Coffee consumption is often labeled with a "chain of contempt," but affordable chain coffee is what the masses need for daily life. Starting from the consumption differences between first- and second-tier cities and third- and fourth-tier cities, and combining data from China coffee consumption reports, this article sorts out the hierarchical relationship among instant coffee, freshly ground coffee, affordable chains, and specialty pour-over, and points out the role of brands such as Lucky Cup, Luckin, and Manner in popularizing freshly ground coffee. The article emphasizes that coffee can be both an exquisite afternoon tea on the Left Bank of the Seine and a roadside stall on the streets of Vietnam; inclusiveness is its essence. After learning about specialty coffee knowledge, one should share rationally rather than show off a sense of superiority, promoting the healthy dissemination of coffee culture. At the end, Front Street Coffee exchange information is retained. [more…]

Specialty coffee culture is growing more popular by the day, and the barrier to enjoying a cup of coffee seems to be rising ever higher: the beans must be specialty, the setting must be comfortable, the location must be quiet. Yet coffee can, at its heart, be an everyday, down-to-earth pleasure. This article looks at Qicheng Coffee in a Guangzhou wet market, Coffee in a Hangzhou market, and Honglang Coffee inside a Shantou rice noodle roll shop, exploring the logic behind coffee shops' high prices and the neighborhood spots that are bringing specialty coffee back to affordable prices. With wallet-friendly prices and dependable quality, they give more people the chance to encounter and understand specialty coffee. Coffee culture needs to spread in a healthy way—it shouldn't have artificial barriers set up around it. [more…]

Manner Coffee has continuously gained a following in the coffee community thanks to its reputation for being tasty, affordable, and highly cost-effective. Recently, baristas' fancy latte art skills have sparked heated discussions online. From basic hearts and tulips to animals like rabbits, squirrels, and unicorns, customers' custom requests are being fulfilled one by one, and some even bring their own bowls to "make" coffee and request latte art. This model, combining approachable prices with specialty quality, along with baristas' considerate and adorable service, has quickly made Manner popular among young consumers and white-collar workers. This article takes you to appreciate those highly recognizable exclusive latte art creations and explains how Manner influences the domestic coffee market with its "affordable specialty" philosophy. [more…]

A medium hot coffee at Starbucks costs an average of $3.07, more than the $2.14 at fast-food chains such as McDonald's, yet less than the $3.43 at regional chains or independent coffee shops. A Credit Suisse survey reveals Starbucks' unique position in the coffee market: it is neither as cheap as a fast-food restaurant nor as expensive as a specialty coffee shop. Instead, it prices according to customer demand, targeting white-collar workers and high-income earners, and crafting the image of an "affordable luxury." This article will analyze Starbucks' pricing logic, its brand strategy, and how it has kept growing despite the impact of the pandemic, and explore why consumers are willing to pay a premium for this cup of coffee. [more…]

With its positioning as affordable specialty coffee, Manner Coffee has surpassed a thousand stores nationwide while also attracting a large number of "coffee-brained" office workers who bring their own cups. However, recently some netizens complained that after a friend helped buy coffee with a bring-your-own cup, the label on the cup could not be completely peeled off, sparking widespread resonance. Similar experiences are not uncommon on social platforms. Some question whether baristas "deliberately" attach the labels, while others believe it is an oversight during peak hours, and some stores use easy-peel stickers as a base layer. This small controversy over labels reflects consumers' attention to baristas' attention to detail in service. For coffee enthusiasts pursuing quality, a good cup of coffee is not only about taste, but also about the warmth and care in the experience. [more…]

I often see friends leaving messages in the background asking: Are there any recommendations for affordable and delicious coffee beans? For this question, the answer is undoubtedly: Of course there are. Without further delay, today I will recommend a few coffee brands that are most worth buying. Not only are they economical and affordable, but they also offer a wide variety of flavors and types—definitely cheap and generous daily staples. [more…]

For friends who are just starting out, since they don't yet understand much about brewing and aren't yet skilled in the process, we suggest starting with some high-value everyday coffee beans, because this way you can taste representative flavors while also being economical. So which coffee brand is suitable for beginners to start practicing with? Front [more…]

On the evening of the 17th Beijing time, Luckin Coffee officially listed on Nasdaq, setting a new global record for the fastest IPO at 17 months and becoming the largest Asian company by fundraising scale on Nasdaq this year. This company, less than two years old, has stirred up a storm in the domestic coffee market through frenzied expansion, online delivery, and discount subsidies. Why are capitalists so favored of Luckin? Can its coffee quality live up to the title of "master coffee"? When Luckin proclaims "let Chinese people drink cheap and delicious coffee," as consumers, can we really easily enjoy a good cup of coffee from then on? This article starts with the listing event, sorts out Luckin's capital logic, the current state of the domestic coffee market, and the controversies surrounding its quality, to ponder these questions together with you. [more…]

The reason Geisha coffee has been able to make waves in the specialty coffee world lies in its signature floral aroma and fruity notes. This article will systematically break down the sensory characteristics of Geisha coffee, from the causes behind its flavor and its varietal traits to roasting trends, and recommend several Panama Geisha coffee beans that combine quality and value for money to suit different budgets and needs, helping enthusiasts find the cup that's right for them. [more…]

