Luckin Coffee has recently rolled out a series of new products, including light milk tea and iced shaken drinks. As its product line continues to expand, the pressure on store staff for ingredient preparation and drink-making has also increased. Recently, reports have emerged that Luckin has piloted the "Rui Binfen - Smart Tea Machine" in some stores in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which can automatically dispense ingredients according to recipes, saving the step of manual weighing. Employees have mixed reactions: some are delighted that it reduces physical exertion and speeds up drink output, while others worry that cleaning the machine daily takes about an hour and may involve unpaid overtime. In addition, the tea machine is quite large and has certain requirements for counter space and drink output volume, so not all stores can install it. This article compiles genuine feedback from frontline employees and details on equipment use, so coffee enthusiasts can learn about new developments in chain-brand store operations. [more…]

Another shutdown message has come from the tea beverage sector. Xiexie Tea, invested by well-known host Ma Dong, has closed its last national outlet, the Shenzhen Dalang store, on July 16, completely wiping out its physical stores. This celebrity brand, founded in 2018, once rode on the hype of traffic-driving guests like Ma Dong and the New Pants band, selling a cup of milk tea for nearly 70 yuan, but after the pandemic, its prices slid all the way down to the 12-yuan range, all bakery products were removed, and its pivot to smart milk tea stores showed no improvement. Its official Weibo, WeChat public account, and mini-program have successively stopped updating or been discontinued. The traffic dividends and operational shortcomings of celebrity catering have once again become a focal point of attention in the coffee and tea beverage industry. [more…]

For coffee enthusiasts, a satisfying piece of equipment can often bring out entirely different flavors from the same batch of coffee beans. This article reviews twelve distinctive coffee machines and pour-over devices, covering pour-over, cold brew, moka pots, smart roasting, and more, all far surpassing the drip machines commonly found in office break rooms in both function and design. From the Trinity ONE's multi-functional brewing to the BKON Craft's vacuum extraction, and the Ratio's laboratory-grade materials, these devices not only perform exceptionally but also look pleasing to the eye. Whether you prefer hands-on operation or smart control, you can find the "coffee weapon" that suits you. [more…]

The fast pace of urban life has made it a rare luxury to go home and enjoy a freshly ground cup of coffee, and the emergence of smart coffee machines has perfectly resolved this dilemma. However, having a good machine alone is not enough—pairing it with coffee beans of consistent quality and reasonable price is what truly unlocks its value. This article will introduce coffee enthusiasts to the highlights of the Bruvelo smart coffee machine, from automatic water filtration and coffee bean grinding to precise temperature-controlled extraction, as well as three extraction modes easily controlled via a mobile app. It also recommends two espresso blends from Front Street—the Black Cocoa Blend and the Classic Blend—suitable for beginners and advanced users seeking rich crema, respectively. [more…]

What kind of sparks fly when a well-known domestic pharmaceutical company starts selling milk tea? In mid-August this year, North China Pharmaceutical's tea beverage brand opened its first store in Shijiazhuang, marketed with "healthy water," "Five Elements secret formula," and "pure natural, zero additives," with basic drinks priced at only 7 yuan. Even more surprising, during the soft opening, customers could enjoy a comprehensive smart health checkup, with a robot testing 70 indicators across ten major systems and recommending corresponding drinks based on the results. First-day revenue was nearly 8,000 yuan, and business has remained so booming since then that takeout has been shut down. The brand has already begun preparing franchise materials and plans to officially open franchising next year, while franchise stores will also take on the distribution function for Huawei Health functional foods. So how exactly does this move work? Let's take a closer look. [more…]

In 2016, Coffee Wing delivered its first loss-making financial report since its founding seventeen years earlier, yet President Yin Feng claimed this was within expectations. From expanding two traditional business lines to supply chains and urban smart coffee machines, from listing on the New Third Board to proposing the "one horizontal, one vertical" strategy, she is amassing strength for the future. Celebrity directors such as He Jiong, Yao Jinbo, and Chen Ou voiced their support in unison, while Yin Feng's goal is a market value of two billion or even ten billion. Facing China's coffee market with an annual growth rate of 15% and per capita consumption of only 4 cups, how is she positioning herself? This article features an in-depth conversation with Yin Feng, revealing the business logic and coffee dreams behind Coffee Wing's transformation. [more…]

