Recently, a trendy dessert called "solid mango pomelo sago" has quickly gone viral on social media. Its form falls somewhere between a drink and a traditional dessert, prompting many netizens to share photos of it. The chain tea brand ChaPanda seized the opportunity to launch its own version, officially priced at 19 yuan, and after discounts it can cost as little as a single-digit price, which many consumers consider quite cost-effective. However, after the new product hit the market, reviews were polarized: some praised it for its generous ingredients and sweet-and-sour taste resembling a dessert, while others complained that the actual product differed noticeably from the promotional images, jokingly calling it "fruit topping porridge" or "mango pomelo sago-flavored sugar water." In response to the feedback, ChaPanda staff explained that bumpiness during delivery caused the yogurt and coconut milk to mix and thin the texture, while some stores' mangoes were not fully ripe due to issues with the ingredient batch and insufficient ripening time. [more…]

The multi-layered heart may look complex, but it is actually an advanced variation built on the basic heart—just add one more pitcher movement, and you can create distinctly layered patterns. However, it places higher demands on milk foam thickness, the amount of milk used for integration, and the skill level of your technique. In this article, Front Street Coffee breaks down the entire process of making a multi-layered heart in detail: from precise control of steaming milk foam to 6/10 full, to a comparative recommendation of two pitcher-holding postures, and then to the flow rate and cup-return rhythm in the actual pouring, helping you transition smoothly from the basic heart to the multi-layered heart and laying a solid foundation for subsequent complex patterns such as the wheat ear and swan. [more…]

After Luckin Coffee's co-branded sauce-flavored latte with Moutai went viral, a number of solid beverage products with highly similar packaging styles quickly emerged on the market. These products not only have similar names, but also almost copy the red background with blue-and-white diagonal bar composition of the original packaging. Some lawyers pointed out that using a similar trademark on the same or similar goods without the permission of the trademark registrant, where it is likely to cause confusion, constitutes infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark. However, some manufacturers claim that the sauce-flavored latte category cannot be registered and that the color scheme is not protected by copyright, which has triggered discussion about the boundary between imitation and infringement. [more…]

For coffee lovers, spilling liquid coffee and staining clothes has always been a minor but persistent annoyance. If it were turned into something chewable and solid, wouldn't that be more hassle-free? Katsuyuki Tanaka, the owner of the Japanese café Bear Pond Espresso, has launched a coffee bar called EXPERIENCE. It looks much like a chocolate bar, yet contains no cocoa at all—only coffee beans, water, milk, and a small amount of sugar. Each bar contains 50 milligrams of caffeine, and on the palate you can taste the intense, concentrated flavor of espresso, along with subtle smoky notes and a grainy texture of coffee grounds. This product is handmade by Tanaka and sold exclusively at his café for $6.25, offering a new way to consume coffee as food. [more…]

Among Starbucks' 13 coffee beans, the Kenya coffee beans in orange packaging stand out—the African elephant slowly walking on the packaging perfectly echoes the rich, wild flavor personality of this bean. Why can Kenya grow such full-bodied, solid acidity? How do high altitude, volcanic soil, the SL28 and SL34 varieties, and double washed processing work together to create the bright, cherry-tomato-like acidity and caramel sweetness? What does Kenya AA grading mean? This article will comprehensively break down the charm of Kenyan coffee, from origin terroir, variety characteristics, and grading system to specific brewing parameters, and include Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions and flavor notes. [more…]

The 2022 Guangdong college entrance examination Chinese essay prompt, centered on the concepts of "ben shou, miao shou, su shou" (the fundamental move, the brilliant move, the vulgar move) in the game of Go, sparked widespread discussion. For coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike, this prompt carries profound significance. Whether it's pour-over extraction, coffee roasting, or running a coffee shop, none of it can be separated from a deep understanding of the fundamentals. This article uses the college entrance examination essay prompt as a lens to explore the way of the "fundamental move" in the world of coffee: from extraction principles to bean characteristics, from roasting logic to opening a shop, only by solidly mastering the basics can one truly create a stunning coffee experience and avoid falling into the predicament of the "vulgar move" by neglecting the essentials. [more…]

