Beyond oat milk and almond milk, soy milk is likewise a plant-based milk alternative worth trying when making coffee. However, using soy milk to make a latte isn't something that succeeds with any random combination—the roast level of the coffee beans and the ratio of soy milk to espresso both directly affect the final taste. This article will draw on Front Street's practical experience to explain why soy milk is more suitable for coffee than regular soybean milk, what type of coffee beans should be chosen, and how to achieve a harmonious blend of soy milk and espresso by adjusting the proportions. At the end, it will also share a simple set of steps for making a soy milk latte using Front Street's classic blend and Vitasoy, for coffee lovers to try at home. [more…]

Plant-based milk coffee has become increasingly popular in recent years. Alternatives to milk such as oat milk and almond milk are now commonplace in coffee shops, yet soy milk, a national staple drink, is rarely used to make milk coffee. Soy milk is also a plant-based milk, so why do coffee shops hardly ever offer soy lattes? Is it a flavor mismatch, or is there another reason? This article will use practical testing to make lattes with soy milk instead of milk, analyzing the ratio, mouthfeel, operational details, and other aspects, and sharing Front Street Coffee's testing process and conclusions, to help coffee lovers understand the feasibility and specific method of soy milk coffee. [more…]

Latte, cappuccino, flat white, and Dirty all rely on milk, but what would the final taste be if you swapped in soy milk, milk powder, banana milk, Wangzai milk, or AD calcium milk? This time, Front Street Coffee made lattes one by one using five types of non-fresh milk ingredients, all with Front Street Espresso Blend · Strawberry Candy Espresso, using a 1:5 coffee-to-milk ratio for a hot-and-cold comparison, focusing on aroma integration, sweetness, smoothness of mouthfeel, milk foam performance, and whether it is suitable for latte art. The article not only preserves parameters that can be directly replicated, but also gives judgments on the pros and cons of each ingredient, making it a reference for enthusiasts who want to make specialty coffee at home or in a shop. [more…]

The art of latte art, at its core, relies on the repeated muscle memory of the hands for milk flow and foam. But if every practice session requires freshly pulled espresso and freshly steamed milk, the cost is high, and it's truly a waste to pour out what can't be finished. So many coffee enthusiasts have figured out some money-saving yet practical practice routines to minimize waste. In this article, Front Street Coffee will explain how coffee shops practice latte art in their daily operations: we'll introduce the choice of espresso beans suitable for latte art, share how to froth milk with a French press when there's no espresso machine, and break down in detail two low-cost practice methods—using dark soy sauce with dish soap, and recycling espresso with milk—to help you build up your latte art skills step by step at home. [more…]

As the weather turns colder, hot beverages have become a new favorite among consumers, and major coffee chains are rolling out winter-exclusive drinks. Luckin Coffee launched two new products this week — the "Winter Solstice Five-Nourishment Latte" and the "Salted Cheese Soy Milk Latte." Among them, the Winter Solstice Five-Nourishment Latte, marketed with the slogan "five black ingredients for nourishment, using black to nourish black," has been dubbed "wellness coffee" by many health enthusiasts because it blends five black ingredients: black rice, black sesame, black beans, black mulberry, and black goji berries. After the launch, consumer reviews have been polarized: some find it like a combination of soy milk and coffee, suitable for pairing with breakfast; others think the coconut milk brings noticeable sweetness, and the grain aroma overwhelms the coffee flavor, making it more like black sesame paste or a grain-based breakfast milk. Combined with earlier rumors that Luckin Coffee may launch an oven, some netizens speculate that the brand intends to expand into breakfast consumption scenarios. [more…]

Want to practice latte art well but hate watching espresso and milk go down the drain with every cup? In fact, many coffee enthusiasts have long since figured out a money-saving, no-waste way to practice. In this article, Front Street Coffee will share several low-cost latte art practice solutions: from the dark soy sauce plus dish soap combo that even complete beginners can handle, to the reusable espresso-and-milk cycling method, and we'll also answer how to froth milk with a French press when you don't have an espresso machine. We'll also recommend espresso beans suitable for latte art, helping beginners build up their hands' muscle memory for milk foam step by step while keeping costs under control, so that every practice session gets closer to coffee shop quality. [more…]

