How do drip coffee bags extract coffee?

Drip bag coffee works by drip filtration, an idea borrowed from the string tea bag. Pre-ground coffee sits in a non-woven filter, and the paper tabs hang the bag in the cup. Reusing a bag for a second or third infusion is not recommended: most soluble flavor leaves in the first pour, so later cups taste weak and hollow.

Water amount is easy to judge without scales or thermometers. A 10-gram bag follows a 1:15 to 1:18 ratio, so about 150 to 180 milliliters of hot water. Wet the grounds, let them bloom for around ten seconds, then pour in stages, stopping when the drip bag is about eight-tenths full. Finish in roughly a minute and a half. Some specialty bags, such as Panama Geisha, count among the most expensive coffee in the world.

Drip bag coffee belongs to the drip filtration extraction method, and its design is inspired by the string tea bag. The inventor hoped to simulate hand-brewed drip coffee by preparing ground coffee in advance and putting it into a non-woven filter bag. The paper tabs on both sides of the filter bag can suspend the coffee bag in the center of the cup. Since the coffee beans are pre-ground and there is a lack of various brewing auxiliary tools, the flavor will be slightly lacking. But isn't what everyone values about drip bags precisely their "simplicity"? They allow us to quickly and conveniently get a cup of drip black coffee in our daily lives.

Since it is the simplest drip method, we certainly would not think of using tools like electronic scales and thermometers that are only needed for hand brewing to complicate it. To brew a drip bag, all you need is a kettle of hot water, a tall cup, and a drip bag—even the amount of water poured is based on "guesswork."

Simple as it is, the sense of ritual cannot be left out

The amount of water for hot brewing a drip bag is relatively easy to gauge. Take Front Street's store drip bags as an example, 10g per small bag. Following the hand-brew ratio of 1:15 to 1:18, it is recommended to pour 150-180ml of water.

Usually, first pour a small amount of hot water into the drip filter bag to wet all the coffee grounds, pouring the first stage to 1/2 of the filter bag, and let it bloom for about ten seconds. Then pour water into the center twice consecutively until the drip bag is 8/10 full, and wait until the coffee liquid in the filter bag has fully dripped before continuing to add water, until the final stage has finished filtering. If you pour water to full, the water accumulated on top tends to "bypass" the coffee bed and filter out directly from the side of the drip bag, resulting in a weak coffee flavor. After several tests, Front Street found that pouring in three stages this way takes about one and a half minutes, and the total water amount is basically around 150ml. If you want a lighter taste, add one more stage poured to 8/10 full, which will be about 180ml.

In order to rinse the coffee bed more evenly and make it easier for the aromatic and flavor compounds to be released, Front Street recommends pouring a small amount of water multiple times when brewing drip bags to improve extraction efficiency. When brewing drip bags, try to keep a small stream of water throughout, otherwise the filter bag will be full within a few seconds, and subsequent pouring will be even harder to control. A kettle with a slender spout helps us better control the water flow.

Front Street recommends concentrating the falling water at the center point, and keeping the circling range as small as possible—if you can, control it to the size of a one-yuan coin.

Recommended types and brands of drip bag coffee

For those who like balanced flavors, that is, coffee that is neither sour nor bitter, Front Street Brazil drip bag coffee is recommended; finally, for those who love a solid, mellow mouthfeel, it is suggested to buy the highest-grade Front Street Golden Mandheling drip bag coffee. These beans have undergone multiple rounds of hand sorting, which can minimize the defect rate of the coffee beans, thereby making the coffee aroma clearer and the sweet aftertaste better. All of the above drip bag coffees can be purchased and ordered at Front Street stores and the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.