DRINK
Main ExtractionsCONSIDER YOURSELF A COFFEEconnoisseur? If you haven’t visited
San Francisco recently, you’re infor a perk. Inspired by the recent Slow Food movement, many citycoffeehouses have become tasting grounds for subtle and intricatelyprepared brews. Unlike electric-drip varieties served in most cafés andrestaurants, the following purveyors create perfection out of freshlyroasted, handcrafted coffees and several well-honed extraction methods.
By serving only individually brewed cups, the Bay Area’s long-running local chain
Philz Coffee (3101 24th Street, 415-875-9370,
www.philzcoffee.com)converts loyal latte drinkers to drip-coffee drinkers. Baristas producea finely textured brew by placing several tablespoons of one of 20handmade blends into a cup-top paper filter and adding a steady streamof hot water. Mission District’s
Ritual Coffee Roasters (1026 Valencia Street, 415-641-1024,
www.ritualroasters.com) and Potrero Hill’s
Coffee Bar (1890 Bryant Street, 415-551-8100,
www.coffeebar-usa.com)use the Clover, a stainless-steel machine that combines the simplicityof a French-press infusion with the efficiency of a vacuum pump,resulting in a deep, sediment-free coffee. The Clover allowsindividually programmed filter size, water temperature, and brew timeaccording to the coffee’s flavor profile and a customer’s tastes, whichcan be saved in a database for regular patrons. But San Francisco’smost alluring coffee contraption is at
Blue Bottle Café (66 Mint Street, 415-495-3394,
www.bluebottlecoffee.net).Consisting of two vertical glass globes and a siphon, the country’sonly halogen-powered vacuum pot looks like something straight out of ascience lab. Also called a siphon bar, it produces a light brew byapplying heat to the lower globe, which creates a vapor that forceswater up the siphon and into the top globe where it mixes with coffeegrounds (with the aid of some stirring) before being pulled back downthrough a filter by a negative pressure vacuum. Like we said, straightout of a science lab. --
Laura KiniryWhere to Find Brewed Coffee Outside of the Bay AreaLamill Coffee Boutique1636 Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles
(323) 663-4441
www.lamillcoffee.comCafé Grumpy224 West 20th Street, New York
(212) 255-5511
www.cafegrumpy.comJP’s Java2803 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin
(512) 494-0015
www.jpsjava.comStumptown Annex3352 Southeast Belmont Street, Portland
(503) 467-4123
www.stumptowncoffee.comTo Brew Your Own Cup at Home, Use One (or All) of TheseAerobie’s AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker, $28. www.aerobie.comYama Vacuum Brewer HCA 5, $70. www.greenbeanery.ca/bean/home.phpChemex Classic Series 6 cup, $34. www.thearomaticbean.comBodum Chambord 8-Cup Coffee Press, $40. www.bodumusa.com