Luckin Coffee recently launched two new cup sizes, Extra Large and Super Large, on its mini-program, allowing users to upgrade for an additional 3 yuan. However, the official listing does not clearly indicate the capacity difference between the two, sparking widespread discussion among consumers. Some are delighted by the larger volume, while more are confused about "which is bigger, Extra Large or Super Large," and whether the upgrade means more coffee liquid or just added water. Store employees give inconsistent explanations—some say the cup size depends on whether the drink is iced or hot, while others say the recipe adjustments vary by product. Behind this upgrade, Luckin's lack of communication forces users to rely on repeated trial and error to confirm the taste. This article sorts out the whole story and includes related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In recent years, coffee culture has rapidly gained popularity in China, and iced Americano has become a daily necessity for countless office workers. From the initial 300ml standard cup, to the 1L "ton-ton bucket," and now to a 1500ml basin-sized iced Americano recently launched by a coffee shop in Shanghai, coffee capacity keeps pushing the limits of imagination. Large-capacity iced coffee from South Korea once made Chinese consumers envious, and now domestic brands have joined the super-sized cup trend one after another: Seesaw launched a 1.5L shareable takeaway pack, and the Korean brand onlyprice has even introduced a 2.1L coffee liquid. These super-sized coffees have quickly gone viral thanks to their visual impact and high cost-performance ratio, and have been jokingly called by netizens the life-extending elixir for office workers. However, many people are also worried about the health effects of excessive consumption, with issues such as heart palpitations and insomnia sparking discussion. This article will walk you through the phenomenon and controversy behind this coffee capacity race. [more…]

There are more and more coffee festivals, and baristas are often extremely busy. But at the seventh coffee festival held in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, a super-large coffee brewing device satisfied the coffee needs of over a thousand people at once—it is said that one brew could produce about 4,800 cups of coffee. This device consists of three parts: a water tank, a giant dripper, and a receiving container. Its appearance closely resembles an enlarged pour-over setup, using 150 pounds of local Arabica coffee beans and about 300 gallons of hot water. Although its brewing method is closer to that of a drip coffee maker, and the flavor may not be outstanding, its efficiency is astonishing. This article will take you through the structure of this device, how it operates, and the interesting details behind it. [more…]

This summer, bucket-sized fruit teas quietly took over milk tea shop menus. From Heytea and Nayuki to ChaPanda and CoCo, major brands have rolled out 1-liter or even larger bucket drinks, attracting consumers with high cost-performance. Bucket tea drinks are nothing new—back in 2019, they went viral thanks to Jay Chou fan support, and in 2020 Nayuki even launched a 5-liter "mighty bucket." However, issues like the short optimal drinking window and rapid bacterial growth in bucket tea drinks cannot be ignored. From giant buckets to portable packs, what evolution has bucket tea drinks undergone? And why have this summer's bucket fruit teas made a comeback? This article will break it all down for you. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's co-branded campaign with the popular IP Butterbear launched on September 30, introducing four themed cups and a Little Butter drink series that drew widespread attention from fans. However, after the campaign began, many consumers reported that orders placed through third-party platforms such as Ele.me did not come with the co-branded stickers, which was inconsistent with the official promotion's promise of "free with any 2 cups." Customer service responded that peripherals could only be obtained by ordering through the Luckin App or mini-program, prompting consumer questions about the lack of transparency in channel rules. The incident reflects the problem of inconsistent messaging in brands' multi-platform marketing and serves as a reminder that consumers should carefully confirm giveaway conditions before placing orders. [more…]

With over 600 million daily active users and the powerful momentum of livestream e-commerce, Douyin is becoming a new battleground for major beverage brands competing for online traffic. From Luckin and Starbucks to Manner and Tims, and further to Heytea and Nayuki, almost all well-known beverage brands have launched ultra-low-priced group-buy packages on Douyin, with prices far lower than ordering in stores or via mini-programs. Luckin's "male model squad" livestream once sparked heated discussion, with group-buy deals for Coconut Latte at only 14.5 yuan; Starbucks' 19-yuan breakfast package sold over 860,000 cups; Nayuki's 9.9-yuan single-item coffee surpassed one million orders. Behind this online price war is brands' deep strategic push for local exposure and secondary in-store consumption. This article gives you a full picture of this Douyin beverage battle. [more…]

