Advantages and Disadvantages of Drip Bag Coffee: The Effects and Functions of Filter Coffee

Drip Bag Coffee Offers More Convenient Brewing

For working professionals who rely on caffeine for their daily energy boost, drip bag coffee should be quite familiar. Drip bags are made by grinding coffee beans into powder and sealing them in filter bags. When opened, they can be hung on the rim of a cup, and with hot water poured through, you can enjoy a delicious cup of black coffee, saving busy professionals considerable time and effort.

Drip bag coffee belongs to the same drip-style extraction method as the pour-over coffee we typically drink. The flavor of the coffee depends on the coffee beans used. The design of drip bag coffee originated from string tea bags. The inventor hoped to simulate pour-over drip coffee by preparing coffee powder in advance and packing it into non-woven fabric filter bags. The paper tabs on both sides of the filter bag can suspend the coffee bag in the center of the cup. Because it clips onto both sides of the cup like little ears, everyone calls it "drip bag coffee."

To brew drip bag coffee, we only need to prepare a pot of hot water and a cup to easily get a fragrant cup of coffee, while also eliminating many tedious steps. With the development of the specialty coffee industry, there are various types of coffee beans on the market. For example, dozens of coffee beans on FrontStreet Coffee's menu can be made into drip bags. Therefore, in addition to the advantage of convenience, drip bag coffee also offers a high degree of selection.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Drip Bag Coffee

Compared to pour-over extraction, drip bags don't require complex tools, and the pouring technique, timing, and ratio don't need to be as strictly controlled as pour-over. You only need to ensure sufficiently hot water and an appropriate ratio. However, because of this "casual" operation, the flavor expression of the coffee is often not as rich and varied as pour-over coffee. Additionally, since drip bags are pre-ground and sealed in packaging bags, the aroma isn't as full as freshly ground coffee. If stored for too long (several months), they may develop some woody flavors.

To maximize the retention of the coffee's original flavor, the coffee powder used in drip bags is typically ground from freshly roasted coffee beans. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all freshly roasted within 5 days. If made into drip bag coffee, when we receive them, they are usually 4-5 days after roasting, which is perfect for starting to brew and taste. FrontStreet Coffee recommends drinking as soon as possible after receiving them, otherwise prolonged storage can easily cause the loss of aroma in the coffee. If you want to taste the fullest-flavored coffee, FrontStreet Coffee suggests buying whole beans and grinding them fresh before brewing for better flavor layers.

How to Properly Brew Drip Bag Coffee?

The operation of brewing drip bags is very simple. FrontStreet Coffee's drip bags are made at 10 grams per bag, which can brew about 120-130ml of coffee liquid.

Before brewing, boil the water first and prepare a cup or sharing pot that can hold coffee. Tear open the sealed package, take out the coffee drip bag, and tear open the non-woven fabric bag along the dotted line above. Then pull the two "ears" apart, fully open the entire drip bag, and hang it on the edge of the cup or sharing pot.

First, pour a small amount of hot water to fully wet all the coffee powder, and let it bloom for about 10-20 seconds. This helps release the gas from the coffee powder, making the later extraction more stable. Second, pour in a steady small stream until the liquid level is nearly full, wait for the coffee liquid to drop down until it has all flowed through. Finally, pour the last segment of water until full. The total amount of water injected is about 150 grams. Wait until all the coffee liquid has completed dripping, and the extraction is finished.

FrontStreet Coffee gently shakes the coffee liquid to evenly mix it before drinking, and then drinks it directly to taste the pure flavor of black coffee. Everyone can add an appropriate amount of sugar or milk according to their personal preferences.

Issues to Pay Attention to When Brewing Drip Bags

First, we need to prepare sufficiently hot water, because only when the water temperature is high enough can more aromatic substances be released from the coffee powder. When brewing pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using water temperature between 86-93 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is only around 80 degrees, the brewed coffee tends to be bland and tasteless, while boiling water easily extracts burnt bitter flavors. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee lets the boiled water sit uncovered at room temperature for 1-2 minutes to let the temperature drop slightly to around 90 degrees Celsius.

When brewing pour-over coffee, the coffee-to-water ratio is very important. If a cup uses a 1:12 coffee-to-water ratio, the coffee tends to be too strong with only bitterness. When using 1:18, there's too much water, making the coffee taste flat with insufficient aroma. FrontStreet Coffee suggests starting with a 1:15 ratio, with 10 grams of coffee powder corresponding to 150 grams of hot water, which results in more balanced flavor and smoother extraction. If you don't have a scale, just find a cup with measurement markings.

Since coffee releases soluble substances only after being ground into powder and coming into contact with water, using overly aggressive pouring techniques can easily lead to uneven extraction of the coffee, and flavors may also have defects. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using tools that can pour a thin stream of water, such as a narrow-spout kettle, to pour hot water steadily in multiple stages. Proper blooming will cause the coffee powder to release gas, making the later extraction more stable and the flavor better.

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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