Can You Steep Coffee Like Tea

Tea is best enjoyed when the tea bags are steeped longer to extract higher antioxidants, caffeine, flavors, and aromas. While this is a typical process for making teas, only a few know you can apply it to create strong, less acidic coffees.

If you have never tried steeping coffee yet, here’s everything you need to know about this process, from the coffee grounds you should use to how to achieve the best brew.

Can You Steep Coffee Like Tea?

Yes, you can steep coffee like tea. When steeping coffee, all you need is water, a coffee bag, and the coffee grounds you choose; no need for complicated equipment or tools. It’s the same with steeping tea, where you soak tea leaves in water and wait for the product after a few minutes. Most people use a tea bag to steep coffee, while others just let the leaves float in the water.

However, even though you can steep coffee like tea, it only works for some. You can enjoy coffee the best when it’s brewed; soaking it won’t let you enjoy its potential to the fullest. People who try steeping coffee are most likely curious about how coffee would result when saturated, but there are other go-to methods when preparing coffee. (Read Can I Put A Mug In The Oven)

tea bag

What is Steeped Coffee?

Now that you know you can steep coffee, let’s first familiarize what steeped coffee is.

For easier understanding, steeped coffee is when grounds sit in water for minutes. Compared to Keurig or a coffee maker, where coffee is filtrated through a paper filter or Keurig cup and usually done in minutes, steeped coffee lets the grounds soak directly in the water for a longer time. This means the water rehydrates the coffee grounds, which allows the ground coffee’s soluble compounds to release into the water.

Coffee Steeping and Coffee Brewing: What is the Difference?

The process and time taken are two significant differences between coffee steeping and coffee brewing. We’ll discuss more it below:

Process

When you brew coffee, it refers to extracting coffee from the ground coffee beans. Several methods exist to brew coffee, such as French Press, AeroPress, Drip Coffee, Pour Over Coffee, Espresso, Percolator, and more. These methods usually require equipment, and you will need it to brew coffee.

Meanwhile, steeping coffee might not be as glamorous as these methods, but its simplicity makes it ideal. You don’t need fancy equipment; you only need some coffee bag filers and a coffee pot to steep your coffee.

Time Taken

Depending on the method you will use, brewing coffee will take some time between 30 seconds and 5 minutes. 

On the other hand, coffee steeping takes about 4 to 6 minutes, depending on how strong or tasteful you want your coffee to be. It can also take as long as 12 hours and even more if you make a cold brew made by steeping coffee grounds in cold or room-temperature water.

Steeping Coffee: Taste, Who is it For, and What to Remember

Here are other things you should know about this process:

Taste

In case you didn’t know, coffee steeping can significantly affect the taste of the coffee if the grounds you use are not fresh. Unlike tea, coffee becomes staler faster, so you should always use freshly ground coffee. 

As mentioned, it’s best to steep coffee between 4 to 6 minutes because anything longer than this can produce a bitter taste. (Read Can I Use Coffee Creamer Instead Of Milk)

Who is it For

If you’re a coffee lover obsessed with coffee’s taste and aroma, steeped coffee might not suit your palate.

Apart from people who love coffee, no matter how it’s made, steeped coffee is commonly for those who don’t have the luxury of time to prepare coffee. Since you only need a coffee bag and hot water, you can easily enjoy a cup of coffee in under five minutes. It also works great for people already tired of instant coffee as their quick go-to.

What to Remember

One thing you need to remember when steeping coffee is to use heavily sealed coffee bags so that you won’t lose the flavor of the coffee. There are now several kinds of readily made steeped coffee sold in the market that offers single-serve coffee bags with excellent seals and fresh coffee grounds. You may opt for this if you’re usually on the go or during camping trips and travels.

How to Steep Coffee

coffee ground

When you steep coffee, you steep it just like how you steep tea. If you’ve never tried it before, here’s an easy process you can follow:

What you’ll need

  • Coffee bags or coffee filters
  • Coffee grounds of your choice
  • Hot water
  • Your favorite coffee mug

Procedure

  1. If you still need to prepare hot water, heat it in a kettle between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. After heating, pour the hot water into your coffee mug.
  3. Place 2 to 3 teaspoons of your ground coffee in the coffee tea bag. Close it tightly and place the bag into the coffee mug, as you usually would in tea. Ensure it’s completely submerged so the flavor will diffuse in the water.
  4. Let it steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. Three minutes is ideal for people who want their coffee light, while 5 minutes is best for people who want a more pungent taste.
  5. Take the coffee tea bag out and enjoy your steeped coffee! We recommend adding sugar or syrup to have a sweeter coffee.

