So my old room mate (who got married this past weekend) thought it was strange that I was opening a coffee shop but didn't own a coffee machine for the house. Yes, I would agree with him, that is strange....but what he did not know, because he was never at the house, was that I make my coffee at home differently. I should first note that I don't drink coffee or espresso for the quick jolt of caffeine that it may give you. Therefore I hardly ever drink it first thing in the morning. Although I am learning other methods, there are a couple of ways I like to brew my coffee at home. French Press and Vac Pot. I like the French Press because I can make enough coffee for a cup or two, and because it by far gives the best taste when made right! The only drawback with the french press is the residue left at the bottom of the cup when the entire press is poured. The funnest way (in my opinion) to make coffee is using the vac pot method. This brings me to the purpose of my post. I am far from even getting close to perfecting this method but it has been a hit at the house when I make if for friends. The vac pot not only makes a great cup of coffee, but it also creates an entertaining way to engage conversation around coffee. I am posting a link to a youtube video that shows a shop in San Francisco called Blue Bottle Coffee using this technique.
I would say they are well on their way to perfecting the vac pot. They use halogen lights to heat the water which then siphons up into the top chamber where the brewing takes place. After a minute or so of brewing the pot is pulled off the heating source and the coffee filters back down into the bottom chamber and is then poured. The device I have at home is much less sophisticated than what these guys use but 1/500 the the cost. My vac pot put me back $40, so you do the math! (hint: multiply my cost by 500)
This place has become a local favorite to those living in and around Chapel Hill. They serve five or six coffee origins daily, all from Counter Culture Coffee. There are several ways they make their coffee. You will not find the brewing equipment that most are used to here. Instead of brewing large batches of coffee every hour in automatic brewing machines, they go a different route. If you need a cup to go, they most likely will make a cup using a drip cone technique. This process involves ground coffee, a porcelain drip cone, a filter, hot water, and your "to go" cup. The filter is placed in the porcelain cone and the ground coffee is then dropped in. Hot water and gravity do the rest. Water is poured into the filter and the coffee filters through the cone right into your cup. Easy concept, yet entertaining to watch.