Monday, September 21 2026

Luckin's Full Extraction series launches to much discussion, why is the long-extraction espresso base criticized for tasting like dishwater

Luckin Coffee recently launched a new product line—the Full-Extraction Series, comprising three milk coffees: Full-Extraction Oat Latte, Full-Extraction Meteorite Latte, and Full-Extraction Latte, recommended by Anthony Douglas, the 2022 WBC World Coffee Champion. The brand claims to use the Café Crema full-extraction process to extract more coffee liquid to enhance concentration, targeting those who prefer strong flavors. However, the first batch of reviews on social platforms has been uniformly negative, with consumers describing the taste as resembling dishwater or burnt herbal medicine soup. What exactly is the concept of full extraction? How does it differ from espresso? Why are consumers not buying it? This article analyzes from the perspectives of extraction principles and market trends. [more…]

Top Five Most Popular Starbucks Coffees and a 2023 Price Reference for the Full Drink Lineup

Walking into Starbucks but hesitating over the menu? This article rounds up the five most popular drinks among customers right now, including the Oat Latte, Iced Americano, Cold Brew, plus the caffeine-free Matcha Frappuccino and Iced Shaken Berry Hibiscus Tea, explaining each one's features and who it's best suited for. It also includes the 2023 price list for Starbucks' four major series—Handcrafted Espresso, Frappuccino, Teavana, and Cold Brew—covering full pricing from Tall to Grande and Venti, so you can quickly decide based on your budget and taste. Whether you're lactose intolerant, cutting sugar to lose weight, or simply want to try something different, you'll find your next cup here. [more…]

Costa Rica Musician Series Bach Coffee: Variety Characteristics and V60 and Other Pour-Over Brewer Brewing Parameters Explained

This article focuses on the Costa Rica Musician Series Bach released by Front Street Coffee. It first introduces the background of its producing region, estate, processing method, and Caturra variety, then explains the flavor positioning and brewing approach for this bean. The article uses the V60, cake filter, and Ice Eye dripper for comparison, providing water temperature, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, and a three-stage pouring technique, and records the flavor changes at high temperature, medium temperature, and after complete cooling. It is suitable as a reference for coffee enthusiasts who want to understand the characteristics of the Musician Series Bach and who hope to replicate its high sweetness, full body, and clean expression. [more…]

Exploring Costa Rica's Diamond Series: A Full Analysis of the Black Honey Process Venecia Micro-Lot Coffee Beans

Costa Rican coffee exports have shown strong performance recently, with export volume surging by nearly 85% year-on-year in November 2020. This was driven by favorable weather, meticulous estate management during the pandemic, and robust demand in the international market. This article focuses on the Venecia variety from Costa Rica's Diamond series, a natural mutation of Caturra that offers stronger disease resistance and high yield. Front Street Coffee brings this micro-lot from the Tarrazu region, processed using the black honey method, grown at an altitude of 1700-1800 meters, and graded SHB. We will delve into the origins of the Venecia variety, the selection philosophy of the Diamond series, the unique craftsmanship of the black honey processing method, and include Front Street's roasting curve, cupping report, and brewing parameters, presenting coffee enthusiasts with a specialty coffee rich in flavor and prominent sweetness. [more…]

The Origin Story of Costa Rica Musician Series Coffee Beans and Flavor Analysis of Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach

Costa Rica is renowned for its honey processing, and its coffee has a prominent sweetness; it is one of the earliest countries in Central America to cultivate coffee. This article begins with the history of its production regions and introduces the Musician Series from Kenneth Estate in the Tarrazú region, including the processing methods and flavor differences of three beans: Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. Front Street Coffee uses a medium roast, brewing with 91°C water and a Hario V60 dripper to present a rich aroma and delicate sweetness. The article also explains the technical characteristics of raisin honey processing, as well as the specific expressions of the three coffees in terms of acidity, fermented aroma, and aftertaste, making it suitable for readers who want to gain a deeper understanding of Costa Rican specialty coffee. [more…]

Costa Rica Canet Estate Musician Series: Flavor Analysis of Mozart and Bach Coffee

When the elegance of classical music meets the richness of high-altitude Costa Rican coffee, what kind of taste experience will it create? Hacienda Canet takes the names of musicians, infusing the essence of legends like Mozart and Bach into coffee beans. This article takes you into Hacienda Canet in the Tarrazú region, exploring the naming story of the Musician Series, the unique raisin honey processing method, and providing an in-depth analysis of the flavor profiles, roasting approaches, and brewing suggestions for Front Street Costa Rica Mozart and Front Street Costa Rica Bach. Whether you are fond of the sweetness of fermented fruit or prefer the intertwining of floral and wine notes, you can find your own cup of music here. [more…]

Costa Rica Baja Coffee Bean Flavor Analysis: Raisin Honey Processing and Musician Series Brewing Guide