The environmental problems of single-use paper cups are becoming increasingly severe, and the coffee industry has been searching for alternatives. From the failed attempt with cone cups in 2014, to the brief popularity of KFC's cookie cups, and then to the unexpected revival of oat cups during the pandemic, edible coffee cups have gone through three generations of technological iteration. This article will review the development history, technological breakthroughs, and market dilemmas of edible cups, and explore whether they can truly replace single-use cups and become a new environmentally friendly choice for coffee shops. [more…]

Bringing your own cup to buy drinks at coffee shops has become an eco-friendly habit for some consumers, and chain brands such as Starbucks and Manner have long offered BYO cup discounts to encourage reducing single-use cup usage. However, in reality, it seems that not many people truly stick to bringing their own cups, and the tables in coffee shops are still dominated by takeaway cups. Why are consumers not buying into BYO cup discounts? Some value saving money but give up because the discounts cannot be stacked; some pursue efficiency and feel that bringing their own cup actually wastes time; others encounter troubles such as capacity mismatch, forgetting to bring the cup, or the cup having an odor. Although bringing your own cup causes many inconveniences, for long-term coffee drinkers, the money saved can buy a few more cups, and some even pass off disposable cups as their own, leaving baristas not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Front Street Coffee reminds us that the environmental friendliness and cost savings of bringing your own cup still need to find a balance with convenience. [more…]

Coffee is worth savoring slowly, and only the right cup can present a cup of coffee perfectly. Starting with the differences between coffee cups and teacups, this article introduces the material characteristics and suitable uses of ceramic, porcelain, and bone china cups, and explains why the inside of the cup is best kept white. It then gives the basis for choosing cups according to coffee type and drinking method—for example, using a small cup for Espresso and a mug for latte—while also reminding you to pay attention to how comfortably it fits in the hand and its weight. Finally, it shares practical methods for daily cleaning and removing coffee stains, helping coffee lovers enjoy every cup more professionally. [more…]

Drinking coffee is not just a treat for the taste buds—the right cup matters just as much. This article systematically breaks down the differences between coffee cups and tea cups, the material characteristics of pottery, porcelain, and bone china, how the interior color of a cup affects the observation of the coffee liquid, and practical advice on choosing cup shapes according to the type of coffee. It also explains in detail the suitable scenarios for three capacity specifications—under 100cc, around 200cc, and over 300cc—and shares cup-warming methods, cleaning taboos, and bone china care guidelines, helping coffee lovers elevate their tasting experience through the details. [more…]

A coffee cup is not just a vessel for holding coffee—its material, size, color, and even the shape of the rim all influence how a cup of coffee expresses its aroma and temperature. Ceramic cups and porcelain cups convey distinctly different attitudes toward coffee, while bone china cups allow coffee to cool more slowly and preserve its flavors more completely; different capacities correspond to drinking styles such as black, with milk, or au lait; and a white interior makes it easier to observe the coffee's color. Coffee cups and black tea cups also differ in rim width, wall thickness, and translucency. In addition, the direction in which the cup is placed, the steps for warming it, and the way it is cleaned are all details that cannot be overlooked if you want to preserve coffee's rich aroma. Below, together with Front Street Coffee's recommendations, let's sort through all these finer points. [more…]

Manner Coffee's bring-your-own-cup discount has always been a highlight attracting consumers, and many customers, in order to save 5 yuan, are used to bringing their own cups to buy coffee every day. However, recently a customer was refused by a barista when using a Nai Xue limited-edition milk tea cup, while on social media someone succeeded in buying with the same type of cup, raising questions about inconsistent enforcement standards across Manner stores. At the same time, whether plastic takeaway cups can be used as bring-your-own cups has also become a hot topic of discussion. This article will sort through the course of events, the differences in plastic materials, and the views of various parties, and bring related recommendations from the Front Street brand. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, the choice of cupware is by no means a trivial matter. Coffee cups made of different materials deliver completely different tasting experiences—ceramic cups are robust and rustic, suited to dark, intense coffees; porcelain cups are fine and smooth, and bone china in particular brings out the delicate flavors of coffee even better. Cup shape and size are equally key: small cups of 60 to 80 ml suit pure single-origin tastings, standard cups of 120 to 140 ml are convenient for mixing, and mugs of 300 ml or more pair perfectly with milk coffee. In addition, a white interior best sets off the coffee's color, and coffee cups and tea cups are clearly distinguished by shape and light transmission. This article also covers warming techniques and everyday cleaning methods, and recommends related cupware choices from Front Street Coffee, helping enthusiasts enhance coffee flavor through the details. [more…]

