The Christmas collaboration between Heytea and Hello Kitty was supposed to be a fan frenzy, but it was overshadowed by the chaos of scrambling for limited-edition tea bowls. The silver Hello Kitty-shaped tea bowl with a rose-pink tray is small, exquisite, and extremely scarce—each store only received 4 to 6 units, making it as hard to snag as concert tickets. However, before the event even began, consumers on social media reported that some store employees had reserved merchandise in advance for regular customers, and even second-hand platforms saw scalped pre-orders claiming "100% guaranteed stock" and "we'll get it for you." This is not the first time Heytea has encountered issues with collaboration merchandise leaking early and being resold internally; a similar controversy occurred earlier this year during its collaboration with Light and Night. Fans are calling on the brand to thoroughly investigate internal violations, regulate store behavior, and ensure the collaboration event is conducted fairly. [more…]

A piece of major news quickly spread through the coffee community: Luckin Coffee's largest shareholder, Centurium Capital, has won the bid for Blue Bottle Coffee and is about to complete the deal with Nestlé. According to LatePost, Centurium will buy Blue Bottle's global stores, while Nestlé will retain the coffee machine and capsule businesses. 36Kr further revealed that the transaction price is less than $400 million, and the agreement has been signed but the deal has not yet closed. Centurium's move is seen as an important step into the high-end specialty coffee market, and it has also sparked widespread speculation in the industry about the future direction of Luckin's brand integration. This article will sort out the details of the transaction, the reactions of all parties, and Centurium's previous history of contact with brands such as Starbucks, Costa, Mstand, and %Arabica. [more…]

In the grinding stage of pour-over coffee, the production of fines is almost unavoidable. These tiny particles, with a diameter of less than 0.1mm and a texture close to flour, are far off from the target particle size of 0.6~0.8mm. The source of fines is related both to the brittleness of the coffee beans themselves and directly affected by the quality of the grinder. For coffee enthusiasts, understanding the dual nature of fines—they can both improve extraction efficiency and enrich complexity, and may also bring bitterness and clogging—is the key to brewing the ideal flavor. This article will analyze the causes of fines, the differences between coarse and fine particles, and strategies for dealing with them during pour-over brewing, and provide reference in combination with the practical experience of Front Street Coffee. [more…]

After Luckin Coffee's 9.9 yuan promotion was scaled back, brands like Cotti Coffee and Tims rolled out short-term 9.9 yuan offers to grab market share. Starbucks, which once declared it would "compete on market, not price," recently suffered a system glitch during its March 8 Women's Day promotion, accidentally letting some consumers buy two large drinks for just 9 yuan. The loophole quickly sparked a frenzy of deal-hunting on social media, with some successfully placing orders while others had their payments canceled and refunded after checkout. Starbucks quickly fixed the bug, and the promotional price returned to 49.9 yuan for two cups. This accident not only gave consumers a taste of the thrill of "snagging a bargain," but also reignited discussion about the coffee price war. [more…]

Rumors of a Starbucks China equity change that have circulated for nearly a year have finally produced a clear outcome. Starbucks and Boyu Capital have reached an agreement to establish a joint venture in China to jointly operate the retail business, with Boyu holding up to 60%, while Starbucks retains 40% and continues as the brand and intellectual property licensor. The deal is based on an enterprise value of approximately US$4 billion, and Starbucks expects the total value of its China retail business to exceed US$13 billion. Looking back at Starbucks' entry into China, from franchising to full direct operation, and now returning to a joint venture model, this shift has sparked widespread attention regarding its future direction. The new joint venture will continue to be headquartered in Shanghai, operate the existing more than 8,000 stores, and plans to gradually expand to 20,000. [more…]

A recent video claiming that coffee is allowed to contain 10% cockroaches has caused concern among many coffee lovers. The video mentions that insects often cannot be completely separated from coffee beans, so they go through the roasting and grinding process along with them. Most food regulatory agencies do allow a certain proportion of insect content in food. Cockroaches themselves are rich in protein and pose no direct harm to the human body, but people with allergies need to pay special attention to pre-ground coffee powder. This article will discuss this topic to help everyone view the issue of insects in coffee rationally, while continuing to focus on professional coffee knowledge and recommendations for high-quality coffee beans. [more…]

In discussions about pour-over coffee, the phrase "raising the coffee bed" often appears in Front Street Coffee's articles, and many readers are puzzled by it: how exactly can the coffee bed be raised? And what is the purpose of raising it? In fact, the state of the coffee bed directly affects how efficiently water passes through the layer of coffee grounds, which in turn influences the extraction result. This article will explain the concept of the coffee bed, the methods for raising it, and its causal relationship with under-extraction, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the logic behind this brewing detail. [more…]

