If you’re taking cold coffee with you on a long day out, first choose a product that actually contains coffee: a pyramid-shaped tea bag doesn’t guarantee that it contains coffee or provides a particular amount of caffeine. A coffee infusion bag means you can do without a coffee maker, but you’ll need to prepare it in advance. A ready-to-drink beverage skips this step, provided its ingredients and storage instructions suit your plans.
If you want to take cold coffee with you, distinguish ground coffee or coffee extract from a bag of herbal infusion. To keep track of your caffeine intake, remember to consider your other caffeinated drinks and products too.
A bag designed for cold-brewing coffee lets you make a drink without a filter coffee maker or cafetière. You’ll still need to prepare it before you set off, following the product instructions.
A ready-to-drink coffee beverage saves you the infusion step. It may contain milk and sugars, so check the allergens and storage instructions for the product you choose.
For a long day out, start by checking what the product contains: a pyramid-shaped bag for cold infusion may not contain coffee. Then choose between preparing a drink in advance and taking one that’s ready to drink.
Choose this if: you want to make cold coffee without a coffee maker and can allow for the stated brewing time.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to prepare the drink before taking it with you; a coffee bag isn’t necessarily pyramid-shaped.
Choose this if: you’d prefer a drink you can enjoy without brewing it first.
Bear in mind: the recipe may contain milk and sugars, and some products need to be kept chilled.
Choose this if: you’d like a cold infusion and don’t necessarily need it to be coffee.
Remember: the shape of the bag doesn’t tell you whether it contains coffee. Carrefour, for example, features an Éléphant cold infusion containing ingredients including hibiscus and apple.
| Factor | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Whether it contains coffee | Read the product name and ingredients. Look for ground coffee, coffee or coffee extract, rather than relying on the shape of the bag alone. | I want to take coffee with me, not mistake my purchase for an herbal infusion. Around 42% of consumers put this check first. |
| Preparation and storage | Check how long a bag needs to brew or, for a ready-to-drink beverage, the instructions for storing it before and after opening. | I’m going to be out for several hours and need to prepare and carry my drink as instructed. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and caffeine | Check the ingredients, allergens, nutritional information and caffeine per serving, where stated. Remember to consider your other sources of caffeine too. | I want to know what’s in the drink and take into account the caffeine I’ve already had that day. Around 25% of consumers make this their priority. |
“Pyramid-shaped” describes the bag, not what’s inside it. Carrefour’s Éléphant cold infusion, for example, lists hibiscus and apple among its ingredients, not coffee.
If you’re buying cold coffee, check the product name and look for coffee or coffee extract in the ingredients list.
Taste doesn’t tell you how much caffeine a serving contains. Anses notes that the effects of caffeine vary from person to person.
Check the amount on the packaging if it’s listed, and consider your other sources of caffeine. If you’re pregnant, have a medical condition or are taking medication that may interact, ask a healthcare professional for advice.
A coffee beverage may also contain milk and sugars. Auchan’s product details for the Candia Columbus Café & Co drink list semi-skimmed milk and coffee extract among its ingredients.
Read the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information, then follow the storage temperatures and time limits for the specific product you’re taking with you.
The brand offers coffee bags for hot or cold brewing, so you can make coffee without a filter coffee maker or cafetière.
Auchan features Carte Noire coffee beans: an option if you want to make coffee from beans rather than use an infusion bag.
The range features in a ready-to-drink milky coffee beverage listed by Auchan, for a coffee purchase that needs no preparation at home.
These products are ready-to-drink coffee beverages or instant coffee to prepare yourself. For a long day out, distinguish them from bags of coffee for cold brewing, and check the ingredients, stated caffeine content and storage instructions before choosing.
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Worth considering if you’d prefer a ready-to-drink coffee beverage to a bag for brewing. Check the caffeine per serving on the label and follow the instructions for after opening.
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This single-serve pouch is an option if you want a coffee drink without having to brew it. It isn’t a pyramid-shaped bag, so check the ingredients, stated caffeine content and instructions for after opening.
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This bottled latte is a good fit if you’d prefer a ready-to-drink beverage to coffee that needs brewing. It contains milk, so check the label and storage instructions before taking it with you.
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Consider this if you want to make cold coffee without a coffee maker and carry the coffee and water separately. It’s soluble coffee powder, not a pyramid-shaped bag for brewing, so check the ingredients for the variant you choose.
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Individual portions may suit you if you’d rather make up a drink than take a ready-to-drink beverage. The stated instructions call for mixing with cold milk, so check they match the drink you have in mind. These aren’t pyramid-shaped bags for brewing.
No: the shape of the bag alone tells you nothing about its ingredients. Carrefour’s Éléphant cold infusion, for example, lists hibiscus and apple among its ingredients. If you want cold coffee, look for ground coffee, coffee or coffee extract in the ingredients.
Check the amount per serving if it’s stated, and take all your other sources of caffeine into account. The European Food Safety Authority clarifies that its assessment for healthy adults doesn’t automatically apply to people with a medical condition or cover interactions with medicines. Taste or advertised intensity is no substitute for a stated amount.
Yes, as long as you can follow the storage instructions for the product you’ve chosen while transporting it and after opening. If it needs to stay chilled, plan a suitable way to carry it. Anses notes that low temperatures slow the growth of micro-organisms.