Thursday, September 17 2026

The Rise of Malaysian Specialty Coffee: From White Coffee Tradition to the Transformation of the Third Wave

Malaysia's specialty coffee culture is undergoing a profound transformation. From Kuala Lumpur to Penang and then to Johor Bahru, a growing number of passionate coffee professionals are driving a shift from traditional white coffee to specialty coffee. This article explores in depth the development of Malaysia's specialty coffee scene, from specialty coffee's initial entry into the market in 2010 to today's proliferation of independent roasting workshops and coffee classrooms. We interviewed several industry pioneers, including Joey Mah, Michael Wilson, Cheryl Lee, and others, who shared how they have advanced the upgrading of the entire industry by educating consumers, improving roasting techniques, and enhancing customer service. At the same time, the article also focuses on the development of key cities such as Penang and Johor Bahru, as well as the efforts of institutions like the Asian Barista Guild in coffee education. For coffee lovers, this is a complete picture for understanding the changes in Malaysia's coffee culture. [more…]

Top Ten Single-Origin Pour-Over Coffee Beans | What Are the World's Top Specialty Coffee Beans? Are Pour-Over Arabica Panama Geisha and Blue Mountain Coffee High-End?

With the growth of specialty coffee, the community of coffee drinkers has continued to expand, so a large number of coffee beans from different origins have begun flooding the coffee market. As a result, coffee enthusiasts are often at a loss when choosing coffee beans. New coffee enthusiasts who come to Front Street Coffee to taste coffee often ask how to choose high-quality specialty coffee. [more…]

SOE Can Also Be Hand-Brewed: Look at Roast Depth This Way

SOE usually refers to single-origin espresso, emphasizing that the coffee beans come from the same region, estate, or lot, but it does not mean the coffee can only be extracted with an espresso machine. As long as the beans are fresh and the roast level is suitable, SOE can absolutely go into a dripper and reveal its aroma through pour-over. What really needs to be judged is whether, at light roast, medium roast, [more…]

Characteristics of Costa Rican Coffee Beans | What Is Honey Processing? Why Do Costa Rican Coffees Mostly Use Honey Processing? What Flavor Characteristics Do Honey-Processed Coffee Beans Have?

When it comes to which region produces the best honey-processed coffee beans, Costa Rica is undoubtedly the answer. As the birthplace of the honey processing method, Costa Rica has naturally perfected its honey processing techniques to a high degree of mastery. In this article, Front Street Coffee will explain the flavor characteristics of Costa Rican honey-processed coffee beans. [more…]

Coffee Bean Resting | What Is a Coffee Blend? What Are the Recipes for Espresso Blend Coffee Beans? How Long Should Espresso Coffee Beans Be Rested?

Recently, a regular customer who often comes to Front Street to buy Front Street Espresso Blend coffee beans has been visiting, while new customers to Front Street look quite puzzled, not understanding why the Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) barista would mix several kinds of beans together to sell. In fact, this is blended coffee beans, also called a blend. [more…]

Whether an espresso bean has a lot of crema depends first on the roast level.

When making espresso, the layer of golden or brown foam on the surface of the coffee liquid is often called crema. If you prefer coffee that looks thick and tastes stronger, the roast level can be a very useful clue when choosing beans. Generally speaking, the darker the beans are roasted, the more likely an oily sheen appears on the surface, and the crema extracted is also more pronounced, but the foam [more…]

French Press Coffee | What coffee beans are suitable for French press brewing? Does French press coffee have a lot of oils? How much coffee grounds, water, water temperature, and steeping time for a French press?

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee). Coffee is becoming more and more popular, and there are all kinds of brewing methods. However, when you're busy, you might feel you don't have time for a pour-over, and if you want an espresso, it seems you don't have much time either. So in this [more…]

French Press Usage Tips | How Many Coffee Beans to Use for French Press Coffee? How Much Coffee Grounds to Put in a French Press? Does French Press Coffee Have a Lot of Oil?

Coffee is becoming more and more popular, and there are all kinds of brewing methods. However, when you're busy, you might feel you don't have time for a pour-over, and even an espresso seems to take too long. In that case, using a lazy person's pot to make a cup of coffee might be a pretty good choice! French press coffee and pour-over coffee [more…]

Definition of Espresso | What Are the Differences in Coffee Flavor and Mouthfeel Between Americano, Long Black, and Lungo? What Is the Lungo Long Black Americano Method?

There are many methods for brewing coffee, such as: French press, siphon, pour-over, espresso, cold brew, Americano, etc.; and there are also many names, especially in some regional variations. Next, Front Street will explain the differences between these types of coffee, which are also quite common. For example: Americano, Lo [more…]

The Century-Long Planting History and Variety Evolution of Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee: Industrial Transformation from Typica to Catimor

Yunnan coffee has traveled a long and winding road of growth, from the first coffee seedling introduced by missionaries a century ago to its current status as a common choice in specialty coffee shops. This article traces the complete story of Yunnan small-bean coffee—its cultivation origins, the evolution of varieties, and the upgrading of the industry—and also explores the distinct characteristics of the two varieties, Typica and Catimor. For coffee lovers who want to understand the flavors of the Yunnan growing region or who are currently choosing a Yunnan single-origin bean, this article offers a comprehensive reference ranging from historical background to practical brewing, and it also includes Front Street Coffee's Yunnan bean brewing recipe and flavor description. [more…]

Pros and Cons of Drip Bag Coffee | How to Brew Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 Drip Coffee Bags? What Are the Wrong Ways to Brew Filter Coffee Bags?

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Drip bag coffee is loved by coffee enthusiasts for its convenience, so many novice coffee lovers who have just started using drip bag coffee ask Front Street Coffee (FrontSt [more…]

Rich and Oily Regions Beyond Mandheling: These Origins Also Deliver

When it comes to rich, creamy body, many people first think of Mandheling. Mandheling is indeed a representative of full-bodied richness, but in the world of specialty coffee, it isn't the only region known for beans with abundant oils. Understanding the oil expression of beans from different regions allows you to move beyond the Mandheling framework when selecting beans, giving you a richer set of choices. Mandheling is full-bodied and oil [more…]

Drip Coffee Brand Recommendations | Who invented the drip coffee bag? What are the features of drip coffee bags? How to brew iced coffee at home with a drip coffee bag?

For the same beans, freshly roasted coffee and drip bags will have some differences in flavor, because once coffee is ground, its natural aroma disappears quickly. Of course, Front Street Coffee also has many regular customers who request that the coffee be ground before shipping, and in such cases Front Street Coffee generally recommends drinking it as soon as possible. Of course, compared with pour-over, drip bags are [more…]

Ice Drip Coffee | Which coffee bean origin is recommended for making ice drip coffee? The origin and story of ice drip coffee

Ice drip coffee, also known as ice-brewed coffee or water-drop coffee, is called Ice Drip coffee in English and is a method of making coffee drinks. Generally, cold brew coffee refers to coffee made by steeping ground coffee beans in room-temperature water for as long as ten-plus hours, after which special filter paper or a filter is needed to separate the water from the coffee. [more…]

Sumatra Coffee | How Does Wet-Hulling Affect the Flavor of Indonesian Mandheling Coffee? Which Is Better: PWN Golden Mandheling or Lintong Mandheling?

Sumatran coffee can be considered the originator of bold, full-bodied coffee, and it is also the main producing region of Mandheling coffee. Not only is it rich in flavor and mellow in taste, it can be used both in coffee blends and enjoyed as a single-origin brew. Today, Front Street Coffee is focusing specifically on this coffee from the island of Sumatra. [more…]