Best Coffee Tea Bags You Can Use

Here are five of the best coffee steeping bags we can recommend based on the feedback of those who have used them:

Homhyee Cold Brew Coffee Bags

Homhyee’s easy-use cold brew coffee filter bags have a large capacity, holding as many coffee grounds as you want. Its mesh filter can also strain all coffee ground sizes, from coarse to extra fine. You can choose between 60 or 120 bags, but both are disposable, so you won’t have to worry about washing the bags!

Toddy Paper Filter Bags

Toddy brewing system is one of the most common methods to steep coffee, and the Toddy Paper Filter Bags makes it much easier and more convenient. Not only does it increase the amount of concentrate yield for every batch, but it also extends the life of your felt filters. (Read How Long Microwave Water For Tea)

The Original French Press Brewing Bags

As its name states, these bags are designed for a standard 8-cup French press coffee, but it also works well for steeping and even for mulling spice sacks, as beer hop bags and citrus and fruit water infusion. Its porous, extra robust, and double-sealed material efficiently traps coffee grounds during brewing.

Organic Cotton Cold Brew Coffee Bag

This reusable filter works well with a mason jar, pitcher, and toddy brewing system and can filter out all grounds and sludge. If it’s your first time using a reusable bag, its easy-open nylon drawstring design makes it hassle-free to open and close the bag even when wet. It’s also durable enough to let you squeeze up to the last drop of steeped coffee without damaging the bag.

Modern By Design Cold Brew Coffee Filter

With its versatile size, anyone can use Modern By Design’s disposable mesh brewing sock for steeping coffee or tea. It’s made of high-quality food-grade material designed to trap coffee grounds and oil for a smooth cup of coffee. It’s also compatible with any brewing vessels; even stack them up if you have extra-large containers.

Cold Brew Coffee: A Different Kind of Steeped Coffee

French press

You can also steep coffee using cold or room-temperature water instead of hot water, often called cold brew. It is made by steeping ground coffee in room-temperature water for several hours and then straining it. Once you strained the grounds, you can serve it as it is, over ice or diluted with water, depending on how you want your cold brew to taste.

The most common way of steeping coffee is through a French press, where you can steep a small or large batch of coffee. Note that when making one, it’s best to use coarsely ground coffee beans to make the filtration process more straightforward and make it taste less bitter. Freshly ground coffee beans are also ideal for achieving the best for your French press coffee.

If you have a French press at home, here’s how you can make one:

Note: This step is ideal for standard 8 Cup French Press

  1. Add 4 oz of coarsely ground coffee to your French press.
  2. Slowly pour 3 cups of cold or room-temperature water over the coffee grounds.
  3. Stir to make sure all the grounds are wet.
  4. Leave it on the counter or in the refrigerator and let it steep anywhere between 12 to 18 hours.
  5. After 12 to 18 hours, press and strain the grounds into a jar or pitcher and store it in your refrigerator. Enjoy your cold brew concentrate!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make coffee like tea?

Yes, you can make coffee like tea by using coffee bags. You can use different coffee bags in the market if you want to make coffee, same with the tea-making process.

What will happen if I try steeping coffee in bags?

It’s essential to have a mesh bag made explicitly for coffee grounds when trying coffee steeping. Finer particles will likely seep out using tea bags or tea infusers rather than coffee bags.

Why does steeped coffee taste different?

Since coffee grounds are quickly stale, leaving small coffee bags out for a long time isn’t recommended. If you didn’t like the taste of your steeped coffee, chances are the grounds used in making it aren’t that fresh anymore. (Learn How Long Does Cold Brewed Coffee Last In The Fridge)

Final Thoughts

You can freely steep coffee like tea, whether through coffee bags or tea infusers. You may also opt for a cold brew if you enjoy a stronger coffee yet less acidic. Coffee is versatile as a drink, so it’s up to you which methods work best for your time and palate.

Now that you know you can enjoy coffee like you would come in tea, start experimenting with your daily cup, and you might discover the best-tasting coffee!