How does the coffee extraction process apply to tea drinks?

Chagee has launched a sub-brand called Chaji Xiancui, trading as Tea Ji Fresh Brew, which uses high-temperature and high-pressure extraction to produce concentrated tea. The equipment resembles semi-automatic espresso machines, and the drinks are blended with dairy products. Two stores are open in Shanghai, with a third location under hoarding at the former Manner site near Wujiang Road subway entrance.

The approach borrows the coffee extraction process: pressure and heat pull concentrated flavor from tea leaves, much like using a coffee machine pulls espresso. The hoarding slogan reads COFFEE OR TEAPRESSO, prompting speculation about coffee entry, but the products remain tea beverages. Other chains such as Naixue and Guming have added coffee to menus, so the format fits a broader trend.

Recently, at the location of the former Manner store near the Wujiang Road subway entrance in Shanghai, a "Tea Ji Fresh Brew" hoarding has appeared. Its English signage is highly similar to that of Chagee, and together with the slogan "COFFEE OR TEAPRESSO?", it has sparked speculation about whether this leading tea beverage brand is planning to enter the coffee sector. However, according to fans, Tea Ji Fresh Brew is actually a sub-brand under Chagee that specializes in "concentrated brewed tea." The store equipment looks similar to semi-automatic espresso machines, using high-temperature and high-pressure extraction to obtain tea concentrate, which is then blended with dairy products. The products still fall within the tea beverage category. At present, the brand has already opened two stores in Shanghai, and the Wujiang Road hoarding is for a new store about to open.

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Recently, Shanghai netizens noticed that the former Manner store next to the Wujiang Road Line 2 subway entrance has been covered by a hoarding, with the words "Tea Ji Fresh Brew" printed on the outer advertising cloth.

From photos taken by passersby, the English name of this "Tea Ji Fresh Brew" is quite close to the Chagee brand name. The hoarding also bears a thought-provoking slogan—"COFFEE OR TEAPRESSO?"—which led pedestrians to speculate whether a leading company in the tea beverage industry intends to enter the coffee track and compete with brands such as Starbucks and Luckin for the market.

However, some onlookers were not surprised that a milk tea brand is venturing into coffee drinks. They pointed out that brands such as Naixue, Guming, and Yidian Dian have already added coffee to their store menus, so it is only reasonable that Chagee, following industry trends, would launch a sub-brand to sell coffee.

Some netizens joked that on the track of developing products that keep people awake, Chagee may be more skilled than other brands. After all, the brand's signature drinks, such as Boya Juexian and Wanli Mulan, have given many consumers the experience of being fully energized all night.

"Chagee: They're all things that keep people awake anyway, so how different can they be?", "Farewell to sleep, Chagee", "Achieving the ultimate on the track of keeping people awake", "Does it even need to compete? In terms of effects, it's already top 1", "Professionals do professional things; milk tea is just its side business. Keeping people awake is its main business."

In addition, many people used this to joke about the current freshly made beverage industry: "milk tea becoming coffee-like, coffee becoming milk tea-like." They said bluntly that whether coffee brands or tea beverage brands, none are satisfied with the areas they are good at, and they penetrate into each other's territory, trying to grab a slice of the pie.

Although netizens often complain that "this world is just one giant milk tea and coffee shop," most consumers welcome the fierce competition in the freshly made beverage industry. In their view, if Chagee really enters the coffee track, it could not only pose a certain threat to coffee brands, but also potentially drive down drink prices and bring more benefits to customers.

However, this rosy scenario was later "shattered" by some users. They said that although the name and slogan of "Tea Ji Fresh Brew" easily make people think of freshly ground and freshly extracted espresso, in reality, the products sold by the brand have nothing to do with coffee and are still the milk tea drinks Chagee excels at.

According to fans, Tea Ji Fresh Brew is an officially launched sub-brand specializing in "concentrated brewed tea." The store has a machine that looks extremely similar to a semi-automatic espresso machine, and the production process is also similar to espresso—using high temperature and high pressure to extract a serving of "tea concentrate," which is then blended with dairy products and other ingredients to create a drink with a richer tea flavor.

At present, Tea Ji Fresh Brew already has two stores in Shanghai, and after opening they attracted many fans to visit and try them. The Wujiang Road hoarding photographed by passersby is for the brand's upcoming new store. After learning the details, although the onlookers felt slightly regretful that Chagee has not expanded into the coffee business, many became quite interested in this method of tea beverage production and suggested that the official brand open more stores so that more users can experience the new drinks.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.