Walking into Front Street Coffee, ceramic cups of various sizes are neatly arranged on the espresso machine. These cups are not placed randomly but correspond to the serving needs of different coffees. The capacity of a coffee cup often hints at the intensity of the drink within—the smaller the cup, the more concentrated the coffee. A small cup holds about 60ml, used for espresso or as a sharing cup for pour-over; a medium cup holds 180-200ml, suitable for Americano and cappuccino; a large cup holds 300ml, the stage for milk coffees like latte and mocha. This article breaks down in detail the capacity, uses, and pairing logic of Front Street's three cup sizes, helping you choose the right cup at home and drink with professional standards. [more…]

Walking into Front Street Coffee, the rows of ceramic cups of varying sizes on the espresso machine are not placed randomly—each specification corresponds to a specific coffee category and serving standard. The differences in coffee cup capacity not only help drinkers quickly judge the strength of the coffee, but also directly affect the presentation of flavor and heat retention. This article will systematically sort out the three coffee cup sizes used by Front Street Coffee—the 60ml small cup, the 180-200ml medium cup, and the 300ml large cup—and explain one by one the coffee types they are each suited for, the serving parameters, and the flavor performance, from espresso to Americano, cappuccino, and then latte, guiding you to understand the professional logic behind coffee cups. [more…]

Faced with the dazzling array of coffee cups on the market, many people wonder: can a cup really change the taste of coffee? And what cup shapes should different drinks be paired with? Starting from the coffee cups commonly used at Front Street, this article sorts out the effects of four dimensions—material, size, thickness, and cup shape—on coffee flavor, and gives specific cup selection suggestions for common coffees such as hot latte, cappuccino, flat white, Dirty, and pour-over. Whether you are a beginner enthusiast or a barista making drinks every day, you can find practical purchasing ideas here, so that every cup of coffee can show its best side. [more…]

Cupping is a common method used in the coffee industry to evaluate bean quality, but why not use pour-over instead? This question takes us back to the origins of cupping. Cupping originated in the 1980s in the American coffee trade; in order to quickly, conveniently, and with minimal human intervention test large batches of coffee beans, immersion extraction came into being. Today cupping is widely used in competitions, appraisal, and research. This article will introduce in detail the standard parameters and complete process of cupping, including grinding, pouring water, breaking the crust, skimming, and tasting, and will also explain the definition of triangle cupping and how it differs from regular cupping. Front Street Coffee will also share a method for easily doing cupping at home to help you improve your tasting ability. [more…]

Coffee aroma is volatile, and the higher the temperature, the faster it dissipates, so some have proposed using low-temperature containers to lock in the aroma. Front Street Coffee compared three types of pour-over coffee vessels—a high-temperature cup, a room-temperature cup, and a frozen cup—to test whether cup temperature truly affects coffee aroma and flavor performance. The experiment used Kenya Asaliya coffee beans with uniform brewing parameters, and the results showed that cup temperature mainly changes the temperature of the coffee when it enters the mouth, rather than the amount of aroma, but temperature differences do indeed cause noticeable changes in flavor perception. This article will present the experimental process and conclusions in detail, and offer cup selection suggestions for different weather conditions. [more…]

Cupping is a core method used in the coffee industry to objectively evaluate coffee flavor and quality, and it is also an important part of barista training. This article systematically reviews the significance and operational logic of cupping, and compares in detail three approaches: the Brazilian cupping method, the SCAA standard cupping method, and the pour-over cupping method recommended by Front Street Coffee. The article points out that Brazilian cupping focuses on identifying defects and is a negative evaluation; SCAA cupping emphasizes positive assessment of aroma and flavor; while the cupping method used by Front Street Coffee simulates daily brewing equipment and is closer to actual cafe output. The three methods each have different emphases in roast level, extraction method, and evaluation items, and understanding these differences helps roasters and coffee professionals judge coffee quality more accurately. [more…]

During the Spring Festival, major chain beverage brands rolled out limited-edition packaging to create a festive atmosphere. Yidianji's New Year spinning cup won widespread praise on social media thanks to its ingenious design: the cup body can rotate, revealing different blessings through a small cut-out window. However, many consumers specifically placed orders with notes requesting this limited-edition cup, only to receive their drinks in ordinary cups, sparking widespread complaints. The reasons given by stores included that the cup was not suitable for cold drinks, that it was limited to a daily quota, or that it could not be used with the ice cream topping—and some stores simply said they did not have the cup at all. The gap between the brand's statements and the stores' actual execution left expectant consumers confused and disappointed. [more…]