee bags themselves are completely compostable, and the outer plastic bag can be recycled.
2. Taylors Of Harrogate – Budget Pick
Roast Type: Medium
- Tasting Notes: Rich Italian
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Taylors Of Harrogate offers ground coffee bags with rich flavours reminiscent of Italian-style coffee. 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. Moreish Peruvian – Best Fairtrade
Roast Type: Medium
- Tasting Notes: Floral, caramel
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Leeds-based roasters Moreish offer an attractive range of fresh coffee and coffee, but our pick is their crowd-pleasing Peruvian. It’s been sourced from high-altitude farms in the San Ignacio region of Peru, where it’s grown using certified organic practices. It’s also certified fair trade, so you can rest assured that farmers are getting paid appropriately for their work.
With a medium roast, these beans develop a sweet and aromatic profile, with tastes of caramel and a soft floral scent. It has a medium body that should make it appealing to most coffee drinkers.
4. Black Donkey Devil’s Roast – Best Dark Roast
Roast Type: Dark
- Tasting Notes: Chocolate, nuts
- Caffeine Content: Highly caffeinated
If you want coffee that’s big on taste and even bigger on caffeine, then these coffee bags from Black Donkey should give you that much-needed kickstart to the day.
The Devil’s Roast name should be enough of a clue, but the label also advises that this coffee is “diabolically strong”. The extra caffeine comes from the use of Robusta beans, which are naturally higher in caffeine than Arabica.
Black Donkey recommend squeezing your coffee bag to get the maximum flavour out of it – in this case, it’s notes of nutty chocolate, with low acidity.
5. New Kings Coffee Ethiopia – Best Light Roast
Roast Type: Light
- Tasting Notes: Blackcurrant, cherry
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
At the other end of the roasting scale are these coffee bags from New Kings Coffee. A light roast is the perfect treatment for Ethiopian beans, which are known for their delicate but complex flavor profile.
True to type, this coffee is floral and fruity. You can expect notes of ripe blackcurrant and cherries with an aromatic finish.
You’ll be pleased to hear that all of New Kings Coffee products are single origin, certified organic and certified fair trade. Their coffee bags are 100% biodegradable, and the outer packaging can be sent back to the company for recycling.
6. Raw Bean Decaf – Best Decaf
Roast Type: Medium
- Tasting Notes: Cocoa, walnuts
- Caffeine Content: Decaffeinated
We haven’t forgotten our caffeine-sensitive friends, or those that just like to enjoy the taste of coffee before bed. Raw Bean’s decaffeinated option will give you a full-flavored cup but without the negative side effects.
They start with a base of single-origin Arabica beans sourced from Colombia. As all good decafs should be, this has been Swiss Water processed for a 100% chemical-free product.
It’s a classic-tasting coffee with a smooth, creamy body and notes of dark cocoa and walnuts that’s equally good black or with a dash of milk.
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, with the exception of the decaf from Folgers. 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.
Brown Bear Mambo Italiano tops our list of the best coffee bags. The dark roast coffee is full flavoured and can be served black or with milk.
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