If your latte art patterns aren't coming out clear and beautiful, the problem isn't necessarily your technique—the characteristics of your ingredients and the state of your milk foam play just as decisive a role. Many coffee enthusiasts have encountered the situation where, when making a latte, flat white, or cappuccino, the milk foam bleeds and spreads upon contact with the crema, and this becomes especially obvious in the latter half of drawing a pattern. Front Street Coffee will analyze the causes of this phenomenon one by one from three angles—the separation of milk foam and milk, the inherent characteristics of the coffee beans and the milk, and the amount of water introduced by the steam during frothing—and offer corresponding ideas for improvement to help you create latte art with crisp lines and clearly defined layers. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts who try making lattes at home often find the result less enjoyable than what they get at a café, and may even suspect the shop is hiding a secret recipe. In fact, a latte is not as complicated as it seems—just pay a little attention to a few key steps, and the taste can improve noticeably. Drawing on Front Street's practical experience, this article systematically outlines the essentials for recreating café-quality lattes at home: what roast level to choose for coffee beans, how to match milk with the beans, which parameters to control during espresso extraction, whether to steam milk foam, and how to set the ratio of espresso to milk. It also uses specific products such as Front Street's Warm Sun blend to offer bean recommendations for different flavor preferences, helping you find the cup that suits your taste best. [more…]

After mastering the basic heart and the more advanced multi-layered heart, the leaf pattern is another hurdle to overcome in latte art practice. It may look similar to the multi-layered heart, but in reality there are clear differences in milk foam condition, the amount of integration, the pour point, and the swinging method. This article will break down the key points of making leaf latte art one by one, from milk foam thickness, the amount of milk used for integration, the pour point for creating the pattern, and swinging techniques to the complete hands-on steps. It will also explain the impact of different pitcher capacities on the process, and how to find the right position for creating the design by adjusting the amount of integration. Front Street Coffee suggests first practicing repeatedly with dish soap and soy sauce, and once the technique is proficient, then using milk and espresso for real practice, so you can pour a leaf pattern with clear stripes and a beautiful finish. [more…]

Two post-00s baristas faced off in a unique latte art battle in a Taobao livestream, with four rounds of extreme challenges ranging from blindfolded tulip etching to hollowing out a watermelon for use as a cup, then using a milk carton as a milk pitcher to pour three cups in a row while telling a story, and finally even replacing espresso and milk with kitchen liquids such as dark soy sauce and chili oil to make coffee. This livestream show, lasting several tens of minutes, not only showcased coffee’s complex and varied pattern designs, but also left netizens watching in awe of the skill and creativity of China’s young baristas. It is understood that the two protagonists come from the PCA Professional Coffee Skills Training Camp and S.O.E. 8 Squared Coffee respectively, and have been in the industry for six or seven years. They hope that through livestreaming, more people will learn about Chinese coffee culture. [more…]

The boundaries of coffee are constantly being pushed, from turtle jelly lattes to soy sauce syrup lattes, and now even minced garlic has entered the world of coffee. Zhou Libo's old joke about "eating garlic and drinking coffee" still lingers in our ears, yet the emergence of iced garlic latte has left both garlic lovers and haters speechless. This article will walk you through the complete steps for making this viral coffee, trace coffee's journey from the "altar" to the streets, and present netizens' genuine reactions to garlic-infused coffee. If you're also curious about the taste of garlic colliding with coffee beans, why not follow Front Street Coffee's perspective and find out. [more…]

Coffee has long become part of everyday life for the general public, yet in recent years all kinds of "novel" pairings have emerged one after another, constantly refreshing people's understanding of this beverage. Recently, a "scallion latte" appeared on a CCTV livestream, and after tasting it, the host and guest bluntly said it was "like vegetables fell into the coffee" and that they "tasted a white scallion aroma," quickly sparking heated discussion. From flower tea coffee and fruit coffee to special blends inspired by dishes such as roast goose, white cut chicken, aged vinegar, and fish mint, coffee shop owners have practically moved the entire Chinese menu into coffee cups. Novel flavors can certainly win momentary attention, but coffee ultimately must be held to the bottom line of tasting good. This article will take you through these wildly imaginative special blends and explore the consumer logic behind novelty coffee along with recommendations from the Front Street brand. [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…]

