The sealed packaging for takeaway drinks is supposed to be a crucial step in ensuring food safety, but recently some consumers have reported that the Heytea takeaway they received not only had a loose and damaged seal sticker, but was also covered in curly hair, which was extremely unpleasant. After the person involved contacted the merchant and the platform, both parties claimed there was no issue on their end, and ultimately, because the evidence had been discarded, it could not be investigated. In fact, Heytea's "peace of mind" seal stickers have repeatedly been criticized by consumers for insufficient stickiness and easily popping open, making the sealing effect virtually useless. This incident has once again sparked public concern about hygiene and seal management in food delivery. [more…]

In recent years, more and more people have chosen to buy whole coffee beans and make freshly ground coffee at home, and the coffee market has continued to expand. However, a recent recall notice issued by Costco in Taiwan drew widespread attention—some organic Sumatra coffee beans were urgently recalled because the packaging seals were incomplete. Some consumers reported finding large holes in the bags or incomplete seals during inspection. It is worth pondering that this problem may not be a simple sealing defect, but may be related to the design of the one-way degassing valve on the bag. After roasting, coffee beans release a large amount of carbon dioxide. If the degassing valve does not function properly, the pressure inside the bag becomes too high and pushes the seal open. In that case, will the coffee beans spoil? And how should beans be properly stored when stockpiling them in daily life? This article will answer these questions one by one. [more…]

After roasting is complete, the aromatic compounds inside the coffee beans begin to dissipate continuously, so how to properly preserve them within their peak-flavor window has become a concern for many enthusiasts. Beyond the usual method of sealing and keeping them away from light at room temperature, frozen storage has drawn considerable attention in recent years. It can indeed slow the loss of aroma, but improper handling can instead cause the beans to absorb moisture or pick up off-flavors. This article will focus on the three core precautions for freezing coffee beans—sealing, condensation, and avoiding repeated removal—and offer some easier preservation suggestions to help you retain as much of the coffee's flavor as possible in your daily brewing. [more…]

What should you do if you buy too many coffee beans and can't finish them within their peak flavor window? The aroma of coffee dissipates along with carbon dioxide, so the brewed flavor naturally suffers. Some people therefore try putting their beans in the freezer, said to extend freshness—but does this method actually work? Low temperatures can indeed slow the loss of aroma, but freezing is not foolproof: improper sealing leads to odor transfer, and condensation strikes when you take the beans out. This article walks through the key points and common pitfalls of freezing coffee beans in detail, helping you decide whether this practice is worth trying. [more…]

In late February, Heytea launched a new product inspired by Chaoshan licorice fruit, the "Nanjiang Licorice Guava Bottle," mixing guava juice, nanjiang plum powder, licorice powder, dried tangerine peel powder, and preserved plum powder with a tea base and oil mandarin juice, in an effort to replicate the flavor of street-side licorice fruit. However, after this distinctly Chaoshan-flavored new product hit the market, controversy has been continuous: Chaoshan consumers generally reported that they could not taste the nanjiang flavor they remembered, while customers from outside the Chaoshan region were full of doubts about how strong the ginger flavor was and whether it was spicy. More notably, multiple consumers drank a complete round sealing paper from the bottle, suspected to be caused by the double-layer sealing design allowing the paper to be pushed into the drink by the straw. Heytea customer service responded that the paper is a food-contact-grade material and does not affect consumption. This article will sort out the development approach, packaging design, and the ins and outs of the foreign object incident for this new product. [more…]

Recently, customers in many places have noticed that some power outlets in Starbucks stores have been sealed off, sparking widespread discussion. As a chain brand positioned around the "third place," Starbucks has long attracted office workers, students, and other consumers who linger for extended periods, and amenities such as power outlets and Wi-Fi are among the reasons for its popularity. However, the behavior of some people who occupy seats and charge their devices without making a purchase has forced stores to take countermeasures such as sealing off outlets and requiring a purchase to be seated. Is this move a helpless step to cut costs and improve efficiency, or does it harm the experience of genuine customers? This article synthesizes multiple viewpoints to explore the balance between the operational dilemmas behind Starbucks' outlet closures and consumer rights. [more…]

