How Do You Make Coffee with Drip Coffee Bags?

Open the bag at the printed "OPEN HERE" line, hook the handles over the rim of your cup, and pour hot water over the grounds in stages. Let each pour drain before adding more, then lift the bag out. No machine or grinder needed.

Start with about 200ml of water in total, including the first pour if you choose to add a 30-second bloom. That's the water you pour through the bag, not the amount of coffee you'll finish with: some water stays in the grounds. Use less water if you prefer a stronger cup, especially when adding milk.

What Is a Drip Coffee Bag?

A drip coffee bag is a single-serve filter pre-filled with ground coffee, with fold-out handles that rest on your cup. Hot water passes through the grounds and filter into the cup below. One bag is intended for one brew.

Our coffee is air roasted and packed to order in NSW. Travel Packs contain individually wrapped drip bags. Pantry Bags share one outer pack, so close that pack after taking out the bags you need. You can see the available blends in our range.

What Do You Need?

Three things: a drip coffee bag, hot water and a mug that supports the handles. Have about 200ml of water ready for a starting recipe, including the small first pour. Leave room in your mug for the bag and any milk you'll add afterwards.

A kettle at home or a suitable camping water-heating setup will do the job. Brew on a stable surface where you can pour comfortably and watch the water level.

Check the bag's grip before pouring. On a wider cup, push the side handles together to form a firmer hinge over the rim. If the handles still won't sit securely, use a narrower mug rather than stretching them further.

Step-by-Step: How to Brew a Drip Coffee Bag

1. Tear
at the "open here" line

2. Hang
handles on the rim

3. Pour
pour slowly in stages

4. Brew
let it drip through

5. Enjoy
lift away, done

1. Prepare your hot water. We recommend about 93°C as a starting point. A temperature-controlled kettle can set this directly. With another kettle, let the water cool after boiling; a fixed waiting time won't give the same temperature in every kettle.
2. Take out one drip bag. Open its individual wrapper if you're using a Travel Pack, or take a bag from the shared Pantry pack and close the pack again. Open the drip bag at the printed "OPEN HERE" line.
3. Pull the handles out to the sides. They unfold like little wings.
4. Mount the handles on the rim of your cup. Check that both sides are secure before adding water.
5. Add a bloom if you'd like. Pour a small splash, about 30ml, to wet the grounds and wait 30 seconds. This first pour counts towards your total brew water. You can skip the bloom and go straight to pouring in stages.
6. Add water slowly and let it drain through. Keep the water below the top of the filter rather than filling it to the point of overflow.
7. Continue in stages until you've poured about 200ml in total. The number of pours depends on their size. Stop earlier for a shorter, stronger cup, or adjust the next brew to taste.
8. Let the bag finish draining, then lift it out by the handles. Add milk if you like. Put the used bag and wrapper in the appropriate waste container and wash your mug after use.

Allow about a minute for the pours and draining, plus 30 seconds if you bloom. Your pouring speed changes the timing, so watch the water level rather than rushing to beat a stopwatch.

How Strong Can You Make It?

Use less water through one bag for a shorter, stronger cup. Use more for a longer, lighter cup. Change one thing at a time so you can repeat the brew you enjoy.

Pour count alone isn't a reliable recipe: two small pours and two large pours use different amounts of water. If you have a measuring jug or scales, measure the total water input. The finished drink will be smaller because the grounds retain some water.

Can You Make a Milk Coffee with a Drip Bag?

Yes. Start with less brew water than you'd use for a longer black coffee, let the bag drain, remove it, then add milk to taste. Hodophile is our blend made for coffee with milk.

Add a little milk first and taste before topping up. This makes filter coffee with milk, rather than an espresso-based flat white.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid?

An insecure bag and an overfilled filter make brewing harder than it needs to be. Check the handles first, pour slowly and leave room below the top edge. If the bag is draining slowly, let it catch up before the next pour.

Don't squeeze the used bag. Let it drain and lift it out by the handles. There's no need to dunk it like a tea bag to follow this recipe.

Open at the printed "OPEN HERE" line so the handles remain available for mounting. And keep water input separate from mug capacity: a large mug doesn't mean you have to fill it with one bag. Leave room for milk if that's how you drink it.

Which Coffee Should You Try First?

If you drink your coffee with milk, start with Hodophile. Wayfarer is a Colombia single origin suited to milk or black. Nemophilist is the bolder Kenya option, Gadabout is our decaf, and Bunji is Australian-grown coffee from Far North Queensland.

You can also look at the current Roast of the Month drip bags and beans while supplies last. Check the product page for the current lot and purchase options.

Choose Pantry Bags for a shared pack, or Travel Packs for individually wrapped bags. The product pages show the current blends, pack sizes and one-off or subscription choices. Check those options before ordering rather than assuming every blend comes in every format.

Quick answers

How much water do you use for a drip coffee bag?
Start with about 200ml of water in total, including the optional bloom, poured in stages. This is water input, not finished drink volume. Use less for a stronger cup or more for a lighter one, leaving room in the mug for milk if needed.

What temperature should the water be?
We recommend about 93°C as a starting point. Use a temperature-controlled kettle if you have one. Cooling time after boiling varies with the kettle and conditions, so a fixed wait doesn't guarantee that temperature.

How long does a drip coffee bag take to brew?
Allow about a minute for pouring and draining, plus 30 seconds if you choose to bloom. Timing varies with your pours. Keep the water below the filter's top edge rather than rushing it.

Can you reuse a drip coffee bag?
One bag is intended for one brew. A second brew will be weaker. Use a fresh bag when you want another cup at the same strength.

Where do you tear open a drip coffee bag?
At the printed "OPEN HERE" line. Then unfold the handles, rest them on the mug and check they're secure before adding water.