Thursday, September 17 2026

Coffee Roasting | How Is the Roast Level of Coffee Beans Determined? What's the Difference Between Espresso Beans and Pour-Over Beans? Which Tastes Better for Huakui Coffee: Medium Roast or Light Roast?

Many friends who want to learn about coffee bean roasting are curious about one question: how to determine the roasting degree of coffee beans. Should a coffee bean be dark roasted or light roasted, and then how light should light be, and how dark should dark be? On what basis does Front Street Coffee determine the roasting of all these coffee beans it sells? [more…]

Pour-over coffee knowledge | Why doesn't the coffee bed puff up during blooming? Does a single-origin bean that doesn't puff up mean poor quality? Does a bigger coffee bed puff mean the coffee is fresher?

Whenever Front Street brews a pour-over for a customer's order, if the coffee bed puffs up quite a bit during blooming, there's a good chance the customer will ask: "Why doesn't my coffee bed puff up this much when I brew?" This is a topic Front Street often discusses! Honestly, although the bloom [more…]

The Roast Degree Migration of Home Espresso: From Dark Roast Beginner to Medium-Light Adventurer

Many people start their espresso journey with dark roast beans—rich caramel and dark chocolate, with a prominent, straightforward bitterness that, once combined with milk, becomes almost a liquid dessert. The barrier to entry is low, and it fits the general public's initial idea of coffee. But the world of coffee flavor is far broader than this stretch. As the number of shots pulled increases, many people naturally begin to [more…]

Introduction to Coffee Bean Processing Methods | How Do Sun-Dried and Washed Coffee Differ in Flavor and Mouthfeel? What Are the Processing Steps for Sun-Dried and Washed Coffee?

If you've been following our activity notifications over the past couple of days, you might have noticed that both of Front Street's stores on Taobao and Tmall have just launched a washed-process Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain. And so some friends are quite curious: "They're both Diamond Mountain—what's the difference between this washed-process one and the sun-dried one that was listed before? And then [more…]

Introduction to Coffee Bean Processing Methods|How Do Sun-Dried and Washed Coffee Beans Differ in Taste? What Causes the Flavor Differences Between Sun-Dried and Washed Coffee Beans?

If you've been following the event notifications over the past couple of days, you may have noticed that Front Street has launched a washed-process Emerald Estate · Diamond Mountain at both of its stores on 🍑Bao and Tian🐱. Then some friends got very curious: "They're both Diamond Mountain—what's the difference between this washed-process one and the sun-dried one that was listed before? And then [more…]

Milk Frothing Tutorial for Beginners | Why Does Milk Foam? How to Froth Milk for a Latte? What Are the Steps and Techniques for Latte Art Pouring and Integration?

At FrontStreet Coffee, steaming milk can be said to be a basic and core skill for every barista. Whether one can steam perfect milk is one of the factors used to judge whether a barista's level is up to standard. For example, the milk foam in a latte is on the thinner side, making it smooth and delicate to drink. The [more…]

Coffee Roast Levels | What Determines Coffee Bean Roast Degree and How Does It Affect Coffee Flavor? What's the Difference Between Dark, Medium, and Light Roasted Coffee Beans?

60% of coffee's flavor comes from green beans, 30% from roasting, and 10% from brewing. It's clear that many factors influence coffee flavor. So, as a roaster, how do you decide the roast level of coffee beans? Today Front Street will talk about determining the roasting style. There are two points to keep in mind—cof [more…]

Coffee Bean Identification | What Are the Differences Between Washed and Natural Coffee? How Can Coffee Beginners Learn to Tell Natural Beans from Washed Beans?

If you often drink pour-over coffee, Front Street believes you've probably seen friends who can tell washed and natural processed coffee apart at a glance, or with a single sip. Because they distinguish them so quickly, many friends are amazed and wonder how on earth they do it. Just yesterday, [more…]

The Purpose of Blending Coffee Beans | What Are the Characteristics of SOE Coffee? Which Is Better: SOE Single-Origin Beans or Espresso Blends, and What's the Difference?

