Obsessives: Coffee

Published on Thursday, June 28, 2007, by Meredith Arthur and Eric Slatkin / Edit Post

Obsessives: Coffee

By Meredith Arthur and Eric Slatkin

Arno Holschuh, barista at Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco, discusses the big and the little: the surface area of the bean, the thousand small cuts that will kill your espresso, and why Starbucks is not so bad.

This is a regular series called Obsessives, in which CHOW explores the worlds of singularly focused food-industry figures. These are the people with the dirty hands, answering detailed questions about the work they do.

ALLObsessives
POST A COMMENT |23 Comments

COMMENT

  • Excellent video.

  • I love these obsessive videos

  • Great Guy. Thanks for using La Marzocco

  • I don't know the rest of the famine population, but for me, this guy is so hot!!! Not only have a cute look , you can perfectly picture him, make you coffee in the morning after a wild night!

  • I don't know the rest of the famine population, but for me, this guy is so hot!!! Not only have a cute look , you can perfectly picture him, make you coffee in the morning after a wild night!

  • I LOVE YOU! Thank you for this information!

  • Every new barista needs to watch this.

  • I recently visited the farmers market at the Ferry Building for the first time (A must visit in SF). While there I noticed the Blue Bottle stand with a line of people waiting. With a bit of hesitation I got in line as it was one of those I really need a cup of Joe moments.

    The first sip stopped me in my tracks. I never imagined a cup of coffee could be so good. By far the best coffee I ever...+READ

    I recently visited the farmers market at the Ferry Building for the first time (A must visit in SF). While there I noticed the Blue Bottle stand with a line of people waiting. With a bit of hesitation I got in line as it was one of those I really need a cup of Joe moments.

    The first sip stopped me in my tracks. I never imagined a cup of coffee could be so good. By far the best coffee I ever tasted with layers of flavor that was beyond description.
    My family thought I lost my mind as I stepped back in line for another cup and a few pounds to take back home.

    If your a coffee lover Blue Bottle Coffee is a must try!-COLLAPSE

  • Having actually been trained some by the man, I can say that this is a very real example of how Arno talks about the product and his craft. Also, he really is that messy.

  • Great first edition of your "Obsessives!" Arno sets a high standard for an articulate, enthusiastic, knowledegable enthusiast. If you maintain his standard, you will entertain and educate us all!

  • It is 5:45 a.m. and to my left is a most excellent cup of coffee that I brewed in my beautiful Chemex decanter. I did it exactly as the directions suggest and find to my amazement that the coffee is as good or possibly better than what I could get at any shop outside my building (4th and Market SF). The economy, convenience and quality of the coffee means I don't have to walk the streets. (I can...+READ

    It is 5:45 a.m. and to my left is a most excellent cup of coffee that I brewed in my beautiful Chemex decanter. I did it exactly as the directions suggest and find to my amazement that the coffee is as good or possibly better than what I could get at any shop outside my building (4th and Market SF). The economy, convenience and quality of the coffee means I don't have to walk the streets. (I can hardly wait for someone to come and visit me and casually brew an excellent cup of coffee for them as if I did it all the time....) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Coffee Maven!-COLLAPSE

  • MsLaynie- he's wearing a Sweet Marias Espresso Monkey T-shirt. Go to http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.misc.shtml for the shirts. Roasting your own coffee is the way to go!

    E.

  • What's my friend Arno from college doing on Chow? It's a genius video. I'm moving to San Francisco next year and will definitely be trying the coffee at Blue Bottle! -Emily

  • I just can't take my eyes off his T-shirt. I WANT ONE LIKE THAT.

  • Excellent series. Wish I still had my parent's Chemex but think I'll go out and buy one now.

  • This is a great series!!! Congrats. Yum yum... i may get into roasting my own beans now... and how funny that I actually knew some things assuming that it was common sense... there's nothing better than grinding right before you make a good cup in the french press (i'm so obsessive that I bring my french press and my little grinder whenever I visit family members that I know they don't have it.

  • I enjoyed this little series...:)

  • This is awesome! I have been told that freezing beans kept them fresh. Wrong! I have recently started grinding the beans as needed. I noticed a difference there. I usually drink drip coffee but will try the espresso and try to appreciate a quality cop of java.

  • WoW - up until now I was freezing my coffee beans and thinking I was doing them and me a huge flavor :)
    Thanks for the edification -

  • Making and enjoying coffee for 50 years and I'm learning more about the perfect cup. Thanks for the education. Now I wish I still had the Chemex from my newlywed days.

  • Fantastic! Blue Bottle is great. This video is informative. Excellent production quality too. Way to go.

  • This is so cool. I really love this. I am looking forward to the other episodes. It was really educational but not overwhelming.

  • I
    LOVE
    THIS.