Great changes are taking place in the coffee industry. This year, the news of the potential sale of Starbucks China has caused a great stir in the industry. The list of potential bidders is long and impressive, including Carlyle, Hillhouse, Primavera [more…]

Specialty coffee refers to coffee beans that can clearly express the flavors of their region of origin. There are many ways to subdivide specialty coffee beans; for example, the SCA has also laid out standards for specialty coffee, and its definition of specialty coffee is "coffee beans grown in excellent terroir, with the aromatic characteristics of their local area." Broadly and simply put, being able to taste the flavor of the place of origin [more…]

What is pour-over coffee? Pour-over coffee refers to manually brewed coffee, also known as drip coffee. This method was invented in 1908 by the German woman Melitta Bentz. In order to promote this brand-new coffee extraction method to the outside world, Mrs. Melitta also [more…]

From the moment espresso beans finish roasting to the moment they enter the cup, their flavor goes through degassing, relaxation, and gradual decline. If extracted too early, carbon dioxide tends to make the puck absorb water unevenly; the espresso may look rich on the surface, yet taste scattered on the palate. Once the beans have settled into their ideal state, sweetness, body, and aroma come together more readily. Therefore, the roast date is not [more…]

Yemen is a country in Asia, but it is often mistakenly regarded as an African country. Just across the sea from it is the well-known coffee-producing area of Ethiopia in Africa, and it is also a key port for Ethiopia to access Africa. The Yemen Mocha [more…]

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. "Coffee" refers to any drink made from roasted coffee beans, which of course includes espresso and cold brew. There are many kinds of coffee—some people like instant, some like pour-over, and others like cold brew. Different methods [more…]

Many new shop owners only look at the price per kilogram when calculating bean costs, but they never factor in the cost of a supply cut-off. On a certain Sunday afternoon, the beans in the grinder ran out, the warehouse was empty, and what would they use to serve drinks during the next morning rush? Choosing commercial beans is half about flavor and half about supply. Flavor can be selected through tasting, but supply, however, [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee). Brazilian Cerrado coffee is very popular as Front Street's everyday beans, and there is also a Brazilian single-origin bean, Brazilian Queen Coffee, whose taste is cleaner than Brazilian Cerrado and whose flavor is even better! Of course, Brazil [more…]

Yunnan's coffee planting area has climbed from over 300,000 mu in 2008 to more than 1.4 million mu today, with output once accounting for over 99% of the national total. Yet the expansion of the industry's scale has not been smooth sailing. Since 2012, international coffee futures prices have continued to decline, leaving Yunnan coffee farmers struggling at the edge of the cost line; the 2014 harvest season was hit by a triple blow of drought, cold damage, and the abandonment of harvesting, causing output to plummet from an expected 100,000 tons to less than 60,000 tons, while purchase prices, driven by factors such as drought in Brazil, saw their largest single-month increase in 20 years. Lincang, as an emerging main producing area, rose rapidly, and companies such as Lingfeng Coffee began implementing quality traceability systems. This article will review the cultivation situation, flavor characteristics, and future development trends of Yunnan Arabica coffee beans. [more…]

Tanzanian coffee is grown in the fertile soils of the East African Rift Valley, structured around bright acidity and medium body, interwoven with blackcurrant, sweet citrus, and floral notes, suitable for both hot and iced drinks. This article systematically reviews its washed processing characteristics, estate bean grading logic, and transportation aging risks, explains in detail the terroir of core producing regions such as Kilimanjaro, Moshi, and Arusha, and introduces representative brands such as Africafe and Tanica Cafe as well as the cultural origins of the "coffee gentleman." It also focuses on industry developments such as Tanzania's promotion of domestic sales and the addition of six new coffee-producing regions, providing coffee enthusiasts with a comprehensive and professional guide to the producing region. [more…]

When SOE beans are freshly roasted, they are still continuously releasing carbon dioxide internally, and their aromatics are in a stage of reintegration. At this point, "the fresher, the more aromatic" does not always translate directly into the cup: dark roasts usually enter their smooth-drinking window earlier, while light roasts often need several more days of waiting. Deciding whether to choose dark or light also depends on whether you can consistently maintain stability after the flavors have opened up. [more…]

The aroma of medium-roast espresso beans doesn't fully unfold on the very day they're roasted. The beans are still steadily releasing carbon dioxide, and if you put them into the espresso machine too early, the puck is easily disturbed by the gas; the crema may look rich, but the cup can taste tight and disjointed, with a sweetness that doesn't come together coherently. Treating the roast date as the starting point for the flavor clock matters more than just watching the expiration date. [more…]

There are quite a few types of coffee. Some people like instant coffee, some like pour-over, and others like cold brew. Coffee made with different methods has its own characteristics—some has a layered mouthfeel with distinct flavors, while some is convenient to brew. You can choose according to your own preferences. Pour-over [more…]

Coffee with a full-bodied crema often has a velvety mouthfeel on the palate, and espresso more easily forms a fine foam on its surface. However, a shiny bean surface is not the sole criterion for judging thickness in the cup; the state of degassing after roasting, the timing of grinding, and the number of days since opening all alter the aroma and texture. If you want to taste notes of nuts, cocoa, and caramel, first [more…]

Once you have a coffee corner at home, whether it's a semi-automatic espresso machine or a moka pot, the most headache-inducing thing is often not how to use the machine, but what beans to buy. The equipment determines the lower limit, while the beans determine the upper limit. An ordinary machine paired with the right beans can still make delicious coffee; conversely, even the best equipment, when paired with unsuitable beans [more…]

Once you have a coffee corner at home, whether it's an espresso semi-automatic machine or a moka pot, the most headache-inducing thing is often not how to use the machine, but what beans to buy. The equipment determines the lower limit, while the beans determine the upper limit. An ordinary machine paired with the right beans can still make delicious coffee; conversely, even the best equipment, when paired with unsuitable beans, [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee has been famous worldwide since the last century. Today, a brand called "Green Mountain Coffee" has come into the public eye. Many friends have asked Front Street, "Is Green Mountain Coffee riding on Blue Mountain Coffee's coattails?" "Is Green Mountain Coffee a counterfeit of Blue Mountain Coffee?" and similar questions. So Front Street decided [more…]

When coffee beans have just left the roaster, they are still continuously releasing carbon dioxide internally, and their aromas do not fully unfold right away. If you grind them too early for pour-over, the coffee bed tends to puff up, and the degassing also disturbs the water flow, so the cup may taste both hollow and harsh. If you want to drink a cup where both the acidity and bitterness are mellow, the key is not to chase the roast date and open the bag on the same day, but to let the beans [more…]

In the first few days after an espresso blend is roasted, the beans are still releasing carbon dioxide. If you pull a shot during this time, the puck is easily disturbed by the gas; the crema may look thick and rich, but the sip can taste loose and the aroma isn't fully focused. Planning together around the roast date, the expected opening date, and daily usage is often better than simply chasing freshly roasted beans [more…]

Italian-style coffee beans are not necessarily tastier the closer they are to the roaster. When beans have just finished roasting, they are still continuously releasing carbon dioxide internally, and after grinding they tend to show an expanding coffee bed, unstable extraction, and aromas that are not fully open. Paying attention to the roast date when choosing beans is about arranging a suitable drinking rhythm, not about rushing to use them the same day you get them. [more…]