Behind the counter at Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, four clear glass tubes are filled with bubbling water and steam. The steam inside the tubes creates a vacuum seal that shoots water into coffee grounds. The combination filters through the piston to create the most consistent cup of coffee possible.
I have been to Barrington several times since it opened last December, but I’ve never ordered a cup of coffee made this way, called a Steampunk machine. It looks intimidating. The machine, the manager of the shop tells me, is likely the only one in Boston.
Any barista using it to make a cup of coffee turns into a mad scientist. The manager, Teegan Jansen, poked at a tablet screen as steam billowed in the tubes in front of her. I stand back.
“It’s a thing to watch,” she said.
The Steampunk method of brewing coffee takes the simple product and advances it to a level not present at other shops. Barrington uses the Alpha Dominche Steampunk coffee brewer, and its industrial feel plays off the modern elements of the coffee shop.
Featured Images by Drew Hoo / Heights Editor