Grinding coffee beans in advance is a compromise many coffee lovers make when conditions are limited. But how long ground coffee retains its flavor is something many people don't know. Front Street conducted a controlled experiment for this: the same Panama Boquete Geisha was ground and sealed separately, then brewed at 14 days, 21 days, and 30 days to observe the bloom expansion, foam state, drawdown speed, and final flavor. The results showed that with good sealing and minimal bag opening, ground coffee can still deliver clear floral and fruity notes about three weeks after grinding; after a full month, the aroma is almost gone, leaving only the basic taste of coffee. The article also offers practical advice on portioning and sealing at the end. [more…]

Recently, a milk tea brand in Tianjin trended on Weibo and sparked widespread discussion because the sealing film on its drinks featured the rare character "嬲 (niǎo)." Many netizens pointed out that in the Tianjin dialect, this character carries an indecent or even insulting meaning, making some consumers uncomfortable. Although the brand's original intention may have been to promote awareness of rare characters, the note on the packaging that it is "mostly used as a dirty word" further fueled the controversy. On May 4, the merchant publicly apologized and said it had uniformly destroyed the sealing films printed with the character and would no longer use them. As coffee lovers, Front Street Coffee also took note of this incident, reminding the beverage industry to be more cautious in packaging design to avoid misunderstandings caused by cultural differences or dialect ambiguity. [more…]

Recently, everyone has probably stocked up on beans during Double Eleven. The questions asked to Front Street are all things like "How long can the flavor of unopened coffee beans be preserved at most?" and "How can opened coffee beans be stored to slow down the rate of flavor loss?" Today, Front Street will talk about the issue of storing coffee beans. How long can the flavor of coffee beans be preserved? Can it be asked this [more…]

After coffee is roasted, aromatic compounds continue to escape outward. If the amount purchased exceeds what can be consumed within its peak-flavor window, the flavor will suffer greatly. This article begins with conventional storage ideas such as sealing, protection from light, coolness, and dryness, then focuses on analyzing the recently popular method of freezing coffee beans: it can indeed slow the loss of aroma, but improper handling can backfire. The article unfolds around three key details—sealing to prevent odor transfer, condensation and moisture damage, and avoiding repeated removal and return—and offers practical advice on portioning for storage. Front Street also reminds everyone that coffee is ultimately best enjoyed fresh, and buying only what you need is the worry-free approach. [more…]

Recently, a consumer posted on social media that after picking up a packed coffee at a Luckin store, the cup lid was not sealed properly, causing the coffee to spill and stain their coat, pants, and snow boots, sparking widespread discussion. After reviewing the surveillance footage, Luckin customer service stated that the employee's operation was normal and was only willing to compensate with coupons, refusing to fully cover the dry cleaning costs. As the incident gained traction, many netizens shared similar experiences, pointing directly to issues such as Luckin's paper bags being prone to falling apart when wet and its takeaway cups leaking easily. Consumers are calling on the brand to switch to more durable packaging materials to ensure the safety of takeaway drinks. [more…]

Recently, a public toilet in Zhengning County, Qingyang, Gansu, which had been in operation for 30 years, was converted into a Lucky Cup freshly ground coffee shop, sparking heated discussion among local residents and netizens. The second floor of the building is a bathhouse, which is quite well-known locally. After a month of renovation, the coffee brand sign was put up, but then a seal was suddenly affixed. The housing and construction department responded that the project was an illegal conversion because it had not obtained planning and construction permits and had arbitrarily changed the use nature, and it had been sealed according to law. The brand side also stated that the store in question did not meet franchise conditions due to property rights issues and would not pass headquarters review later. The incident reflects the approval and property rights difficulties in converting public facilities for commercial use. [more…]

