Many friends have come to visit Front Street Coffee, drawn by its reputation. Besides marveling at the wide variety of coffee beans, they also greatly admire the baristas' brewing skills. Among them, many want to discuss pour-over brewing with the baristas. So Front Street Coffee takes this opportunity to share some thoughts on how to improve coffee brewing skills. Before that, Front Street Coffee asked [more…]

Coffee consumption is often labeled with a "chain of contempt," but affordable chain coffee is what the masses need for daily life. Starting from the consumption differences between first- and second-tier cities and third- and fourth-tier cities, and combining data from China coffee consumption reports, this article sorts out the hierarchical relationship among instant coffee, freshly ground coffee, affordable chains, and specialty pour-over, and points out the role of brands such as Lucky Cup, Luckin, and Manner in popularizing freshly ground coffee. The article emphasizes that coffee can be both an exquisite afternoon tea on the Left Bank of the Seine and a roadside stall on the streets of Vietnam; inclusiveness is its essence. After learning about specialty coffee knowledge, one should share rationally rather than show off a sense of superiority, promoting the healthy dissemination of coffee culture. At the end, Front Street Coffee exchange information is retained. [more…]

Many people confuse black coffee with ink, but in reality the two have nothing to do with each other. Black coffee refers to pure coffee with no additions whatsoever, boasting a full spectrum of acidity, sweetness, body, bitterness, and aroma, with a raw and profound taste. Pour-over coffee is a type of black coffee, extracted by a barista using pour-over equipment, and its flavor is mainly determined by the coffee bean variety, while the brewing equipment and technique also have some influence. Unlike espresso, which is bitter, aromatic, and rich in oils, pour-over coffee tends to have bright acidity, delicate floral notes, very low bitterness, and a long finish. To brew a good cup of pour-over, details such as grind size, water temperature, and coffee-to-water ratio all need careful attention. As a coffee specialty shop, Front Street Coffee is happy to share coffee knowledge and holds three low-discount events every month, hoping to let more people enjoy good coffee at affordable prices. [more…]

The correct English term for hand-brewed coffee is "Pour over coffee," not the literal translation "Hand coffee." This brewing method, which extracts coffee liquid under one atmosphere of pressure using a dripper and filter paper with a steady pouring technique, has strict requirements for grind size, water temperature, pouring technique, and timing, making it a real test of the brewer's skill and expertise. This article, drawing on the hands-on experience of Front Street Coffee, systematically outlines the basic concepts of pour over coffee, the seven key factors that determine flavor, and breaks down in detail a three-stage pouring process suitable for beginners, helping coffee lovers consistently brew a cup of full-aroma good coffee at home. [more…]

The Front Street official account has insisted on daily updates for many years, accumulating a massive amount of educational content covering every area of coffee. From the origins of coffee beans to the birth of a finished cup of coffee, from basic terminology to advanced brewing techniques, the articles have touched on virtually every question a coffee lover might encounter. This article reorganizes that content along a learning path, dividing it into sections such as must-reads for beginners, tasting methods, brewing techniques, advanced improvement, and Front Street's random musings on industry topics, making it easy for readers to quickly locate the knowledge they need based on their own stage, and also convenient for systematically filling in gaps. Whether you are a novice just getting into coffee or an advanced player hoping to hone your skills, you can find corresponding content here. [more…]

Nobody wants to ruin their own coffee, especially specialty coffee beans that aren't cheap. Nobody wants to drink a cup of terrible coffee, but with these common mistakes, if you hit even one of them, no matter what you use, it's not just a wasted pot of coffee—if you never realize where the problem lies, then you will [more…]

Pour-over coffee can be quite a magical thing for many coffee enthusiasts. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes there's no need to view pour-over coffee as too profound. When frequently chatting with customers, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Cof [more…]

In today's rapidly evolving coffee industry, barista positions attract a large number of enthusiasts submitting their resumes. However, during interviews, the gap in expectations between recruiters and candidates often leads to both amusing and exasperating situations. This article compiles real interview experiences from multiple coffee professionals, covering everything from entering the industry with zero experience, requirements for latte art and pour-over skills, probation-period salary negotiations, to the professional thresholds for part-time positions, recreating those conversations that leave a complex mix of emotions. Whether you're a newcomer preparing to step into the coffee industry or a shop owner currently hiring, these cases are worth reading. At the end of the article, we've also included channels for learning professional coffee knowledge to help you avoid unnecessary detours. [more…]

To brew a clean-tasting pour-over coffee at home, mastering the coffee-to-water ratio and pouring technique is key. Using Front Street Coffee's Rwandan washed beans as an example, this article systematically explains the English expressions, definition, and seven key elements of pour-over coffee—from bean freshness, grind size standards, water temperature selection, water quality requirements, and dripper selection, to the scientific control of coffee-to-water ratio and brewing time. The article also breaks down in detail the complete process of the three-pour method, including the principles and key points of the blooming phase, helping coffee enthusiasts build a standardized, easy-to-follow brewing framework and effortlessly reproduce the bright acidity and tea-like finish reminiscent of apple, smoked plum, and citrus. [more…]

Front Street Coffee often encounters many pour-over beginners who ask a question: Why does pour-over coffee need blooming? The most indispensable step in pour-over coffee is the blooming stage. The purpose of blooming is to allow the coffee to release gases and ensure even extraction, and it also clearly reveals whether the beans being brewed are fresh. Front Street Coffee focuses on fresh [more…]

