Siphon Coffee Pin and Balconi Coffee
At Comic-Con in San Diego, people purchased the siphon coffee pin, but strangely no one knew where to get a cup. I get mine at Balconi Coffee Company in West LA and in it's short history, it's become part of the fine coffee culture in Los Angeles. The owner Ray Sato is a tinkerer, fixer, and modifier of electronics and hardware. He also taught me about the intricacies of coffee. I went from a "wake up" drinker to savoring the delicate flavors.
Unlike some shops which could be intimidating or snobby, Balconi is the opposite. They'll gladly show you their gear and how it works. In my opinion, siphon is the star. I often use the exact same batch of roasted beans at home and I can never get it to taste the same.
The siphon coffee pin was developed over a short time. I even asked Ray some technical questions to make sure it was done right. One thing to know is that the open flame burner is no longer allowed, so Balconi now uses a heating plate.
Get your siphon pin at Giant Robot or get it at Balconi!
I made the below video which hopefully gives you a primer about coffee with Ray Sato and Balconi Coffee Company.
They're at 11301 W Olympic Blvd #124, Los Angeles, 90064