Since September, rumors that Luckin Coffee would fully roll out smart milk tea machines and tea extraction machines have kept the industry closely watching its moves into the milk tea market. Recently, some stores in Guangzhou took the lead in trial-installing the tea extraction machines, only to draw collective complaints from frontline staff. Employees reported that the device is not only bulky and space-consuming, but can also extract only one type of tea liquid at a time, and its cleaning and sanitizing steps are extremely cumbersome. Making a pot of tea base takes more than half an hour from start to finish, making it even less efficient than manual brewing. At the same time, some stores have also seen quality control problems such as rusting metal parts. So how exactly does this smart device perform? Let's take a look at the real feedback from employees. [more…]

When a tech brand meets coffee culture, what kind of sparks will fly? Xiaomi has opened its first global Xiaomi coffee shop in Milan, Italy. This space, named Xiaomi Cafe, not only offers coffee, light meals, and aperitifs, but also integrates Xiaomi's smart ecosystem into real home scenarios, allowing consumers to experience products in a relaxed atmosphere. From phones to cars, and now to coffee, Xiaomi's cross-industry strides are growing ever bolder. Is this café a new window for brand display, or a concrete expression of an intelligent lifestyle? Let's find out. [more…]

CoffeeWings, as the first public company in China's coffee light-meal industry, was listed on the New Third Board in 2017, and under the leadership of Yin Feng, it launched the "Free Wings" smart coffee machine, entering the new retail sector. Investors such as He Jiong, Chen Ou, Xu Xiaoping, and Yao Jinbo appeared at the listing ceremony. With its features of being light and fast, and deeply penetrating the crowd, Free Wings plans to deploy more than 10,000 units by 2020, covering more cities nationwide. This article provides a detailed analysis of CoffeeWings' strategic layout, the product features of Free Wings and its alignment with new retail trends, while also exploring the competitive relationship between smart coffee machines and offline stores. [more…]

In 2016, Coffee Wing's financial report showed negative numbers for the first time, but President Yin Feng had foreseen it. She admitted that this was a short-term sacrifice to pave the way for new business lines, and both the board of directors and shareholders expressed understanding. Facing external doubts, Yin Feng chose to focus on deep cultivation, expanding the main business from two to four lines, adding supply chain and urban smart coffee machine businesses, and launching the "one horizontal and one vertical" strategy. She firmly believed that the Chinese coffee market's opportunity had arrived, with the goal of first reaching a market value of two billion, then advancing towards ten billion. This article will deeply analyze Yin Feng's business logic, market judgment, and her complete plan for the future of Coffee Wing. [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 Clever Coffee Dripper is a coffee dripper originating from Taiwan with a controllable valve at the bottom. Because its name contains the meaning of "clever," it was given this distinctive Chinese name. It combines both percolation and full-immersion extraction principles, aiming to reduce the influence of human factors on coffee flavor so that even beginners can produce consistent results. This article will introduce the brand options and structural features of the Clever Coffee Dripper, and through a comparative experiment with Front Street Coffee's use of the V60 dripper, explain in detail the differences between the two in grind size, water temperature, pouring technique, and final flavor performance, helping coffee enthusiasts more clearly understand the suitable scenarios for these two common pour-over devices. [more…]

Luckin Coffee launched a new round of new retail partner recruitment in 2023, covering 80 cities in 15 provinces, with a focus on lower-tier markets in fourth- and fifth-tier cities. As of the end of September 2022, Luckin had a total of 7,846 stores, including 2,473 joint-venture stores. First- and second-tier cities accounted for more than 70%, while coverage in lower-tier cities remained sparse. At the same time, Luckin's RJG unmanned coffee machines performed well in shopping malls, hospitals, office buildings, and other locations, offering large-sized drinks to the same standard as stores 24 hours a day. This article will review Luckin's franchise strategy, the opportunities and challenges of lower-tier markets, and the layout logic of RJG, while also retaining relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee, to help coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of Luckin's expansion moves. [more…]

