The coffee world is abuzz with news of the latest coffee import: the $20,000 siphon system Blue Bottle Cafe imported from Japan. The above photo shows part of the large Siphon, which has two large bulbs:
Yes, it is most certainly a spectacle, thanks to the New York Times:
The day we visited Blue Bottle's newly opened Mint Street location, three different single-plantation Ethiopian coffees were on the siphon menu at $10 to $12 a pop. We ordered a siphon of the Golocha Cooperative. The coffee is as good as you'd expect - strong, smooth, with a fantastic finish. This is not the sort of coffee you'd even think of adding cream or sugar to - what a waste that would be.
Since there's a ton of information out on the web about Blue Bottle and siphon systems, I'll avoid the recap and just share some photos from my visit to the cafe.
The water is heated while the coffee is prepared:
The last trickle of water is sucked up into the coffee chamber (somehow I managed to miss getting a photo of the siphonator stirring the grounds as the water makes contact with the coffee):
And then the coffee starts flowing back into the bulb:
The coffee chamber is removed, and the bulb is served at the table. They pour into glass cups that sit on glass saucers, along with a small plate of salty toffee:
I really enjoyed the experience of watching the coffee made and drinking it in a half-empty cafe. If you have time to spare during a visit to San Francisco, and it is an off-peak time, this is a cup of coffee that needs to be included in your list of things that should be experienced. At least once.
