While the device looks Space Age, it's actually "old technology meeting new technology," says James Freeman, owner of San Francisco's Blue Bottle Cafe, the first U.S. shop to employ the device. The old tech: siphons, which were invented by a 19th-century marine engineer. The new tech: flashing halogen lights.
Freeman paid about $10,000 for the Siphon Bar - plus $2,800 for a 20-pack of halogen bulbs, which he changes every few months.
Here is how it works: First, a halogen bulb capable of reaching 450 degrees Fahrenheit heats water in the Siphon's lower bowl to just below boiling.
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