History

James Freeman started Blue Bottle Coffee in a 186-square-foot potting shed behind Doña Tomás in Oakland's Temescal in 2002, roasting single-origin beans in small batches by hand and selling at Bay Area farmers markets. The brand grew to define third-wave coffee in the Bay Area before its sale to Nestle in 2017. The Old Oakland cafe on 9th Street pours the legacy.

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Make it at home

Yield 1Hands-on 5 minTotal 5 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 25g freshly roasted single-origin coffee, ground medium-fine
  • 400g filtered water at 96 C
  • Hario V60 dripper and paper filter
  • Gooseneck kettle
  • Carafe or mug for serving

Method

  1. Rinse the paper filter with hot water; discard the rinse water.
  2. Add 25g ground coffee to the filter. Tap to level the bed.
  3. Start a 30-second pre-infusion bloom: pour 50g water, stir gently, wait 30 seconds.
  4. Pour the remaining 350g water in slow, even concentric circles, finishing the pour around 2:30.
  5. Total brew time should be 3:30-4:00. Discard the filter and serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. Use coffee within four weeks of roast date. Old coffee is the single biggest reason home pour overs taste flat.

Where to eat blue bottle pour over

Blue Bottle pour over in Oakland

Blue Bottle Coffee Old Oakland ★ 4.7

$ CaféOld OaklandWork-friendlyWifi

Blue Bottle's Old Oakland cafe at 480 9th Street pours single-origins from the company that started in a Temescal potting shed in 2002, with espresso service.

DrinkSingle-origin pour over

Directions

Highwire Coffee Roasters ★ 4.4

$$ Coffee roasterRockridgePublic cafe

Highwire roasts in Emeryville and pours at the Rockridge Market Hall cafe on College Avenue. Big bold cups that still read of origin, with a public cafe.

BeansColombia, Rwanda, Peru, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea

BrewsEspresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail

Directions

Awaken Cafe and Roasting ★ 4.3

$$ Coffee roasterDowntownPublic cafe

Awaken Cafe at 1429 Broadway roasts in-house and runs an all-day downtown coffee room. Espresso, pour overs and beans for retail since 2007.

BeansEthiopia, Colombia, Guatemala

BrewsEspresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail

Directions

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