Shortly after the 2022 BOP results were announced, the Lamastus family's independent auction once again set a new record for the world's most expensive coffee. Just 7 pounds of honey-processed Geisha from Elida Estate's Aguacatillo lot sold for $6,034 per pound, totaling over $42,000. The entire auction saw 1,762 pounds of Geisha fetch a total of $601,000. Meanwhile, the 2022 BOP top lot auction will kick off on October 7, and whether it can break the record again is drawing close attention. Front Street Coffee will also continue to track the price developments of this top-tier Geisha. [more…]

To celebrate its seventh anniversary, Chagee launched a seven-day giveaway of 700,000 free drinks, and the singing-for-a-free-drink option, being the easiest to participate in, quickly attracted deal hunters. However, after the second round began, customers found that getting the free voucher was not so simple: some stores required two people to sing together and clink cups, some staff outright denied the promotion existed, and even more surprisingly, many participants were filmed or recorded throughout by staff, a requirement not disclosed in advance in the official tweets. Customer service responded that the event was held precisely for filming, and internal notices also required photos of every singing customer to be kept on file. This practice sparked concerns about how customers' personal images would be used, and although several staff members said the content was only uploaded to internal work groups for supervisors to review, the privacy controversy continues to grow. [more…]

Since last week, a strong cold wave has continued to sweep through south-central Brazil, with temperatures plunging below zero in many places, and the mountainous region of southern Minas Gerais even setting a new record for Brazil's lowest temperature. Snow and freezing rain have successively appeared in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, and the Port of Santos was forced to suspend cargo operations due to severe sea conditions. Brazil's coffee harvest for the new season is now nearing its end, but the market is broadly concerned that frost will impact this year's crop and the growth of coffee in the 2025/26 season, especially in the mountainous region of Minas Gerais, which is dominated by Arabica cultivation. Affected by this, Arabica and Robusta coffee futures prices have soared sharply in recent days. Front Street Coffee will also continue to monitor weather developments in the producing regions and bring coffee lovers the latest analysis. [more…]

Panama occupies a pivotal position in the global specialty coffee landscape, and Geisha has made this Central American country famous worldwide. At the 2023 BOP competition, Carmen Estate won the washed group championship with a score of 96.5 for its washed Geisha, and the subsequent global auction set a historic high of US$10,005 per kilogram. Why is this estate able to repeatedly break records? Today, Front Street Coffee takes you into Carmen Estate, from Panama's geography and climate and the three major producing regions of Chiriquí Province, to Carmen Estate's cultivation history, variety structure, and processing techniques, for a comprehensive understanding of the terroir code and quality logic behind this champion estate. [more…]

Brazil's national supply company Conab expects the country's 2026 coffee crop to reach 67.6 million [more…]

Latest data from the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (Cecafe) shows that Brazil's coffee exports performed strongly in April this year, with a total of 4.222 million 60-kg bags exported, up 53.3% year on year, setting a record high for that month and generating US$935.3 million in foreign exchange earnings, an increase of 52.6% year on year. In the first four months of this year, cumulative exports reached 16.242 million bags, with revenue of US$3.444 billion, both setting all-time records. Arabica still accounted for 76.77% of total exports, while robusta export volume rose 528% year on year. Tight global supply, reduced production in Vietnam and the Red Sea crisis pushed up market demand and coffee prices. However, severe delays at major ports such as Santos, combined with the risk of frost in the south, mean subsequent exports still face the dual challenges of logistics and weather. [more…]

The 28th Best of Panama (BOP) competition and auction of 2024 have successfully concluded. The top lot this year was won by Hacienda La Esmeralda's natural Geisha, fetching a bid price of $10,013 per kilogram (about 71,898 RMB), setting a new world record once again. Meanwhile, Elida Estate's washed Geisha followed closely at $10,002 per kilogram, with prices in the multi-variety category roughly tripling compared to last year. From $2.37 per pound in 2002 to today's five-figure US dollar level, BOP auction prices have continued to climb, and the prices of top-lot pour-over coffee in domestic coffee shops have also risen accordingly. This article will provide a complete overview of this year's competition, the highlights of each category, and the historical context, giving you a comprehensive look at the market trends of Panama's top coffees. [more…]

Shanghai, an international metropolis hailed as the coffee capital, recently trended on social media because a netizen camped out at a bus stop to drink coffee and play vinyl records. During the pandemic, coffee shops offered takeout only, so this netizen took camping gear out of their car and enjoyed a special coffee and vinyl music under a bus shelter; after being photographed by passersby, it sparked widespread discussion. Some questioned whether doing this in strong wind and heavy rain was too pretentious, while others considered it personal freedom. As the incident continued to intensify, the person involved came forward to clarify, and netizens' views polarized. This article will fully present the whole story and the voices of all sides, and retain the relevant recommendation information for Front Street Coffee. [more…]

For coffee roasters pursuing consistent output and flavor reproducibility, Artisan is a rare open-source tool. It can connect to temperature recorders or PID controllers, collect bean temperature and air temperature data in real time during the roasting process, automatically generate visualized curves, and help judge the trends of the drying, Maillard, and development phases. This article compiles Artisan's core functions, compatible device list, export and reporting methods, and includes software screenshots and a version update summary. Whether you use Mac, Windows, or Linux, you can use it to optimize your roasting rhythm, making the flavor performance of every batch of Front Street Coffee beans more controllable and more reproducible. [more…]

The global coffee market is currently enduring a rare price storm. Driven by climate factors such as prolonged drought, high temperatures, and uneven rainfall distribution in Brazil, combined with steadily rising global coffee demand, both Arabica and Robusta coffee futures prices have hit record highs. Arabica futures have reached 273.4 cents per pound, a ten-year high; Robusta's surge has been even more ferocious, with an increase of 74% within the year. As the world's largest coffee producer, Brazil's domestic retail coffee prices have risen to their highest level since records began in 1997. This article will examine the climate, production, and market factors behind this round of coffee price increases, and look ahead to the prospects for the next harvest season. [more…]