Many friends have asked the baristas at Front Street Coffee what SOE coffee is, and why so many specialty coffee shops now offer SOE coffee, yet Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) has not put SOE coffee on its menu. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet C [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…]

Introduction to Arabica specialty coffee bean varieties and origins | What are the differences in flavor characteristics among light roast, medium roast, and dark roast single-origin coffee beans?

Front Street Coffee believes that different roasting degrees will produce different flavor profiles, but many people have a misconception: is it enough to simply roast coffee beans to a certain roast color? Of course not—the flavor of coffee is not just about the roast degree, but also about the growing region. [more…]

Coffee Flavor | Why Do Some Coffees Taste Like "Soy Sauce"? What Factors Affect Coffee Flavor? How to Avoid a "Soy Sauce" Taste in Coffee?

“Huh? Why does this coffee smell kind of like soy sauce?” a customer asked cautiously, full of confusion, after sniffing the dry aroma of the coffee grounds Front Street had handed over. This was not actually the first time Front Street had received such a question. Besides “soy sauce,” there were also things like “ [more…]

Latte Milk Foam Steaming Tutorial with Illustrations | What Are the Requirements for Milk When Making Latte Art? What Techniques Should Coffee Beginners Pay Attention to When Steaming Milk Foam for Latte Art?

To make latte art look good, choosing the right milk is very important! Front Street Coffee's daily in-store milk coffee offerings all use full-fat fresh milk, because it is rich in protein, lactose, and milk fat. The protein in milk is what makes the milk foam stable. [more…]

Coffee Basics | What is the standard way to make a Coffee Latte? What is the espresso-to-milk ratio and the thickness of the milk foam for a latte? What are the key points for making latte art?

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). To make beautiful latte art, choosing the right milk is very important! Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses this for its daily milk coffee offerings: [more…]

Flavor Characteristics of Dark Roast Coffee | How Dark Does a Roast Have to Be to Count as Dark Roast Coffee Beans? Which Specialty Dark Roast Coffee Beans Make Good Pour-Over Coffee That Isn't Bitter?

As the third wave of coffee has developed to this day, people have increasingly focused on the so-called "original taste of black coffee." In the process of roasting coffee, there are many factors that affect the flavor and mouthfeel of the coffee, such as the length of roasting time, the roasting method, the degree of roast, and even the amount of coffee beans or the roaster's own experience. [more…]

Coffee Bean Buying Guide | How can coffee beginners find the coffee beans that suit them? What flavor characteristics do coffee beans with different processing methods each have?

Front Street often receives many questions like these: "What beans are suitable for a moka pot?", "What beans are suitable for a coffee machine?", or "What beans are suitable for cold brew?"... Many beginners mistakenly believe that a certain extraction method has the most suitable coffee beans, but in reality, regardless of [more…]

How Many Cups of Black Coffee Can You Drink in a Day | Is the Caffeine Content of Dark Roast Coffee Beans High? Recommended Specialty Hand-Ground Coffee Beans with Cocoa and Dark Chocolate Flavors

Friends who often drink coffee know that the acidity and bitterness of coffee are related to the degree of roasting. Recently, a friend asked Front Street what delicious dark-roast coffee beans they would recommend. Front Street would first like everyone to understand what degree of roasting means, and then see how to choose the coffee that suits them. What is the degree of roasting? According to Front Street Coffee [more…]

Pour-over coffee channeling | How to judge whether the filter paper is aligned with the coffee dripper? Why should the filter paper be moistened with water to adhere tightly when making pour-over coffee?

For most people, wetting the filter paper is the default first step before brewing coffee, with two main purposes: one is to make the filter paper fit snugly, and the other is to rinse off the dust adsorbed on the paper. If hot water is used, it can also preheat the equipment along the way. In the vast majority of tutorials, aside from guiding us on how to make the filter paper adhere closely [more…]