Before writing this article, Front Street asked several coffee professionals/enthusiasts: "Under normal circumstances, when making cold brew coffee, if you use the same water, coffee beans, amount of coffee grounds, brewing container, and brewing time, how would you increase the extraction concentration of the coffee?" I believe everyone, like the interviewees, would [more…]

The charm of dark roast coffee lies in its rich, solid mouthfeel and its sweet finish reminiscent of nuts, chocolate, and caramel. However, to brew these essences out, the parameters and techniques need special adjustments. This article takes Front Street Golden Mandheling as an example, analyzing the details of each step one by one—from coffee bean freshness, the flavor formation of wet-hulled processing, and PWN company's quality control, to the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, water temperature, dripper selection, and the three-pour pouring technique. Whether you want to enhance the sweetness of dark roast beans or pursue a rounder body, this café-level brewing plan can give you clear guidance. [more…]

When making espresso-based Americano, some people are in the habit of placing a filter paper at the bottom of the portafilter basket—what changes does this actually bring? Starting from a comparative experiment at Front Street, this article analyzes the specific effects of filter paper on coffee cleanliness, aroma, body, and flavor layering. Filter paper can intercept the fine particles in espresso, making the Americano taste cleaner, but it may also weaken the aroma and solid mouthfeel brought by lipids. Through a comparison of two cups of Strawberry Candy Espresso Americano, the article demonstrates the significant difference between using and not using filter paper, and explains why other espresso drinks such as lattes usually do not adopt this practice. Ultimately, the choice depends on whether you want a clean, light Americano or a coffee with a solid, richly layered flavor. [more…]

Iced pour-over coffee needs rapid cooling, but ordinary ice cubes melt and dilute the coffee's strength. Some friends suggested using non-melting stainless steel ice cubes, but that attempt failed; then someone else recommended dry ice, which cools quickly and doesn't cause dilution. Dry ice can indeed chill coffee rapidly without turning into water, but when it sublimates it releases carbon dioxide, which dissolves into the coffee and turns a cup of iced pour-over into carbonated coffee—essentially deviating from what's wanted. This article provides a detailed analysis of dry ice's physical properties, its everyday uses, and why it's unsuitable for making pour-over coffee, along with Front Street Coffee's key points from their dry ice experiments and a recommended bean list. [more…]

The allure of dark roasting lies in its ability to push the flavor characteristics of certain regions toward richer, more complex levels. Not all regions are suited to dark roasting, but there is a category of beans that is naturally in harmony with deep roasting—they typically possess a foundation of low acidity, full body, and solid sweetness, and after undergoing the high-temperature development following second crack, [more…]

If you had to trace the "Kenyan taste" back to its processing origins, the answer would most likely point to double washing. This method, known locally as K72, polishes the fruit acidity of Kenyan coffee until it is bright, solid, and yet still clean. Once you understand double washing, you understand where the signature juicy quality of Kenyan beans comes from. Double Washing [more…]

Whether iced coffee tastes good often hinges on the step of adding ice. Ice is not just a cooling tool; it also locks in aroma and maintains a cold mouthfeel. How much ice to add, what kind of ice to choose, and how to ratio different coffees—these questions trouble many enthusiasts. Drawing on Front Street Coffee's practical experience, this article first explains the three major functions of ice in coffee, then analyzes the differences between solid and hollow ice, and between large and small ice, and finally provides specific ice-adding plans for iced Americano, iced latte, iced pour-over, and cold brew/ice drip, helping you make consistently delicious iced coffee at home. [more…]

