# Why don't we brew coffee in tea bags? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [November 20, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362 "2013-11-20T17:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/21 "2013-11-20T22:42:51Z")
Max-Pax were a thing when I was a kid (I was 4 in '72). I don’t know if my dad actually used them or if I just remember commercials, but I had almost convinced myself that I had hallucinated the whole thing. Thanks! > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > which is wrong, Max-Pax was for percolators, hence the ring shape, not drip machines (but they’d kinda work in drip machines). I think that’s why they say the idea was [_adapted_ for drip machines](http://www.samsclub.com/sams/maxwell-house-coffee-pods-42-count/188029.ip). ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/22 "2013-11-21T18:52:19Z")
You can [buy bags](http://www.englishteastore.com/tsac/ets-drawstring-tea-filters.html) and fill with good coffee for single cups, or easy portability. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/23 "2013-11-21T19:09:11Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Whereas it’s NOT actually true for coffee. > > Put good (ground) coffee in a bag and you’ve invited massive flavor decay. Old coffee is gross. Coffee ages ‘faster’ the further it is from its native state. > > Green coffee beans apparently stay good pretty much forever. Or at least, severals months. > Roast those beans, and they’re really only still good for a few weeks. > Grind them, and now they’ll be unpleasant - or at least, lose a lot of their goodness - after only a few days. > Brew it? Welp, that’s good for an hour or two. 😉 I guess I’m just a coffee heathen. 🙂 As long as it stays in a dry airtight container, I pretty much see coffee as having an infinite lifespan, even pre-ground. I know that there are plenty of people who disagree with me, though, and they may be appreciating things I just don’t pay much attention to. Lord knows, the whole Starbucks phenomenon has me scratching my head. $5.00 for a $0.25 cup of coffee?! ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/24 "2013-11-21T19:20:05Z")
Huh. I’m not a coffee drinker (I have like 2 cups a week), but El SpouseO is. He must be a philistine; he prefers percolated coffee. He used to make it on the stove, but I’ve since bought him an electric percolator. He likes it. _Maybe neither of us know coffee…_ ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/25 "2013-11-22T17:28:46Z")
I am curious about people saying that when you just pass water through the coffee, the bitter crap gets left behind. I find any black coffee to be incredibly bitter and can’t drink it. With cream and sugar, any coffee tastes ok. Am I missing something? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/26 "2013-11-22T17:37:04Z")
Coffee makers are complicated? :dubious: Ironically, I use my coffee maker to brew my iced tea. And I don’t drink coffee! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/27 "2013-11-22T17:38:06Z")
Not to be too smart-assed, but how are coffee makers complicated? Every single one I’ve ever had has the following basic steps. 1. Pour in required amount of water. 2. Put filter in basket. 3. Put appropriate amount of coffee in filter. (maybe this is the sticking point?) 4. Hit the “Brew” button. 5. Wait until the thing is finished brewing. 6. Drink your coffee. Dump the grounds & filter, rinse out the carafe, and you’re ready to go again. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/28 "2013-11-22T17:48:42Z")
I kind of find coffee makers complicated. I use a French press, you just add grounds, hot water and let the coffee steep. Coffee makers require filters and you have to remember to keep them in stock, plus the cups listed on the side of the pot don’t represent cups as a unit of measurement, I never know how much coffee to use in those things and regardless the coffee never comes out as good as it does in my simple French press. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/29 "2013-11-22T18:00:35Z")
> [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > I am curious about people saying that when you just pass water through the coffee, the bitter crap gets left behind. I find any black coffee to be incredibly bitter and can’t drink it. With cream and sugar, any coffee tastes ok. Am I missing something? > > Thanks, > Rob You probably are missing something. For one thing, if the coffee tastes very bitter, it could be the type of bean (robusto beans are cheaper and the ones Americans were used to pre-Starbucks, while the arabica beans tend to be a little more expensive with richer flavor) and it could also be the roast (French and Italian roasts are unpalatable to me because they’re burnt to cinders; a lighter roast gives me something I enjoy more). For another, it is true that the flavor components of coffee extract at different rates. One of the problems people have with making coffee is that they think “That was bitter. If I add fewer grounds next time, it should be less bitter.” They’re mostly wrong. The most bitter compounds extract more slowly than the volatiles that we most enjoy tasting and smelling. (This also explains why coffee snobs use fresh beans and grind them themselves - the volatile compounds are really volatile). Using less coffee grounds makes a weaker coffee, but it actually makes a coffee that has more bitter flavor relative to the good flavor. So a lot of people who think coffee is bitter can improve their experience by doubling (or more) the amount of grounds they use, and then (if they must) diluting it after they brew it by adding a little hot water. Of course, there’s some unavoidable bitterness in coffee. If you’ve had good coffee brewed right and still found it too bitter to enjoy, that’s just how your taste buds are wired. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/30 "2013-11-22T19:03:23Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > I guess I’m just a coffee heathen. 🙂 > > As long as it stays in a dry airtight container, I pretty much see coffee as having an infinite lifespan, even pre-ground. I know that there are plenty of people who disagree with me, though, and they may be appreciating things I just don’t pay much attention to. Lord knows, the whole Starbucks phenomenon has me scratching my head. $5.00 for a $0.25 cup of coffee?! It depends on what you want out of your coffee. If you want something bitter, black, and containing caffeine, then whatever, it can come from 1972 for all it matters. If you want your coffee to be DELICIOUS, then it’s not good for very long. Also, where have you been able to get a cup of coffee for $0.25 in the past 30 years? Even cheap diners charge like $1.75. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/31 "2013-11-22T21:05:47Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > From what I understand, you don’t want coffee to steep. This will bring out the bitter nasty substances in addition to the desired stuff. … This goes against everything I know from using a French Press. Steeped coffee produces a sweeter more full bodied coffee than a drip process. I have also made a lot of ‘cowboy coffee’ camping and it is basically steeping and also produces a very good cup of coffee if done right. I also make my coffee strong, which with good coffee will bring out the sweeter flavours. The only reason we do not use coffee bags is because of convention. Hotel coffee in bags (for those mini Mr Coffee machines) is indeed terrible because it is old and stale and was probably poor coffee even when it was freshly ground. Good coffee properly packaged in bags would make a good cup of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/32 "2013-11-22T21:08:43Z")
With percolating you are boiling coffee and running it through old grounds. The problem isn’t the steeping, its the heating. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/33 "2013-11-22T21:11:46Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Also, where have you been able to get a cup of coffee for $0.25 in the past 30 years? Even cheap diners charge like $1.75. At home 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/34 "2013-11-22T22:04:56Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > This goes against everything I know from using a French Press. Steeped coffee produces a sweeter more full bodied coffee than a drip process. I have also made a lot of ‘cowboy coffee’ camping and it is basically steeping and also produces a very good cup of coffee if done right. I also make my coffee strong, which with good coffee will bring out the sweeter flavours. > > The only reason we do not use coffee bags is because of convention. Hotel coffee in bags (for those mini Mr Coffee machines) is indeed terrible because it is old and stale and was probably poor coffee even when it was freshly ground. Good coffee properly packaged in bags would make a good cup of coffee. What he probably meant was “you don’t want coffee to OVER steep”. Which does indeed produce icky coffee. **dracoi** While you probably COULD make coffee for $0.25 at home, it would be awful, supermarket stuff that’s been on the shelf for ages. You might also note that it tends to cost more money to have people do things for you. Do you also not eat out because you could ‘make the same thing at home for less money’? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/36 "2016-11-16T12:59:59Z")
If you buy pre-ground coffee, it is already stale. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/37 "2016-11-16T13:18:49Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > **dracoi** While you probably COULD make coffee for $0.25 at home, it would be awful, supermarket stuff that’s been on the shelf for ages. No, good beans are maybe $8/lb, and a 8oz cup (by volume) requires about 1/2 oz of coffee (by weight). So you can make the best 8oz cup you’ve ever had for $0.25, not counting labor (which isn’t much and many find to be a fun hobby). ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/38 "2016-11-16T14:31:31Z")
Ew. There’s spam in this coffee. Reported. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/39 "2016-11-16T16:14:31Z")
What kills me is that this dude trawling the interwebs for old-ass google results about “coffee in tea-bags” is counting that time spent as billable hours for his company, and presumably drawing a paycheck for it. I would think there would be better ways to spend your marketing dollar, but I am not a coffee entrepreneur, so there’s that. I also think that single-cup-serving “baggies” of coffee are weird in a functional sense. There’s a feeling that coffee should be in larger servings and somehow communal, in a contrast to how tea seems more individual and personalized. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362/40 "2016-11-16T16:49:22Z")
Nah, tea in baggies if is functionally weird, too. We’re just used to it. So you get stupid things like making a pot of tea with ten teabags. I hope Keurig and the like don’t succeed in turning coffee into the bland cultural wasteland tea has become in this country. And usually I don’t get duped by zombies. You got me this time, Javaman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-brew-coffee-in-tea-bags/674362.md?page=1)