McDonald's recently suspended the use of certain coffee machines at some restaurants in the United States and Canada after its coffee machine supplier, Melitta, reported safety hazards with the equipment, leaving espresso-based drinks, hot chocolate, and other products unavailable. According to CBS News, Melitta found that a component of the coffee machines may be defective, potentially causing a steam explosion and damaging the equipment, and inspections and investigations could last three weeks. McDonald's has more than 14,000 restaurants across the United States and sells nearly 8 million cups of coffee every day. The incident has affected multiple cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Pittsburgh, New York, and Tampa. The brand said it is assessing the scope of the impact and working closely with the supplier to restore supply as soon as possible. [more…]

When making espresso, a puck sticking to the group head is an embarrassing situation many baristas dread most. Behind this is actually a close relationship with the espresso machine's pressure relief function—after extracting the coffee, the machine needs to release the residual pressure in the portafilter basket, otherwise removing the handle could cause the machine to explode. So why exactly does the puck get stuck? And how does the pressure relief valve work? Front Street Coffee will explain these issues clearly in one go, from principles to practical operation, helping you understand and avoid this kind of "work nightmare." [more…]

Affected by both the pandemic and rising coffee bean prices due to reduced harvests, more and more consumers are turning to making coffee at home, driving rapid growth in the coffee machine market. According to a CCTV Finance report, coffee machine sales climbed for six consecutive months in 2022, with year-on-year growth peaking at over 200%, and domestic coffee machines performing especially well. With features such as smart temperature control and pressure adjustment, plus outstanding value for money, domestic models have not only won favor in China but also seen a sharp increase in export orders, with some companies operating at full capacity. This article reviews market data, export trends, and consumer preferences, and brings professional insights from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The collaboration between Gu Ming and the hit game "Honkai: Star Rail" ignited a consumer frenzy as soon as it launched, with over 1.2 million people queuing in the mini-program, and the topic quickly shot to the top of trending searches. Store orders poured in like snowflakes, and the limited-edition drinks were all fresh fruit smoothies with complex preparation processes. Under high-intensity operation, multiple smoothie machines were overwhelmed, emitting white smoke and even exploding on the spot, while staff were so busy they didn't even have time to drink water. To deal with equipment failures, some stores prepared backup machines in advance, while others had to borrow juicers from neighboring Shu Yi Shao Xian Cao and Luckin for emergency use. Behind this collaboration frenzy, issues such as excessively high thresholds for obtaining merchandise and enormous pressure on stores were exposed, also triggering discussions on optimization measures such as selling drinks and merchandise separately and cup storage services. [more…]

Recently, the food delivery competition between JD.com and Meituan has yet to subside, and Ele.me has now joined the fray with a large number of coupons and subsidies. While delivery users enjoy low-priced milk tea, staff at brands like Molly Tea are under unprecedented order pressure. Drinks that originally cost a dozen yuan per cup have seen their prices plummet to five or six yuan after platform subsidies, or even just a few cents, causing order volumes to instantly double or surge, with some stores handling as many as five or six hundred orders per day. Understaffing, material shortages, riders urging them on, and customer complaints have become the daily reality for these coffee and milk tea workers. This article will take you behind the scenes of this delivery subsidy frenzy to see the real working conditions and helplessness of frontline employees. [more…]

The moka pot, Italy's national-level home coffee brewing device, can extract a rich, espresso-like coffee liquid. However, in practice, many enthusiasts are confused about when to turn off the heat, the flow rate of the coffee liquid, and whether tamping is necessary. This article will start with selecting coffee beans suitable for the moka pot, explain in detail how to determine the dose, control the water volume, and provide grinding size reference standards, and then walk through the moka pot coffee-making process step by step, helping you avoid risks such as explosions and splattering, and easily brew a cup of mellow, rich moka pot coffee. [more…]

The food delivery platforms have once again kicked off a subsidy war, with Meituan and Alibaba distributing large numbers of milk tea redemption vouchers to users, triggering a collective surge in orders at chain stores such as Mixue Bingcheng, Chabaidao, Goodme, and Shanghai Auntie. On the night of July 5, orders flooded into tea beverage stores in many places like a tidal wave, receipt printers nearly collapsed, and employees kept busy from the evening shift until the early hours of the morning yet still could not clear the backlog of orders. Some stores urgently called back off-duty employees for support, while delivery riders and customers surrounded the stores so tightly that not a drop could get through. While consumers got milk tea for 0 yuan, the workers behind the counter experienced a night comparable to "doomsday." This game between platforms ultimately shifted the pressure onto the frontline tea beverage workers. [more…]

