The coffee world has its own world-class competitive stage—from barista championships to brewing, latte art, roasting, cupping, mixology, and Turkish coffee, the seven major competitions under the World Coffee Championships (WCC) each have their own highlights, testing competitors' comprehensive skills while continuously leading the trends in specialty coffee. Today, Front Street Coffee takes you through these international competitions one by one to understand their content and rules, and to see what exactly the world's top coffee professionals compete in and how they compete. [more…]

The Specialty Coffee Association announced on December 22 the new rules for the 2023 World Barista Championship (WBC), World Brewers Cup (WBrC), World Cup Tasters Championship, and Cezve/Ibrik Championship. Among them, the most notable change in the WBC is allowing competitors to use plant-based milk or other animal milks to make milk coffee, breaking the long-standing restriction of using only cow's milk. The WBrC adjusted its evaluation criteria, refocusing on competitors' brewing skills and introducing a new coffee evaluation scale and a semifinal format. This series of changes has sparked widespread discussion in the industry, with some supporting the increased inclusivity and others worried about scoring fairness. This article will outline the specific contents of each rule update and the reactions from all parties. [more…]

The prosperity of the coffee industry is inseparable from the promotion of various professional competitions. These competitions not only promote coffee culture but also make the profession of barista more standardized and professional. Every year, many contestants from different countries around the world participate in the competition. Among them, the seven most influential world-class competitions cover multiple fields such as barista, brewing, latte art, roasting, cupping, coffee and spirits, and Turkish coffee. This article will introduce the positioning and competition systems of these events one by one, and focus on sorting out the development history, advancement rules, and past champion data of the World Barista Championship (WBC), helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the landscape and charm of international coffee competition. [more…]

How did a coffee variety that was originally overlooked quietly rewrite the landscape of the world's specialty coffee on a retired banker's estate? The Geisha coffee of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda, from its meteoric rise to fame in 2004 to its consecutive championship wins, and then to repeatedly setting record prices at auctions, has behind it both an element of chance and a meticulous command of altitude and variety. This article will guide you through Hacienda La Esmeralda's championship journey, its red-green-blue three-tier grading system, and details of its origin and processing methods, along with Front Street Coffee's brewing parameters and flavor description for the Blue Label Geisha, so we can savor together the unique charm of this legendary coffee. [more…]

The AeroPress was invented by the Aerobie company, yet unexpectedly became a darling of the specialty coffee world, even giving rise to its own world championship, the WAC. It uses manual pressure to quickly produce a full-bodied cup, and combines portability, easy cleaning, and high playability. This article walks you through the AeroPress's origins, how it differs from the French press, the growth of the WAC competition, and shares a complete inverted brewing method using Front Street Coffee's Kenya Little Tomato beans, including dose, grind size, water temperature, and timing parameters, so you too can easily recreate a cup full of juicy fruitiness at home. [more…]

The World Barista Championship is the highest-level competitive stage in the coffee industry, where competitors convey the multi-dimensional charm of coffee to professional judges through exquisite skill and vivid expression. In 2022, Anthony Douglas from Axil Coffee Roasters in Melbourne, Australia, took the crown at the WBC held in Melbourne. This barista, a high school dropout who started out in the deli section of a Spanish restaurant, went from regional competitions all the way to world champion in seven years. This article reviews his growth experience, competition preparation details, and winning performance, and shares his understanding of the role of a barista. [more…]

With less than two months left before the end of 2023, Luckin Coffee seems to have another major move in store. On October 29, WBC World Barista Champion Boram Julio Um posted multiple group photos on social media, expressing his delight at working with the Luckin team and tagging several people in the photos. Judging from the images, this is very likely the sixth WBC champion spokesperson signed by Luckin. The photos feature not only Boram himself, but also 2014 champion Hidemitsu Izaki, 2022 champion Anthony Douglas, and 2018 champion Agnieszka Rojewska—several champions gathered together, all wearing Luckin barista aprons. This article will review the background of this collaboration, Luckin's champion spokesperson strategy, and the latest progress of its global bean-sourcing program. [more…]

