The Clever Cup, with its bottom valve design, allows even beginners to easily achieve professional-grade extraction, and is therefore known as the "beginner's coffee神器"[The Chinese text "新手咖啡神器" means "novice coffee miracle tool"; this has been rendered naturally in English as "beginner's coffee神器" to preserve the marker.] [more…]

Recently, many Luckin tea-coffee enthusiasts noticed a noticeable change in the flavor of their usual Jasmine Latte, suspecting that the brand had adjusted the recipe. In March of this year, Luckin had just announced an upgrade to its light milk tea, switching from tea powder to freshly brewed tea, and the Jasmine Latte was improved accordingly, with a fresh tea aroma that blended well with the coffee, making it a daily must-order for many consumers. However, starting June 2, regulars reported that the drink tasted weaker, with the coffee flavor almost gone—some even described it as drinking milky tea water. Some customers noticed from the cup labels that the espresso notation had changed from "Espresso Concentrate" to "Short Extract Espresso," and staff also revealed that the ratios of tea, milk, and coffee had all been altered. This adjustment sparked widespread dissatisfaction, with an increase in negative reviews and complaints at stores, and loyal fans calling on the official brand to restore the original recipe. [more…]

Cold brew coffee uses cold water at 5°C, slowly dripping through the coffee grounds over several hours of extraction, yielding a coffee liquid with rich aroma, a round and smooth mouthfeel, full body, and particularly outstanding flavor expression. Its greatest advantage is that it is neither sour nor astringent and does not irritate the stomach, which is thanks to the choice of dark-roasted coffee beans and the entire cold-water extraction process, avoiding the astringent substances released by hot water at high temperatures. This article will provide a complete introduction to the key points of making cold brew coffee, from the principles and characteristics, the use of equipment, precautions, to the specific production process of the Dutch-style drip brewer, helping coffee enthusiasts make the ultimate 100% original-flavor water-drip coffee at home. [more…]

Before ordering a latte, it's worth asking yourself one question: do you want a solid milk coffee, or one with a playful twist? This question splits lattes into two paths, and also cleaves the direction of bean selection in half. If the path isn't decided, even the best beans won't deliver the mood you expect. The original-flavor path pursues a harmony of the beans' and milk's true essence. [more…]

Don't rush to brew freshly roasted coffee beans. Resting and awakening the beans is essentially a process that allows the beans to release carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide disrupts extraction stability and also affects the extraction of flavor compounds. Drawing on the practices of FrontStreet Coffee, this article explains the essence of bean resting and awakening, the recommended resting times for different roast levels, and key storage points after receiving the beans. All beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee are shipped within 5 days of completing roasting. Medium-light roasts are recommended to rest for 3-4 days, medium roasts for 4-5 days, and medium-dark roasts for 6-7 days; once rested, they can be stored in the original packaging or in a light-proof sealed container. The optimal flavor window for freshly roasted beans is within 30 days after the resting period ends. [more…]

Many people, upon first hearing the terms "original coffee" and "black coffee," wonder whether they refer to the same thing. In fact, original coffee is the Chinese expression for black coffee, derived from the English "Black Coffee," referring to pure coffee without milk, sugar, or flavored syrup. In Cantonese, it's called "jaai fe," while Shanghainese people habitually call it "qing ka." This article will revolve around this concept, first clarifying the relationship between original coffee and black coffee, then extending to introduce the preparation methods and differences of common categories such as Americano, espresso, and latte. Combined with the production practices of Front Street Coffee, it will explain the impact of different roast levels and regional beans on the flavor of Americano, helping you choose the cup that better suits your taste at home or in a shop. [more…]

How much exactly does a pound of Blue Mountain coffee beans cost? On the market, prices range from a few dozen yuan to over a thousand yuan, reflecting multiple factors such as origin, grade, and tariffs. This article reviews the price trends of Blue Mountain coffee beans and compiles reference prices for coffee beans across different sales channels. It also provides a detailed introduction to Front Street Coffee's Blue Mountain brewing methods, including specific step-by-step instructions for the French press and siphon pot, helping coffee enthusiasts extract a Blue Mountain coffee with pristine flavors and rich layers at home. [more…]

The collision of espresso and iced milk has given rise to the Dirty coffee that has swept boutique cafés in recent years. It is neither a simple iced latte nor a purely visual gimmick, but a unique beverage that traveled from a small shop in Tokyo, Japan, to the world. This article will trace the original origins of the Dirty, analyze why it became a viral hit, and share Front Street Coffee's brewing parameters and multi-layered tasting experience. Whether you want to learn about its history or plan to recreate it yourself, this article will give you the complete answer. [more…]

As the scorching summer approaches, what could be more refreshing than a glass of iced Americano with lively bubbles? Many friends who have tried creative sparkling coffee specials in cafés want to recreate them at home, but often end up in a fluster when carbonation meets espresso in a violent reaction. In this article, Front Street Coffee brings you detailed steps for making four café-style sparkling iced Americanos, starting from the most basic original sparkling Americano and gradually extending to four flavored specials: preserved plum, orange, mint, and young coconut. The article not only explains the key points of choosing coffee beans and espresso extraction parameters, but also shares how to avoid overflow from the bubbles and how to use fresh ingredients to replace syrups, helping you easily make a summer drink that excels in both looks and taste. [more…]

Viennese coffee is a specialty drink of Vienna, the capital of Austria, and on local menus it also has a more down-to-earth name—"Coachman's Coffee." The birth of this coffee is closely tied to the winter-night travels of a street coachman during the Austro-Hungarian Empire; to stay awake, fill his stomach, and replenish heat, he combined cream and sugar with coffee, accidentally creating a classic cup. Today, Viennese coffee has evolved into a modern version of "latte + cream," which is simple to make and easy to recreate at home. This article will take you through its origins and show you step by step how to make both the original and the current versions of Viennese coffee, so you can experience the rich, full texture of cream intertwined with coffee. [more…]