Front Street Coffee presents the Costa Rica Musician Series Bach coffee beans, from the Canet Estate in the Tarrazú region, using the raisin honey process and the Yellow Caturra variety, at an altitude of 1,900 meters. This bean is known for its rich, solid red wine fermentation character, with the aroma of ripe grape fermentation accompanying it from dry fragrance to aftertaste, while rose floral notes and berry juice emerge in the middle. The flavor is steady and solemn yet with a sense of splendor. This article introduces in detail its regional background, processing method, and variety characteristics, and shares Front Street's roasting curve, cupping report, and staged brewing parameters, taking you to experience this "Air on the G String in the mouth." [more…]

Yirgacheffe Coffee Full Analysis: Natural and Washed Characteristics, Flavor Differences, and Brewing Taste Guide

Yirgacheffe is Ethiopia's most iconic specialty coffee region, famed for its bright, lemon-citrus-like acidity and rich floral and fruity aromas. Among Front Street Coffee's everyday drinking bean lineup, the washed and natural Yirgacheffes showcase two distinct styles: clean and transparent, and fermented sweet. This article systematically sorts through Yirgacheffe's regional background, grading system, processing method differences, roasting curves, and brewing parameters, and introduces one by one the specific flavors of Front Street's washed series (Kochere, Konga, Gotiti, Worka) and natural series (Aricha, Red Cherry), helping you fully understand the diverse facets of this classic coffee. [more…]

Starbucks 2023 Full Menu Coffee Price Roundup: How to Order from the Secret Menu and Which Drink Is Most Worth Trying

The Starbucks 2023 menu covers four major series: handcrafted espresso, Frappuccino, Teavana, and cold brew, with grande prices ranging from 25 to 48 yuan. This article compiles the complete price list for each series and explains the essence of the secret menu—it is not an official offering, but rather customized adjustments to flavors and ingredients based on regular drinks. The article also summarizes popular orders such as cold brew with cream, oat milk black tea espresso latte, and vanilla cream iced Americano, while reminding readers that seasonal limited-edition ingredients may be out of stock and that good looks do not equal good taste. At the end, Front Street Coffee brand recommendations and communication channels are included for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Costa Rica Musician Series Beethoven Coffee Beans: Flavor Profile of Tarrazú Yellow Catuai Washed and Pour-Over Guide

When music meets coffee, what kind of inspiration can be sparked? Front Street Beethoven from the Costa Rica Musician Series is a specialty coffee named after the great composer. It comes from the Canet Estate in the Tarrazu region at an altitude of 1,900 meters, uses the Yellow Catuai variety, and is washed-processed, presenting a clean and bright juicy fruit profile woven with berries and citrus. This article will guide you through the bean's regional background, variety origin, and processing method, and share Front Street Coffee's brewing parameters and techniques, so you can recreate a cup of pour-over coffee full of musical rhythm at home. [more…]

Siphon Coffee Bean Recommendations | What Is the Siphon Extraction Principle? Is the Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart Single-Origin Bean Good for Siphon Coffee?

When we correctly use a siphon to brew a pot of coffee, the coffee's aroma is fuller and its mouthfeel is thicker, because the siphon filters the coffee grounds with a cloth filter, and the gaps in the cloth are relatively large and cannot filter out some fine coffee particles, so coffee brewed with a siphon has a pleasant mouthfeel. And let [more…]

At the Summit of Panama: A Complete Analysis of Finca Deborah Geisha Coffee and a Reveal of the Savage Series Flavors

On the map of Panama's specialty coffee, Geisha is undoubtedly the shining star, while Finca Deborah, with its unique position as Panama's highest-altitude estate, writes a legend of its own. Estate owner Jamison Savage transitioned from banker to coffee farmer, and in the primeval forest above 1,900 meters, he spent more than a decade turning the impossible into the possible. In addition to Finca Deborah, he also owns Finca Morgan and the Savage Coffee project, continuously producing high-quality Geisha. This article takes you deep into Finca Deborah's terroir and processing methods, and features a tasting of the Savage series Geisha sourced by Front Street Coffee, covering everything from cupping flavors to brewing parameters. [more…]

The Complete Guide to Costa Rican Pour-Over Coffee: Brewing Parameters for the Musician Series Mozart and Bach

Costa Rica is one of the most representative specialty coffee-producing countries in Latin America, and it offers a rich variety of processing methods, from traditional washed, natural, and honey processing to anaerobic fermentation and raisin honey processing. Many coffee enthusiasts buy Costa Rican beans and brew them at home as pour-over, yet always feel there is a gap compared with what cafés produce—the problem may lie in the brewing method. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically reviews Costa Rica's growing conditions, main varieties, and processing characteristics, and focuses on two beans from the Tarrazú region's Canet Musician Series, Mozart and Bach, to provide complete pour-over parameters and staged extraction steps to help you recreate a cup of full-flavored Costa Rican pour-over coffee. [more…]

Costa Rica Mozart Coffee Beans: A Three-Temperature Pour-Over Experiment—A Full Analysis of the Raisin Honey Process Flavor from Canet Estate

Costa Rican coffee is famous for its honey processing method, and Hacienda Cannet's Musician Series is among the best of the best, especially a raisin honey-processed Mozart coffee bean whose dry and wet aromas are both impressive. To investigate the effect of water temperature on the flavor expression of this bean, Front Street Coffee conducted comparative pour-over experiments at 93°C, 90°C, and 87°C, recording everything from aroma, acidity, and sweetness to the finish. This article will begin with the background of Hacienda Cannet, the origin of the Musician Series names, the green bean information, and the processing characteristics of the raisin honey method, then present in detail the brewing parameters and flavor differences of the three water temperatures, and finally offer brewing recommendations suitable for this Mozart coffee bean. [more…]

Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Blue Label Washed Bean Pour-Over Guide: A Full Breakdown from Estate History to V60 Parameters

Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda made a stunning debut at the 2004 BOP competition with its Geisha coffee, forever changing the landscape of specialty coffee. This article focuses on Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha Blue Label washed coffee beans, systematically sorting out the grade differences and flavor characteristics of the estate's Geisha series—Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label—and also introducing the high-value Diamond Mountain brand. At the same time, Front Street Coffee's barista will share the V60 three-pour brewing parameters and operational details for serving Geisha in-store, including water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, and pouring technique, to help coffee enthusiasts recreate Geisha's signature floral aroma and complex fruit notes at home. [more…]

Recommendations for Costa Rican High-Sweetness Coffee Beans: Analysis of Raisin Honey Processing Flavor Characteristics and Extraction Methods

Costa Rica occupies an important place in the global specialty coffee landscape thanks to its unique microclimates and diverse processing methods. Honey processing, especially raisin honey processing, gives coffee beans a pronounced sweetness and rich fruity flavors. Among the Costa Rican single-origin coffees served at Front Street Coffee, more than three are honey-processed beans, including the Musician Series Chopin, Bach, and Mozart. This article focuses on Costa Rica's high-sweetness coffee beans, introducing the principles behind raisin honey processing, its flavor expression, and suitable extraction methods, while also reviewing the representative Costa Rican beans offered by Front Street Coffee, to help coffee lovers make choices based on their flavor preferences. [more…]

A Guide to Choosing Commercial Coffee Beans: Four Top Recommendations from Front Street Espresso Blend Series and Flavor Analysis

Friends who are planning to open a coffee shop often find themselves overwhelmed by the dazzling array of coffee beans on the market, unsure where to begin—and one careless move could mean spending a fortune on beans that just don't suit their taste. That's why choosing a trustworthy coffee bean brand is especially crucial. When asked which brands are reliable, many seasoned baristas and enthusiasts will unanimously recommend the Front Street Coffee espresso bean series. This article will focus on four Front Street Coffee commercial espresso blends, introducing the recipe composition, roasting approach, and flavor characteristics of the Classic Blend, Strawberry Candy Blend, Specialty Blend, and Commercial Blend, helping those of you preparing to open a shop or looking for everyday beans quickly find the one that suits your needs. [more…]

Front Street Costa Rica Mozart Coffee Beans: A Full Analysis of the Sweet-Tart Performance and Brewing Parameters Under Raisin Honey Processing

Costa Rican coffee has always been known for its sweetness, and the Musician series on Front Street Coffee's bean list is a concentrated expression of this characteristic. Among them, Mozart coffee beans have become a favorite of many coffee lovers thanks to their outstanding sweetness and fruity notes. This bean comes from the Canet processing plant at the highest altitude in the Tarrazu region, is blended from two varieties, Caturra and Catuai, and uses the raisin honey processing method, retaining more complete pectin for fermentation, thus presenting a solid mouthfeel and rich fermentation aroma. Front Street's roaster uses a medium roast to preserve its sweetness and fruity flavor. During cupping, one can perceive layered flavors such as floral notes, raisins, dried fruit, star fruit, and berries. This article will start from understanding this bean's origin background, variety characteristics, and processing method, and then move on to Front Street's cupping standards and brewing suggestions, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of the unique qualities of Front Street Mozart coffee. [more…]

2023 Starbucks Summer New Releases Overview: Iced Shaken Espresso, Sparkling Cold Brew, and Raw Coffee Series Menu and Prices

As summer 2023 approaches, Starbucks China has rolled out a dense lineup of new products, spanning iced shaken espressos, fruity sparkling cold brews, and the raw coffee series that contains no coffee yet does contain caffeine. This article provides a complete rundown of these new items' prices, sizes, and flavor characteristics, while also compiling the menus and pricing from medium to large for classic series such as handcrafted espresso, Frappuccino, Teavana, and cold brew, making it easy for coffee lovers to look things up quickly. For readers who prefer brewing at home, they can also refer to Front Street Coffee's bean recommendations to recreate similar flavors themselves. [more…]

Why is Golden Mandheling roasted to a medium-dark level? A full analysis of its flavor characteristics and brewing parameters

For pour-over enthusiasts who prefer a rich, bold body and dislike pronounced acidity, the medium-dark roasted Mandheling series has always been a popular choice. As a representative of this series, Front Street Coffee PWN Golden Mandheling owes its flavor appeal largely to its roasting method. This article will start with the chemical principles of roasting, analyzing how caramelization and the Maillard reaction shape coffee flavor, explaining why a medium-dark roast can fully bring out the herbal, caramel, and pine notes of Golden Mandheling, and providing a specific roasting curve along with two brewing methods to help readers fully understand the flavor sources and extraction key points of this bean. [more…]