Pu’er Coffee

 When it comes to coffee extraction—whether it's espresso or pour-over—there’s one thing you simply can’t avoid: the filter paper . This small sheet of paper has quietly evolved over the past few years alongside the technological development of specialty coffee. In fact, its evolution has been so dramatic that the word “crazy” might not be an exaggeration. This “craziness” includes innovations in materials, upgrades in functionality, and of course, some pretty crazy price tags as well—haha. Today, I’d like to talk about why filter papers in coffee extraction keep evolving. What exactly are people pursuing when they aim for the ultimate cup of coffee? And what role can filter paper play in shaping the final result? Let’s dive into the “crazy evolution” of coffee filter papers. Different filter papers vary in density, thickness, structure, and permeability , and these factors directly determine the flow rate . Flow rate, in turn, affects coffee extraction, flavor, and mouthfeel. ...

 When it comes to sharing coffee reviews, I don’t just talk about different origins or individual estates. I also like approaching flavor from the perspective of varietals and processing methods. The more detailed your entry point into a tasting, the more layers of enjoyment you unlock. At best, I’m simply offering a starting point—some insights into bean selection and flavor references—so that next time you’re choosing coffee, you’ll pay a little closer attention to certain regions and producers. Today’s feature, Panama’s El Pergamino Estate, is not appearing in my reviews for the first time. I previously shared their Geisha last year. As a well-recognized estate on the Best of Panama (BOP) list, it has long attracted serious coffee enthusiasts. But this time, I want to explore something a bit different: two Yellow Bourbon lots from the same estate, processed using two different anaerobic methods. Comparing their flavors gave me a deeper appreciation of El Pergamino. A prestigiou...

 We all know that coffee drippers usually come in two sizes—large and small. Some people assume that if a large dripper can handle a big dose of coffee, it should naturally work just fine for a smaller dose as well. So why not just buy one large dripper and call it a day? In reality, that way of thinking isn’t ideal. Today, let’s talk about why using a large dripper to brew a small dose of coffee is generally not recommended. Hopefully, this will be helpful—and if it is, feel free to share it with your fellow coffee friends. First, let’s clarify two concepts: how big is a “large” dripper, and how small is a “small” dose? Let’s use the V60 as an example. A V60 labeled 02 is considered a large dripper, designed for brewing coffee for 1–4 people. A “small” dose, in this context, refers to using around 15 grams of coffee , typically brewed at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio . When a large dripper is designed, it’s meant to accommodate a larger amount of coffee grounds —usually 20–30 ...

 You bought beans with a great reputation — so why does your coffee taste off when you brew it at home? Don’t blame the beans first. Most likely the problem is in the brewing steps. Drip-bag coffee looks simple — just pour boiling water, right? There’s a lot more to it. Those drips that come out creamy and smooth with bright fruit or nutty notes weren’t made by chance. Here are four of the most common brewing mistakes, each with practical fixes. Follow them and your next drip-bag brew will taste noticeably better. Mistake 1: Judging water temperature by feel? Boiling water kills the flavor Pouring boiling water straight onto the grounds is a common habit. You might think hotter water brings out more flavor, but the result is often bitter, burnt-tasting coffee that feels harsh on the throat. That’s not the beans’ fault — the high temperature is extracting the “bad” compounds. There are two key groups of compounds in coffee grounds: one group contains the aromatic and fruity/aci...

“WOW!!! Why does your coffee bed look like a perfect bowl—so big and so evenly shaped?!” I’m not exaggerating (okay, maybe a little ). Friends often react this way after watching me finish a pour-over. Most of the time, the coffee bed left in my dripper looks exactly like what you’ve seen—a deep, symmetrical crater. Even though I often say that the final shape of the coffee bed doesn’t determine whether a cup tastes good, it’s hard not to feel a bit mesmerized by a perfectly carved-out coffee crater—especially when you’re just getting into pour-over brewing. Some people can’t help but wonder: How do you make a coffee bed look like that? Why does mine always end up flat? So today, let’s break down how to create a beautiful, bowl-shaped coffee bed—and why, in the end, it has very little to do with flavor. How Do You Create a Deep Crater? You don’t need advanced brewing skills. If you meet these three conditions, forming a bowl-shaped bed is surprisingly easy: Use lower-density coffee ...

 When choosing coffee beans, many people focus on factors like flavor and origin—but “variety” is another angle some coffee lovers consider. Since our Front Street Coffee shops, both online and offline, specialize in selling beans, we often meet customers who pick their beans based on variety alone. The two requests we hear most often are: “I want Gesha,” or, “I want something special that isn’t Gesha.” And Sidra happens to be one of the varieties we recommend for the second group. Since its breakout performance on the world coffee competition stage in 2022, Sidra has become an absolute star—everywhere and impossible to ignore. The reason is simple: this variety truly is special in many ways. So today, we’re going to dive into what makes Sidra so unique, and how you can brew this distinct coffee properly if you’ve purchased our Front Street Sidra. What Exactly Is Sidra? Sidra (also spelled “Sydra” or “Bourbon Sidra”) is a phonetic transliteration of Sidra , a Spanish word me...

 Among all espresso-based drinks, if someone asks which one contains the most milk, most of us would instantly answer: the latte. And lattes come in two main forms—iced (or cold) lattes and hot lattes. Even though the recipe is technically the same, the methods differ to bring out the best flavor in each version, which leads to many detailed variations in preparation. For iced lattes, the ratio between espresso and milk directly determines the overall strength of the drink. But when it comes to hot lattes, flavor isn’t only affected by ratios—milk temperature also plays a crucial role. What Temperature Should the Milk Be for a Hot Latte? The end point of steaming milk is mainly based on whether the temperature is high enough. Generally, in a specialty coffee shop, milk for a hot latte is steamed to around 55–65°C (or at least kept under 70°C). Many people may wonder: why this specific range? Next, we’ll walk through two sets of experiments to understand the reasons behind it. ...