Sunday, November 1 2026

Introduction to Coffee Acidity | Is Dark Roast Less Acidic Than Light Roast Coffee Beans? Which Single-Origin Pour-Over Coffee Beans Are Recommended for Being Tasty and Not Sour?

The acidity in coffee beans does not refer to pH value, but is one of the basic taste characteristics that, together with body, aroma, sweetness, bitterness, and aftertaste, make up the overall flavor. Acidity is generally related to the roast level of the coffee beans and is also somewhat connected to the flavor of their growing region. Many people do not accept coffee that is too acidic because they find the taste too harsh. So [more…]

Medium Roast Pour-Over Coffee Bean Rankings | Which Coffee Roast Level Is Best for Beginners? Recommended High-Quality Single-Origin Coffee Beans for Beginner-Friendly Home Brewing

We all know that green coffee beans cannot be directly ground, extracted, or drunk. They need to undergo one more round of processing—roasting—before they can be brewed and tasted. Roasting is an endothermic process for coffee beans. Before roasting, many flavor compounds in green coffee beans cannot be brought out; whether smelled or tasted, they are just a faint grassy note. [more…]

Coffee Calories | Can Drinking Americano Black Coffee Help You Lose Weight? Are There Any Good-Tasting Americano Coffee Beans? 5 Beginner-Friendly Specialty Espresso Coffee Beans for Making Sweet-Tasting Americano

Front Street Coffee believes that coffee itself is not high in calories, and Americano does indeed have weight-loss benefits. But if you're in the habit of adding sugar and milk to your coffee, or even going all out with cream, alcohol, and other fancy additions... then the calorie count is no simple matter! For example, com- [more…]

Pour-Over Coffee Beginner's Guide | How Should Coffee Newbies Choose Coffee Filters? How Do You Use Coffee Filters? What Types of Coffee Filters Are There?

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow FrontStreet Coffee. How to choose coffee filter paper? How to use coffee filter paper? What types of coffee filter paper are there? Many enthusiasts buy their own coffee beans, use a grinder, and purchase equipment to brew coffee, all [more…]

The Origin Story of Golden Mandheling Coffee | What Coffee Bean Variety Is Mandheling Ateng? Is PWN Golden Mandheling Suitable for Pour-Over Black Coffee?

The variety of Golden Mandheling coffee currently produced by PWN is Ateng, which is the local name used by Indonesian farmers; it is actually Catimor. Originally, the coffee variety grown locally in Indonesia was Typica, recognized for its excellent flavor, introduced to Java by the Dutch in the late 17th century, and [more…]

Recreating a Coffee Panna Cotta Latte with Latte Art at Home: A Detailed Guide to Coffee Bean Selection and Setting

Recently, a "latte you can eat with a spoon" has quickly gone viral in the coffee world. It turns milk coffee into a semi-solid pudding texture that won't spill when the cup is tipped over, while still preserving latte art patterns. Today, Front Street Coffee is also putting it to the test to see whether this coffee panna cotta is really worth making. The article will break down everything one by one, from the amount of gelling agent used, the choice of coffee bean roast level, and the specific steps, to an analysis of common causes of failure. As long as you get the ratio of gelatin sheets, the milk foam temperature, and the syrup seasoning right, you can also make a smooth, delicate coffee panna cotta latte with long-lasting patterns at home. [more…]

What Exactly Is Double-Chamber Filter Paper? The High-Priced Yin-Yang Pot Filter Paper Pour-Over Method and Budget Alternatives

Front Street Coffee recently came across a uniquely shaped pour-over filter paper—the dual-chamber filter from Spain's Sibarist. Because its interior is divided in two by a partition, netizens have jokingly dubbed it the "double-flavor hot pot filter." The original design intent was to let coffee beans with different characteristics each be extracted separately in a single brew, but at 37.44 euros for 30 sheets—about 9.4 yuan per sheet—it really is staggering as a disposable consumable. Front Street Coffee decided to make a DIY alternative, using two 01-size filter papers in a 02 conical dripper to replicate the dual-chamber structure, and to explore the water temperature and other parameters that need to be considered when actually brewing with this kind of filter. This article will walk you through the dual-chamber filter's construction principle, its official pricing, how to make a DIY alternative, and the core considerations for using it, so you can see whether it's worth buying. [more…]

SCAA Coffee Cupping Score Sheet Guide: A Detailed Chinese Explanation of the Ten Scoring Points from Aroma to Overall Evaluation

Coffee cupping is a professional evaluation method that transforms subjective sensory experiences into quantitative data, and the SCAA cupping score sheet is the core tool of this system. This article explains the ten scoring dimensions in the sheet one by one, covering fragrance, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, balance, cleanliness, sweetness, and overall score, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the scoring basis and judgment criteria for each item. Whether you are a beginner who has just encountered cupping or a professional hoping to refine your sensory skills, this detailed Chinese guide can serve as a practical reference. Front Street Coffee also provides relevant product information in the article for further understanding. [more…]

Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Beans: Catimor and Typica | Is the Catimor variety Arabica or Robusta? What flavor characteristics does Yunnan Catimor coffee have?