Right after the May Day holiday, the "three-way battle" among food delivery platforms sent tea beverage stores into another order explosion frenzy, and Heytea's move to drop the price of some drinks to single digits drew in a flood of orders. Yet for back-of-house staff, this was a nightmare—the newly switched imported green grape "Sweet Globe" variety has firm flesh and is extremely hard to peel. Employees peeled until their gloved fingers wore through, their right hands covered in medicated patches, and some even felt nauseated at the sight of fruit with skin on. Although some tried using peelers or small round spoons to improve efficiency, the output speed still could not keep up with store demand. Why not equip stores with peeling machines? Employees admitted frankly that the high loss rate and difficulty of cleaning make them worse than peeling by hand. This article takes you into the real daily life of Heytea's peelers, along with Front Street Coffee's attention to industry trends. [more…]

The moka pot is an extremely common classic coffee device in Italian households, with almost every home keeping one on hand. It relies on the steam pressure generated by heating the lower chamber to push hot water through the coffee grounds and into the upper chamber, thereby producing a cup of rich coffee with oils. However, in China, not many people truly understand its correct use. This article will begin with the moka pot's invention history, structural composition, and extraction principles, then explain in detail the key steps such as the water filling position, coffee distribution method, heating rhythm, and grind size. Combined with a brewing example using Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling, it will help readers avoid splashing, explosion hazards caused by improper operation, and problems such as the pot seizing shut and being impossible to open after use, so that the moka pot can produce consistent results. [more…]

The moka pot is a common espresso device in Italian households, and thanks to its ease of operation, it has become an almost national-level product. However, in China, many enthusiasts still lack a systematic understanding of how to use it. This article will provide a complete introduction to the moka pot's structure and extraction principles, and explain step by step the key details of determining coffee dose, controlling water volume, choosing grind size, and heating operation. The article also specifically recommends Front Street Coffee's moka pot exclusive beans, and includes a grind setting reference, helping you easily brew an espresso-base coffee with excellent strength and flavor at home. [more…]

Typhoon "Ragasa" approached Guangdong with Category 17 intensity, prompting Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities to successively activate "five suspensions" measures, forcing residents to pause going out for a day. As the typhoon made landfall in Yangjiang's Hailing Island and weakened, the "five suspensions" were lifted across various areas, and demand for tea beverage consumption was instantly unleashed. Orders on delivery platforms surged at one point, with stores of Starbucks, Heytea, Nayuki, 1 Dian Dian, Chagee and others generally experiencing order explosions, some stores briefly receiving two to three hundred orders, leaving milk tea workers overwhelmed. Insufficient staffing and material preparation led to slow order fulfillment and frequent mistakes, with consumers waiting over an hour. This post-typhoon tea beverage consumption wave not only reflects the high-frequency rigid demand for drinks in daily life but also makes frontline workers the most direct "bearers" of the pressure. [more…]

If you hear someone beside you describing the taste of a cup of drink, "floral, fruity acid, honey sweet, tea charm……" There is no doubt that this is probably describing the flavor of the coffee in his cup. Nowadays, it is hard to know what the "coff [more…]

Huakui coffee is a highly distinctive single-origin natural bean from Ethiopia, and with its explosive aroma and sweetness it once took first place in the natural category in the 2017 harvest season. It is produced in Hambela, in the Guji region, picked from all-red cherries, sun-dried on African raised beds, and fermented at low temperature for 21 days, so that when brewed its wine-like notes interweave with floral aromas. Front Street Coffee's natural Huakui G1 is freshly roasted and affordably priced, and its medium-roast version is just right for making SOE with a moka pot or an espresso machine. This article explains Huakui's background and flavor characteristics in detail, and demonstrates step by step the entire process of making a Huakui latte with a moka pot, from filling the basket and heating to steaming milk and pouring latte art, helping enthusiasts recreate a cup of high-sweetness espresso at home. [more…]