Coffee products are dazzlingly varied, and behind the price differences, the processing method is what truly determines flavor and health. Based on overall taste and flavor, Front Street Coffee divides the mainstream coffees on the market into five tiers: freshly ground coffee ranks first thanks to its complete ingredients and fresh extraction, drip bags and capsule coffee follow closely behind for their convenience, cold brew concentrated coffee liquid sits in the middle, while freeze-dried coffee powder and traditional instant coffee rank lower. This article will break down the production principles, flavor performance, and health considerations of each type of product one by one, and intersperse Front Street Coffee's daily beans and espresso blend recommendations, helping coffee lovers see clearly the ranking logic from "solid" to "completely done for." [more…]

Mandheling coffee beans are truly unique in the specialty coffee world—it is neither a region name nor a variety name, but originates from the Mandailing people on the island of Sumatra. This coffee from Indonesia has won over countless enthusiasts with its rich, solid body and deep flavors. This article will take you through the interesting story behind the name Mandheling, analyze the characteristics of the two main varieties Timtim and Ateng, explain how PWN defines authentic Golden Mandheling, and share Front Street Coffee's professional insights on roasting and brewing, so you can fully understand this legendary coffee bean. [more…]

In the world of pour-over coffee gear, cone-shaped drippers occupy an absolute mainstream, while the once-popular trapezoid dripper appears less and less on the bar. This does not mean it is not useful—on the contrary, thanks to its unique structure, the trapezoid dripper can deliver a more balanced cup performance and a solid mouthfeel. From the perspective of Front Street, this article reviews the historical trajectory of the trapezoid dripper from its birth to its improvements, breaks down the impact of its shape, ribs, and bottom hole on extraction, and, through comparative brewing with the V60, intuitively presents the flavor differences between the two drippers. It also explains why the trapezoid dripper has gradually retreated behind the scenes under the light-roast trend, as well as its beginner-friendly stable extraction characteristics. [more…]

When drinking iced coffee, have you ever agonized over how much ice to add and how to add it properly? In fact, ice in iced coffee is far more than just a way to cool things down—it also plays multiple roles, such as locking in aroma, maintaining a low temperature, and balancing concentration. Starting from the principles behind how ice works, this article breaks down in detail the differences between solid ice and hollow ice, the advantages of refrozen ice, and, for different categories such as iced Americano, iced latte, iced pour-over, and cold brew and ice drip, provides specific ice-to-coffee ratios and Front Street brand recommendations to help you make a cup of iced coffee at home that isn't watered down and has plenty of aroma. [more…]

At a certain stage of drinking coffee, many people shift from chasing floral and fruity acidity back to rich, solid flavors. Why does bitter coffee still fascinate people? Starting from the real feelings of coffee enthusiasts, this article explores the flavor characteristics of specialty black coffee, analyzes the roasting and extraction logic behind bitterness with a sweet finish, and reflects on the relaxation and comfort a pure cup of coffee brings in a restless era. It also retains Front Street Coffee's brand recommendations and product information for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]

Kenyan coffee, with its bright and full-bodied acidity at light roast and its dark-chocolate-like rich, sweet finish at dark roast, has become one of the few origins that shines at both roast levels. Front Street Coffee Kenya beans are relatively hard and well suited to pour-over extraction, but care must be taken to avoid the coffee bed sinking and clogging the drainage holes. This article breaks down in detail, from grinding, water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio and dose to the three-pour technique, how to use a water temperature of 93°C, a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio and segmented circular pouring to highlight the cherry tomato aroma and dried plum acidity, allowing the coffee's solid body and translucent sweet-tartness to come through fully. [more…]

Latte art is one of the techniques that many coffee enthusiasts are most eager to master after stepping into the world of espresso. Common patterns include the solid white heart, multi-layered heart, swan, tulip, and rosetta, among which the solid white heart is regarded as the most basic yet most skill-testing design. Based on the latte art teaching experience of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically explains the two major prerequisites for making a solid white heart—a qualified espresso and milk foam suitable for pouring—and breaks down in detail the key steps such as the amount of milk used for incorporation, the pouring point for forming the pattern, and the injection technique. It also introduces how espresso beans such as Front Street Classic Blend perform in latte art practice, helping beginners stably produce espresso with golden crema at home and laying a solid foundation for subsequent latte art. [more…]