Luckin Coffee recently launched two new cup sizes, Extra Large and Super Large, on its mini-program, allowing users to upgrade for an additional 3 yuan. However, the official listing does not clearly indicate the capacity difference between the two, sparking widespread discussion among consumers. Some are delighted by the larger volume, while more are confused about "which is bigger, Extra Large or Super Large," and whether the upgrade means more coffee liquid or just added water. Store employees give inconsistent explanations—some say the cup size depends on whether the drink is iced or hot, while others say the recipe adjustments vary by product. Behind this upgrade, Luckin's lack of communication forces users to rely on repeated trial and error to confirm the taste. This article sorts out the whole story and includes related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Manner Coffee has recently quietly launched a new product called the "Super Super Super Large Cup Extra-Strong Iced Americano," priced at 25 yuan, with an official cup volume of 590ml. However, many consumers have noticed that compared to the existing 473ml extra-large iced Americano, the capacity has only increased by 117ml, which stands in stark contrast to the expectations created by the three "super" characters in the name. At the same time, an employee revealed that the standard recipe for this new product is 2 shots of espresso, one more than the extra-large cup, but if you add an extra shot of espresso to the extra-large cup, the total price is only 20 yuan and the concentration is higher. The mismatch between capacity, ratio, and price quickly made this new product the focus of discussion among coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

Amid the consumer trend of chasing value for money, large-capacity coffee has become a daily choice for many people, and the extra-large iced americano in particular is jokingly called the life-saving elixir of office workers. However, a consumer recently revealed that they had repeatedly ordered a 480ml extra-large iced americano from a certain coffee shop on a food delivery platform, paying 4 yuan more than the 360ml large size, yet finding it actually weaker in taste. Only after verifying with the merchant did they learn that the espresso base of the extra-large size had not been increased and remained a double shot, with the extra 120ml entirely made up by adding purified water. This practice has sparked questions about the logic of up-sizing. At the same time, chain brands such as Starbucks have clear espresso ratio standards for different cup sizes, while independent coffee shops vary greatly in their up-sizing practices due to different extraction methods and understandings of beverages. Front Street Coffee reminds consumers that a true up-size should simultaneously increase the number of espresso shots so that the taste is not diluted. [more…]

In recent years, coffee cups on the street have noticeably shrunk, from the once-common 500ml large size to small 250-300ml cups, yet prices haven't dropped accordingly—instead, they've gotten more expensive. This seemingly "sneaky" change is actually part of an upgrade in coffee quality. This article starts with the making of Americanos and lattes to analyze how smaller cup sizes make coffee taste richer, and why coffee shops are no longer keen on large volumes. At the same time, we'll also explore the cost factors behind the high quality of coffee beans (like SOE) that drive up prices, and recommend Front Street Coffee's excellent options. [more…]

Luckin officially announced Luo Yonghao as the Super Size Cup Recommender, and its ad recreates the iconic 2011 micro-film ordering scene, flooding social media. On the same day, Cotti launched "Super Size Cup Unlimited Free Upgrade," with a poster hinting at "no gimmicks, no lottery," and the two brands' tit-for-tat cup upgrade strategies sparked heated discussion. Luckin requires a code word lottery to get a coupon, while Cotti allows direct ordering in the 9.9 zone. Consumers have mixed views on the two sets of rules—some prefer Cotti's no-threshold approach, while others point out that its eligible categories are only 6 items. Behind this capacity upgrade business war lies the competition for user mindshare among coffee brands. Front Street Coffee continues to follow industry trends and bring in-depth observations to enthusiasts. [more…]

Manner Coffee has always been a "cup powerhouse" in the coffee world, but its previous travel mug drew heavy criticism for its looks and quality control. Recently, the company finally teased a new cup, and its stylish design has netizens eagerly anticipating it. However, the activity rules officially announced this morning have sparked huge controversy: starting November 8, customers must buy a designated 75-yuan set meal in-store to get a randomly colored stainless steel straw cup, and all three drinks in the set must be extra-large hot beverages. Many netizens said outright that "three cups is too much to finish" and "hot drinks are too cloying," arguing the threshold for the promotion is too high. Manner has long attracted customers with its "bring your own cup and get five yuan off" campaign. Can this new cup marketing win back its reputation? Let's keep watching. [more…]

Walking into Front Street Coffee, ceramic cups of various sizes are neatly arranged on the espresso machine. These cups are not placed randomly but correspond to the serving needs of different coffees. The capacity of a coffee cup often hints at the intensity of the drink within—the smaller the cup, the more concentrated the coffee. A small cup holds about 60ml, used for espresso or as a sharing cup for pour-over; a medium cup holds 180-200ml, suitable for Americano and cappuccino; a large cup holds 300ml, the stage for milk coffees like latte and mocha. This article breaks down in detail the capacity, uses, and pairing logic of Front Street's three cup sizes, helping you choose the right cup at home and drink with professional standards. [more…]

