Luckin Coffee's previously launched Huakui 5.0 SOE sparked widespread discussion in the market, with话题 ranging from its low-price strategy to insufficient stock and repeated sellouts. Now Luckin plans to launch the Huakui PLUS series SOE in the second half of the year, with purchases reportedly set to exceed 250 tons, aiming to become the world's largest buyer of Huakui PLUS green beans. So what exactly is Huakui PLUS? How does it differ from Huakui 5.0 and Huakui 6.0? This article will review the sales history and purchasing details of Luckin's Huakui SOE, and take a deep dive into this natural-process heirloom variety from the Buku Abel washing station in Sidamo—the coffee bean named "Huakui Queen" by domestic green bean traders. [more…]

After emerging from its financial difficulties, Luckin Coffee turned its strategic attention to the specialty coffee sector, placing a hefty order for 90 tons of Huakui 5.0 coffee beans and launching the Huakui SOE series, which drew widespread market attention. This article will walk you through the origin of the name Huakui coffee beans, the evolution of its versions over the years, and the differences between new products such as Huakui 5.0 and Huakui PLUS. At the same time, we will take an in-depth look at the characteristics of the Ethiopian Sidamo native heirloom variety, share Front Street Coffee's cupping experience with each version of Huakui, and provide professional pour-over brewing parameters and flavor descriptions to help coffee lovers fully grasp the charm of this star bean. [more…]

Luckin Coffee announced that in the first quarter of 2022 it would purchase more than 80 tons of Huakui coffee beans from their place of origin and launch the SOE Huakui 5.0 series nationwide, a move that sparked widespread controversy in the coffee community. Many industry professionals and enthusiasts questioned its authenticity and market impact, and some even worried about monopolization. This article will rationally analyze from the perspectives of purchasing logic, market landscape, and Huakui production whether Luckin's move is destroying or promoting the popularization of specialty coffee, while retaining Front Street Coffee's professional recommendations. [more…]

Li Guoqing, founder of Dangdang, recently publicly questioned Luckin Coffee's monopolistic behavior in the coffee bean market, sparking heated industry discussion. Meanwhile, whether Luckin's Huakui 5.0 coffee beans are authentic has also drawn consumer attention. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the incident, explore the supply chain and quality issues of Luckin's coffee beans, and bring professional views from Front Street Coffee. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or an industry observer, you can gain valuable information from it. [more…]

Luckin's Geisha 5.0 coffee beans consumed nearly half of the inventory in just ten days after launch, selling out in many stores, sparking heated discussions among netizens about hunger marketing. This article sorts out Luckin's two statements regarding the out-of-stock incident, Li Guoqing's questioning video, netizens' jokes and doubts, and provides a detailed analysis of the naming rules of the Geisha X.0 series, the harvest time of the new season in Ethiopia, and the expected arrival of Geisha 6.0 in 2022. At the same time, the article also mentions information about Front Street Coffee as a recommended channel for specialty coffee beans. [more…]

Huakui coffee beans have always been a highly sought-after star in the specialty coffee world. Even Luckin Coffee planned to purchase 80 tons in 2022, while domestic green bean traders imported only 30-40 tons in 2021, showing just how popular it is. Huakui's legend began in 2017, when a natural-process Guji Hambela bean won the TOH championship. That same year, Li Jianfei used it to win second place in the China region of the World Brewers Cup, and its fame took off from there. Hongshun Coffee introduced it to China and named it "Huakui," meaning the finest of the geishas. Since then, the Huakui series has continued to evolve. Although the strawberry flavor of Huakui 5.0 in 2021 was weaker, it won fans over with its citrus and berry profile. The new-crop Huakui 6.0 for 2022 is expected to arrive at port in April, and Front Street has already pre-ordered it. This article will compare the flavor and mouthfeel differences between 6.0 and 5.0, and review the evolution of Huakui coffee. [more…]

