Pu’er Coffee

 The first time I tried a Dirty coffee served in an ultra-low-temperature ice cup was back in 2023, at UNCLE SHU Coffee in Binjiang, Hangzhou. It was my first real encounter with that striking “hot-meets-cold” contrast, and the experience left a strong impression. Dirty coffee is something most coffee lovers in China are already familiar with. It’s fairly common in cafés across Asia, yet you’ll rarely find it in Europe or the U.S. At its core, a Dirty is simple: ice-cold milk topped with hot espresso. This collision of temperatures creates a dramatic, almost theatrical drinking experience that many people love. In recent years, however, a new trend has taken things to the extreme—using ice cups chilled to −86°C to make Dirty coffee. Compared with a traditional Dirty, which usually uses milk and a cup chilled to around 4°C, a −86°C ice cup paired with espresso at roughly 65–70°C creates a temperature difference of more than 150°C. This extreme contrast delivers a sharper, more int...

 Dirty, also known as “dirty coffee,” became the signature item of many cafés because of its unique look, flavor contrast, and drinking experience. After tasting its charm in a coffee shop, many people instantly become diehard fans. And once they buy their own espresso machine, the first thing they want to recreate at home is—of course—a Dirty. Even though Dirty coffee requires only two ingredients—milk and espresso—making it isn’t as simple as pouring one into the other. There are many key details involved. And these details aren’t just for show; they are what make a Dirty truly a Dirty. They are what separate it from any regular milk-based coffee drink. Many people struggle to capture that layered, contrasting experience simply because they overlook these details, which is why their homemade Dirty tastes nothing like the one at the café. So today, I’m going to walk you through the mistakes beginners often make when making Dirty coffee—and how to fix them—so you can create a versi...