During pour-over brewing, when fine particles clog the filter and drainage slows down, you often have no choice but to cut off the flow as an emergency measure—but if you're even slightly late, the bitter, over-extracted taste ruins the entire cup. Rather than reacting passively, it's better to anticipate the clog before it happens. Drawing on the characteristics of light-roasted beans, Front Street Coffee shares how to judge whether water will pool during brewing based on three aspects—the degree of expansion during blooming, the foam behavior, and the rate at which the water level drops—and offers corresponding adjustment techniques to help you reduce the negative impact when a clog occurs, while also getting to the true root of the problem. [more…]

Nowadays, high-pressure extraction tools such as manual presses and dual-valve moka pots are emerging one after another. Even without an expensive fully automatic or semi-automatic espresso machine, you can still make a cup of strong coffee at home that is close to espresso flavor. However, these devices cannot directly provide milk foam like a coffee machine. If you want a "latte" or "cappuccino" with a velvety texture, you still need to find another way. In this article, Front Street will guide you through the principles of milk foam formation, teach you step by step how to make milk foam at home with an electric milk frother, answer common questions such as foam that has been whipped too thick or has a rough surface, and finally discuss the optimal temperature of milk for cappuccino. [more…]

The chairman of Ethiopia's Tigray interim government met with the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa on September 12, and the two sides discussed the difficulties and ways forward in implementing the Pretoria Peace Agreement. The US side expressed support for the Tigray interim government in accelerating the completion of its tasks, while the Tigray side called on the international community to jointly exert pressure to ensure the return of displaced people and ease the humanitarian crisis. However, after the agreement was signed, local violent conflict has still not subsided, divisions within the TPLF have intensified, and the risk of civil war has resurfaced. At the same time, the depreciation of Ethiopia's currency and soaring prices are putting pressure on people's livelihoods, and instability in the northern agricultural areas is gradually spilling over into the southern coffee-producing regions, with exchange rate volatility and rising costs becoming severe challenges facing the country's coffee industry. [more…]

The arrival of the Start of Autumn solar term has once again sparked a consumer frenzy with the annual "first cup of milk tea in autumn" promotion. This year, driven by large-scale distribution of tea voucher and discount coupons on platforms such as Meituan, Ele.me, and JD.com, combined with brands' own promotions, order volumes have far exceeded previous years. However, behind the order surge is extreme pressure on store operations: receipt piles are mountainous, rider capacity is severely insufficient, delivery delays and wrong drink deliveries occur frequently, and customer complaints have surged. To ease the pressure, some stores of brands such as Starbucks, Luckin Coffee, Heytea, and Chagee have had to temporarily close or shut down delivery channels, leaving consumers unable to use the coupons they hold. This annual carnival, while bringing huge challenges to workers, has also exposed the fragility of the instant delivery system under extreme peaks. [more…]

The Honduran coffee industry is facing severe challenges. According to Napoleón Matute, manager of the country's coffee institute (IHCAFE), the drought triggered by El Niño has caused nationwide rainfall to plunge by 40 percent compared with the same period last year, seriously threatening the coffee flowering period and hindering fruit development. At the same time, the coffee berry borer is spreading unchecked across plantations. This pest, reputed to be the most destructive coffee pest in the world, bores into the fruit, reducing both yield and quality. Under the combined effect of drought and pest infestation, Honduran coffee may suffer a double blow in the next harvest season. Matute called on growers to strengthen crop monitoring, and IHCAFE will continue to track the disaster. Although the extent of the yield reduction has not yet been quantified, the losses are expected to be considerable. [more…]

The production of fines when grinding coffee beans is a normal phenomenon. A moderate amount of fines contributes positively to flavor; what truly causes trouble is excessive fines. Front Street Coffee has noticed that many coffee enthusiasts feel a sense of dread at the mere mention of fines, mostly because they have been tormented by clogged beds that won't drain, scorched bitterness, and astringency. This article first defines what particle size counts as fines, then explains the relationship between the causes of fines and the type of burr set, with a focus on comparing the differences among flat burrs, ghost-tooth burrs, and conical burrs in terms of grind uniformity and fines ratio. Finally, it offers two practical solutions: sifting out fines and adjusting brewing technique, along with rescue strategies for the common situation of abundant fines accompanied by coarse grounds that are also too coarse. [more…]

