1. Ingredient Differences
| Item | Homemade Coffee | Budget Chain Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee grounds used | 18-20g/cup | 10-12g/cup |
| Milk used | 200-250ml | 250-300ml |
| Bean cost | 3-5 yuan/cup | 1-2 yuan/cup |
Coffee Bean Selection
- Homemade: Premium beans from M2M, Seesaw, Minority, Blue Bottle
- Single origin or quality blending
- Fresh roasting date (within 2 weeks)
- 100% Arabica beans
- Chain: Commercial blending, may include 20-30% Robusta beans
Milk Selection
- Homemade: Pasteurized fresh milk (Yue Xian Huo, Weipin Meiji)
- Protein ≥3.2g/100ml
- Fat content 3.5-4%
- Chain: UHT sterilized milk or reconstituted milk
2. Extraction Process Comparison
Home Professional Coffee Machine
- Extraction time: 20-30 seconds
- Pressure: 9-10 atmospheres
- Water temperature: 92-96°C
- TDS: 9-12%
Chain Store Fully Automated Machine
- Parameters fixed, cannot adjust in real-time
- Extraction quality fluctuates
- TDS: 7-9%
3. Subjective Experience
Homemade coffee:
- Ritual: weighing → brewing/extraction → latte art
- Psychological satisfaction
- Can distinguish origin flavors (Kenyan berries, Guatemala toffee, etc.)
Chain coffee:
- Convenient and fast
- Often adds syrup (15-20g/cup) to cover flavor deficiency
- 75% of consumers choose to add sugar
4. Causes of “Watery” Taste
- Reduced coffee grounds
- Excessive water/ice
- Over-diluted milk
- Under-extraction (TDS<1%)
5. Market Trends
- Approximately 65% of consumers’ main demand is alertness and social needs
- Third choice: Premium coffee chains (like %Arabica) fill market gap
- 30-40 yuan price range provides professional-grade quality