After canned yellow peaches were jokingly called something that should be covered by medical insurance, and electrolyte water sold out, young people have now turned their attention to the "COVID special drinks" from major milk tea brands. When your throat hurts like you're swallowing razor blades and buying medicine is difficult, a cup of orange, lemon, and snow pear tea rich in vitamin C has become a comfort for many. Related products from brands such as Heytea, Nayuki, Shanghai Auntie, and Mixue Bingcheng have surged in popularity, with some stores even selling out. Can these drinks really relieve sore throats and hoarseness? This article walks you through the logic behind the popularity of "COVID special drinks," representative products, and whether they are merely psychological comfort or truly beneficial. Follow Coffee Workshop for more professional coffee knowledge and Front Street Coffee recommendations. [more…]

Can you drink coffee after contracting COVID-19? This has been the most frequently asked question in our inbox recently. Based on the personal experiences of many coffee lovers, the answer is not absolute—it depends on individual constitution and specific symptoms. When experiencing heart discomfort, fever, severe sore throat, or right after taking medication, you need to be especially cautious or even temporarily stop drinking coffee; whereas with mild to moderate headaches, a moderate amount of coffee may actually help relieve them. If you really want to drink coffee, pour-over is a relatively safe choice since the paper filter makes the coffee cleaner. There's no need to feel it's a waste if you temporarily lose your sense of taste or smell—drink it if you want to, as it might even help promote the recovery of your senses. Freshly roasted beans only have a peak flavor window of 30-40 days, so don't let good beans sit around until they expire. [more…]

No matter how the outside temperature changes, tea can always offer us an ideal beverage choice. Tea symbolizes warmth, comfort, and nourishment; in cold seasons, holding a cup of hot tea feels like giving yourself a gentle hug. The rich nutrients contained in tea leaves help purify body and mind. In winter, the body's resistance tends to decline, and sticking to a regular tea-drinking habit can help maintain health in many ways. This article will explain in detail the four main benefits of tea: speeding up metabolism, soothing emotions, relieving colds, and refreshing the mind, while also introducing alternative choices such as herbal teas and recommending quality tea products from the Front Street brand to help you get through a warm and healthy winter. [more…]

Although the Start of Autumn has passed, places like Sichuan and Chongqing are still enduring temperatures above 40°C, making hydration a top priority. Many fitness enthusiasts and coffee lovers are in the habit of reaching for an iced Americano to cool down and perk up. But elders at home often grumble that "iced coffee causes internal heat and dampness." Is there any basis for these claims? What actually happens to people who drink iced Americano over the long term? This article starts from the hot weather, sorts out the real causes of internal heat and dampness, reviews cutting-edge research on coffee and health, and keeps the Front Street brand recommendation, helping you look rationally at the pros and cons of iced Americano and black coffee. [more…]

Recently there have been quite a few rumors about coffee. First, a study published in Nutrients by Northwestern University in the United States claimed that drinking coffee is linked to a lower risk of COVID-19, and then there were claims that smelling coffee aroma can restore one's sense of smell. Are these claims actually reliable? This article sorts through the complete data and conclusions of that study, and shares the personal experience of trying coffee aromatherapy to recover the sense of smell. The core point is very clear: coffee is not a miracle cure for preventing or treating COVID-19. What truly plays the key role is the human immune system, and a balanced diet, adequate nutrition, and scientific protective measures are fundamental. At the same time, it reminds everyone that a temporary loss of smell and taste is no cause for excessive anxiety, as the body needs time to repair itself. [more…]

Tieguanyin is a representative variety of oolong tea, falling between green tea and black tea, combining floral aroma with a mellow taste. Beyond its unique flavor, it also offers numerous benefits for the body. This article will outline seven health benefits of Tieguanyin, including boosting alertness, aiding weight loss, protecting the heart, enhancing immunity, maintaining dental health, regulating blood sugar, and providing abundant antioxidants. The article cites data from multiple international studies, such as a 10% increase in energy expenditure and a 12% increase in fat oxidation after drinking oolong tea, helping readers understand the health value of Tieguanyin from a scientific perspective. [more…]

