Luckin Coffee has once again partnered with Tom and Jerry to launch a new product inspired by Inner Mongolian milk skin, the "Milk Skin Latte," attracting a large number of consumers eager to try it. However, feedback from the first batch of users has shown clear divisions: some find the milky pudding texture novel, while more people complain that the sediment in the cup is sticky and cannot blend with the coffee, with sweetness and bitterness distinctly separate on the palate, jokingly calling it "double-skin milk and latte each doing their own thing." Inner Mongolian netizens further pointed out that the coagulated substance used is not real milk skin, suggesting it be renamed "milk jelly latte." Luckin subsequently added a pudding-free version, but it was criticized as bland and unremarkable. What exactly is the root cause of this controversy over the taste of the Milk Skin Latte? [more…]

As the weather turns cooler, Toffee Hazelnut Latte has once again become a hot topic among coffee enthusiasts. Brands such as Starbucks and Peet's have successively announced the return of their classic versions, and Luckin is also reported to be launching a Toffee Hazelnut Latte next week, along with a new "Toffee Hazelnut Milk Tea." However, this new product has sparked collective concern among Luckin employees. According to a leaked recipe, the milk tea uses Assam black tea as its base, with the addition of Toffee Hazelnut Velvet Flavored Milk, brown sugar syrup, Silkido, and Milk Skin Velvet Flavored Milk. Employees pointed out that when Silkido and Milk Skin Velvet are mixed, they form the "tofu pudding"-like milk jelly that was criticized in the previous Milk Skin Latte, and since these two ingredients have long been overstocked, it is being questioned as a mix-and-match move to clear inventory. Meanwhile, this year's returning Toffee Hazelnut Latte is also rumored to have a changed recipe, which may leave consumers who were expecting last year's taste somewhat disappointed. [more…]

After coffee shops launched water buffalo milk Dirty, this milk source sparked widespread discussion in the coffee community. Water buffalo milk is familiar to friends in Guangzhou, Foshan, and Guangxi, but how does it actually perform in coffee? This article, through hands-on comparisons of glass-bottled fresh milk and water buffalo milk, makes hot lattes, Dirty, and iced mochas respectively, recording one by one from milk foam fineness, coffee integration, layering effect, to flavor layers. At the same time, it will also sort out the effects of pasteurization and ultra-high-temperature sterilization on milk taste, helping coffee lovers and cafe owners find milk suitable for pairing with coffee. [more…]

After Manner Coffee launched a water buffalo milk Dirty, water buffalo milk quickly became a hot topic of discussion in cafe circles. For friends in Guangzhou, Foshan, and Guangxi, water buffalo milk is a taste they grew up drinking. This review brings together the legitimately available fresh glass-bottled water buffalo milk and ordinary glass-bottled fresh milk sold in Guangzhou, comparing them one by one in hot lattes, Dirty, iced mocha, and iced lattes, observing their different performances in steaming, layering, integration, and finish. It also discusses the impact of pasteurization and ultra-high-temperature sterilization on mouthfeel, as well as the cost-effectiveness and sense of ritual of glass-bottled milk in cafe use. The article also retains specialty bean recommendations related to Front Street Coffee for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]

Starbucks has recently been ramping up its co-branding activities, teasing a limited-edition extendable straw shaped like the Golden Cudgel that plays the Monkey King's voice lines, while also launching a new delivery-exclusive drink, the "Flow Frozen Latte," on its Starbuck Delivery service. This creative coffee, said to be inspired by ginger milk curd, claims that the liquid naturally congeals and separates into layers during delivery, arriving as a latte with distinctly defined layers. However, consumer reviews since its launch have been mixed: some have posted photos showing obvious congealing and layering, describing the texture as similar to double-skin milk or coffee pudding; others question whether the product matches its description, saying what they received was no different from an ordinary latte. Is the "flow frozen" effect real or just a gimmick? And is the new recipe simply an old product with a new name? This article will compile netizens' hands-on feedback to take a look at the true face of this talked-about beverage. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Front Street has found that many people assume SOE simply means applying single-origin beans directly to espresso machine extraction, thereby creating a single-origin espresso series—until they take various floral and fruity flavor notes [more…]

