Wednesday, September 16 2026

Coffee Crema | Does more crema in espresso mean better coffee bean quality? Recommended high-value specialty coffee beans with rich crema for moka pots and espresso machines

Some people believe that oils are an indispensable part of coffee flavor, but they also express concern about the health risks posed by these coffee oils. Today, Front Street Coffee is here to give everyone a proper explanation of what the crema in espresso actually is, and whether it has any impact on our health. Is "coffee beans with more oil" really good [more…]

Coffee Bean Oil Release | What factors cause roasted coffee beans to become oily? Does coffee bean oil release mean poor coffee quality?

If you often buy beans and brew them at home, you've probably noticed that some coffee beans start to show oil on their surface after sitting for a while. Other beans, no matter how long they're stored, still look dry on the surface. This leads to a rather interesting phenomenon: some people believe that coffee beans [more…]

French Press Usage Tips | How Many Coffee Beans to Use for French Press Coffee? How Much Coffee Grounds to Put in a French Press? Does French Press Coffee Have a Lot of Oil?

Coffee is becoming more and more popular, and there are all kinds of brewing methods. However, when you're busy, you might feel you don't have time for a pour-over, and even an espresso seems to take too long. In that case, using a lazy person's pot to make a cup of coffee might be a pretty good choice! French press coffee and pour-over coffee [more…]

French Press Coffee | What coffee beans are suitable for French press brewing? Does French press coffee have a lot of oils? How much coffee grounds, water, water temperature, and steeping time for a French press?

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee). Coffee is becoming more and more popular, and there are all kinds of brewing methods. However, when you're busy, you might feel you don't have time for a pour-over, and if you want an espresso, it seems you don't have much time either. So in this [more…]

The Richness of Dark Roast Coffee: Balancing Oils, Caramel, and Mouthfeel

The charm of dark roast coffee lies in its steady, full-bodied richness. Many people use "heavy" and "smooth" to describe it—this mouthfeel is not a one-dimensional bitterness, but a balance woven from caramel sweetness, bitterness, and an oily richness. Once you understand where the richness of dark roast beans comes from, drinking it becomes even more enjoyable. The foundation of richness [more…]

Cold Brew Coffee | What Factors Affect the Taste of Cold Brew? What Is the Layer of Oil on Top of Cold Brew? Why Does Oil Appear in Cold Brew?

Experienced folks know that many factors affect the taste of cold brew coffee. Among them, the most influential are the choice of coffee beans, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, and steeping time; next are some small brewing techniques, such as thorough stirring, ensuring the container is clean, water quality, and so on. These will more or less change the co [more…]

Why dark roast beans are the classic pairing for a moka pot

More and more people are brewing coffee with a moka pot, but many get stuck at the very first step: what beans should they actually use? The answer is actually quite clear—the moka pot and dark-roasted or medium-dark-roasted, full-bodied beans are a match made in heaven. Why is that? The moka pot extracts coffee through steam pressure, producing a brew with high concentration and a heavy mouthfeel, while dark-roasted beans [more…]

Traditional Italian coffee drinking methods | Is it normal for Italian coffee beans to be oily? Recommended Italian blend coffee bean roasting brands suitable for beginners

What are espresso beans? Espresso beans are geared toward use with espresso machines, with the goal of making delicious espresso. For the sake of consistency, beans from more than two origins are usually blended, so that every extraction can be controlled, thereby balancing the flavors of Americano and latte. There are many coffee beans on the market. [more…]

Espresso Crema Extraction Techniques | Is Coffee Crema Actually Oil? How to Make Espresso Black Coffee with Crema Using an Espresso Machine or Moka Pot?

A while back, when Front Street Coffee was tinkering with a moka pot in the shop, a friend saw that the moka pot coffee Front Street brewed had a very thick layer of crema, so they asked Front Street for the secret to brewing such thick crema, because the moka pot coffee they brewed at home had very thin crema. The same situation often occurs with espresso machine users as well. [more…]

Commercial SOE Coffee Bean Recommendations | Comparing Crema, Oil, Flavor, and Mouthfeel of Yirgacheffe, Mandheling, and Brazil Coffee Beans as SOE Single-Origin Espresso

After the concept of "specialty coffee" emerged, the unique flavors of various regions have become increasingly familiar to coffee connoisseurs, and SOE has also become increasingly popular in the coffee market. So how do you choose the right SOE coffee beans? SOE SOE stands for "Single Origin Espresso" [more…]

Rich-Bodied Coffee Beans Recommendation | What Does "Body" Mean in Pour-Over Coffee? How to Brew Coffee with a Rich Body? Which Hand-Ground Coffee Beans Have a Noticeable Sweet Aftertaste?