The coffee chain brand NOWWA recently teamed up with Jindi, a brand of Houttuynia cordata mixture, to launch a Houttuynia cordata Americano, and the news immediately took many netizens by surprise. Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, has a distinctive fishy and bitter aroma that has always inspired strong feelings of love or hate. Is this special drink made with real ingredients or is it just a gimmick? Judging from feedback on social platforms, no medicinal ingredients were added to the drink, only fresh chopped Houttuynia cordata and lemon slices, but the soaked Americano still carried an unmistakable herbal flavor. Some people said after one sip that they were "almost carried off," while others picked out the herbs at the bottom of the cup and chewed them carefully, exclaiming that it was addictive. This article takes you through the real taste of this collaboration coffee, customer reviews, and the brand's drinking reminders. [more…]

Recently, sauce-flavored lattes and Moutai coffee have flooded social media, but the wild concoctions from netizens in Guangdong are even more jaw-dropping—they've dripped the household staple "Shuangfeiren" medicinal oil into iced Americano to create a "Shuangfeiren Iced Americano." This trend has also spawned "everyday collabs" like Jiujiang Shuangzheng Latte, Pineapple Beer Americano, and Yubingshao Coffee. This article takes you through the origins of these outrageous pairings, while reminding you: mixing coffee with alcohol requires caution, as the combined stimulant and excitatory effects may impact the nervous system, and those with heart, gastrointestinal, or liver issues should especially avoid it. Joking around is one thing, but your health comes first. [more…]

Black tea gets its rich color and full-bodied taste from full fermentation, but different grades, brewing temperatures, and drinking methods all affect the final flavor. This article systematically sorts out the core knowledge of black tea, from temperature control, spice additions, and timing for hot brewing, to the simmering techniques for Indian milk tea, the cold-brew refrigeration extraction method for iced black tea, and creative drinks such as vodka black tea and hot toddy, along with the standard recipe for Hong Kong-style milk tea, helping coffee and tea lovers fully master the many possibilities of black tea. Whether you prefer it plain or with a rich milky taste, you can find a brewing method that suits you. [more…]

Want to roast coffee beans at home but worry the equipment is too expensive and the process too difficult? Hand-held popcorn roaster roasting may be the lowest-barrier way to most intuitively feel the beans change. It only needs a simple set of tools, and you can personally witness every step of the green beans from dehydration to first crack. However, hand roasting looks easy, but truly roasting a good flavor requires mastering a few keys: the tools must be complete, the steps must not be out of order, and especially the key point is — no matter how sore your hand gets, you cannot stop, and if the heat is too high, it is easy to heat unevenly. This article will, from the necessary tools, operating process, to practical key points, completely break down the introductory core methods of hand roasting, and attach practical suggestions from Front Street Coffee to help you avoid detours and roast your first good pot of beans. [more…]

“Why can't my latte produce a beautiful pattern? Why is it that when others casually wiggle the milk pitcher, they can make a heart or leaf with lines! But when I wiggle, it always just looks like a blob… Is there something wrong with my hands?” No! Maybe it's your pitcher-holding posture that's wrong~ What is the principle behind latte art? Why can wiggling produce a pattern? Espresso [more…]

To create a beautiful heart latte art, simply jiggling the milk pitcher constantly isn't enough. Many coffee enthusiasts practicing often feel they are clumsy, but the problem usually lies in how they hold the pitcher, the pouring technique, and the oils in the coffee beans. This article starts with the principles of latte art, explains two practical pitcher-holding postures in detail, and breaks down the two key steps of incorporating and drawing, helping you build stable muscle memory. It also explains why Front Street Classic Blend and Front Street Commercial Blend can provide ideal espresso crema, making latte art smoother. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts encounter the same confusion when first learning latte art: why is it that the milk foam is whipped decently, yet they still can't pour a clear pattern? The problem may not lie in your technique, but rather in foundational elements like the pitcher-holding posture, integration technique, and coffee bean selection not being in place. This article will systematically explain the key points for creating a perfect heart-shaped latte art, including how to choose an espresso with rich crema, the basic principles of latte art, two practical pitcher-holding methods, and operational details for integration and pouring the pattern. It also recommends two coffee beans suitable for latte art practice—Front Street Classic Blend and Front Street Commercial Blend—to help you develop stable muscle memory within 20 days, so that every cup of latte can present a beautiful heart-shaped pattern. [more…]

