Taiwan Convenience Stores Sell Pour-Over Coffee for NT$60

When you’re craving a quality cup of coffee but don’t want to wait in line at a specialty shop—or pay boutique prices—you might be surprised to find a new option at your local convenience store in Taiwan. Recently, these everyday retailers have begun testing the waters of the growing manual brew market, offering freshly made pour-over coffee right at the counter.

The answer is simple: for just NT$60 (about US$1.85), Taiwan’s convenience stores are selling freshly brewed pour-over coffee—with a brewing time around four minutes, roughly double that of a standard espresso-based drink. The price is slightly higher than regular brewed coffee, but so is the flavour complexity.

Convenience Stores Test the Pour-Over Market

In March 2024, reports from Taiwanese media highlighted a new trend: convenience stores in Taipei began offering hand-brewed pour-over coffee as a trial. Two locations installed dedicated filter cones and began manually brewing coffee for customers on-site. Staff grind fresh beans and pour hot water through the grounds right in front of shoppers. The result? A cup of pour-over coffee sold for NT$60—more than the typical NT$45–55 for standard brewed coffee, but considerably cheaper than the NT$90 or more charged by speciality cafés.

The brewing process takes about four minutes, compared to just two minutes for a standard espresso drink. That extra time reflects the care required in pour-over methods, which many customers are willing to wait for, especially those trying drip coffee for the first time.

Retailers Expand With Drip Coffee Options

Beyond convenience stores, Taiwan’s hypermarkets and supermarkets have also embraced the pour-over boom. Over the past two years, sales of drip bags in these stores have surged 17 times. To meet demand, outlets like Carrefour and RT-Mart have installed free coffee bean grinders for customers and expanded their coffee accessory aisles.

Carrefour introduced a lightweight hand-crank grinder and imported Italian and Japanese single-origin beans. RT-Mart pushed its private-label coffee capsules, achieving a 50% sales increase. Meanwhile, A-mart featured electric grinders priced under NT$1,000, boosting their overall coffee equipment sales by 20%. Each retailer is experimenting with different formats—and all are seeing strong results.

What Makes Pour-Over Different

Pour-over coffee involves manually pouring hot water over freshly ground coffee in a filter cone. Unlike espresso or standard drip machines, this method gives baristas (or staff) control over water temperature, pour rate, and contact time. The result is often a cleaner cup with brighter acidity and more distinct flavour notes. In Taiwan’s trial, the pour-over coffee took about four minutes to brew—roughly double the speed of a standard espresso shot—and was priced at NT$60, reflecting both the time and the higher-quality output.

The extended brew time and hands-on technique are part of what makes pour-over appealing to coffee enthusiasts, even when purchased from a non-specialist retailer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does pour-over coffee cost at Taiwan convenience stores?

Pour-over coffee is being sold at two Taipei convenience store locations for NT$60 per cup. This is slightly higher than the typical NT$45–55 for standard brewed coffee, but lower than the NT$90+ charged by specialty cafés.

How long does it take to make pour-over coffee at convenience stores?

The pour-over coffee brewing process takes approximately four minutes, which is about twice as long as the standard two-minute preparation time for regular espresso-based drinks. Customers may need to wait during busy periods.

Why have drip bags become so popular in Taiwan supermarkets?

Drip bag sales in Taiwan hypermarkets have increased 17 times over the past two years. Retailers have responded by adding in-store grinders, expanding coffee bean selections, and offering accessories—all of which have driven strong consumer interest and sales growth.

What’s the difference between pour-over and standard brewed coffee?

Pour-over coffee is made by manually pouring hot water through ground coffee in a filter, allowing for greater control over variables like water temperature and brew time. This usually results in a cleaner, more acidic, and flavourful cup compared to standard machine-brewed coffee, which often uses a faster, less customisable process.

Which retailers in Taiwan are selling pour-over or drip coffee products?

In addition to two Taipei convenience stores, major Taiwanese retailers like Carrefour, RT-Mart, and A-mart are selling drip bags, private-label capsules, and offering in-store grinders. Some stores also feature affordable electric grinders and imported beans to cater to home brewers.

Recommended FrontStreet Coffee Beans for Pour-Over

For pour-over fans, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedeb for bright citrus, berry, and floral notes with a sweet, tea-like finish. Or choose the Ethiopia Humbera for intense tropical fruit aromas and a juicy, low-acid profile. For something more complex, the Kenya Little Tomato offers bold acidity with notes of tomato, blackcurrant, and stone fruit. All three shine when brewed with a pour-over method. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.