As the most expensive coffee beans in the world, Geisha is now popular all over the world. Whenever specialty coffee is mentioned, Panama Geisha comes to mind. If coffee were personified, Panama Geisha would be the beautiful girl of the coffee world, surging with a warm current and diffusing a unique aroma, making countless coffee lovers unable to resist her. [more…]

Anhui-based brand K.W.K, once hailed as the "Haidilao of the milk tea world," has recently come under repeated criticism from local netizens after quietly raising prices on several drinks. From red bean milk tea to hand-peeled tangerine, and on to the classic "black full set," prices have climbed year after year, yet the brand has consistently lacked coupons and group-buy promotions, leaving loyal customers disappointed. Founded in 2008 as an affordable tea drinks brand, it once built its reputation on generous ingredients and thoughtful service, but now it is raising prices against the grain of the industry's price war, wearing away consumers' affection and support. This article reviews K.W.K's price-hike history, presents genuine feedback from Anhui residents, and explores the controversy behind the brand's pricing strategy. [more…]

Blended coffee refers to a mixture of coffee beans from two or more different origins. When people order at a café, unless the barista specifically emphasizes otherwise, the coffee beans used are usually espresso blend beans, and they are typically medium to dark roasted. Americanos made from this type of espresso blend are generally light and refreshing. [more…]

The Geisha variety originated in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. It was discovered in Ethiopia's Geisha forest in 1931 and sent to the Kenyan Coffee Research Institute. It was subsequently introduced to countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, and Costa Rica, and was brought to Panama in 1970. At first, Geisha was planted in Panama [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee) How to choose drip coffee bags? 1. Production date: Generally, freshly ground coffee powder is the freshest. Drip coffee bags are produced by carefully roasting and finely grinding the coffee, then immediately sealing it in bags. You should try to buy beans that are as close to the roast date as possible. [more…]

Recently, a new coffee shop named ora coffee has appeared on the first floor of Beijing Fortune Shopping Center, and its certified entity behind it is Pi's Coffee (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., namely the Chinese entity of Peet's Coffee. This means that Peet's Coffee, which has always positioned itself in the mid-to-high-end segment, is officially testing the waters in the affordable coffee track. The overall design of ora coffee is minimalist, with a compact store space and not many seats, focusing on takeaway scenarios. The mini-program shows that its drinks use Peet's full range of coffee beans, yet the prices are nearly half cheaper than Peet's stores, and on weekdays an Americano can be purchased for 9.9 yuan. The store is equipped with two fully automatic coffee machines rather than the semi-automatic models commonly seen at Peet's, sparking heated discussion among coffee enthusiasts. Some are optimistic that Peet's can use this to seize the mid-to-low-end market, while others believe ora's positioning is awkward, as it struggles to compete upward with Manner and has little price difference downward compared with Luckin. The first Beijing store has already opened, and the Xi'an MixC World store is also in preparation. [more…]

Unlike the positioning of a coffee shop, home brewing often pursues value for money—the coffee must taste good and be affordable, making it a daily staple. So regardless of the extraction method, when choosing coffee beans, we prioritize whether they can become an everyday go-to. Nowadays, espresso machines are no longer a "luxury" exclusive to cafés, [more…]

1. What coffee beans should be used for pour-over coffee? Coffee beans fall into two categories: single-origin and blended. Single-origin coffee beans and blended coffee are suited to different coffee-making devices. To break it down systematically, single-origin coffee beans are suitable for the filtered pour-over brewing method, while blended coffee beans are suitable for pressurized [more…]

Heytea's sub-brand Xixiaocha recently closed its last store located in Guangzhou City Investment Building. From the opening of its first store in April 2020 to its complete withdrawal now, only two and a half years have passed. Xixiaocha once deeply cultivated six cities in the Pearl River Delta and opened 22 stores, focusing on affordable drinks priced from 8 to 16 yuan. Before closing, most stores were still profitable. At the same time, Heytea's main brand has continuously lowered prices since the beginning of this year, announcing that it will no longer launch products priced above 29 yuan, and all new products will be priced no higher than 20 yuan. The product positioning and price ranges of the two brands are increasingly overlapping. The last update on Xixiaocha's official WeChat public account remained on July 20, 2022, and its mini-program can no longer be searched. Heytea has not yet responded. This article reviews the rise and fall of Xixiaocha and analyzes its connection with the strategic adjustments of the main brand. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts have unknowingly accumulated a lot of coffee equipment at home, and those obsessed with espresso have even stocked up on espresso machines, ready to pull their own shots. But many people don't know how to choose coffee beans suitable for espresso extraction, agonizing over whether to buy dark roast or light roast, blended or single-origin, and how home use and commercial use [more…]

Since Geisha coffee became famous, it has been cultivated in many regions around the world. Geisha coffee is the new king of specialty coffee, with the highest quality and most expensive beans produced in South American countries such as Panama, Guatemala, and Colombia, among which Panamanian Geisha is the most renowned. Although many origins now grow it, [more…]