When evaluating whether a cup of coffee is good, Front Street believes that in addition to its flavor evaluation, we should also pay attention to its mouthfeel. Flavor mainly "serves" our sense of taste and smell, while mouthfeel "serves" our sense of touch. This texture is actually what we call the coffee's Body. When evaluating a cup of coffee's Body [more…]

How to Make a Delicious Dirty: The Trio of Bean Selection, Milk, and Temperature

Dirty (dirty coffee) has been a perennial staple on café menus in recent years: hot espresso slowly sinks into iced milk, without stirring, and you drink it from top to bottom, so that in a single sip you get the alternation of hot and cold and the layering of milk and coffee. It looks simple, but between a delicious one and a mediocre one lies the gap of bean selection and details. The principle of Dirty: why [more…]

Bialetti Moka Pot: Brewing Rich Crema by Roast Level

Coffee brewed in a Bialetti moka pot shows a thin sheen of oil on the surface, and when you sip it you can get a thickness close to espresso, but it will not form the kind of stable crema that an espresso machine produces. If you want this oily mouthfeel to be more pronounced, choosing the right beans is more effective than simply increasing the heat, as the roast level directly affects the coffee's oil content and expansion. [more…]

Making black coffee with a moka pot: key points for choosing beans

Coffee brewed with a moka pot is high in concentration with a heavy mouthfeel; drinking it straight as black coffee is incredibly punchy. But not all beans taste good when brewed in a moka pot—choosing the right beans is key. For making black coffee with a moka pot, the core requirements are: low acidity, full body, plenty of oils, and noticeable sweetness. Only when these conditions are met will the resulting black coffee not [more…]

A Complete Analysis of Coffee Bean Roast Levels: Temperature, Taste, and Time Comparison from Light Roast to Espresso Roast

The roasting degree of coffee beans directly determines the flavor profile of the final cup. From the bright acidity of a light roast to the rich, bittersweet depth of a dark roast, each stage has its own unique temperature range, timing, and visual characteristics. This article systematically breaks down the complete process of coffee beans from light roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast to dark roast, and includes a detailed comparison table to help you understand the flavor changes and suitable applications of different roasting stages. Whether you are a beginner pour-over enthusiast or a seasoned player pursuing the ultimate flavor, this guide can provide you with practical reference. The article also specifically retains product recommendations from Front Street Coffee for your reference when making purchases. [more…]

Key Points for Using a Coffee Grinder | Do You Need to Clean the Grinder Before Grinding Coffee Beans? What Should You Watch Out for When Using a Coffee Bean Grinder?

Many friends who originally used hand grinders have purchased an electric coffee grinder to grind coffee beans, with the aim of freeing their hands and no longer needing to go through the tedious grinding process. However, electric grinders are different from hand grinders, and there are many details to pay attention to when using them. If you are not careful, it is easy to shorten the life of the grinder and affect the grinding quality. [more…]

Coffee Brewing | What are the common coffee bean brewing methods, what are their characteristics, and which brewing method is suitable for coffee novices to learn on their own?

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. "Coffee" refers to any drink made from roasted coffee beans, which of course includes espresso and cold brew. There are many kinds of coffee—some people like instant, some like pour-over, and others like cold brew. Different methods [more…]

Coffee crema | What is the composition of crema in espresso? What should you do if there is no crema or the crema is clumpy when extracting espresso?

What is espresso? Espresso is a very, very small cup of coffee, about two or three sips and it's gone. Its flavor is extremely intense, and many people find it hard to accept. The small cup size and intense flavor are the reasons espresso has a very small audience in China, but latte made with milk and Americano made with water [more…]

Pour-Over Coffee Beginner's Guide | How Should Coffee Newbies Choose Coffee Filters? How Do You Use Coffee Filters? What Types of Coffee Filters Are There?

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow FrontStreet Coffee. How to choose coffee filter paper? How to use coffee filter paper? What types of coffee filter paper are there? Many enthusiasts buy their own coffee beans, use a grinder, and purchase equipment to brew coffee, all [more…]