As a classic choice among home coffee equipment, the moka pot's single-valve and double-valve differences directly affect the resulting concentration and crema performance. This article starts with the structural principles, analyzes the extraction pressure differences between the two valve types, and outlines the pros and cons of the moka pot, the suitable coffee grind size range, and recommendations for coffee bean roast level. It also includes a complete operating procedure, covering dose control, heating techniques, and daily maintenance points. The article also introduces the recipe ideas and flavor characteristics of Front Street Coffee's two espresso blends, helping enthusiasts make clearer judgments when purchasing and practicing. [more…]

Every year during the final exam season at the end of June, coffee shops on university campuses become students' life-saving energy stations. Campus stores of Luckin, Cotti, and others see orders surge, with pickup areas piled high with drinks, and waiting for a cup of coffee often taking nearly an hour. However, a Luckin near a university was unexpectedly empty at noon, with its pickup window blocked and a closure notice posted—staff who had not had a proper rest for two consecutive months simply could not withstand the order pressure of exam week. A Gu Ming milk tea shop on the same campus also temporarily closed. Behind this campus coffee order explosion is both students' preference for value-for-money brands and the revealed dilemma of store staffing. [more…]

If you want to enjoy rich coffee close to café flavor at home, a moka pot is an extremely cost-effective choice. But to brew coffee liquid with oils and a full-bodied mouthfeel, bean selection, grinding, and operating details are all indispensable. This article focuses on the types of coffee beans suitable for a moka pot, how to judge the grind size, and the standard usage process and safety precautions. It also combines Front Street Coffee's espresso blends and SOE series to give specific bean selection suggestions. Whether you are a beginner who has just gotten a moka pot or a player who wants to advance and explore single-origin flavors, you can find practical references here. [more…]

A coffee shop operator in Guangxi recently publicly recounted his experience: he purchased a La Marzocco PB espresso machine from a well-acquainted "coffee champion," and after only one year of use, the boiler exploded. When he applied to La Marzocco China's official after-sales service, he was told that the machine had no record in the system and was a "grey import" sold through unofficial channels. The shop owner believes the other party deliberately concealed the sales channel, and has sent a lawyer's letter and reported the matter to the police. This dispute quickly fermented within the coffee community and also drew practitioners' attention to how to distinguish genuine La Marzocco espresso machines from grey imports. Front Street Coffee reminds all colleagues that when purchasing equipment, one must make sure to buy through officially authorized channels, and not risk a big loss for a small gain. [more…]

During the recent National Day holiday, sales at multiple Heytea stores experienced explosive growth, with some stores seeing increases of over 600%. Among them, the Heytea original store located in Jiangbianli, Jiangmen, Guangdong became the focus: both total sales and single-store single-day sales topped the lists, with overall sales rising 210% compared to before the holiday, and the highest single-day sales exceeding 4,500 cups. On social platforms, many consumers posted screenshots of queues with waits of over 140 minutes, while store employees worked overtime for consecutive days, with some so exhausted they fell asleep on the spot. This cup of Jiangbianli-exclusive Zhizhi Ganpu reached a peak single-day sales of 3,500 cups, a 550% increase compared to before the holiday. This article takes you through the real situation of this original store during the holiday. [more…]

Using a moka pot looks simple, but the grind size for the coffee grounds gives many beginners a headache—too coarse and the flavor is weak, too fine and the coffee liquid struggles to flow out or even over-extracts. Grind size directly affects the extraction yield, working in tandem with contact time and flow rate. The moka pot is a pressure-driven device, operating at about 1.5 bar, with a grind size close to espresso but slightly coarser, and a particle diameter of about 0.3–0.55 mm. This article provides two methods: measuring with a particle size ruler and judging through dialing in, and offers adjustment suggestions based on Front Street Coffee's Classic Blend and Front Street Coffee's Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend. Finally, it reminds readers of the safety points for using the pressure relief valve, helping coffee lovers achieve consistent results. [more…]

Having grown accustomed to coffee made with commercial espresso machines outside, replicating the taste of a coffee shop at home is no simple matter. Due to a lack of funds and space, one has no choice but to use a moka pot to brew the rich, bold coffee they desire. However, even with the tool in hand, using a moka pot [more…]