Packaging is one of the crucial aspects of most businesses, and coffee businesses are no exception.
Your coffee packaging may be even more critical than other types of businesses because it represents your brand to consumers. It’s what keeps your coffee fresh and communicates your company values.
So how do you choose the proper packaging for your coffee business? We’ll discuss some factors to consider in this blog post!
What style of coffee packaging is best for your business?
Several packaging bags are primarily used for coffee, such as gusset bags, quad seal bags, flat bottom bags, doypack, flat pouches, stand up pouches and stick packs etc.
Each has its advantages and disadvantages, so you’ll need to consider what coffee pouches will work best for your business.
Consider factors such as the type of product you are selling, quantity, shelf life, and size when deciding which style is the right fit.
Side-fold coffee bags
Side-fold pouches (gusseted coffee bags) are popular for coffee packaging due to their convenience and affordability.
Upon being filled, the sides of the pouch expand to create an airtight seal that keeps the contents fresh. Additionally, they can be folded flat and stored away when not in use. The top of these pouches is typically equipped with a tin tie that further helps maintain the items’ freshness.
With their ease of use and cost-efficiency, side-fold pouches offer an attractive packaging solution for coffee industry.
Quad-seal bags
Quad-seal bags are a popular option among many companies as they provide an appealing and secure way to store their product.
Quad-seal bags feature four sealed sides, creating a distinct rectangular shape that stands out from other packages on the shelf. This design helps protect the bag’s contents and keep them fresh while providing a visually attractive package.
Aside from keeping your coffee beans safe, quad-seal bags are also incredibly functional, allowing for more efficient storage and transport of your products. With their stylish looks and practical benefits, quad-seal bags can be a great packaging solution for your coffee business.
Flat-bottom bags
Flat-bottom bags are an excellent choice for coffee packaging, as they feature a flat base which allows them to stand upright and attract more attention in busy stores. Packaging options such as zippers or tin ties enable customers to keep the contents fresh and ensure that your product remains of the highest quality. This packaging will help promote your brand and ensure it stands out from the competition.
Doypacks
This type of packaging allows your product to stand on its own and requires fewer sides than a flat-bottom bag, making it more cost-effective to produce. However, doypacks tend to be less sturdy and offer less room for brand identity.
Stick pack
Stick pack is a narrow and slim packaging solution ideal for single servings of coffee. It works well for both on-the-go consumption and, more negligible, personal brews. The stick pack’s sleek and convenient design makes it easy to transport and store, while its laminate construction locks in flavor and preserves the freshness of your coffee.
The efficient way of keeping coffee fresh
When running a successful coffee business, it’s essential to keep your coffee fresh for the best results. With that in mind, choosing suitable packaging for your coffee can make all the difference. Packaging is not just about being visually appealing; it also plays an integral role in preserving and protecting the quality of your product.
To ensure that your coffee stays in optimal condition throughout its delivery, it is crucial to choose the best packaging option available.
One-way degassing valve
They package freshly-roasted coffee, allowing it to remain optimal for extended periods. One way valve help release the carbon dioxide created by the roasting process while preventing oxygen from entering the packaging. In this way, coffee stays fresh and flavorful even after long-term storage.
Modified-atmosphere packaging
It is a way to keep product fresh for longer. It works by introducing a combination of gases into the coffee’s packaging or using specific materials that prevent oxidation and spoilage. This helps delay the staling process, keeping your coffee fresher for longer.
Resealable tops
Having a resealable top is essential for keeping your coffee fresh. Options include foldable tops with metal strips or zipper tapes, which help maintain the flavor and aroma of your favorite beverage. This packaging allows you to seal the package shut and keep the contents from stale quickly. This feature helps ensure that you are always drinking your coffee at its best.
How to choose packaging film materials for coffee bag packaging
To choose suitable packaging film materials. The good way to do this is to think about the purpose of your packaging and what qualities will best serve that purpose.
Factors such as durability, moisture resistance, lightweight protection, and barrier protection should be considered when selecting packaging film materials.
BOPP film
BOPP film, or biaxially orientated polypropylene film, is a popular material for coffee packaging due to its high gloss and excellent mechanical stability.
However, when it comes to coffee packages, matte finishes are much more preferred than glossy ones.
In this case, matte BOPP film can achieve the desired result, as the matte effect applies to the whole web of the material. Thus, creating a full-body matte finish for coffee bags.
PET Film
Transparent PET film is preferred in the production of coffee bags due to its superior advantages over BOPP film.
This material offers higher mechanical strength, providing more stability during processing. It also has an increased resistance to high temperatures, which results in a neat and clean appearance when making bags and welding degassing valves.
Additionally, PET film is more rigid than BOPP, producing a better standing effect when filling the bag.
Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is an effective barrier against moisture and oxygen, both significant factors in preserving the freshness of roasted beans. While metalized film coffee bags are usually cheaper, aluminum foil coffee bags are often advised for high-quality products due to their additional protection capabilities. However, because the aluminum foil is a thin metal sheet without any elasticity or heat sealability, it can quickly become damaged if folded too many times. To ensure that aluminum foil coffee bags are still practical, they must be sandwiched between multiple laminate layers when used as packaging.
Metallized PET Film
Metallized PET film, often referred to as VMPET film, is created to provide a high barrier for packaging material at a cost lower than aluminum foil. The layer of metal deposited on the PET film creates a wall highly resistant to moisture, oxygen, and other gases. This makes it an ideal packaging material for food products that need to maintain delicious coffee freshness and flavor over time.
