How do single serve cold brew coffee bags preserve freshness?
Cold brew began life as a niche product – but in recent years, it has exploded in popularity, with year-on-year growth making the segment worth billions of dollars. However, as this meteoric growth continues, it’s becoming increasingly clear that only the brands that can offer convenient and high-quality cold brew products will be able to capitalise.
Bottles, cans, boxes, and pouches each contribute to the customer experience in their own way, but single serve cold brew coffee bags offer something different — a highly convenient way to prepare cold brew at home and on the go.
But since these bags differ significantly from other cold brew packaging formats, some questions have arisen about how well they can maintain the freshness of the coffee within. I spoke to William Scott, Owner and Roaster at Well Roasted Coffee, to learn more.
What are single serve cold brew coffee bags?
“Single serve cold brew coffee bags are like large tea bags but with freshly roasted coarse ground specialty coffee in, instead of loose leaf tea,“ William explains.
However, cold brew bags don’t offer the same instant brewing experience as tea bags. After dropping the bag in water, you have to let it steep for 24 hours, preferably in the refrigerator, before serving. In the case of Well Roasted’s coffee bags, one bag yields around 600ml of cold brew — as much as 2 or 3 drinks, according to William.
He explains why they decided to adopt them as a new product: “Cold brew coffees’ rapidly increasing popularity had become very clear to us, and we really enjoy its unique flavour ourselves.”
The enthusiasm for these bags is there for all to see. Each year records a higher demand, perhaps driven in part by the rising number of consumers brewing coffee at home – including cold brew. Convenience has fueled the demand for cold brew bags even further, as consumers increasingly value it even more than freshness when making purchasing decisions.
Do single serve cold brew coffee bags stay fresh?
As soon as it’s roasted, coffee begins to emit carbon dioxide and lose its more subtle flavour notes – displaced with oxygen. Research shows that the longer roasted coffee is exposed to air, the faster it degrades. Other key factors that accelerate degradation include moisture, heat, and light.
Bottles, cans, bag-in-boxes, and pouches for cold brew can all come with airtight seals and have barrier properties that help to keep it fresh and free from contamination. But single serve cold brew coffee bags use food-grade materials with steepable qualities.
“We use compostable Bioweb for the perforated bags, “ William explains. “It will fully disintegrate in a suitable warm damp environment in approximately 3 months,” he adds. Cotton, polyethylene, and nylon mesh are equally common today, but they differ in their recyclability and compostability.
“However, the perforated bags are nitrogen gas flushed which helps to maintain freshness.”
Nitrogen flushing, according to the Specialty Coffee Association, can increase shelf life by at least three months. This is why William says Well Roasted Coffee’s cold brew bags have a shelf life of around 12 months.
However, to keep the oxygen out, these bags have to be kept in airtight packaging. The seal must also be secure, preventing contamination and resistant to leaching. Some businesses pack the bags into single-serve sachets while others store them in stand-up pouches.
William explains that their bags “are packed into a recyclable film which provides an oxygen barrier, keeping the coffee fresh”. He adds that these can be recycled with carrier bags.
Material options are more than enough for those who would love to go with single-serve or stand-up pouches, from paper and aluminium foil to plastics such as LDPE.
Packaging for single serve cold brew coffee bags
While you work to get the functionality right, remember that design and aesthetics are just as important, no matter how you package your single serve cold brew coffee bags.
William says that customisable packaging is especially desirable: “We would love to have our own logo and branding on the bags – that’s something for the future.”
Nearly every coffee product has a story – and consumers want to hear about it on brands’ packaging. Authenticity is crucial in influencing customers’ purchasing decisions in the specialty coffee market, and packaging is one way to achieve it.
However, as well as getting your story across, customisation also helps you maximise visual appeal. Elements such as shape, colour, imagery, and texture play a key role in creating a strong first impression. A memorable design will eventually build customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.
Beyond overall aesthetics, your single serve cold brew coffee bags should be easy and enjoyable to use, as well as sustainable.
At Cold Brew Pak, we partner with roasters and other coffee businesses to supply innovative packaging solutions that attract attention on crowded shelves and online marketplaces. From sachets and pouches for individual single serve cold brew bags, as well as pouches, bag in box, and other custom cold brew packaging products, we can address all of your cold brew packaging needs.
Interested in learning more about our services? Get in touch with our team.
