Luckin Coffee Trending! Why So Much Ice in Coffee and Milk Tea Shop Beverages?

Luckin Coffee Faces Backlash Over Ice-Heavy Drinks

Recently, a number of consumers took to social media to complain that Luckin Coffee's iced drinks contain excessive ice, and that asking for "no ice" leaves the cup far from full. The complaints have drawn widespread attention.

Yesterday the topic "Luckin Coffee criticized for half-full cups after removing ice" climbed to the top of Weibo's trending list. The uproar began when a user posted on Xiaohongshu: "Luckin's no-ice policy not filling the cup is getting more and more outrageous," sharing photos of two coffees they had received.

In the comments, many users said they had run into the same problem. One described manually removing the ice from an iced milk coffee and comparing it with a colleague's full cup ordered with a "no ice" note, only to find the volume reduced by more than half. Others added, "After removing the ice, only half a cup remains," and "Luckin's coconut latte is like hunting for latte in ice."

An Industry-Wide Pattern

On the question of a high ice-to-liquid ratio, some users noticed that Luckin is not alone. "Starbucks also comes up short on milliliters without ice," one wrote, and "It is not just coffee; all milk teas have more ice than liquid." For an unchanged volume, they suggested, "you can drink hot coffee, which is basically a full cup."

In fact, complaints about Luckin's heavy ice have circulated on social platforms for the past two years, with users sharing their frustrations and posting photos of cups packed with ice.

"Now I understand how Luckin turned a loss into a profit this fiscal year," wrote one consumer who bought an iced latte and could not push the straw to the bottom because of the ice. "Luckin's ice is free!" "The ice blocked the straw!" "Did I pay for a cup of ice?" "As long as I drink fast enough, they cannot dilute my coconut latte!"

Luckin's Response

Faced with the online complaints, Luckin Coffee's official Xiaohongshu account responded promptly in the comments, saying it would "immediately look into the specific situation." Staff later contacted the consumer and acknowledged that "the coffee volume was indeed insufficient."

According to a video report by Jiupai News, after a phone call to Luckin's official customer service, the company's response was that all store drinks are made to standard recipes and procedures with fixed cup volumes. "We will pass this situation on to the relevant departments and will strengthen store training and management going forward."

Luckin's customer service also explained how customers can raise issues with an order. "If your drink has other problems, call us using the phone number you ordered with and we will help you resolve them."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you would rather control the ice yourself and build a fuller, more consistent cup at home, the bean you pair with milk matters as much as the pour. For espresso and moka pot drinks, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend and Commercial Blend are the first picks: both add a small proportion of Robusta for generous golden crema and a thick, caramel-rich body, and both make a latte or cappuccino that holds up to milk without turning thin.

For the nuttiest, creamiest milk drinks, reach for FrontStreet Specialty Blend or Black Cocoa Blend. Both are built around a large share of Brazilian beans, giving comforting nut, cream, and peanut notes with a silky body. The Specialty Blend layers in Colombia's nut, chocolate, and caramel character with moderate acidity, while FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend balances mature Yunnan plum acidity against a creamy chocolate aroma, making it equally good as an Americano, a latte, or a flavored signature drink.

If you want a milk coffee with fruit and floral lift, FrontStreet Colombia Papayo is a double anaerobic natural from the Finca La Divisoria in Colombia at 1,650 to 1,800 meters, medium-light roasted to keep its jasmine and citrus aroma and a juicy blend of passion fruit, blueberry, grape, and apricot, with a long cocoa finish. For cold drinks in particular, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Gesha Blend and FrontStreet Mozart add a soft strawberry and raisin sweetness that stays clear even with a little milk.