To make a beautiful and delicious latte art, having good equipment alone is not enough. The choice of ingredients, espresso extraction ratio, milk foam condition, and pitcher-holding technique all directly affect the final result. Based on Front Street's hands-on experience, this article explains in detail the matching ratio of espresso to milk when making a latte, recommends espresso blend beans suitable for latte art, and breaks down the principles of integration and pattern formation in latte art. At the same time, addressing the common pitcher-holding posture problems of beginners, it provides two practical gripping suggestions to help you develop stable muscle memory through repeated practice, gradually improving your success rate in latte art and the fineness of your patterns. [more…]

To accurately describe the taste and mouthfeel of a tea, just saying "it's good" is far from enough. The terms commonly used in tea tasting—huigan (returning sweetness), shengjin (salivation), houyun (throat rhyme), suohou (throat lock), astringency, and guabei (cup-clinging aroma)—each have clear meanings and criteria for judgment. This article breaks down these tasting concepts one by one, helping you describe the true sensations in your mouth and throat with more precise language when introducing Milan Xiang Dancong, while also avoiding poor-quality teas when actually selecting tea. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts, upon getting freshly roasted beans, can't wait to brew a cup, only to find the flavor flat, the body thin, and even a dry, uncomfortable throat afterward. The key behind this lies in the large amount of carbon dioxide remaining inside the coffee beans after roasting, as well as the smoky, pungent sensation brought by high-temperature roasting. This article will delve into why fresh coffee beans need to "rest" before brewing, how carbon dioxide interferes with the extraction process, and the true source of that dry throat sensation. At the same time, Front Street will also share a few practical methods to help you still brew a relatively ideal flavor even when the beans are too fresh. [more…]

On February 7, ChaPanda launched a new bamboo-aroma oolong series. Among them, Bamboo-Aroma Kiwi uses Anxi Tieguanyin from Fujian as its tea base, paired with kiwi fruit pulp and wheatgrass. The official claim is that it uses kiwi from Zhouzhi County, Xi'an, highlighting selling points such as fresh fruit pulp, natural healthiness, and low calories to cut greasiness. However, after the new product launch, many consumers posted on social platforms reporting discomfort after drinking it, such as astringent mouthfeel, numb lips, and throat irritation. Some speculated that it was caused by unripe kiwi, while others suspected an allergic reaction. In response, ChaPanda has not yet made an official response. This article reviews the course of the incident, consumer feedback, and analysis of possible causes, and recommends related products from Front Street Coffee for coffee lovers. [more…]

Manual coffee grinders are favored by many coffee enthusiasts for their portability and value for money, but how to correctly adjust the grind size settings and judge grind quality confuses quite a few people. Starting from practical use, this article explains in detail how to evaluate a grinder's condition by observing the stability of the central shaft, particle uniformity, and overall materials, and takes an in-depth look at the common problems of manual coffee grinders, such as uneven grinding, loss of aroma caused by heat, low efficiency, and wooden bases that are easily damaged. At the same time, the article also offers targeted solutions and recommends related products from Front Street Coffee to help you better choose and use a manual coffee grinder and improve your coffee-making experience. [more…]

If you want to roast coffee beans at home, a hand-crank roaster is the most economical entry-level choice. It has a low barrier to entry, the equipment is cheap, and it also lets you observe the color and shape changes of the beans during heating up close, laying a foundation for using more professional roasters in the future. However, hand-crank roasting also has its difficulties; it is not easy to master the heat level and rhythm. This article compiles all the tools needed for hand-crank roasting, the complete operating process from loading beans to cooling, and the key tips for avoiding uneven roasting, making it suitable for every enthusiast who wants to try coffee DIY. Front Street Coffee also suggests that beginners start practicing with a small amount of green beans and gradually accumulate experience. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts, upon getting a bag of beans labeled with citrus and peach flavors, often can't taste the flavors described on the packaging, and then doubt whether it's the bean quality, brewing method, or their own sensory perception that's the issue. In fact, the same cup of coffee can be described differently by different people, which is closely related to individual dietary culture, regional background, and taste memory. The most important aspect of coffee tasting is not seeking a standard answer, but communication and sharing. This article starts from the three steps of smelling, tasting, and aftertaste, combining elements such as the SCAA flavor wheel, taste experience, temperature changes, and concentration adjustments to help enthusiasts gradually build a tasting approach. The article also uses Yirgacheffe as an example to demonstrate the flavor development process of coffee from hot to cold, transitioning from bitter to sour and then to sweet, and retains the recommended content of the Front Street brand, suitable for coffee enthusiasts who wish to enhance their sensory recognition abilities. [more…]