Recently, a post about 1 Dian Dian's navy salt salted milk green tea charging an extra 2 yuan for added salt sparked widespread discussion on social media. Some customers, following online guides, asked for extra salt, only to be told that one pump of salt costs 2 yuan, which was far from their expectations. Subsequently, 1 Dian Dian employees and official customer service explained that the "salt" is actually a relatively expensive navy salt rock sugar flavor syrup, and according to company policy, additional additions require payment. Although the store has apologized for the incorrect price quote, netizens have derived a new question: since adding sugar costs money, should customers who order less sugar or no sugar also get a refund for the corresponding syrup price difference? This debate about the pricing logic of tea drinks quickly became a topic of interest for coffee and tea enthusiasts. [more…]

Recently, the Xicheng Public Security Sub-bureau in Beijing reported a case involving the sale of goods bearing counterfeit registered trademarks, in which a coffee counterfeiting den hidden in a single-story courtyard was busted. Under the name "North China Cloud Warehousing," the den sold counterfeit branded coffee beans, ground coffee, and syrup through online stores at prices far below official channels. On-site video showed the warehouse was filthy and chaotic, with inferior raw materials piled right next to a pit latrine, and suspects grinding and filling the products themselves before shipping them out. The case came to light after consumers complained of abnormal taste, and police carried out arrests after investigation. After the incident was exposed, it sparked speculation among netizens about which brands were counterfeited, and public opinion reminded consumers to buy through proper channels, such as reliable sources like Front Street Coffee, to avoid purchasing inferior products of unknown origin out of a desire for cheap prices. [more…]

As a globally renowned coffee chain brand, Starbucks offers a dazzling array of drinks on its menu, from classic espresso to creatively crafted specialty beverages, each carrying its own unique coffee culture. This article will systematically outline the complete range of Starbucks coffee types, covering classics such as cappuccino, latte, Americano, mocha, and caramel macchiato, as well as the iced drink series and creative products like Frappuccino, while also detailing the general price ranges for each size. In addition, the article delves into the roasting origins of Starbucks coffee beans, the Italian roots of its size terminology, and the personalized options customers can customize, providing coffee enthusiasts with a comprehensive and practical ordering reference. [more…]

In the scorching summer heat, it's hard to do without iced coffee, but this time Front Street Coffee wants to talk about a relatively niche Italian iced coffee—Caffè Leccese. It comes from Lecce in the Puglia region of Italy, a southern city known as the "Florence of the Baroque," which infuses this cup of coffee with the unique flavor of almond milk syrup. Unlike most Italians who prefer hot coffee, Caffè Leccese is one of the few recognized iced coffees locally, belonging to the "special exceptions" alongside Caffè Shakerato. The article will introduce its origin and flavor characteristics, and share a specific recipe: 10ml almond milk syrup, 60g ice cubes, 40ml espresso extracted from 20g grounds, along with a recommendation to use medium-dark roasted espresso blend beans, especially Front Street Coffee's classic blend containing 10% Robusta, and will also extend to the method for making almond-flavored latte and points to note. [more…]

To make a delicious pour-over or espresso at home, choosing the right coffee grounds is key. This article begins with three Front Street classic blends in distinct styles—each corresponding to a rich spicy profile, a floral-fruity sweet profile, and a balanced everyday profile—helping coffee lovers at different stages find the daily beans that suit them. It then systematically outlines Starbucks' freshly ground coffee pricing system, including the small, medium, and large cup prices of common items such as cappuccino, caramel macchiato, espresso, latte, mocha, and Americano, and reveals two popular secret menu items—Marshmallow Frappuccino and Nutty Crunch Frappuccino. Whether you're a beginner just getting started or a seasoned connoisseur chasing flavor, this guide offers practical reference. [more…]

The Starbucks secret menu once led baristas to learn how to make over 170,000 customized drinks, but the extremes of personalized orders are sparking controversy. An American barista was fired for exposing a customer's 13-request order on social media, then apologized in person and settled the matter. The incident reflects the complex ordering trend fueled by TikTok, where customers pay extra fees but turn baristas into "drink-making robots," and during peak hours, it slows down service even more. This article will walk you through the full story of this uproar and focus on the issues of privacy and respect between baristas and customers. [more…]