Recently, a friend asked Front Street Coffee: "Why should the air valve be sealed after coffee beans are ground into powder? Wouldn't that prevent the carbon dioxide inside the package from escaping?" The meaning of the exhaust valve on coffee packaging. Front Street Coffee immediately seals and packages the coffee beans after roasting and cooling, which can minimize the loss of coffee bean flavor. [more…]

Freezing is a very popular method of "preserving" coffee beans in recent years. Simply seal the coffee beans and toss them into the freezer, and the flavor loss of the coffee will slow down, thus extending its shelf life. Many friends have adopted this method to stock up on coffee beans purchased during Front Street Coffee's discount events. [more…]

More and more people are making cold brew coffee in the summer—brewing a big batch at once and keeping it in the fridge to drink slowly is indeed convenient. But problems come along with it: how many days can this batch of cold brew actually last? When does the flavor start to decline? When might it spoil? Front Street Coffee, drawing on hands-on testing experience, lays out clearly the shelf life of cold brew coffee, the optimal drinking window, the impact of how often it's opened, and the special precautions when using warm water to speed up extraction—helping you both enjoy good flavor and hold the safety line. [more…]

Friends who have just gotten their hands on freshly roasted coffee beans are often puzzled: the one-way valve on the coffee bag is clearly meant to release carbon dioxide, so why seal it off once the beans are ground? In fact, this comes down to the logic of preserving coffee flavor—whole beans release gas slowly, but once ground, flavor loss accelerates dramatically. Front Street Coffee has accumulated extensive experience in daily roasting and packaging. This article will systematically walk beginners through the key points of storing fresh coffee—from the function of the one-way valve, whether ground coffee needs resting, the difference between shelf life and peak flavor period, to the storage methods best suited to whole beans and ground coffee respectively—to help you enjoy a full-flavored cup within the optimal window. [more…]

Cold brew coffee, with its refreshingly smooth texture and complex, layered flavors, has become a favorite among coffee lovers in summer. But when it comes to making and storing cold brew, many people still have questions: Does it need to be sealed after extraction is complete? Why does it give off a fermented aroma reminiscent of wine after sitting in the refrigerator overnight? Starting from the principles of low-temperature extraction, this article will analyze the oxidation process of cold brew coffee and the necessity of sealed fermentation, and share Front Street Coffee's cold brew parameters, detailed steps, and how to create a fruit-forward cold brew recipe through a two-bean blend, helping you make a cup of cold brew with full flavor and a pronounced sweet aftertaste. [more…]

Coffee beans are not more aromatic the closer they are to the roast date. Freshly roasted beans contain more carbon dioxide, which can cause uneven water penetration in the puck when pulling espresso; the crema may look thick and rich, but the sip feels loose and disconnected. After resting for a period, the gas is slowly released, and notes of nuts, cocoa, or caramel only then become coherent. When selecting commercial beans, take the roast date into account [more…]

The freshness of coffee beans directly determines the flavor performance of a cup of coffee, and whether the storage method is appropriate is the core factor affecting freshness. In this article, Front Street Coffee systematically sorts out the differences between the two types of storage scenarios for green coffee beans and roasted beans, focusing on analyzing the mechanisms of the three major "killers" of coffee bean freshness: light sources, high temperature, humidity, and oxygen, and provides practical storage solutions such as one-way exhaust valve sealed bags and vacuum-sealed canisters. At the same time, the article also answers common questions such as the difference between the optimal drinking period and the shelf life of coffee beans, and whether they are suitable for refrigerator storage, helping coffee enthusiasts protect the flavor of every bag of beans in a more scientific way. [more…]

Roasted espresso coffee beans are in an active degassing phase, and paying attention to the roast date when choosing beans can help you plan your drinking rhythm. Freshly roasted coffee beans accumulate a large amount of carbon dioxide inside. If you extract immediately, the bubbles can easily interfere with the contact between the water flow and the coffee grounds, making the espresso's crema coarse and the flavor astringent. [more…]