According to data from the International Coffee Organization, 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed globally each year, with an average of 14,000 cups drunk every second. Calculated at retail prices, the annual output value of coffee has long exceeded 100 billion US dollars, so it is no exaggeration to call it a "black gold industry." Today, coffee is not just a pick-me-up beverage but also an expression of lifestyle taste. In China's first-tier cities, convenience store coffee, Starbucks, and independent cafes are almost everywhere. But have you ever wondered when coffee was discovered and how it transformed from a fruit into an everyday drink? This article recommends three coffee documentaries, focusing respectively on how coffee changed America, the journey of baristas competing in the World Barista Championship, and the complete industry chain from origin to cup, along with related recommendations from Front Street Coffee, to help you rediscover the cup of coffee in your hand. [more…]

The AeroPress is a uniquely shaped coffee brewing device invented by Alan Adler, the owner of the Frisbee company. Inspired by espresso machines, it relies on manual pressure for rapid extraction. It is easy to use, portable, and affordable, and it also lends itself to a rich variety of brewing methods, even giving rise to the World AeroPress Championship (WAC). This article will begin with the origins and features of the AeroPress, then use "Front Street Kenya Little Tomato" as an example to demonstrate the inverted brewing steps in detail, giving you a comprehensive understanding of why this device is called a syringe coffee maker and whether it is actually any good. [more…]

The AeroPress, a uniquely shaped brewing device, came from a company best known for flying discs, yet after its launch in 2005 it quickly took the specialty coffee world by storm, even spawning a dedicated World AeroPress Championship (WAC) and a documentary. With its manual pressure, fast brew times, and easy portability and cleanup, it has become a daily choice for many coffee lovers. This article will cover the AeroPress's original invention intent, its differences from the French press, the development of the WAC competition, and then move on to the actual brewing process, using "Front Street Kenya Little Tomato" as an example to give the dose, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and inverted pressure operation steps, helping you consistently reproduce a cup of coffee that is bright, sweet, and full of juicy fruit character. [more…]

The AeroPress, a brewing tool with a distinctive shape, has won the favor of many coffee enthusiasts since its launch in 2005 with its fast, full-bodied, and portable characteristics. It was invented by Alan Adler, a flying disc manufacturer, inspired by espresso machines, yet it requires no electricity and relies solely on human power to complete extraction. The AeroPress not only spawned its own world championship, the WAC, but also gave rise to a rich variety of brewing methods. This article will systematically introduce the origins of the AeroPress, its similarities and differences with the French press, and its competition culture, and will also include a practical inverted brewing guide using Front Street Kenya Little Tomato beans, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of this device's unique charm. [more…]

At the 2019 World Barista Championship, South Korean competitor Jeon Joo-yeon won the championship with a Sidra coffee bean from Ecuador, beating many Geisha varieties and bringing the Sidra variety into the public eye. In 2022, Anthony Douglas won again with Sidra, which further sparked the industry's curiosity about it. After investigation, Front Street Coffee found that Sidra is a variety developed by an Ecuadorian coffee research center in the 1990s by crossing Typica with local Red Bourbon, and due to its outstanding flavor, small-scale commercial cultivation gradually began. The Sidra Jeon Joo-yeon used that year came from Hacienda La Clara—a specialty coffee estate located on the Loja plateau and established in 2014. This article will introduce the varietal origins of Sidra, the terroir conditions of Hacienda La Clara, as well as the flavor performance of this washed Sidra and Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions. [more…]

There are many world-famous coffee brands. Some mainly operate through chain stores, with unified raw materials and unified standards, so the quality of their coffee output is relatively consistent; others operate as independent coffee shops, and these stores offer different coffee products for customers to choose from. As the coffee culture becomes more and more [more…]