When apple meets cinnamon, it creates the most heartwarming classic pairing of winter. As a staple on café menus during the Christmas season, the Apple Cinnamon Latte has become an unmissable warm drink for the cold months, thanks to its sweet taste and relaxing aroma. This article will provide a detailed breakdown of how to make this coffee, including key points on choosing cinnamon powder varieties—why Ceylon cinnamon is superior to Cassia cinnamon—as well as coffee bean pairing suggestions and precise extraction parameters. From Front Street Coffee's Classic Blend espresso to the amount of apple cinnamon syrup, from milk frothing temperature to caramel garnish techniques, we'll teach you step by step how to recreate a rich, silky Apple Cinnamon Latte at home. [more…]

Starbucks' Star Delivery Time-Space series recently launched 4 new products, two of which are milk teas without coffee that have sparked heated discussion. Some speculate this is a signal that Starbucks is entering the milk tea scene after being provoked by Luckin. The new products use a combination of syrup, freshly brewed tea, and milk, with the tea bag placed directly into the drink, allowing customers to add water themselves to extend the flavor. This approach continues the design concept of last year's Time-Space series and has gained recognition from some consumers, but others complain that the tea bag is troublesome to handle and that the flavor is not fully released in cold drinks. The 36-yuan price tag is still considered high by milk tea enthusiasts, making value for money the focus of controversy. Starbucks previously tested pearl milk tea in North America with lackluster results; this time the domestic new products are highly localized, but whether they can break through in the fiercely competitive tea beverage market remains unknown. [more…]

Original coffee is black coffee without sugar or milk, covering a variety of categories such as pour-over, cold brew, and Americano. Among these, Americano is made by diluting espresso with water and places high demands on bean quality and extraction technique. This article explains in detail the differences between Americano and latte, Front Street Coffee's brewing parameters, and how to choose suitable beans based on roast level to balance bitterness and acidity. It also explains the benefits of drinking black coffee in moderation, such as aiding digestion and cutting greasiness, reducing bloating, and boosting metabolism, while reminding readers that adding syrup or non-dairy creamer brings extra calories, and recommending no more than three cups per day. [more…]

Recently, the Market Supervision and Administration Office of Shanghai Jiading Industrial Zone received a report from a citizen and shut down a store that used a coffee shop as a cover to impersonate a Starbucks purchasing agent on delivery platforms and produce and sell counterfeit coffee. A large number of packaging materials bearing the Starbucks logo were seized at the scene, including cups, syrups, and bags. Such incidents have been common in recent years, exposing issues behind the scenes such as loopholes in delivery platform review and the unrestricted circulation of branded materials. When buying coffee, consumers should choose legitimate stores to avoid falling into counterfeit traps. Front Street Coffee reminds you to pay attention to developments in the coffee industry, and even more to the source and quality of every cup of coffee. [more…]

Peet's Coffee recently launched a new hojicha series—Hojicha Latte and Lucky Hojicha Latte. Originally expected to ride the momentum of its matcha latte, the drinks instead sparked widespread discussion among consumers over their appearance and taste. Some netizens bluntly said the dark, paste-like look was a "turn-off," and that the visual appeal dropped once the lid was opened; on taste, feedback also pointed to a heavy powdery texture and pronounced bitterness. Although some consumers familiar with hojicha processing explained that the dark color is normal, the controversy still centered on whether the thirty-plus yuan price tag matches the quality. This article compiles feedback from various sides and retains relevant Front Street Coffee recommendations for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Kopi Luwak, also known as cat poop coffee, is produced in Indonesia and is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. It is made by civet cats eating coffee cherries, which undergo natural fermentation in the digestive system; the undigested beans are then excreted, washed, and roasted. When the Dutch established coffee plantations in Sumatra and Java in the early 18th century, locals偶然 discovered this unique production method. Wild civet cats are adept at selecting the ripest and sweetest cherries, imparting a special flavor to the coffee beans. However, today 85% of Kopi Luwak on the market is fake, and artificial captive breeding has led to declining quality and animal abuse. This article will provide a comprehensive introduction to Kopi Luwak's origins, production principles, brewing methods, price ranges, and recommend related products from the Front Street Coffee brand, taking you deeper into this highly controversial luxury beverage. [more…]