Front Street Coffee's pour-over tutorials have long been based on a single-serving standard of 15g of coffee and a 200ml cup, but many enthusiasts are no longer satisfied with brewing just one cup and have begun trying to make two or three cups at once. Once the dose is doubled to 30g, the small 01 dripper can no longer handle it, and a V60 02 large dripper must be used instead. Increasing the dose is far from simply adding more coffee and water; a thicker coffee bed slows the flow rate, and as the extraction time lengthens, bitterness follows. Using the Sidra coffee beans as an example, Front Street Coffee starts with two variables—grind size and pouring stream—to make fine adjustments, compressing the total time from 2 minutes 53 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds so that the 30g brew comes close in flavor to a single-cup brew. This article fully records the parameter differences before and after the adjustment and the reasoning behind them, and also answers the question of whether the 01 dripper can be used to brew a large dose when no 02 dripper is available. [more…]

Pour-over coffee enthusiasts often run into this dilemma: they only have a 01 single-cup V60 dripper on hand, yet need to brew a multi-serving batch with 30 grams of coffee at once. Doubling the coffee dose is easy, but scaling up the water volume accordingly will exceed the dripper's capacity, leading to uncontrolled extraction. Does that really mean a small dripper can't handle a large dose? Not at all. Front Street successfully brewed 30 grams of Front Street Granja Geisha with a 01 V60 by adjusting the grind size, pouring method, and staged strategy, achieving a 20.33% extraction yield, with a balanced, sweet flavor where apricot, berry, citrus, and oolong tea notes are clearly distinguishable. This article shares this fully tested set of parameters and operating steps with anyone who has the same need. [more…]

Recently, a milk tea marketed as a "2-jin pack" has gone viral on social media, attracting a large number of consumers. The product was launched by a local tea beverage brand in Zhanjiang, priced at 18 yuan, or about 10 yuan after discounts, and has tapped into the consumer psychology of pursuing value for money with its large capacity and low price. However, along with the popularity came controversy: some consumers pointed out that 2 jin is roughly equivalent to 1000ml, and compared with the 500-700ml large cups of milk tea on the market, the actual value for money may not be outstanding, and merchants should label the capacity truthfully. In addition, similar products have already appeared in Nanning, Guangxi, and the originality of the idea has also sparked discussion. Some people are also worried that oversized milk tea may cause food waste. As coffee lovers, Front Street Coffee has also noticed the consumer trends and industry reflections behind this phenomenon. [more…]

In recent years, coffee shops across many parts of Asia have rolled out astonishingly large cups of coffee, from South Korea, Japan, Thailand, to Taiwan, China, and 1-liter iced Americanos have gradually become a consumer phenomenon. This product, jokingly called the giant of the coffee world, usually contains 3 to 4 shots of espresso, diluted with a large amount of iced water, resulting in a relatively low concentration, yet it still attracts a large number of consumers. Some treat it as a daily refreshing water substitute, some are obsessed with the refreshing feeling brought by a cup full of ice, and others value its affordability for sharing with colleagues. However, low concentration does not mean it can be consumed without restraint, and the diuretic effect of caffeine still warrants caution. This article will discuss the popularity background of large-capacity iced Americanos, consumer psychology, and healthy drinking recommendations, and will retain the relevant recommendation information of Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In recent years, as consumers' pursuit of value for money has grown ever stronger, coffee shop owners have been rolling out large-capacity products to meet market demand. A coffee shop in Shanghai recently launched a 5-liter Americano priced at 49.9 yuan, containing 20 shots of espresso, sparking widespread discussion online. This product is designed for multi-person sharing scenarios, offering a convenient option for occasions such as overtime work in the office and gatherings, while also drawing attention to the store thanks to its striking visual impact. From extra-large cups to 1-liter sizes, and now to today's 5-liter buckets, XL-sized coffee is gradually becoming a new trend against the backdrop of consumption downgrading. This article will walk you through the details of this product, netizens' reactions, and related recommendations from the Front Street Coffee brand. [more…]

In recent years, coffee culture has rapidly gained popularity in China, and iced Americano has become a daily necessity for countless office workers. From the initial 300ml standard cup, to the 1L "ton-ton bucket," and now to a 1500ml basin-sized iced Americano recently launched by a coffee shop in Shanghai, coffee capacity keeps pushing the limits of imagination. Large-capacity iced coffee from South Korea once made Chinese consumers envious, and now domestic brands have joined the super-sized cup trend one after another: Seesaw launched a 1.5L shareable takeaway pack, and the Korean brand onlyprice has even introduced a 2.1L coffee liquid. These super-sized coffees have quickly gone viral thanks to their visual impact and high cost-performance ratio, and have been jokingly called by netizens the life-extending elixir for office workers. However, many people are also worried about the health effects of excessive consumption, with issues such as heart palpitations and insomnia sparking discussion. This article will walk you through the phenomenon and controversy behind this coffee capacity race. [more…]