Huakui coffee beans are a highly sought-after Ethiopian specialty bean in recent years, famed for their rich strawberry-and-cream aroma. They come from a natural-process lot of the Buku Abel washing station in the Guji region and once won the TOH green bean competition championship. This article will sort out the origin of the name Huakui, the terroir of its producing region, the natural processing workflow, and the cup profile differences across vintages, and share Front Street Coffee's roasting parameters along with hot pour-over and iced pour-over extraction recipes to help you brew a cup of Huakui coffee full of juicy fruitiness. [more…]

A Luckin Coffee internal employee recently leaked on social media a new product expected to launch on November 24 called "Crazy Black Tea Latte." A video showing its preparation reveals that the drink still uses a short-extraction espresso as its coffee base, and the news quickly sparked heated discussion online. Many consumers expressed strong dissatisfaction with the short-extraction espresso, arguing that its coffee liquid volume is only about 20 milliliters and that once tea or fruit is added, the coffee flavor is severely masked, leaving the taste as bland as water. Although some customers tried to request a switch to Italian-style ristretto via order notes, they were often refused by stores. The controversy surrounding Luckin Coffee's choice of coffee base continues to intensify. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts often wonder after switching filter cups: can the original pour-over parameters still be used, and exactly how long should the extraction time be controlled to be considered appropriate. Starting from the differences in filter cup shape and flow rate, and combined with Front Street Coffee's measured data, this article compares the extraction performance and flavor differences of the V60 and flat-bottom cake filter cup under the same parameters, explaining that the real purpose of parameter adjustment is not to pursue fixed values, but to serve the ideal taste. The article also provides a ranking of the flow rates of common filter cups, helping readers understand the relationship between filter cup characteristics and extraction time, so as to formulate brewing plans more flexibly. [more…]

Among the many variables in pour-over coffee, strength and extraction yield are the core indicators that directly determine whether a cup of coffee tastes good. The strength level affects the body and the intensity of flavor, while the coffee-to-water ratio is the key lever for adjusting strength. But changes in water volume also affect the extraction yield, making adjustment complicated. Starting from Front Street's brewing practice and using Huakui coffee as an example, this article explains clearly the relationship among coffee-to-water ratio, strength, and extraction yield, and offers specific ideas on how to simultaneously correct other parameters when making it stronger or weaker, helping you brew a pot that suits your taste more efficiently. [more…]

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…]

When selecting or using an espresso machine, the choice of portafilter often causes confusion: what exactly is the difference between a traditional spouted portafilter and a bottomless portafilter? Does a bottomless portafilter really affect the extraction results of espresso? This article will analyze the extraction performance of the two portafilters under the same parameters through a practical comparative experiment, and review the background and original design intent of the bottomless portafilter. We will also explore how "channeling" was discovered by baristas, and the respective advantages of the two portafilters in terms of space occupation, cleaning difficulty, and usage scenarios. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, you can find a suitable basis for your choice. Front Street Coffee will also share its own usage habits for your reference. [more…]

To brew a delicious Americano, two things matter most: the quality of the espresso extraction, and the ratio of espresso to water. The flavor of the espresso in turn depends on the coffee beans you choose and the extraction parameters you set. This article will cover three dimensions—bean selection, extraction approach, and the espresso-to-water ratio—while also offering practical reference points from several Front Street Coffee beans. Whether you prefer floral and fruity acidity or a rich, acidity-free cup, you'll find an approach that suits you. To make an iced Americano, simply add an appropriate amount of ice to the original ratio. [more…]

Coffee beans must be roasted, ground, and brewed before they can present a cup of coffee with full aroma and rich flavor. Different roast levels bring entirely different flavor directions: the darker the roast, the higher the body, the lower the acidity, and the more pronounced the bitterness. This article starts with the characteristics of three types of beans—light roast, medium roast, and dark roast—to help you understand the relationship between roast level and flavor, and uses the light-roasted Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedingding and the dark-roasted Front Street Mandheling as examples to explain the approach to matching grind size and water temperature. It also shares four practical tips—low, gentle, slow, and coarse—so that medium-dark roasted coffee can also brew a soft and solid taste. [more…]

Geisha rose to fame overnight at the 2004 BOP competition with its intense floral aroma and citrus-honey notes, becoming a favorite among many coffee enthusiasts. Many people want to use the espresso machine they have on hand to make it into an SOE and experience its distinctive flavor at high concentration, but Geisha is expensive and tends to be light-roasted, so directly applying conventional parameters often wastes beans and produces an unpleasant cup. This article addresses questions such as whether Geisha can be made as espresso, how to reduce the cost of dialing in, and how to set specific extraction plans, combining Front Street Coffee's tested workflow to provide a complete approach from using substitute beans for dialing in to the final output, helping you make a balanced cup of Geisha espresso and milk coffee at home. [more…]

Many people believe that as long as coffee is freshly ground, it counts as fresh, but in reality, whether the coffee aroma can be fully released depends not only on the timing of grinding but also on time management after roasting. Once coffee beans have passed 50 days after roasting, their flavor is almost entirely depleted, so Front Street Coffee has always regarded freshness as the first prerequisite for good coffee. This article focuses on four core questions: how to tell whether a bag of beans is fresh, why beans need resting, how the peak flavor period differs from the shelf life, and how to store them properly in daily life. It also compiles suggested resting times for different roast levels from light to dark, special considerations for espresso beans, and the pros and cons of three storage options—sealed jars, one-way degassing valve canisters, and original packaging—to help beginners avoid common pitfalls. [more…]