Stand Up Coffee Bags For Roasters Whole Bean And Ground Coffee

What happens inside a sealed coffee bag

Roasting produces carbon dioxide inside the bean, and the beans keep releasing it for days after roasting. Whole beans release it slowly. Ground coffee gives off most of its gas faster because grinding opens up far more surface area. In a fully sealed laminate with no exit, that gas builds up pressure. The bag puffs, it stands badly on the shelf, and under heavy pressure the side or bottom seals can be stressed.

A one-way valve is a small fitting heat-sealed to the inside of the front panel. It usually has a flexible membrane that lifts when the pressure inside goes above the pressure outside, lets the CO2 out, and then closes again. Outside air cannot get back in through it, so the oxygen that dulls aroma stays out while the gas escapes. This means roasters can pack straight after roasting and skip a long degassing wait.

How the valve works

Valves fit stand-up pouches and flat bottom pouches. We place the valve where it clears the main artwork and the zipper line, and it shows on the proof. On the quote the valve is listed as its own extra, apart from material, size and print colours, so you can price the bag with and without it.

A valve does not replace barrier film. It handles CO2, and the laminate handles oxygen, moisture and light.

Foil and metallised film

An aluminium foil laminate, usually PET/AL/PE, gives the highest barrier against oxygen, moisture and light. It is the usual choice for ground coffee, which goes stale faster because of its exposed surface, and for coffee that sits long in distribution. Metallised PET (mylar) has a vacuum-deposited metal layer that blocks light and gives a good oxygen barrier at a lower weight. Its barrier is typically lower than foil, so it suits whole beans that sell within a shorter window.

Kraft paper laminate

Kraft gives a natural, matte, paper look that many specialty roasters want. Paper on its own has almost no barrier. For coffee, kraft is laminated over a foil or metallised layer, with a PE sealing layer inside. You get the paper look on the outside and the barrier from the inner layers.

Send us your coffee type, fill weight and target market. We will recommend one structure for free and write it on the quote. If two structures fit, we name one in writing and price both.

• Ground coffee or long distribution: foil laminate
• Whole bean, faster sell-through: metallised PET
• Natural shelf look: kraft over foil or metallised