Yunnan coffee beans have stood out in recent years in green coffee competitions, frequently appearing in the public eye. And like a dark horse, they have gradually emerged in the specialty coffee market. Today, Front Street will share with you the development of Yunnan coffee in recent years. To understand the history of Yunnan coffee cultivation, you should know that Yunnan's [more…]

A Complete Guide to the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony: Brewing Steps, Tasting Etiquette, and the Cultural Story of the Three Rounds of Coffee

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and the local coffee ceremony is far richer than just a cup of drink. Based on a three-week firsthand experience, this article provides a complete breakdown of the coffee ceremony process: laying out fresh green grass, washing raw beans, roasting over charcoal, crushing in an iron mortar, boiling in a clay pot, and then the three-round coffee drinking order of "Abol," "Tona," and "Baraka," along with the accompanying snacks. The article also describes the unique atmosphere created by myrrh incense, and why locals insist on hand-crushing rather than using a machine grinder. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or a cultural explorer, you can feel the devotion and ease of this ancient ritual, and learn about Front Street Coffee's recommendations for Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

Easily Roast Coffee Beans at Home: The Ten-Step Iron Pan Method, a Complete Guide from Green Beans to Fresh Flavor

Want to experience the joy of roasting coffee at home? Actually, a lightweight wok with a lid can get the job done. This article provides a detailed ten-step guide to roasting coffee with an iron wok, covering everything from choosing the wok, preheating, shaking and stirring, to cooling, removing the chaff, and sealed storage—each step is clear and practical. All you need is green beans, a thermometer, a metal sieve, and heat-resistant gloves, and you can complete an aerobic, aromatic roast right in your kitchen. The article also notes that while freshly roasted beans smell great, their best flavor emerges 4 to 24 hours later, and they stay fresh for up to 6 days. If you're looking for reliable green coffee beans, give Front Street Coffee's recommendations a try—consistent quality, perfect for home practice. [more…]

The Top Ten Taboos and Precautions for Drinking Coffee: From Iron and Calcium Absorption to Blood Pressure and Bones, a Must-Read Guide for Coffee Lovers

Coffee is an indispensable daily beverage for many people, but there are also many considerations when drinking it. This article outlines ten important precautions for drinking coffee, including that consuming coffee and tea together can hinder iron absorption, that tannic acid affects calcium utilization, the risks of caffeine consumption for pregnant women, that people trying to lose weight should not drink too much, that children should avoid caffeine intake, and that caffeine may aggravate anxiety, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and other problems. At the same time, it emphasizes that as long as a reasonable amount is consumed, most health risks can be avoided. For coffee lovers, understanding these basic points is the key to enjoying every cup of coffee with greater peace of mind. [more…]

What do baristas do behind the counter when there are no customers? From practicing latte art to ironing clothes, a day of slacking off

A barista's job may look leisurely, but in reality it's a tight rhythm—dialing in equipment, pulling espresso, cleaning gear, organizing supplies, and welcoming all kinds of customers, all of which must be juggled at once. However, customers don't walk in every moment, nor does the machine always need cleaning or calibration. During idle periods, besides the usual routines like practicing latte art, sorting defective beans, testing new beans, and flipping through coffee books, what other ways do they have to pass the time? The answers are all over the map: some scroll through their phones to check on fellow baristas, some make themselves madeleine-style shortbread for comfort, some arrange their pucks in neat rows, and some fold towels with obsessive-compulsive-level satisfaction. The artistic types hand-draw posters and DIY cups and paper bags, while the casual types play with stones, take naps, or even iron wrinkled clothes with a milk pitcher filled with hot water. Of course, some baristas are so busy behind the bar they're practically flying. This article takes you on a peek into baristas' amusing idle moments, and along the way, a taste of the great beans recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Home Coffee Green Bean Roasting Guide: A Detailed Practical Guide to Three Methods—Rotating Drum, Cast Iron Pan, and Oven

More and more coffee enthusiasts are no longer satisfied with just the brewing stage and have begun trying to buy green beans and roast them at home. But once the green beans are in hand, how to proceed leaves many people stumped. Drawing on the hands-on experience of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically lays out the complete approach to home roasting: from heat control and stirring rhythm, to identifying first crack and second crack and deciding when to stop the roast, to the pros, cons, and techniques of three tools—the roaster drum, the iron wok, and the electric oven—along with a time comparison for roasting the same Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon on a professional roaster versus a roaster drum. Whether you just want a novel experience or are serious about roasting a batch of beans that is actually drinkable, you will find practical references here. [more…]

A Detailed Breakdown of the SCAA Cupping Score Sheet: Ten Dimensions from Aroma to Overall Evaluation

