Chinese Coffee Brand Rankings: China Coffee Bean Brand Development Trends and Reasons for Low-priced Domestic Coffee Beans

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China's Coffee Production Analysis

Puer's domestic coffee bean production peaked in 2016 at 900,000 bags. Puer has a fairly short history of coffee cultivation, only becoming widespread in the 1980s, and most of its varieties are Catimor. Baoshan ranks second, followed by Lincang in third place, Dehong in fourth, and Banna in fifth; Honghe, Wenshan, Dali, and Nujiang also produce smaller volumes. Puer also has the largest planting area, reaching 40,000 hectares, followed by Lincang, then Banna, Baoshan, Dali, Dehong, Nujiang, Honghe, and Wenshan.

From 2008 to 2015, China's coffee planting area showed steady growth. However, in the 2015/16 production season the planted area declined, mainly because domestic coffee cherry and green bean prices stayed low - significantly below New York futures prices. Farmers could no longer sustain their livelihoods growing coffee and cut down large numbers of trees, especially the so-called "old varieties" that were low-yielding and disease-prone (in fact Typica and Bourbon), leaving behind the high-yield Catimor trees. Since 2008, China's total domestic coffee bean production has followed a steady upward trend, but the main driver is not domestic consumption.

Since 2005, China's total coffee exports have also shown steady growth. In 2015, exports suddenly dropped from 1.75 million bags in 2014 to 1.1 million bags; in 2016 they rebounded to 1.82 million bags, only to slide back to 1.19 million bags in 2017. This electrocardiogram-like pattern of dramatic swings illustrates precisely that China's coffee cultivation industry has faced a serious "on-year/off-year" crisis since 2014. The causes may be climate change linked to environmental pollution, or carelessness in cultivation and harvesting. As for the political and economic dimensions, we will not comment further. For the future of China's coffee export industry, the priority is to educate farmers to cultivate high-quality coffee with dedication - and, even more importantly, to raise cherry and green bean prices so as to restore farmers' confidence. Most of all, farmers need peace of mind when growing coffee, which calls for attention from the relevant authorities across the entire coffee industry chain and from society as a whole.

The distribution of coffee exports across customs offices is extremely unbalanced. Nearly three-quarters of coffee beans are exported through Guangzhou's Huangpu Customs, followed by Shenzhen. In other words, almost all coffee produced in China leaves the country through Guangdong. Why? Yunnan accounts for 99% of national production, so why is Yunnan not the major export hub? The answer is simple: most of China's coffee exports are not green beans but processed coffee products - roasted beans, instant coffee, or 3-in-1 mixes. This structure suppresses farmers' incomes: the more middlemen involved, the lower the price paid for green beans, because roasters and processors cut costs by squeezing the farmers' vital interests. Looking at the global coffee landscape, major producing countries primarily export green beans; China is unusual in exporting coffee derivatives, which is unhealthy. In the long run this will damage China's entire coffee economy - to put it starkly, it could gradually decline toward extinction. Therefore the relevant authorities and society at large should promote domestic green bean exports, raise farmers' incomes, secure the livelihoods of people in the producing regions, and boost domestic coffee consumption. We believe this is achievable.

Although specialty coffee has created quite a stir domestically in recent years, some practitioners chase a series of expensively marketed, pyramid-like certificate systems run by overseas organizations, using them to impress consumers at home. Some green bean suppliers go along with this, importing aged beans and reselling them domestically at high prices, creating a vicious cycle detrimental to the healthy development of China's coffee industry. The bar chart above clearly shows that since 2012, coffee imports from abroad have followed the same on-year/off-year pattern as domestic production - a ripple effect. Domestic production and imports are closely linked. The third wave of specialty coffee emphasizes tasting single-origin coffees from different regions, estates, and varieties. As Chinese coffee professionals, we certainly welcome coffees from different origins to satisfy domestic consumers' curiosity and palates - but our premise, and our cry, is: we want fresh coffee green beans! In 2017, imported bean quantities decreased. If 2018's import volume stays flat or declines further, it will be springtime for domestic coffee. Chinese coffee is genuinely delicious - please don't use a Western flavor framework to dismiss our own country's coffee!

China's coffee consumption has shown steady growth since 2013, which is good news! We only hope this steady growth continues rather than swinging dramatically up and down. Chinese consumers deserve a cup of coffee that is healthy, delicious, and made from fresh ingredients.

Data Analysis from China Customs

The following data is provided by China Customs.

Among the three years from 2015 to 2017, exports of coffee-based beverages (including 3-in-1 mixes) and coffee green beans peaked in 2016 and declined somewhat in 2017. Exports of instant coffee and roasted beans increased year by year.

Among the three years from 2015 to 2017, green bean imports declined slightly, roasted bean imports rose, imports of coffee-based beverages climbed in 2016 but fell in 2017, and instant coffee imports trended upward.

A comparison of China's coffee export volumes from 2015 to 2017 shows green beans with the highest exports and instant coffee the lowest. Have you noticed the interesting contradiction here? Which set of figures should we believe?

A comparison of China's coffee import volumes from 2015 to 2017 shows green beans dominating imports as well. Really? One can imagine the audience's puzzled expressions during the presentation - and one would very much like to know what the speaker was trying to convey.

Domestic Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted domestic coffee bean - Yunnan Small-Bean Typica - offers solid assurance in both brand and quality. More importantly, it delivers exceptional value for money, making it a conscientious recommendation compared with cafe coffee that often costs dozens of yuan per cup.

FrontStreet Coffee is a roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but a diverse range of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known origins, while also providing online store services.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you are just getting into specialty coffee, Yunnan is the natural starting point. China has two coffee-growing regions - Hainan and Yunnan - but Hainan's hot, low-altitude coastal climate cannot support Arabica, so the country's specialty coffee is concentrated in Yunnan. FrontStreet Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee, from Baoshan and washed-processed, delivers classic nut and chocolate flavors in a soft, balanced cup; FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Typica, an ancient Arabica variety grown at 1,300 meters, is cleaner yet, best at a medium roast with hazelnut, dried apricot, black tea, caramel, and ripe plum aromas.

Beyond China, two more entry-level picks stand out. FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is the classic "tasty and affordable" house bean: sun-exposed Brazilian growing conditions ripen the fruit quickly, giving a soft bean with gentle acidity and excellent sweetness, showing cream, peanut, and cocoa when brewed. FrontStreet Panama Boquete Washed Geisha comes from Panama's most representative specialty region with pure Geisha genetics; washed processing lets you taste its signature orange-blossom honeyed sweetness clearly, at a very friendly price - a great way to experience Panama Geisha through many different brewing methods.

Brewing tip: for these entry-level beans, start simple - a V60 or Kalita, a 1:15 ratio, freshly boiled water rested briefly, and even circular pours will comfortably bring out their sweetness and balance.