Many people think that simply putting single-origin beans into an espresso machine will produce a SOE, but the result is either sputtering or acidity so sharp it's undrinkable. In fact, the problem usually lies in the roast level—not all single-origin beans are suitable for espresso. On Front Street Coffee's bean list, there are two SOE versions to choose from: the strawberry-scented Front Street Huakui and the classic Yirgacheffe-flavored Front Street Konga Red Cherry. Just check the espresso roast option when ordering. This article uses Front Street Ethiopia Natural Konga as an example to share in detail the complete process for making a SOE Yirgacheffe latte, including key parameters such as grind setting, dose-to-yield ratio, and extraction time, as well as how to steam dense microfoam and integrate it with the espresso. The resulting latte tastes like lemon-flavored cookies at first sip—rich, fragrant, and smooth—and leaves you feeling warm all over after drinking it. [more…]

Recently, a coffee with a unique design has gone viral on social media: perched atop the drink in the cup is a lifelike "white cut chicken" decoration, with chicken skin texture so detailed it's astonishing. When espresso is poured over it, the visual effect instantly transforms from white cut chicken to soy sauce chicken, sparking lively discussion among netizens. This is actually a creative decoration made by the coffee shop using corn panna cotta, available to customers for just 5 yuan with any drink purchase. Due to the large number of people wanting to take photos, it often sells out during the afternoon rush. Is this drink just a gimmick or a creative highlight? Let's find out. [more…]

Seeing a strawberry candy latte on a café menu, many people instinctively assume it contains syrup. In fact, a properly processed flavored bean can produce a strawberry-like sweet aroma without any syrup at all, and Front Street Coffee's Strawberry Candy Blend was designed with exactly this approach in mind. Its premise is that the bean's own fermented flavor is distinctive enough—so distinctive that [more…]

Tattoos were once seen as a symbol of rebellion, but today they have become an important way for young people to express their beliefs and commemorate what matters to them. For baristas, wearing coffee cherries, portafilters, latte art patterns, or even the chemical formula for caffeine on their skin is both a display of personal aesthetics and a heartfelt declaration of devotion to the coffee craft. This article rounds up the tattoo themes most commonly seen on baristas, from classic equipment to creative combinations, and also addresses an intriguing question: does having more tattoos mean you make better coffee? The answer may be more rational than you'd imagine. [more…]

Drip bag coffee, as a convenient medium for easily obtaining a delicious cup of black coffee, is extremely popular in East Asia. In the morning, when time is tight, using drip bag coffee can save a lot of time that would otherwise be spent making coffee (pour-over coffee). The drip bag coffee sold in general coffee shops is usually made from freshly roasted coffee beans that are ground and then packed tightly. [more…]

Buffalo milk has long been a specialty dairy product in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, and in recent years it has been increasingly used by coffee enthusiasts to pair with espresso. It contains higher levels of protein, fat, and calcium than regular milk, with a lower water content, making it sweeter and silkier to drink. So, is buffalo milk actually suitable for latte art? And what does it taste like in an iced latte or a Dirty? This time, Front Street Coffee selected the refrigerated fresh buffalo milk from the local Foshan brand Baifulu, paired with Front Street Coffee's classic blend coffee beans, to make three drinks: a flat white, an iced latte, and a Dirty. From milk foam texture and latte art performance to the flavor on the palate, we tested each one to see whether the combination of buffalo milk and coffee can achieve an effect where 1+1>2. [more…]

Latte is the starting point for many people's journey into freshly ground coffee, but do you know why a latte can present such a beautiful layering? This article begins with the historical origins of the latte and, combined with Front Street Coffee's production experience, analyzes how the density difference between espresso and milk creates the layered effect. We will also take an in-depth look at the flavor characteristics, extraction parameters, and milk frothing techniques of Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun blend beans, and compare the layering principle and drinking method of Dirty coffee. Whether you want to understand the science of lattes or want to recreate a cup of layered milk coffee at home, this article can provide you with practical reference. [more…]