Kraft paper
Kraft paper is frequently used to create an environmentally friendly coffee bag. This type of packaging is entirely biodegradable due to the use of natural kraft paper. As a result, these bags are much more sustainable and beneficial for the environment.
LDPE film
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) film is frequently used in packaging applications. It has a low density and provides good sealing capabilities.
In some cases, Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) may be used to further improve the sealing properties of the package. LLDPE has higher tensile strength compared to LDPE and is more resistant to punctures.
Both materials are lightweight and cost-effective, making them popular choices for custom coffee bag.
Benefits of coffee packaging
Coffee packaging is an essential part of marketing your product and business. The packaging design must be practical and visually appealing to protect your coffee during shipping and attract potential customers. It should be addressed when considering a successful marketing strategy.
PROTECTS YOUR COFFEE
Good packaging is essential for protecting your coffee, whether it’s ground, flavored, or the whole bean. When designing the packaging, it’s important to find materials and styles that keep the product secure throughout shipping, storage, handling, and use. This ensures that the coffee remains fresh from when it leaves the warehouse until it reaches its destination. The best coffee packaging should be attractive and functional, protecting the contents. Choosing appropriate materials that are either cutting-edge or traditional can help ensure your coffee is well-protected.
PROMOTES YOUR BRAND
When designing coffee packaging, you have the opportunity to showcase your brand story. You may feature prominent branding on the front of the package or place it in a quieter location. Consider highlighting exciting aspects of your company, such as where the beans were sourced from, any eco-friendly practices your business follows, and unique flavor profiles of blends. You can promote the message and story behind your brand through your packaging. Your customers will be drawn to it and be more likely to purchase from you in the future.
SELLS YOUR PRODUCT
Suitable packaging for your coffee is essential for creating a positive impression on customers and standing out from the competition.
Studies suggest that we make decisions about a product within seven seconds of seeing it, even before we consciously realize we’re doing so.
In other words, when people shop in retail stores, the appearance of your packaging is hugely important for making sure that customers pick your product.
How to process your coffee packaging?
Coffee packaging is one of the most critical steps in coffee production and is essential for maintaining freshness, product integrity, and shelf life. Choosing the correct packaging equipment for your needs is crucial, as this will determine the product’s quality, throughput, and accuracy.
If you are hand-filling coffee bags, choosing a bag style with a wide enough top opening to accommodate your scoop or filling apparatus is crucial. Suppose you are going to automate the process with a coffee packaging machine.
They offer much more flexibility, throughput, and accuracy. These machines can work with multiple bag styles and sizes and ensure accurate fill weights. The automated filling also allows for increased production on short notice when needed.
Premade pouch packing machine
The premade pouch packing machine is perfect for quickly and efficiently filling coffee powder or coffee beans into all kinds of premade pouches, such as side gusset bags with block bottoms, with or without a zipper pouch.
When used for coffee beans, It can be used in combination with the multi-head weighing system or linear weigher. For ground coffee, it can be integrated with the auger filler.
This reliable machine has an easily accessible bag magazine that can store max 200-300pouches, an automatic zipper opener, an integrated bag shaker, and an exit conveyor that allows for fast packaging of coffee products.
It can be used to fill up to 50 bags per minute and has a maximum pouch size of 300mm width. The machine is easy to operate and maintain, allowing quick setup and efficient operation. It includes an adjustable filling volume, low air consumption, and an automatic fault detection system.
Vertical form fill seal machine
Packway Machinery provides a comprehensive range of packaging equipment suitable for whole bean and ground coffee. Our automated packaging and sealing machines are highly sought after by coffee producers thanks to their ease of operation, robustness, and rapid speed.
We offer Vertical Form Fill Seal coffee packaging machines, Flat Bottom and Quad Seal VFFS Machines, and other associated equipment such as augers, volumetric fillers, scales, conveyors, and cartooning to create an automated package that is both complete and efficient.
Our Coffee packaging machines have supporting features such as nitrogen gas flushing, degassing valves, an automatic film tracking system, etc.
The efficient and easy to operate VFFS machines reduce the labor cost considerably and help in enhancing the productivity of your coffee packaging business.
Multi lane packing machine
Stick packs offer a convenient and single-serving packaging solution for consumers to take on the go.
Packway Machinery offers stick pack machines suitable for all production levels, ranging from our entry level 2 lane machine to 14 lane machines with a capacity to produce up to 720 stick packs per minute.
With additional features such as tear notches, various seal patterns and shapes, static elimination, and embossing, our stick pack machines can be tailored to fit your needs. They are the perfect choice for coffee powder packaging.
Conclusion
The ideal packaging for your coffee business will depend on many factors, including the type of coffee, the cost, and even your brand image.
For instance, if you’re selling a high-end specialty coffee, consider using something like a canister or valve bag to protect the quality of the beans.
And if you’re looking for an economical packaging solution that won’t sacrifice the quality of your coffee, consider using a stand-up pouch with a zipper closure. Both of these options are excellent for keeping your coffee fresh and flavorful.
Consider looking at custom-printed packaging solutions to create an eye-catching design that help to stands out from the competition. This is a great way to draw attention to your product and make it look unique.
Whatever packaging solution you choose, ensure it meets all your needs and that the quality is up to par.
With the suitable packaging in place, you can ensure that your coffee will remain fresh and flavorful while making a great first impression on customers.