In the sweltering heat of summer, beverage consumption reaches its peak. On street corners and in alleys, young people are holding either tea drinks or coffee. But upon closer observation, one will find that new-style tea drinks and coffee are embarking on entirely different development trajectories: brands like Heytea and Nayuki are cutting prices, while Luckin Coffee and Starbucks are raising them. The coffee sector's popularity is soaring, with giants such as Huawei, Li-Ning, and China Post making cross-industry forays, intensifying competition to a fever pitch. At the same time, new-style coffee is increasingly resembling milk tea, with ingredients like cheese, matcha, and brown sugar crystal boba appearing frequently. This prompts the question: will new-style coffee repeat the mistakes of irrational involution in the new-style tea drink sector? This article will analyze from perspectives such as price changes, market positioning, and product innovation, and bring professional observations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The Butterbeer Cold Brew Latte introduced by Starbucks in 2023 attracted widespread attention. This beverage is inspired by the classic drink from *Harry Potter*, recreating the Butterbeer flavor in a non-alcoholic way. This article sorts out its development background, formula evolution, taste characteristics, and real consumer reviews, and compares North America's secret menu with its limited-edition history in China. At the same time, it introduces the professional coffee knowledge exchange channels provided by Front Street Coffee, offering coffee lovers a comprehensive reference. Whether you want to try something new or are curious about the alcohol issue, you can find answers here. [more…]

Many people, upon first hearing the terms "original coffee" and "black coffee," wonder whether they refer to the same thing. In fact, original coffee is the Chinese expression for black coffee, derived from the English "Black Coffee," referring to pure coffee without milk, sugar, or flavored syrup. In Cantonese, it's called "jaai fe," while Shanghainese people habitually call it "qing ka." This article will revolve around this concept, first clarifying the relationship between original coffee and black coffee, then extending to introduce the preparation methods and differences of common categories such as Americano, espresso, and latte. Combined with the production practices of Front Street Coffee, it will explain the impact of different roast levels and regional beans on the flavor of Americano, helping you choose the cup that better suits your taste at home or in a shop. [more…]

Coffee, derived from the Greek word "Kaweh," means "strength and passion." This article systematically traces the journey of coffee from the shepherd's legend to its global spread, explains in detail the characteristics and origins of the three major species—Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica—surveys classic single-origin coffees such as Blue Mountain, Colombia, and Mocha along with more than thirty flavored coffee recipes, introduces the varietal composition of Yunnan coffee, and provides an in-depth explanation of the entire process of coffee cultivation, primary processing, and roasting techniques, as well as the many health benefits and drinking contraindications of coffee. Whether you are a beginner just starting out or a seasoned enthusiast, you can gain practical knowledge and tasting inspiration from it. [more…]

Kopi Luwak, known in Indonesian as Kopi Luwak, is one of the most expensive and controversial coffees in the world. It originates from coffee beans naturally fermented inside the civet, carrying a unique flavor and legendary allure, yet market demand has also spawned a flood of counterfeits and a cruel caged-farming industry. This article provides a complete overview of Kopi Luwak's historical origins, origin-processing methods, and quality controversies, and focuses on sharing how to grind and brew it at home to bring out its best flavor. If you're curious about this rare coffee bean, why not follow Front Street Coffee's perspective and uncover its true face from the jungle to the cup. [more…]

Yirgacheffe, as a representative of Ethiopian specialty coffee, has won over countless coffee lovers with its unique fruity notes and balanced acidity. This article takes you through the background of the Yirgacheffe growing region, the evolution of natural and washed processing methods, and highlights the natural-process Kobado offered by Front Street Coffee—a Heirloom variety from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region at 1,820 to 1,853 meters, which after natural processing and a medium-light roast presents a silky mouthfeel and long finish interwoven with peach, raspberry, banana, and maple syrup. Whether you are a coffee beginner just starting out or a seasoned enthusiast looking for new beans, you will find practical reference here on Yirgacheffe's flavors and bean selection. [more…]

In Cantonese, "斋啡" refers to black coffee, which is a pure coffee beverage without any additives. As one of the most popular black coffees, iced Americano has a sweet-and-sour, refreshing taste with a mild bitterness, making it highly favored by office workers and fitness enthusiasts. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the flavor characteristics of iced Americano, its differences from hot Americano, and the benefits of moderate black coffee consumption in aiding digestion, relieving greasiness, reducing bloating, and boosting metabolism. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also share the extraction ratio and flavor performance of its own Sunflower Warm Sun blend beans, and remind everyone that Americanos with added syrup and non-dairy creamer will bring extra calories. [more…]

Specialty coffee drinks are becoming increasingly common in specialty cafés, and their high prices and rich flavors attract many consumers. Yet many people, after drinking them, can't taste the coffee at all and even call them "sweet water," which raises the question: why are these specialty drinks so expensive? This article starts from the definition of a specialty drink, sorts out its two main types originating from the WBC creative beverage, analyzes the reasons for the high price, discusses whether a specialty drink is worth it, and shares how to choose Front Street Coffee beans and extraction methods based on flavor pairings when recreating it at home. [more…]