When Did Drip Bag Coffee History Appear? The Difference Between Drip Bag Coffee and Pour-Over Coffee

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Drip bag coffee, as the name suggests, is coffee brewed using a drip bag. The drip bag is a product developed by the Japanese - the filter bag holds coffee grounds, while each side has a small cardboard piece, like two small ears, which is why it's called drip bag coffee.

The portable drip bag is a patented design developed by the Japanese. The filter bag holds coffee grounds, while both sides have small cardboard pieces, like two little ears, which is why it's called drip bag coffee! These two little ears are used to hang the coffee bag on the rim of a cup for brewing. After brewing, the drip bag can be discarded, allowing you to easily enjoy fresh-ground coffee that tastes like pour-over coffee.

The History of Drip Bag Coffee

In 1990, the earliest drip bag coffee was invented by Yamanaka Industrial Co., Ltd. of Japan, and a patent application was formally submitted in the same year. However, the early version only had a single ear.

In 1996, Daiki Shoji Co., Ltd. proposed an improved filter bag design, moving the hanging components to the lower edge of the filter bag, but the ear was still only on one side of the filter bag.

In 1999, Daiki Shoji applied to the European Patent Office for a patent invention with bilateral hanging components. This improved design finally allowed the filter bag to sit steadily on the cup rim, and the opening of the filter bag could open completely. This design concept has become the mainstream in today's market.

In 2001, the Japanese invented drip bag coffee and registered a patent, then launched it to the market. Due to its simple operation and portability, the brewed coffee tastes much more pure and aromatic than instant coffee. Today, drip bag coffee has captured 15% of the regular coffee market share in Japan.

What's the Best Way to Brew Drip Bag Coffee?

Since this is the simplest drip brewing method, we certainly don't want to introduce tools like electronic scales and thermometers that are typically used for pour-over coffee, making it more complicated. Brewing drip bags simply requires a kettle of hot water, a tall cup, and a drip bag - even the water amount is "estimated" by feel.

While simple, the ritual shouldn't be lost. The water amount for making hot coffee with drip bags is relatively easy to control. Taking FrontStreet Coffee's store drip bags as an example, at 10g per bag, following the pour-over coffee ratio of 1:15 to 1:18, it's recommended to inject 150-180ml of water.

Typically, you first pour a small amount of hot water into the drip filter bag to fully moisten all the coffee grounds. The first pour goes to the 1/2 mark of the filter bag, and let it bloom for about ten seconds. Then, pour water into the center twice continuously until the drip bag is 8/10 full. Wait until all the coffee liquid in the filter bag has dripped through before continuing to add water, until the final segment is filtered through. If you fill it completely, the water accumulating in the upper layer tends to "bypass" the coffee grounds and filter directly from the side of the drip bag, resulting in weak-tasting coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee conducted numerous tests and found that this three-stage pouring process takes about a minute and a half, with the total water amount typically around 150ml. If you prefer a lighter taste, add one more pour to 8/10 full, which brings it to about 180ml.

How to Adjust Water Amount for Making Iced Coffee with Drip Bags?

When switching from hot pour-over to iced pour-over, we need to separate part of the water and replace it with ice cubes, and the same applies to drip bags. However, the coffee grounds in drip bags typically use a grind size suitable for hot brewing, so we can only adjust the coffee-to-water ratio or extend the steeping time to increase extraction concentration.

FrontStreet Coffee follows the iced pour-over ratio of 1:10, meaning 100g of hot water is injected. The amount of water to moisten the coffee grounds remains unchanged. After the bloom, the two subsequent pours become half-full, meaning all three pours reach the 1/2 mark of the filter bag, with total water volume around 90-105ml. Wait until all liquid has filtered through, then pour into ice cubes to cool. When the cup becomes ice-cold, you can remove the remaining crushed ice to avoid further dilution.

FrontStreet Coffee found through these experiments that brewing iced coffee this way maintains the basic flavor profile of the beans while having moderate concentration. FrontStreet Coffee suggests using a small water flow throughout the process, otherwise the filter bag will fill up in just a few seconds, making subsequent pours harder to control. A kettle with a long, narrow spout helps us better control the water flow.

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