Faced with the dazzling array of pour-over kettles on the market, how should beginners make a suitable choice? Front Street points out that when purchasing, you only need to focus on two key dimensions: whether it comes with a temperature control system, and how easy it is to control the water flow. Temperature-controlled and non-temperature-controlled versions differ significantly in price and convenience—taking Brewista as an example, the price gap between the two can reach about four times. The difficulty of water control mainly depends on the length of the kettle neck, its inner diameter, and the shape and caliber of the spout—a slender gooseneck with a small-caliber curved spout suits beginners pursuing stable pouring, while a short, thick neck with a large-caliber flat spout is better suited to advanced players who enjoy fancy pouring techniques. This article will break down these two directions one by one, and include specific recommendations for Front Street's commonly used Hario Cloud Kettle, Kalita Swan-Neck Kettle, Fellow Kettle, and others, to help you find the one that fits your hand best. [more…]

Anaerobic fermentation has attracted considerable attention in the specialty coffee world in recent years. Drawing on the idea of isolating oxygen from winemaking, it allows coffee beans to develop rich, layered flavors in an oxygen-free environment. This article takes the double anaerobic fermentation coffee from Finca El Paraiso in Cauca, Colombia, as an example to explain in detail the basic concept of this processing method, product information related to Front Street Coffee, and the complete flavor performance from dry aroma to hot drinking and through to cooling. It also includes the actual pour-over equipment and brewing parameters for coffee lovers to reference and practice. [more…]

In the world of coffee, there is a whole set of established professional terminology. Familiarity with these terms makes communication between enthusiasts much smoother. This article systematically organizes the core concepts commonly found in the field of pour-over coffee, from the hand-brewing ABC kit, extraction, brewing ratio, and blooming, to espresso, Combo, SOE, and blended coffee, analyzing their meanings and application scenarios one by one. Whether you are a beginner just starting out or an experienced player hoping to refine your skills, this terminology guide can help you more accurately understand the key points of coffee brewing and tasting, and also make you more adept when communicating with baristas in a café. [more…]

When a long-running independent coffee shop decides to put itself up for a full transfer, what it leaves behind is not only equipment and décor, but also a story of the tug-of-war between dreams and reality. Recently, coffee shop transfer listings have surged on social platforms, and many one-person shop models are facing closure. From the initial passion for starting a business to the feeling of being trapped after losing their freedom, what kind of shift have shop owners gone through in their mindset? Why do they prefer transferring the entire shop as a lease rather than selling it off in parts? Amid this wave of transfers, industry observers such as Front Street Coffee have also begun to wonder: is starting a coffee business really this difficult? [more…]