The World Meteorological Organization recently issued a warning that frequent extreme weather is severely impacting Asia. China, Dubai, and other places have been hit by torrential rains and floods, while South Asian countries such as Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia are mired in scorching heat, with temperatures in many areas exceeding 45°C. As a major global coffee-producing region, Vietnam's Robusta coffee is facing a double assault of drought and pests—reservoirs have dried up, irrigation water sources have been depleted, and cotton bollworms are spreading rapidly. Coffee farmers are being forced to increase irrigation frequency, yet have no water to use. Although rain is expected in May to ease the drought, the latest data from the International Coffee Organization show that global coffee exports grew 8.1% in March 2024, while coffee futures prices have continued to decline, creating a subtle contrast between production prospects and market trends. [more…]

Costa Rica is renowned for its abundant water resources and geothermal energy, and is also a major global exporter of pineapples, bananas, and coffee, with its agricultural sector heavily dependent on water resources. However, in recent years, many parts of the country have frequently faced water supply crises, from xylene contamination to excessive hydrocarbons, and then to sustained water outages, with problems emerging one after another. The budget execution rate of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority over the past seven years was only 48.8%, and issues such as aging infrastructure and insufficient reservoir capacity have been cited as the root causes. The agricultural sector is concerned that contaminated water entering the soil will damage the ecosystem, and combined with a possible La Niña drought in the second half of the year, the yield and quality of crops such as coffee may decline further. Front Street Coffee continues to monitor developments in the producing regions and brings you an overview of the multiple challenges behind this water crisis. [more…]

When frothing milk with an espresso machine, if the steam becomes progressively weaker, it doesn't just hurt efficiency—it also seriously degrades the quality of the milk foam. In fact, the problem usually lies with the steam wand tip: residual milk scale clogs the small holes, preventing steam from flowing out smoothly. This article will break down the reasons for weak steam in detail, and walk you through step by step how to unclog the tip, soak and clean it, and what maintenance details to watch for in daily use, helping your espresso machine restore powerful steam and effortlessly produce fine, delicate milk foam. [more…]

Espresso extraction is short and uses little water, so it demands far greater grind precision than pour-over. Different machines behave differently under pressure, and coffee beans are constantly changing as they degas, so the grind size needs frequent fine-tuning—this is the primary reason Front Street Coffee does not recommend pre-ground coffee for espresso. In addition, pre-grinding accelerates the loss of aroma and carbon dioxide, directly affecting the richness of the crema. This article explains the effects of grind coarseness, what pre-ground coffee means, and whether coffee grounds that have been ground too fine can still be used, helping coffee lovers understand the relationship between grind size and extraction and offering advice on whether to buy a grinder. [more…]

Recently, the Oceanian nation of Papua New Guinea has been hit by a series of severe natural disasters. A massive landslide occurred in the early hours of the 24th in the Mulitaka area of Enga Province in the north, burying more than 2,000 people, with the death toll now exceeding 670. Months of heavy rainfall that loosened the soil was the main cause of the disaster. The disaster area, Mount Enga, is adjacent to the Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea's core coffee-producing region, where coffee is mostly grown in the Waghi Valley. As the coffee harvest season is currently underway, emergency evacuations have left the coffee cherries unpicked, and production is certain to be affected. At least 15 landslides had already occurred in the country previously, and the coffee-producing region of Chimbu Province in the central region was also affected. Several countries have dispatched rescue teams to assist with search and rescue efforts. [more…]

The bag of coffee beans you just bought is bulging—is it spoiled? Can you still drink it? Actually, the reasons for coffee bean bag swelling are quite different from those for ordinary food. Ordinary food bags usually swell due to air leaks or gas produced by bacteria, but coffee beans themselves actively release carbon dioxide. When the roast date is very fresh, the roast level is on the darker side, and the bag happens to have no one-way degassing valve, swelling becomes a natural phenomenon. This article analyzes in detail the three main causes of coffee bean bag swelling, helping coffee lovers judge when they can enjoy it with peace of mind and when they should be more vigilant, and includes professional advice from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Starbucks recently announced that it will shut down its Odyssey NFT test platform on March 31, a decision made just two years after the program's high-profile launch. Odyssey NFT had originally been expected to accomplish much, aiming to deeply integrate emerging NFT technology with the traditional loyalty program Starbucks Rewards, offering users substantive rewards ranging from virtual coffee courses to visits to coffee estates, and even allowing users to trade and cash out on the secondary market. However, the platform's sudden shutdown has left the industry and users quite surprised. Does this mean Starbucks will completely withdraw from Web3.0 exploration? This article sorts through the rise and fall of Odyssey NFT and follows Starbucks' subsequent moves in digital innovation. [more…]