The pairing of coffee with Chinese-style breakfasts is rapidly expanding across the country. M Stand recently launched a coffee set featuring youtiao croissants and beef shaobing, a Shanghai jianbing guozi coffee shop once had people queuing for over an hour, and in Ningbo, Chaozhou, Kunming, Jingdezhen, Shantou, Guangzhou, and other places, combinations such as cifantuan, wumiguo, meigancai pork patty, youtiao with mochi, Chaoshan rice noodle rolls, and even beef offal rice with coffee have emerged. Data from Ele.me and Koubei Life Network in 2021 shows that the top two breakfast preferences of Shanghai residents are soy milk and coffee, and coffee has entered the ranks of the most popular breakfasts in multiple regions. This article reviews typical examples of this trend and retains relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Starbucks Japan has announced that it will raise the prices of coffee beans and beverages starting April 13, with coffee beans increasing by about 90 to 300 yen and beverages by about 10 to 55 yen, while soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk lattes will be reduced in price by more than 10 yen. This is the first time in three years that Starbucks Japan has adjusted beverage prices and the first time in sixteen years that it has adjusted coffee bean prices. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, inflation, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, coffee futures first rose and then fell, while supply and demand remain tight. Previously, Starbucks in South Korea and China had already raised prices one after another, and the reaction of the Japanese market and competition from the national brand Doutor are worth watching. Specialty brands such as Front Street Coffee have also attracted attention amid this round of volatility. [more…]

Guming's mini-program has quietly launched a new product called "Morning Fresh Milk." The only ingredient is fresh milk, available in hot or cold options, priced at 8 yuan per 500ml. After trying it, consumers discovered that the cup contains exactly the same refrigerated fresh milk brands used in stores for making tea drinks—Yue Xian Huo, Weigang, and Renyangyitouniu—tasting no different from what's sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. Once the news broke, netizens reacted with sharply divided opinions: some felt the price was completely uncompetitive, arguing it's better to just buy from a supermarket or convenience store, and joked that this was "forcing out a product with no real substance," with R&D staff cobbling together a new item just to meet KPI targets; others thought they could simply add espresso or toppings themselves to make a low-cost latte. Some netizens even let their imaginations run wild, speculating that Guming is testing the waters for a foray into the breakfast market. This article will sort through the discussions sparked by this new product and the possible business logic behind it. [more…]

Starbucks is a coffee brand beloved by many urban white-collar workers. Some people are passionate about collecting its merchandise cups, while others only drink its offerings. This article systematically sorts out the recipes, taste characteristics, and price ranges of Starbucks' classic espresso drinks, covering eight hot beverages including Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Caramel Macchiato, Mocha, Espresso, Espresso Con Panna, and Espresso Macchiato, along with cold drink reminders and recommended secret menu hacks. Whether you are a beginner who has just encountered Starbucks or a seasoned connoisseur looking to find the flavor that suits you best, this guide can help you quickly pinpoint your ideal choice. [more…]

Many people notice a layer of fine black powder at the bottom of the cup after finishing a latte or espresso, and sometimes dark particles float at the bottom of an iced latte as well. Is this actually normal? Does it affect flavor or health? In fact, this sediment consists of ultra-fine particles that pass through the filter basket holes during espresso extraction. A trace amount is normal, but if a large amount of grounds is visible to the naked eye, it means something has gone wrong in the extraction process. This article starts with where these fine particles come from, analyzes possible factors such as grinding, the portafilter basket, and barista technique, and offers practical solutions like adjusting the grind setting, switching baskets, and adding a paper filter, to help you enjoy a cleaner cup of coffee. [more…]

Latte art mainly includes three forms: free pouring, etching, and stenciling. Stenciling uses a stencil to sprinkle cocoa powder, chocolate powder, or cinnamon powder onto the coffee to create a pattern. Free pouring and etching are collectively known as Latte Art; the former involves pouring hot [more…]

Latte art mainly takes three forms: free pouring, etching, and stenciling. Stenciling uses a stencil to dust cocoa powder, chocolate powder, or cinnamon powder onto the coffee to create a pattern. Free pouring and etching are together known as Latte Art: the former involves pouring steamed [more…]