Today my leaning tower mug is the bearer of a Lyons Fresh Coffee Bag - these little things are like tea bags but for coffee. I can't believe they haven't been around longer, it seems like such a basic concept. However, these are the only brand I've ever seen with this concept.
I am a coffee ... Read review
Advantages: Quick, easy, better than instant! Disadvantages: Not so good as plunger
...is the bearer of a Lyons Fresh Coffee Bag - these little things are like tea bags but for coffee. I can't believe they haven't been around longer, it seems like such a basic concept. However, these are the only brand I've ever seen with this concept.
I am a coffee snob from way back. I don't recall the last time I had an instant coffee. I love it strong and black, and lots of it! At home I tend to use fairtrade organic coffees. When ... ...medium strength.
Lyons profess to have been achieving coffee perfection since 1904. I did a bit of surfing to find out more about them but failed to find out much, I'm afraid. The box says that the product is produced in Italy for Gala Coffee & Tea Ltd, which are a UK company.
On the box they say that the coffee bags are packed immediately after roasing and grinding. They say nothing about what sort of beans they are ... more
Today my leaning tower mug is the bearer of a Lyons Fresh Coffee Bag - these little things are like tea bags but for coffee. I can't believe they haven't been around longer, it seems like such a basic concept. However, these are the only brand I've ever seen with this concept.
I am a coffee snob from way back. I don't recall the last time I had an instant coffee. I love it strong and black, and lots of it! At home I tend to use fairtrade organic coffees. When I was in Turkey a few years ago I bought a brikki - which is a small copper pot that you use on a cooker. You add turkish coffee (coffee ground as fine as possible) and water and stir continually until it almost boils. The brikki is mug-sized, because it is meant to do 2 little cups of turkish coffee - I use it to make a mug of the stuff..... but I digress.
As a coffee snob, I am particular about my coffee. The cafeteria in the building where I work does pretty ordinary coffee - it has a real chicory flavour which I don't like. So I started making plunger coffee for myself. This has it's drawbacks because it is a pain to clean and it means having lots of associated stuff. I discovered these coffee bags one weekend when I bought them to take on a camping trip, and have become a bit of a convert.
-------Packaging--------------
These come in a largish green cardboard box which just fits in my stationery drawer in my desk (around 10 x 10 x 15 cm if you really want to know!) The ftont of the box has a perforated section which you rip out like the top of a tissue box. The packaging is fairly simple - a bit of a blurb about the company, and the instructions. The coffee is rated as medium strength.
Lyons profess to have been achieving coffee perfection since 1904. I did a bit of surfing to find out more about them but failed to find out much, I'm afraid. The box says that the product is produced in Italy for Gala Coffee & Tea Ltd, which are a UK company.
On the box they say that the coffee bags are packed immediately after roasing and grinding. They say nothing about what sort of beans they are or where they're from.
--------Inside the box-------------
Inside the box are 18 individually packaged coffee bags. They are in individual gold foil packets. These are quite large - around 11cm square. On the back of each packet is the instructions - each packet weighs 7 grams, although I'm not sure if that means there's 7 grams of coffee or the whole thing weighs 7 grams.
The packets are airtight, with a little air trapped inside each one. There is a slight tear at one corner, which is where you tear it open.
Opening - This is usually easy, however I do have one little quibble. Occasionally (maybe one every 2 boxes) the coffee bag will have been sealed into the foil packet in such a way that the bag itself splits when you open it. This is a bit of a pain, because it pretty much renders the bag useless.
Inside the packet is your coffee bag. This is larger than your average tea bag. It is round, and made of the same sort of stuff tea bags (particularly the ones that are designed for pots) are made of. It's about 8cm across - about the width of your average coffee mug. There's no string attached, like with most tea bags - you'll need to fish it out with your spoon, or if you're really lazy, drink it with the bag in and fish it out when you're finished.
Crucially - this is for mugs, not those little coffee cups you get at seminars that only hold a few mouthfuls.
-------Use----------- Using is simply - just chuck it in your mug and top up with boiling water. Let draw - they recommend at least 3 minutes - I usually leave it at least 5 minutes, because I like it strong, and I don't like my coffee piping hot.
The bag usually has a lot of air in it, and will float to the top. I usually carefully squeeze out most of the air on the side of the cup with a spoon as I sugar it - the bag will still float, but it seems to draw better that way.
Once I've squeezed it the coffee gets quite dark quite quickly, but I find the longer I leave it the better the flavour.
-----Taste---------
I have just made one for myself, and am tasting it after only a minute or so.... no, I don't recommend that - it's very very mild, even though it looks quite strong.
2 minutes later - this is now the minimum recommended drawing time........ better, but not good enough for me.
5 minutes later - I can drink this now without burning my tongue, which is the way coffee is supposed to be anway. This is quite a mild blend, and it's not going to knock anyone's socks off. There's the slightest hint of bitterness on the palate, which is the way it should be. There's no acidity, but also no hints of chocolate, which is my favourite.
All in all, this is about on par with a good quality drip filter coffee - it's nothing to rave about, but it's not offensive, and perfectly drinkable.