A freshly made hot latte is rich in aroma and smooth in texture, but once it cools, the milk foam collapses and separates, the coffee turns bitter, and it may even take on a greasy mouthfeel. Faced with a cold latte, many people choose to reheat it and drink it again. So can a reheated latte still taste good? To what temperature should it be heated? Is a steam wand, an electric hot plate, or a microwave more suitable? Front Street compared the effects of different heating methods on latte flavor through actual testing and offered practical suggestions. This article will provide a complete analysis of how a hot latte's flavor changes after it cools, and how to reheat it so the coffee is easier to drink and less is wasted. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's annual October collaboration with "Tom and Jerry" has become a regular fixture, and this year is no exception. Two new drinks, "Milk Skin Latte" and "Raw Coconut Mango Pomelo Sago," launched alongside limited-edition merchandise, and stores nationwide switched to Tom and Jerry-themed packaging. However, some customers discovered upon receiving the actual products that the Tom and Jerry printed on the cups actually had three eyes. This abnormal design quickly sparked discussion: was it a printing error, or was it intentional by the brand? Some fans dug up animation screenshots to prove it was a faithful reproduction of exaggerated expressions, while others suspected it was a mistake made by AI design. More critically, the three-eyed design was not the first of its kind—Soap Studio's collaboration with artist Greg Mike and Uniqlo's collaborative T-shirts had both used similar designs. This debate over the cups reflects the subtle tension between artistic expression and public perception in IP collaboration design. [more…]

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia boasts a rich variety of cultivars and diverse flavor expressions, with each producing region showing distinctly different characteristics due to terroir differences. Sidamo and Yirgacheffe are both important specialty coffee regions; the former is famous for its natural processing method, and Front Street Coffee's Huakui is a highly representative single-origin example. Huakui comes from Hambela in the Guji region, located in Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee sub-region, where natural processing gives it a mellow sweetness and complex layers. Starting from the producing region background and processing method, this article will further share how to make a delicious Huakui SOE Americano or latte at home, including grind adjustment, coffee-to-water ratio, and extraction details, to help coffee lovers consistently present its berry and citrus notes. [more…]

Coffee has long become part of urban daily life, but the seemingly simple actions of holding a cup, adding sugar, and using a spoon each follow their own set of rules. At the same time, when walking into a café and facing terms like Espresso, Latte, and Macchiato on the menu, many enthusiasts often feel confused. This article systematically sorts out the etiquette details of coffee tasting and the proper use of cups and saucers, and explains one by one the meanings of common English terms in cafés, helping you calmly enjoy a good cup of coffee on any occasion. In addition, the article also specifically reminds readers of practical knowledge closely related to health, such as drinking on an empty stomach, intake before exercise, and daily consumption, and recommends related products from Front Street Coffee, making it suitable for everyone who takes coffee seriously to read carefully. [more…]

Fancy coffee infuses creativity and romance into the cup, making coffee no longer just a drink, but a unique work of art. From the classic latte to romantic Irish coffee, and to Chinese-style yuan yang, each one blends a double enjoyment of visual and taste. This article takes you into the world of fancy coffee, to learn about the features and stories of the latte, cappuccino, con panna, macchiato, Irish coffee, Royal Flame coffee, Eros sweet wine fancy coffee, and yuan yang fancy coffee, and to feel how baristas turn the ordinary into the magical. If you love coffee, you might as well try the products recommended by Front Street Coffee and experience this romantic encounter in a cup. [more…]

Mamba coffee is a timeless classic in espresso blends, composed of Indonesian Mandheling and Brazilian coffee blended in proportion. This article starts from two beans—Front Street Lindong Mandheling and Brazilian Red Bourbon—and systematically reviews the growing environments, processing methods, and flavor characteristics of the two producing regions, analyzes the role of wet-hulling and semi-washed methods in shaping coffee flavor, and provides the extraction parameters for the Mamba blend and the steps for making a latte. Whether you want to understand the principles of blending or want to recreate a rich, smooth Mamba latte at home, you can find actionable references in this complete guide. [more…]

This Monday, Luckin Coffee teamed up with Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao to launch a co-branded offering titled "Poems for the Moon," alongside the simultaneous release of a new Oolong Latte. This new addition to their tea-coffee series, which uses Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao as its tea base and offers an optional oat milk version, quickly sparked discussions among netizens after its launch. Apart from its taste being compared to Assam milk tea, what drew even more attention was its post-consumption "smooth" effect—a large number of consumers on social media reported feeling the urge to use the restroom shortly after drinking it, with some making multiple trips in a single day, jokingly dubbing it the "new toilet-busting divine water." Some speculate this is related to the thick milk component in the drink and lactose intolerance. Although the effect varies from person to person, this unintended function has actually tempted many netizens who were previously uninterested to give it a try. [more…]