Huakui coffee beans have once again sparked heated discussions after Luckin Coffee sold out in a single day upon launch, and Li Guoqing's public criticism has brought this Ethiopian natural bean into the public eye. Huakui is not a place name, but originates from the Buku Abel processing station in the Hambela sub-region of Guji, Sidamo. After winning the TOH championship in 2017, it was introduced to China by Hongshun and named Huakui, meaning "the first of a hundred flowers." Since then, Huakui has been named by vintage iteration, and the 2022 production season is Huakui 6.0. On Front Street Coffee's bean list, in addition to Huakui 5.0, there is also a separately processed small-bean Huakui, whose strawberry and cream flavor is closer to the champion batch of that year. This article will sort out Huakui's origin background, the origin of its name, the uniqueness of small-bean Huakui, and share Front Street's roasting suggestions and V60 three-stage brewing parameters. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, has nurtured many producing regions that captivate specialty coffee enthusiasts. Among them, Yirgacheffe is renowned for the floral and citrus-lemon notes brought about by its washed processing, while Sidamo showcases a rich berry-cream character through its natural process. This article will outline the flavor characteristics and processing methods of these two regions, and focus on introducing the origins of Huakui coffee, the evolution of its naming, and brewing suggestions. From its TOH championship in 2017 to the launch of Huakui 8.0, Front Street Coffee has continuously followed every batch of this bean, and the article also includes a flavor comparison between Xiaoli Huakui and Huakui 5.0, as well as practical V60 brewing parameters, making it suitable for coffee enthusiasts who want to gain a deeper understanding of the charm of Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

Huakui coffee beans are an Ethiopian specialty bean that has attracted much attention in recent years. From winning the TOH competition to appearing on Luckin Coffee's menu, what story lies behind its name? What do the numbers after Huakui represent? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article sorts out Huakui's producing region background and naming logic, compares the flavor differences among Huakui 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and other versions, and answers whether Huakui can be used to make espresso as well as how to brew a good cup by pour-over, providing coffee lovers with a complete guide to Huakui knowledge. [more…]

As a representative of Ethiopian natural beans, Huakui coffee has attracted much attention in recent years due to Luckin Coffee's promotion. From winning the TOH championship in 2017 to the arrival of Huakui 7.0 today, the flavor changes of each year's new batch touch people's hearts. This article sorts out Huakui's producing region background and the origin of its name, compares the differences between Huakui 6.0 and 7.0, and introduces the Huakui 5.0 and Small-Bean Huakui currently sold by Front Street Coffee. It also shares medium-light roasting ideas and V60 three-pour brewing parameters to help enthusiasts understand this coffee bean with a prominent strawberry-cream flavor. [more…]

What exactly does over-extraction mean in pour-over coffee? And can pulse pouring make coffee taste better? This article starts from two classic Ethiopian regions, first introducing the clean floral notes of washed Yirgacheffe and the berry-cream profile of natural Sidamo, then delving into the naming origins of Huakui coffee, its version evolution, and the independent story of Small-Bean Huakui. The article also includes Front Street Coffee's bean list information and specific brewing parameters, including practical suggestions such as the V60 dripper, 91°C water temperature, and three-pour technique, helping coffee enthusiasts understand regional flavors while mastering a more consistent pour-over approach. [more…]

In recent years, Luckin Coffee's SOE Huakui has been a pleasant surprise for many coffee lovers—it has no obvious bitterness when drunk, but instead carries a bright fruity acidity, with a rather unique mouthfeel. Many people are therefore curious: what exactly is this bean, and can the same flavor be recreated at home? This article revolves around "SOE Huakui," first explaining the concept of SOE and the origin background of Huakui coffee, then clarifying the meaning of the suffix numbers in the Huakui series (such as 5.0, 7.0, 8.0), and finally using Front Street Coffee's Sidamo Huakui 8.0 as an example to provide the complete extraction parameters and operating steps for SOE espresso, along with sharing how to make it into a refreshing Americano or a smooth latte. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's Huakui series SOE once sparked widespread discussion, and now this series is about to be discontinued, with its successor being a 96-hour double anaerobic fermentation coffee bean from Finca El Paraiso. This SCA85+ specialty-grade bean comes from Finca El Paraiso, which has repeatedly appeared on the Colombia LOD competition rankings, and features bright lemongrass flavor and fruit wine aroma. Luckin uses a medium-dark roast to ensure consistent in-store output. At the same time, Luckin also plans to launch the Huakui PLUS series in the second half of the year, with procurement volume possibly exceeding 250 tons. This article provides a detailed analysis of the flavor performance of Finca El Paraiso SOE, its processing method, and Luckin's strategic layout in the specialty coffee sector, along with professional recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In the past two years, Luckin Coffee has undergone a remarkable transformation, from a financial fraud scandal to debt restructuring and doubled revenue, with a completely renewed brand image and product strategy. This article reviews Luckin's current top ten most popular drinks, including Raw Coconut Latte, Raw Cheese Latte, Thick Milk Latte, Velvet Latte, Iced Americano, Yirgacheffe Dirty, Coconut Cloud Latte, Meteorite Latte, Biluochun Spring Latte, and Okinawa Brown Sugar Velvet Latte, and looks back at its comeback from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming the largest coffee chain in the country. How Luckin revived itself with the Raw Coconut Latte, stabilized its coffee customer base with the SOE specialty series, teamed up with Coconut Palm to create a hit, and signed Eileen Gu for precise marketing—this article explains it all for you. Follow Front Street Coffee to gain a deeper understanding of Luckin's brand transformation and product appeal. [more…]