The latest report from the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (Cecafe) shows that Brazil's coffee exports reached 3.961 million bags (60 kg/bag) in January 2024, setting a new record for the same period in history, up 39% year-on-year, with foreign exchange revenue also climbing 30.4% to US$802.5 million. Arabica beans remained the mainstay, while Robusta bean shipments surged by more than 50%. However, external pressures such as geopolitical conflicts, the Red Sea crisis, and drought in the Panama Canal have not eased. Domestic spot prices diverged due to weather and uncertainty over the new crop season, and the vessel delay rate at the Port of Santos climbed to a historic peak of 85%, casting a shadow over subsequent exports. [more…]

In recent years, variable pressure extraction has become the most closely watched technological direction in the field of espresso machines. From Synesso to Slayer, and then to the Strada launched by La Marzocco, the design of pressure control valves has continuously evolved. This article provides a complete record of the unboxing of the La Marzocco Strada at the illy Coffee University in Shanghai, China, detailing the appearance, structure, and core differences between the Strada MP manual version and the Strada EP electronic version. The MP version directly controls water flow and pressure through an internal mechanical valve, while the EP version uses an electronic gear pump to achieve stepless pressure variation from 0 to 12 BAR and can store pressure profiles. For coffee enthusiasts following the technological development of espresso machines, as well as readers of Front Street Coffee, this unboxing record provides rare hands-on details and firsthand observations. [more…]

The Best of Yemen 2024 auction closed at $526.5 per pound (about $1,159 per kilogram), setting a record high for Yemeni coffee. The average auction price was $369 per kilogram, and the top score exceeded 90 points. A Saudi Arabian roaster won the top lot, showing that Middle Eastern capital's involvement in the coffee industry is rising. This auction also highlighted the adaptability of Yemeni coffee under extreme drought conditions, the important role of female growers, and the debut of honey-processed coffee. [more…]

Beijing Naixue Catering Management Co., Ltd. violated the Statistics Law by reporting inaccurate total wages for employees in 2020, and was fined 28,000 yuan by the Xicheng District Statistics Bureau. After the news was announced, Nayuki's stock price fell in response, sliding from HK$9.35 per share to HK$9.25, and by December 3 it had dropped further to HK$8.84, hitting its lowest record since listing. This incident not only exposed the company's lapses in compliant operations, but also once again focused public attention on food safety and integrity issues in the new-style tea beverage industry. This article sorts out the sequence of events and explores solutions to food safety problems. [more…]

The Geisha variety originated from the Gesha Mountains in southwestern Ethiopia, then traveled through Kenya, Tanzania, and Costa Rica before reaching Panama, where it rose to fame at Hacienda La Esmeralda. Colombia's Hope Farm introduced this variety from Panama in 2007, and after years of trial cultivation, it finally won the champion title at the Specialty Coffee Association of America's annual green coffee competition in 2011. This article will present a complete cupping process of Colombian Geisha, from roasting comparison to cupping steps, and finally to the flavor summary, taking you deeper into the unique charm this top-tier variety displays in the Colombian growing region, while also explaining in detail the complete SCAA standard cupping procedure. [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…]

The latest report from the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council shows that Brazil's coffee exports reached 4.397 million bags in May, setting a new record for the month, with a year-on-year increase of nearly 80%, and foreign exchange earnings also hitting a historic high. Cumulative exports in the first 11 months of the 2023/24 harvest year have approached a historic peak, and this year is expected to break the cycle record. The surge in robusta coffee exports has become a highlight, but the La Niña phenomenon in the second half of the year may bring the threat of drought, and coupled with the Brazilian government's new rules tightening tax credits, this may put pressure on the cash flow and global competitiveness of exporting companies. [more…]

Recently, a post on social media about Seesaw employees being owed wages and social security contributions has sparked widespread discussion. Chat records show that management admitted to operating difficulties and promised to pay salaries in installments, while key figures such as founder Wu Xiaomei and director Zhang Sai were also drawn into the discussion. In fact, Seesaw was already reported last year for issues such as delayed wages and suspended social security payments, and now it faces 19 judicial cases, with its last store in Chongqing also having closed. Although a new store in Changsha is still operating, this series of upheavals has led many coffee enthusiasts to lament: has the one-time benchmark of specialty coffee truly fallen into trouble? [more…]

Colombia's coffee cultivation history can be traced back to the Spanish colonial period in the sixteenth century, with multiple accounts of its introduction, including via water routes through Haiti and El Salvador, and in 1808 by a priest who brought it from the French Antilles via Venezuela. The earliest written record appears in the observations of the missionary Jose Gumilla in 1730 along the banks of the Meta River. Today, Colombia is the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, as well as the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans and the largest exporter of washed coffee beans. Its coffee is renowned for its silky, balanced flavor and is hailed as "green gold." This article reviews its historical origins and flavor characteristics, and retains the relevant recommendations for the Front Street brand. [more…]

To consistently produce a qualified espresso at home, relying on feel alone is far from enough. From the basket specifications to the dose range, from judging the liquid weight to the timing of stopping the extraction, every variable directly affects the final flavor performance. This article systematically sorts out the four most critical parameters in the extraction process—basket selection, dose, liquid weight, and time—and further provides specific methods for troubleshooting problems and recording parameters. Whether you are a beginner just getting into espresso or a veteran hoping to refine your technique, you can find actionable adjustment ideas here. The article also specifically mentions Front Street Coffee's espresso bean recommendations, helping you lay a solid foundation right from bean selection and avoid detours. [more…]