Based on the original 4-6 brewing method, Tetsu Kasuya made new adjustments to the hybrid brewing method. By changing only two operational details, he significantly improved extraction stability and uniformity. The hybrid brewing method combines immersion and drip filtration, and requires a smart dripper with a valve to execute. This time, Front Street Coffee uses a Diamond Mountain bean from Hacienda La Esmeralda as an example, and demonstrates the complete process of the new hybrid brewing method with a Hario V60 smart dripper, including the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, staged pouring, and water temperature control, to help you understand the logic behind this brewing approach and adjust it flexibly according to your own taste. [more…]

The Yirgacheffe region has always been known for its bright acidity, light body, and elegant floral aroma, making it the starting point for many coffee lovers exploring specialty coffee. Among the many Yirgacheffe products, Front Street Coffee's Gutingding coffee beans, with their rich aromatic layers and excellent brewing adaptability, have become a daily staple that baristas are happy to recommend. This washed coffee bean not only displays a flavor profile of citrus, white flowers, honey, and green tea, but also performs well with pour-over, cold brew, smart dripper, and other extraction methods. Starting from the background of the Gutingding cooperative, this article will sort out its independent journey and processing techniques, and specifically present the flavor performance of Front Street Gutingding under different brewing methods, providing a reference for readers who want to find a classic washed Yirgacheffe. [more…]

Among home coffee machines, drip models are favored by many enthusiasts for their simple operation and quick brewing. The Electrolux ECM4100, as a fully featured drip coffee machine, is equipped with digital smart controls, an LCD display, an adjustable grinder, and an activated carbon water filtration tank. It can use either coffee beans or directly added ground coffee, and also supports scheduled brewing and a small-cup rich flavor mode. To get the ideal results from this machine, Front Street believes the choice of coffee beans is crucial. This article will review the main specifications and functions of the ECM4100, and recommend Geisha coffee beans suitable for home use, including Front Street Granja Estate Geisha and Front Street Geisha SOE, helping readers find a pairing that offers both floral and fruity notes and sweetness. [more…]

To enjoy coffee with a milk chocolate flavor, the selection approach is actually not complicated: first avoid light-roasted beans with sharp acidity, then rule out dark-roasted beans with an overly burnt-bitter taste, and prioritize Central and South American and Asian origins. If brewing with pour-over, French press, smart cup, or drip bags, medium-dark roasted single-origin beans are the first choice; if you prefer a moka pot or espresso, medium-dark roasted blends are more suitable. Below are four coffee beans with prominent milk chocolate flavors, affordable and each with distinctive characteristics, suitable as everyday staples. Among them, several Front Street Coffee products perform impressively, covering both blends and single-origin, meeting different brewing needs. [more…]

The Clever Dripper stands out among pour-over devices, selected by many specialty coffee shops as their designated brewing tool. It has a low barrier to entry and is easy to clean, making it very suitable for enthusiasts who are just getting into pour-over to use at home. Unlike conventional pour-over, the Clever Dripper's extraction process is primarily immersion-based, resulting in a rounder, fuller cup with a comfortable mouthfeel. This article will walk through the complete brewing process of the Clever Dripper step by step, from equipment preparation, filter folding, and water temperature control to pouring and stirring, and will also include an advanced method for iced coffee. At the same time, for different taste preferences, we recommend beans such as Front Street Kenya Little Tomato, Front Street Washed Fruit Ding Ding, Front Street Strawberry Candy, as well as Front Street Brazil Queen's Estate Yellow Bourbon, Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1, and Front Street Papua Bird of Paradise, to help readers find a pairing that suits them. [more…]

Thinking about adding an espresso machine to your home but not sure where to start? This article covers the practicality of home espresso machines, the characteristics of mainstream brands, key purchasing considerations, and coffee bean pairings. It includes positioning and price references for common models from De'Longhi, Philips, EUPA, Gemilai, and others, along with beginner-friendly Front Street espresso bean recommendations and a complete espresso brewing process. Whether you're just getting started or preparing to upgrade your equipment, you'll find practical answers here. [more…]

Thinking of adding an espresso machine to your home but not sure where to start? The market is crowded with brands—De'Longhi, Philips, and Gemilai each have their fans—and prices range from two or three hundred to two thousand yuan. Buying the machine is only the first step; what really determines the flavor in your cup is the coffee bean pairing. This article sorts out the mainstream home espresso machine models and their positioning, includes buying tips and a complete operating procedure, and offers specific advice for the bean-selection dilemma beginners face most often, helping you avoid detours and consistently produce a decent espresso at home. [more…]