10 Best Coffee Bags | Taylors Lyons and More

If you're looking to switch from instant coffee to something with a richer taste and fuller body, the Rich Italian Coffee Bags from Taylors of Harrogate are a fantastic choice. The coffee is also certified by the Rainforest Alliance, and carbon neutral.

As a medium roast, this coffee is nicely balanced, with the classic flavours of chocolate and nutty almond you'd expect from a European-style coffee. You get 30 bags in total, meaning that, for the price, this is a massive step up from an instant option without much of an investment.

While most coffee drinkers like a strong kick in the morning to wake them up, most speciality coffee shops offer a more acidic drink with fruitier flavour notes. The Organic Light Roast from New Kings Coffee is a great way to enjoy a lighter and more delicate cup at home.

You can expect a crisper mouthfeel rather than something more viscous, which is more in line with a fruit tea than an espresso. If you're a fan of speciality coffee or simply want to try something a little different, this is well worth the price of admission!

This lightly roasted coffee from Real Coffee Bag Co is a good bridge between more traditional flavours and something with a more fruity taste. It has the chocolaty, nutty, and caramel notes you would expect but also a tangy hint of grapefruit acidity. 

Real Coffee Bag Co are a UK-based, family-run company that uses sustainable and biodegradable recycled bags and is both Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified. So, if you're after quality coffee from a reputable source, the Red Blend fits the bill. 

The Presto Coffee Bags make for a delicious treat as well as your morning wake-up call, with a smooth Italian style and tasting notes that remind you of a black forest gateau. This is a strong and flavoursome cup that is great, both black and with a splash of milk.

It's a single-origin coffee, meaning all the beans come from the same lot in Mogiana, Brazil - single-origins have a much more distinct flavour allowing you to really experience the whole cup. All the packaging is also either recyclable or compostable, so you won't have to worry about your waste!

The first dark roast on our list is this organic and Fairtrade offering from New Kings that boasts dark chocolate, peach, and spice flavours. This is a rich, indulgent, and full-bodied cup that's almost on the decadent side!

Like other New Kings coffee, it comes in fully recyclable and eco-friendly packaging and is 100% plastic-free. Each bag is also individually wrapped for maximum freshness making them a great choice when travelling or on the road.

The Hot Lava from Taylors of Harrogate definitely lives up to its name! It has that peppery, smokey taste that's unique to dark roasts and features beans from South-East Asia. If you're a fan of earthy and bitter flavours, this will be right up your street.

While it is an interesting dark roast, it won't be to everybody's tastes, and we wouldn't recommend drinking it with milk. If the flavour notes sound appealing though, and you take your coffee black, you may have found your new favourite brew!

The third and final coffee from New Kings is their Organic Medium Roast which is a great all-around option to have with milk or take black. It has classic flavour notes of almond, and sweet toffee, so it is also something of a crowd-pleaser.

While it is a popular option, it's also not the most interesting choice considering the price per bag. If you're happy to pay for a classic, quality coffee, this is well worth it, but if you're after something a little more unique, there are much more daring options available.

If you're the sort of person who doesn't care about flavour notes or delicate fruity acidity and just want your coffee to be coffee, then the Emirates Blend from Real Coffee Bag Co hits the nail on the head. It's a medium to dark roast that has some caramel and honey-like sweetness to it that plenty appreciate.

It's something of a bargain, with 50 bags available around the £10 mark, making it the closest in price to an instant coffee. It's also not particularly exciting and primarily functional, which is great for those that want it, but a little boring for those after an experience.

The Fuji Mountain Coffee Bags are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up to counter the lethargy that comes with a large lunch. This dark roast is bold and full-bodied but also has a smoothness that makes it pleasant to drink.

While this ranks highly with many reviewers, it's hard to place something in the top spots when you don't know where the beans come from. Still, they are Rainforest Alliance certified so at least you know they are sustainably sourced.

If the majority of the coffee you drink is instant and you don't want to rock the boat too much, these bags from Lyons are a nice step up without sacrificing convenience. They're widely available and relatively cheap.

In terms of flavour, these coffee bags are not going to blow you away, and there's little information about their sustainability and origin. If you don't mind that and just want a cheap and cheerful option that you can have with milk and two sugars, this is a fine choice.