On the Left Coast, the coffee subculture spins on its own caffeine-fueled axis, and cafés are constantly trying to one-up each other with new ways of roasting and brewing the perfect cup of coffee. The Blue Bottle Café in San Francisco is the latest and greatest example, with its new “siphon bar” coffee machine, imported from Japan at a cost of $20,000 beans. And it can’t even make a cappuccino — this is strictly brewed coffee, folks.

With brass-trimmed halogen heating elements, stacked glass globes and bamboo paddles, the siphon bar looks like a contraption from a mad scientist’s workshop. And indeed, using it requires an alchemist’s touch; when water vapor rises to the upper globe, you use a paddle to stir the grounds (without touching the glass) and create a deep whirlpool that brews the coffee for 45 to 90 seconds.

So why all the fuss? Devotees claim the taste is downright sexy: sweeter and juicier, with a more delicate texture and a flavor that changes as the temperature does. That’s cool and all, but will it get me all jacked up, too?

Via The New York Times