At the bottom of each cup you'll find some residue where the coffee grounds were fine enough to come through the bag. Personally I like this, as I like turkish coffee (where the grounds aren't filtered out at all) but it may annoy some people.
-----Advantages-------- As I said, this is something I discovered when going camping. Because each bag is individually sealed you can chuck them in your pack and they take up no room whatsoever - just add water.
I find them great for work - they take no more effort than making a cup of tea, and yet are a perfectly drinkable coffee.
-----Disadvantages-------- Occasionally you lose a bag as I explained above. This is clearly a problem with their packaging process, which they could do to recitfy.
Some people won't like the residue of grounds at the bottom.
If you don't like filter coffee you won't like these - if you're looking for an espresso you'll need to have an espresso!
------Price---------- I get these from Tesco for £1.98, which comes in at 11 pence per bag, which is much cheaper than going to the cafe.
------Recommendation----------
I do recommend these as a time saving and money saving device for those who drink filter coffee or, god forbid, instant.
Advantages: Convenient and an excellent idea Disadvantages: Revolting coffee!
...public to coffee bags. Lyons have now jumped on the bandwagon with their version of coffee bags. ==The Product== A one cup bag of ground coffee to make a cup of 'proper' coffee in an instant. Sounds promising, doesn't it? Proper coffee without having to use a coffee maker, percolator or filter machine. Proper coffee in the same time as it takes to make a mug of instant. The coffee bags are sold in a green foil pouch with the Lyons logo and the slogan ... ...disappointed! One bag of Lyons coffee brewed for 5 minutes, produced a weak, dark brown, odd looking brew. I tried the coffee as it was and the first sip was quite disgusting! I could have been drinking hot water with a granule or two of instant coffee dissolved into it. It was truly undrinkable, so I poured it away and started again, this time using two coffee bags. This time I left the drink to brew for a full 7 minutes. I removed the bags and ...
brittle1906 22.02.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lyons Fresh Coffee Bags
Advantages: Quick and covenient with a reasonably convincing fresh brewed taste Disadvantages: Brown sludge on the bottom, enormous amoeba like bag
...treat.
I'd heard about Lyons one-cup coffee bags. It turns out you can get a free sample (in fact, two free samples - there are two bags in the free sample pack - click here to get your own: http://www.coffeeperfection.com/our-coffee.php). I'm a sucker for free samples, so I filled in the e-form, and many weeks later (and I mean lots - maybe six weeks), these dropped through my letterbox.
Each bag was enclosed in a foil envelope (presumably for ... ...milk.
Coffee made using Lyons one-cup bag tastes of…coffee. It's nice. It does taste more like freshly brewed coffee than Nescafe Gold Blend instant. It has a slightly (and not unpleasant) bitter bite. After four minutes, it's reasonably strong (though I rather wish I'd left it for the full five minutes). It is, in short, a reasonably good cup of coffee. Until the end. And this is the downside.
Normally, when making coffee in a coffee maker or ...
mattygroves 09.11.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lyons Fresh Coffee Bags
Advantages: Quick fresh coffee, better tasting than instant Disadvantages: None
...*~*Who are Lyons?*~*
Lyons have been offering coffee perfection since 1904 using coffee beans from Central and South America for their quality and flavour.
Lyons offer a Rainforest Alliance with their products which simply means that the farms that their coffee is grown the premium paid ensures that the highest standards of sustainability, environmental conservation and social responsibility are maintained.
*~*Coffee Bags??*~*
When my partner ... ...on the box that rates Lyons coffee from 1-5 in terms of strength.
*~*How do they work?*~*
In a similar manner to a tea bag really. Each tea bag is individually wrapped and there is a green arrow to the top right hand side of the sachet to indicate where to open and retrieve the coffee bag. Simply put the bag into a mug, yes a full size mug not a cup as most products seem to base their measurements on, and pour on freshly boiled water and the coffee ...
KELLYLOUJ 21.04.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lyons Fresh Coffee Bags
Advantages: Convenient Disadvantages: Not as good as filtered or cafetiere
I recently received a free sample to try of the fresh ground coffee in one cup bags.
It is a convenient way of making a cup or mug of fresh ground coffee.
They are made in the same way as you would make a cup of tea via the bag in a cup method.
The instructions that are provided on the pack are that you place the bag in the mug.
Pour on freshly boiled water and leave for 3 to 5 minutes.
Adjust this time according to taste. Remove the bag and ... ...or without sugar.
The bag itself is about twice the size of a tea bag and is round in shape. It contains 7g of ground coffee. The coffee used is a blend of both arabica and robusta beans. It is contained in individual foil bags to seal in the freshness.
They made an adequate tasting coffe and as is important these days they are rainforest alliance certified. They are easier than getting the coffee machine out and also allow you to take them to ...
wildtinsey 05.03.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Lyons Fresh Coffee Bags
Quick review of Lyons Fresh Coffee Bags
tried the coffee with a free sample, really impressed with the flavour and quick ease to make. have been trying to buy a pack, but can't find it in supermarket. ...
lindamarie838 15.04.2009
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Lyons Fresh Coffee Bags