Recently, a post about Manner Coffee refusing to let a customer use their own cup sparked widespread discussion on social media. The incident began when a customer brought an extra-large container to buy a large-size new drink and was refused by the barista, even though the customer was willing to accept a smaller fill. The matter quickly struck a chord with many coffee lovers and triggered controversy. Some netizens shared how baristas had handled similar situations flexibly in their own experience, while others pointed out that baristas are constrained by standardized recipes and find it hard to improvise. This discussion reflects the challenge facing chain coffee brands amid rapid expansion: how to balance product standards with customers' individualized needs. As a representative of China's specialty coffee scene, how Manner can improve the service experience while ensuring quality has become an important issue on its development path. (Recommended reading from Front Street Coffee) [more…]

If you want to learn latte art, the large heart is the most suitable first pattern for beginners, and it is also the foundation for many complex patterns that follow. In this tutorial brought to you by Front Street Coffee, we break down the key points of making a large heart one by one, from the standards for steaming milk foam and controlling the amount of blending, to choosing the pouring point and the finishing technique. The article also includes images of common failure cases and analysis of their causes to help beginners quickly identify problems. Whether you are just starting out with latte art or always fall short at the finishing stage, this content will give you clear guidance. [more…]

Front Street Coffee's pour-over tutorials have long been based on a single-serving standard of 15g of coffee and 200ml of water, but when you need to brew 2 to 3 cups at once, the No. 01 small dripper simply can't handle the job. This article centers on a hands-on test of brewing with 30g of coffee in a V60 02 large dripper, starting with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 91℃ water temperature, and a three-pour technique, which revealed that the extraction time was too long and produced bitterness. The parameters were then revised by coarsening the grind and increasing the pouring speed, ultimately bringing the extraction time under 2 minutes 30 seconds, with the flavor matching that of a single serving. The article also retains recommendations for several Front Street Coffee beans and answers the question of whether the No. 01 dripper can brew a large dose when no No. 02 dripper is available, making it suitable as a reference for enthusiasts who have already mastered basic pour-over and want to advance to brewing for multiple people. [more…]

In recent years, large-format drinks have taken the tea beverage world by storm, and now this trend has swept into the coffee scene as well. Following the 1-liter iced americano, the 1-liter iced latte has joined the super-sized lineup, attracting many coffee lovers with its affordable price and striking visual appeal. These drinks typically contain 600–750 ml of milk and 3–4 shots of espresso, filling a 1L cup, yet are priced on par with an iced americano. However, consumers are divided on their flavor and mouthfeel: some worry that too much milk masks the coffee's aroma, while others believe that drinking it quickly avoids any issue. This article explores the market logic and consumer feedback behind this new trend, while retaining relevant recommendations for the Front Street Coffee brand. [more…]

There are more and more coffee festivals, and baristas are often extremely busy. But at the seventh coffee festival held in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, a super-large coffee brewing device satisfied the coffee needs of over a thousand people at once—it is said that one brew could produce about 4,800 cups of coffee. This device consists of three parts: a water tank, a giant dripper, and a receiving container. Its appearance closely resembles an enlarged pour-over setup, using 150 pounds of local Arabica coffee beans and about 300 gallons of hot water. Although its brewing method is closer to that of a drip coffee maker, and the flavor may not be outstanding, its efficiency is astonishing. This article will take you through the structure of this device, how it operates, and the interesting details behind it. [more…]

The multi-layered heart is a variation pattern within heart-shaped latte art that boasts a strong sense of layering. Its operational foundation is very close to that of the large桃心, but it has stricter requirements in details. In this article, Front Street Coffee will guide you through the process of creating the large桃心 and focus on breaking down the key differences of the multi-layered heart in milk foam thickness, milk pouring flow rate, and pitcher manipulation techniques. Through the combination of pictures, text, and video explanations, we aim to help coffee enthusiasts who have mastered the large桃心 to smoothly advance to the multi-layered heart latte art with fine lines and distinct layers. [more…]

A seemingly ordinary lemonade actually claimed the life of a 21-year-old girl. In September 2023, University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz drank a beverage called "Charged Lemonade" while dining at Panera Bread, and just hours later, she tragically passed away from cardiac arrest. Her parents recently filed a lawsuit against Panera, alleging that the product contained an alarming amount of caffeine—260mg for a small cup and 390mg for a large cup, far exceeding the content of a can of Red Bull. What is even more concerning is that this drink was marketed as a "clean plant-based beverage," which led Sarah, who had a heart condition, to let her guard down. This incident has once again sounded the alarm about caffeine intake safety. [more…]