Percol coffee bags: what's in the range and how to brew them

Percol coffee bags are single-serve bags of ground coffee on a string and tag, brewed in a mug like a teabag. Percol, which says it has been roasting since 1987, sells them in two blends, Rich Americano and Smooth Colombian, and three pack sizes. This guide covers what’s in each Percol coffee bags pack, which certifications apply, how to dispose of them and how to get a better cup. We haven’t tested this in person. Everything here comes from Percol’s UK website and retailer checks on 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.

One thing up front: we couldn’t verify a current UK price for any Percol coffee bag pack on 3 Oct 2026. The supermarkets that list them blocked our checks, and Morrisons only had Percol’s instant coffee. So there are no Percol bag prices on this page, only the details we could confirm.

Percol coffee bags: the short answer

Buy Rich Americano if you want a medium roast with a chocolatey, nutty profile. Percol rates it 4 on its roast scale and describes milk chocolate and walnut notes.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who likes a bright, lighter cup. That’s the Colombian.

Choose Smooth Colombian if you prefer a lighter roast. Percol rates it 3 and describes it as light and fruity with citrus notes.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who drinks coffee with lots of milk and wants it to cut through.

Pick the 60-bag Americano if you get through a lot of coffee bags. It’s the largest pack Percol lists, and it skips the individual envelopes.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants every bag to be Fairtrade. The 60-pack is Rainforest Alliance certified instead.

What’s in the range

Percol’s coffee bags page lists five packs, all with 8g of 100% Arabica ground coffee per bag:

• Rich Americano, 60 bags (480g): no individual envelopes, Rainforest Alliance certified, roast 4.
• Rich Americano, 20 bags (160g): no envelopes, Fairtrade certified, roast 4.
• Rich Americano, 10 bags (80g): each bag in its own envelope, Fairtrade certified, roast 4.
• Smooth Colombian, 20 bags (160g): no envelopes, 100% Colombian Arabica, Fairtrade certified, roast 3.
• Smooth Colombian, 10 bags (80g): individually wrapped, Fairtrade certified, roast 3.

The individually wrapped 10-packs are handy for travel or the office drawer, because the bags stay sealed until you use them. The bigger packs drop the envelopes, which means less packaging.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants decaf coffee bags. We didn’t see a decaf in Percol’s coffee bag range on 3 Oct 2026, though it does sell a decaf instant.

Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and plastic-free claims

Percol says it pioneered Fairtrade coffee in the UK in 1994, as the first to supply certified coffee. On the bag range, four of the five packs are Fairtrade certified; the 60-bag Americano carries the Rainforest Alliance mark instead. The two schemes are different: Fairtrade centres on minimum prices and premiums for producer groups, while Rainforest Alliance focuses on farming standards and protecting natural resources, which is how Percol summarises it too.

Percol says the bags, strings and tags are plastic-free and can go in your council food waste bin. It also says it was the first coffee brand to receive A Plastic Planet’s Plastic Free Trust Mark.

Who it isn’t for: anyone without a food waste collection. You’d need a compost heap, or the bags go in general waste.

How to brew a better coffee bag

Percol’s site doesn’t give a steeping time, so check the pack. The general principles for any coffee bag are simple:

• Use freshly boiled water, poured straight onto the bag in the mug.
• Give it time. A few minutes is typical, and a longer steep gives a stronger cup.
• Cover the mug while it steeps to keep the heat in.
• Dunk or stir a few times, then lift the bag out. Squeezing it against the side gets a little more out, at the risk of extra bitterness.
• Match the mug to the bag. One 8g bag suits a standard mug; a very large mug will taste weaker.

If you want more control over strength, a cafetière with ground coffee does the same job with less packaging per cup. Our coffee beans hub covers ground coffee options.

Who it isn’t for: anyone after espresso-style coffee. A bag brews a filter-style mug, not a short, intense shot.

Where to buy, and what similar bags cost

Tesco and Ocado product pages for Percol coffee bags appear in search results, but Tesco, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose all blocked our checks, so we can’t confirm prices or stock. Morrisons’ site had Percol instant coffee (Check price at Morrisons) but no Percol coffee bags.

For comparison, Taylors of Harrogate coffee bags were £3.80 for a box of 10 (75g) at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026, across Rich Italian, Hot Lava Java, Decaff and Flying Start. That’s £50.67 a kilo by Morrisons’ own unit price. Taylors is covered in more detail in our Taylors Lazy Sunday guide. For another Fairtrade brand, see Cafédirect coffee, and for jar coffee, our instant coffee hub.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a confirmed price before reading further. Check the retailer on the day.

FAQ

Are Percol coffee bags Fairtrade? Four of the five packs are. The 60-bag Rich Americano is Rainforest Alliance certified instead.

How much coffee is in a Percol coffee bag? Percol lists 8g of ground coffee per bag.

Are Percol coffee bags compostable? Percol says the bags, strings and tags are plastic-free and can go in your council food waste bin.

Which Percol coffee bag is strongest? Rich Americano is roast 4 on Percol’s scale; Smooth Colombian is roast 3.

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