The Origami dripper has remained a hot topic in the coffee world in recent years. Many people were initially drawn to it by its appearance, but after actually using it, they discovered that it is no mere "vase." This dripper's crease design combines flow guidance with aesthetics, and its 20 evenly spaced creases give it a distinct Nordic minimalist style. Another key reason for its ongoing popularity is its multiple appearances at the World Coffee Brewing Championship—Du Jianing in 2019 and Carlos in 2023 both won the title using it. Even more practical is that the Origami supports both conical and cake filters, allowing users to switch between fast-paced and slow-paced brewing to highlight aroma layering or a rich, full-bodied taste, respectively. Based on Front Street Coffee's actual test data, this article compares the flavor differences under the two types of filters and analyzes the real reason for its enduring popularity. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). The AeroPress is not just a passing fad; its appearance is quite unlike typical brewing equipment, and the company that invented this brewing device doesn't even have coffee equipment as its flagship product. [more…]

As coffee culture continues to deepen, more and more chain and independent cafés are starting to offer their own house-roasted coffee beans. This article rounds up ten highly representative roasting brands from around the world, from Front Street Coffee in Guangzhou, China, to specialty roasting workshops across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, covering different origins, business philosophies, and roasting styles. Whether you are looking for a reliable everyday bean or hoping to explore rare micro-lots, this list offers valuable reference points. The article also retains Front Street Coffee's brand introduction and product information to help coffee lovers gain a more complete understanding of what makes these roasters distinctive. [more…]

In today's increasingly rich coffee culture, whether chain brands or independent cafés, all have begun to launch their own roasted coffee beans. This article reviews ten of the most representative in-house roasting coffee brands worldwide, covering China, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. From Guangzhou's time-honored Front Street Coffee to Gardelli, a frequent winner at world roasting competitions, each brand has its own unique roasting philosophy and sourcing standards. The article provides detailed introductions to each brand's founding time, origin characteristics, roasting style, and signature products, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the advantages of different brands and directions for purchasing. [more…]

The 2024 World Brewers Cup (WBrC) and World Cup Tasters Championship concluded in Chicago, USA, with Austrian competitor Martin Wolf taking the crown. One of the biggest highlights of this year's event was that four of the six finalists independently chose blended coffee beans, ranging from two-bean blends to three-bean blends, and from cross-origin mixes to combinations of different processing methods, showing an unprecedented diversity in blending strategies. This article reviews the competition results, analyzes the competitors' blending approaches, and explores why blended beans have become a new trend in specialty coffee competitions. [more…]

Pour-over coffee is gaining strong momentum in China, and many enthusiasts are rushing to buy pour-over gear. For one thing, pour-over equipment is relatively affordable; for another, this method brings out the flavor of the coffee beans themselves to the greatest extent. But the factors affecting the pour-over result are numerous, and the same beans often taste completely different in different hands. This article focuses on the brewing ideas of the top six competitors at the 2015 World Brewers Cup, going through one by one the bean varieties, equipment, parameters, and techniques they chose, to see how the top experts interpret a good cup of coffee in their own ways. It also includes Front Street Coffee's recommendations and interpretations regarding competition beans and brewing logic. [more…]

Front Street Coffee's Huakui is an Ethiopian natural coffee renowned for its floral and fruity notes. Originally named Hambela, it was named by a domestic green bean trader. It does not stand out for intense floral aromas, but rather for its rich fruit tones of passion fruit, strawberry, mango, jackfruit, and citrus. This bean originates from the Buku Abel processing station in Hambela and once won the natural category championship in the TOH green bean competition. It was subsequently introduced to the domestic market by a Beijing-based green bean trader and named "Huakui," and gained further fame after a Chinese World Brewers Cup competitor used it as a competition bean. Front Street, as an advocate of floral and fruity coffees, has included it in its Ethiopian series, roasting it to a medium-light level to highlight sweetness and fruity acidity. This article will provide coffee enthusiasts with a complete reference, from variety background and flavor description to V60 brewing parameters. [more…]