The SCAA cupping form is an important tool for judging quality in the specialty coffee industry. It consists of ten scoring categories, covering the complete sensory experience from dry aroma and wet aroma to overall assessment. This article explains the specific meaning and key evaluation points of each scoring dimension one by one: aroma is divided into dry aroma and wet aroma; flavor during slurping is the core basis for scoring; aftertaste measures the persistence of flavor; acidity distinguishes high-quality fruity acidity from undesirable acidity; body focuses on mouthfeel; uniformity checks whether the samples are consistent; balance assesses whether all aspects are harmonious; cleanliness is an essential threshold for specialty coffee; sweetness reflects harvest maturity and quality; and overall assessment reflects the cupper's comprehensive impression. Whether you are an enthusiast who has just encountered cupping or a professional hoping to refine your sensory skills, this item-by-item interpretation can help you understand the logic of using the SCAA cupping form more systematically. [more…]

94-Point Cupping Excellence: A Detailed Guide to the Ethiopian Natural Yirgacheffe G1 Konga Cooperative Coffee Bean

Yirgacheffe, as one of Ethiopia's most representative coffee-producing regions, has conquered the palates of countless coffee lovers with its signature white floral aroma and citrus-lemon acidity. This article focuses on the Konga Cooperative sun-dried Yirgacheffe G1, which scored an impressive 94 points in cupping, breaking down the flavor code of this bean layer by layer—from the region's terroir and soil characteristics to the rigorous fully-ripe-cherry sun-drying process. At the same time, it recommends Front Street Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe as a first experience of this classic region for beginners, and offers an in-depth analysis of how iron-rich soil affects the growth of coffee trees and the quality of their fruit, giving you a comprehensive understanding of this specialty coffee that combines fruity aroma and sweetness. [more…]

Beta Coffee: From Hangzhou to Beijing, an IT Professional's Internet Living Room and Entrepreneurial World

When code meets caffeine, what kind of sparks will fly? Beta Coffee started in Hangzhou, founded by IT entrepreneur Bai Ya and his partners, and quickly became a public living room for the internet circle. This trend then swept through Beijing's Zhongguancun, with Garage Coffee, 3W Coffee, and others springing up, ushering in the "internet coffee era." These places are not just for drinking coffee, but also a arena for IT people to network, recruit, and seek investment. This article will take you through the founding journey of Beta Coffee, its unique rules, and those warm yet persistent entrepreneurial stories, to feel the internet spirit that connects infinite possibilities behind a cup of coffee. If you also enjoy exploring coffee culture, please follow Front Street Coffee, where we continue to bring you heartwarming coffee stories. [more…]

How much does Wudong Dancong tea in an iron tin cost? A detailed explanation of Phoenix Dancong's shelf life and storage duration

Many people wonder why some teas have the characters "single bush" in their names—like the common Phoenix Dancong, aged Phoenix Dancong, and frozen Wudong Dancong. To understand this naming convention, we need to start with the definition of Phoenix Dancong: it is made by selecting superior individual bushes from the Phoenix Shuixian population, which are then cultivated, picked, processed, and sold separately. These tea trees, processed using the single-bush method, are collectively called Phoenix Dancong. In contrast is the blending process used for Pu'er tea: to create different flavors, tea makers blend leaves from different mountains, seasons, and tenderness levels. Of course, some Pu'er enthusiasts prefer single-bush ancient tree tea. It is precisely for the convenience of cultivation and management, picking and processing, and consumer purchasing that Phoenix tea farmers classify and name tea trees based on tree morphology, finished tea characteristics, and growing environment. Accumulated over generations, this has formed hundreds of strains and varieties. This article will explain the issues everyone cares about regarding Wudong Dancong: its tin box packaging, market price, shelf life, and storage time. [more…]

Ethiopia Konga Region Coffee Flavor Analysis: Yirgacheffe Konga Bean Pour-Over Parameters and Brewing Details

Yirgacheffe is one of Ethiopia's most iconic coffee regions, and the Konga Cooperative, as an important member of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Union, nurtures high-quality washed beans with citrus, jasmine, and honey sweetness thanks to its iron-rich red soil and high altitude of nearly 2,000 meters. This article begins with the Konga Cooperative's regional background, soil characteristics, and bean variety information, then combines these with a specific brewing case of Front Street Coffee's Yirgacheffe Konga to fully share pour-over parameters such as coffee dose, grind size, water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio, and pouring and stirring rhythm, helping coffee lovers brew a cup of Yirgacheffe at home with clear layers and bright floral aromas. [more…]

Luckin's eight light milk tea recipes drive staff crazy, baristas stage a collective recipe-copying battle

Luckin Coffee recently launched a light milk tea series, and when you stack up the options—hot or iced, sweetness level, cup size, caffeinated or not—it somehow spawns eight completely different recipes. For customers, this is thoughtful personalized choice; for store employees, it's an extreme test of memory. On the first day of the launch, under the pressure of a flood of orders, staff members rushed to copy the recipes onto cheat sheets and stick them on the bar, and even veteran employees couldn't escape a "brain freeze." This article takes you through how Luckin's workers struggle to survive among eight sets of recipes, and the "wild ways" they've come up with to cope. [more…]