Yirgacheffe, with its bright acidity and elegant floral aroma, has become the go-to choice for countless coffee lovers just getting started. But many people, when brewing at home, end up tasting only a one-dimensional sourness, unable to recreate the rich layers found in cafés. Drawing on Front Street's hands-on experience, this article systematically walks through the cultivation culture and variety characteristics of Ethiopian coffee as well as the regional background of Yirgacheffe, and breaks down in detail the pour-over parameters and three-stage pouring technique for washed Yirgacheffe, helping you capture the captivating interplay of lemon, jasmine, and berry notes in a single cup of black coffee. [more…]

Just getting into coffee and not sure where to start? Want to dive deep into roasting but can't find a reliable reading list? This article compiles a practical book guide for coffee lovers at different stages, from zero-foundation beginners to green bean sourcing and roasting science, covering core topics such as pour-over extraction, varieties and processing, tasting and cupping, and origin knowledge. Whether you're a complete novice or a practitioner with some foundation, you'll find something that suits you. At the end, we also recommend an academic guide that can be called the "ceiling," as well as Front Street Coffee's professional communication channel, to help you systematically improve your coffee knowledge. [more…]

The Red Cherry Project is an important quality improvement initiative in Ethiopia's specialty coffee sector, and Front Street Yirgacheffe Red Cherry is a natural-process representative under this project. This article will begin with the origins and operational methods of the Red Cherry Project, gradually introduce this bean's producing region information, processing method, and flavor characteristics, and provide recommendations for home pour-over temperature, grind size, and coffee-to-water ratio. It will also supplement with a bit of knowledge on the classification of honey processing methods, as well as Front Street brand's consistently upheld philosophy of low-price sharing and its monthly event schedule. Whether you are a beginner just getting into pour-over or a seasoned enthusiast wanting to gain a deeper understanding of Yirgacheffe natural-process flavors, you will find practical references here. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee). Do people who drink pour-over coffee not drink drip bag coffee? Do people who drink drip bag coffee not understand pour-over coffee? If you think so, you are greatly mistaken. In fact, there is no essential difference between pour-over coffee and drip bag coffee. At Front Street, there are [more…]

Recently, a netizen posted a question after returning to China: "Don't you guys usually drink office?" This slip of the tongue, mistakenly writing coffee as office, quickly sparked heated discussion and teasing among netizens. Starting from this little episode, we might as well talk about some interesting phenomena in coffee culture—some people confuse SEO with SOE, and some are confidently full of themselves despite knowing little about pour-over competitions. Drinking coffee is supposed to be an everyday little thing, but why do some people always treat it as capital for showing off? Let us review the evolution of coffee from a noble exclusive to a commoner's drink, and explore what kind of mindset we should have in understanding and enjoying coffee today, as specialty coffee culture becomes increasingly popular. [more…]

The Hero Washed coffee beans from Hambela in the Guji region of Ethiopia won second place nationally in the 2016/17 Ethiopian TOH competition and first place in the washed group. They are known for red grapefruit, tropical fruit, cherry, apricot, and a highly sweet, juicy mouthfeel. This article will introduce you to the origin background, competition journey, and flavor characteristics of this champion bean, and share a practical set of V60 pour-over parameters and staged pouring techniques to help coffee lovers recreate its bright, sweet flavor performance at home. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also takes this opportunity to exchange more coffee knowledge with everyone, so that more people can easily drink good coffee. [more…]

In today's world where specialty coffee is becoming increasingly popular, more and more consumers are starting to walk into coffee shops and try various drinks. However, because their understanding of coffee knowledge is still limited, many customers make requests when ordering that leave baristas not knowing whether to laugh or cry—for example, ordering a Dirty but asking for it to be heated, drinking pour-over but asking for sugar and milk, or urging the drink to be served right after placing the order. Faced with these situations, how can baristas respond while maintaining both professionalism and warmth? Starting from real scenarios, this article shares communication techniques between baristas and customers, and explores how to guide customers to experience the true charm of coffee while respecting their choices. [more…]

For enthusiasts who are just getting into pour-over coffee, the coffee-to-water ratio is often the first source of confusion: exactly how much coffee grounds should be paired with how much water? Starting from the hands-on experience of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the definition of pour-over coffee, the logic for determining the coffee-to-water ratio, the concentration range of the SCAA Golden Cup extraction standard, and the seven major factors that affect extraction. The article not only provides the calculation basis for the general parameter of 1:15, but also explains in detail key steps such as grind size correction, water temperature selection, and dripper choice. Finally, it includes the specific brewing recipe and flavor description for Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedingding, helping beginners build a complete framework of pour-over knowledge. [more…]

Whenever Front Street brews a pour-over for a customer's order, if the coffee bed puffs up quite a bit during blooming, there's a good chance the customer will ask: "Why doesn't my coffee bed puff up this much when I brew?" This is a topic Front Street often discusses! Honestly, although the bloom [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts come to Front Street Coffee, and besides being amazed by the rich bean list, they are also full of curiosity about the barista's brewing technique. Does pour-over rely on hand strength or brainpower? The answer is actually the latter. Water control and circular pouring are just basic entry-level skills. What truly determines the quality of a cup of coffee is the understanding of the relationships among parameters such as grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and time, as well as knowledge of the coffee bean's producing region characteristics and roast level. Starting from Front Street Coffee's brewing practice, this article sorts out four directions for improvement: solid pouring training, establishing parameter logic, categorizing bean characteristics, and recording and reviewing after each brew, helping pour-over beginners find a clear path for advancement. [more…]