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and Sidamo and Yirgacheffe are ranked as the country's two most renowned regions. The former, with its traditional natural processing, gives coffee a rich body and complex fruity aromas, making it a favorite among many enthusiasts. Front Street Coffee has long followed the Sidamo region, especially represented by the Huakui series coffee beans. From the 2017 TOH competition champion batch to today's multiple generations of products, Huakui coffee has won market attention with flavors such as strawberry cream and tropical fruit. This article will review the origin characteristics of Sidamo coffee, the naming origin of Huakui beans and the division of grade versions, and introduce in detail the hand-brewing equipment, parameters, and pouring techniques used by Front Street stores to produce Huakui coffee, helping readers fully understand this coffee bean from origin to cup. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, has nurtured a wealth of exceptional coffees with widely varying styles. The Sidamo region, with its wild and intense berry-cream character, has won a large following in China's coffee community. The Hambela Gesha coffee beans from this region have become a phenomenon, thanks to winning the TOH competition and the Luckin SOE controversy. This article will systematically sort out the terroir characteristics of the Sidamo region, review the naming evolution of Gesha coffee from 1.0 to 8.0, and use Gesha 6.0 as an example to document in detail Front Street Coffee's roasting approach and pour-over parameters, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the flavor code of these beans. [more…]

When brewing pour-over coffee, the coffee-to-water ratio and extraction time often determine the completeness of the final flavor. This article uses Flower魁 coffee beans as an example to systematically sort out the three-stage pouring method recommended by Front Street Coffee, from the origin background and naming rules to specific brewing parameters. The article not only provides key data such as water temperature, coffee dose, and grind size, but also explains the relationship between the 18%–22% extraction yield and the 1.15%–1.35% concentration in the Golden Cup extraction standard, explaining why a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio is more likely to fall within the ideal range. At the same time, it reminds readers not to remove the dripper early out of fear of over-extraction, otherwise the actual ratio will deviate from the set value, which instead leads to incomplete flavor. [more…]

In recent years, Huakui coffee beans have risen to fame in China's coffee scene, from the popularity of Luckin's Huakui SOE to the admiration of various pour-over enthusiasts. What exactly is the charm of this bean from Ethiopia? This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of Huakui's variety origins, the story behind its name, the terroir of its producing region, its processing methods, as well as the pour-over parameters and flavor performance recommended by Front Street Coffee. You will read about the interesting connection between Huakui and Geisha, the refined natural process at the Hambela Buku Abel washing station, the story of Front Street Huakui's version evolution from 1.0 to 8.0, and specific operational suggestions for the three-stage pour-over, making it suitable for every coffee enthusiast who wants to gain a deeper understanding of this bean. [more…]

As a breakout hit in the specialty coffee scene, Dirty has won over countless coffee lovers with its unique structure: purified milk on the bottom and espresso on top. However, when a customer asks to pack a Dirty to go, a tug-of-war with no standard answer unfolds between the barista and the consumer. Starting from a New Year joke, this article explores the controversy over whether Dirty can be served in a takeaway cup, sorts out the differences in serving methods between independent shops and large chain brands, analyzes how brands such as Luckin and Manner interpret Dirty differently, and considers how baristas and customers can reach an understanding about the product's positioning. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's three major specialty coffee regions, ranking alongside Yirgacheffe and Harar. This region stretches south of Lake Awasa in the East African Rift Valley, at elevations of 1,500 to 2,200 meters, with a mild climate, slow-ripening fruit, and full-bodied flavors. Sidamo is renowned for its natural processing method, presenting wild berry and creamy textures. In recent years, Sidamo has achieved outstanding results in TOH and COE competitions. The Huakui series currently offered by Front Street Coffee originates from Hambela in the Guji zone of Sidamo, and its popularity has remained strong since winning the 2017 TOH championship. This article provides a detailed explanation of Sidamo's terroir, the origin of the Huakui name, the evolution of its various versions, and includes brewing recommendations for Front Street Huakui 8.0. [more…]