Drip bag coffee is ground coffee sealed in a single-serve filter bag with two paper “ears” that hook over the rim of a cup. You open the outer envelope, tear the top of the filter, hang it on the cup and pour hot water through it. It brews like pour-over coffee without a dripper.
This guide explains how drip coffee bags are made and packed, what sizes and materials are common, and what a producer needs to start. Machine figures come from the Spack Machine drip coffee bag packing machine (SPM-T300).
What is drip bag coffee?
Also called hanging-ear coffee, drip coffee bags or pour-over coffee bags, it is a format that started in Japan and is now common across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Each bag holds one dose of ground coffee in a nonwoven filter. The filter is packed in an outer envelope, often flushed with nitrogen, to keep the coffee fresh.
| Format | Brewing | Equipment the drinker needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drip bag coffee | Pour-over through the hanging filter | Cup and hot water |
| Coffee in a tea-style bag | Steeped like tea | Cup and hot water |
| Instant coffee stick | Dissolves | Cup and hot water |
| Capsule or pod | Pressurised machine | Compatible brewer |
How drip coffee bags are made and packed
1. Grind and feed the coffee
Coffee is ground to a medium-fine pour-over grind and fed to the hopper. Grind and roast should be fixed before setting the dose, because density changes the volume per gram.
2. Form the filter bag with ears
The nonwoven filter web unwinds and is formed into the inner bag, with the hanging ears attached to the front face.
3. Dose the coffee
SPM-T300 doses by an auger (screw) filler or a vibratory measuring cup, sized from 10 mL up to 100 mL fill volume and matched to your dose at the factory.
4. Seal and cut the inner bag
The inner filter bag is sealed and cut ultrasonically.
5. Flush with nitrogen (optional)
Nitrogen can be flushed into the outer envelope before the final seal to reduce oxygen. It is an option on SPM-T300 and needs a nitrogen supply on site. See our guide to nitrogen flushing for coffee.
6. Seal the outer envelope
The envelope film is heat-sealed with PID temperature control. Finished packs go to cartoning or bulk packing.
Typical sizes and materials
| Item | SPM-T300 figure |
|---|---|
| Inner filter bag | 90 × 70–74 mm (W × L) |
| Outer envelope | 100 × 120 mm |
| Filter web width | Up to 180 mm |
| Envelope film width | Up to 200 mm |
| Output | 30–70 bags/min |
| Power and air | AC 220 V, 50/60 Hz, 5.65 kW; 0.5 MPa air |
Most drip bags hold roughly 8–12 g of coffee; the right dose depends on your roast and cup size. Filter webs are nonwoven, and envelopes are usually laminated film with a barrier layer. See our drip coffee bag filter rolls.
What you need to start producing drip bag coffee
- A fixed roast, grind and dose per bag.
- Filter web and envelope film rolls that fit the machine.
- A drip coffee bag packing machine, plus nitrogen if you want lower residual oxygen.
- A sample run with your own coffee to confirm speed and weights. Read how drip coffee bag packing machines work for the mechanics.
FAQ
How do you use a drip coffee bag?
Tear open the envelope, tear the top of the filter along the line, open the ears and hook them over the cup, then pour hot water in two or three stages and remove the bag.
How long does drip bag coffee stay fresh?
It depends on the roast, the envelope barrier and whether the pack was nitrogen flushed. A barrier envelope with nitrogen flushing keeps ground coffee fresh much longer than an unflushed bag.
How fast is a drip coffee bag machine?
SPM-T300 makes 30–70 bags/min, including the outer envelope.
Is drip bag coffee the same as a coffee bag?
No. A coffee bag steeps in the cup like a tea bag. A drip bag hangs on the rim and the water flows through it like pour-over.
Packing drip coffee bags? Get a machine price for your coffee
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