A few weeks ago as I was getting my usual afternoon coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee (Webster St.), I saw a sign that read “Free Coffee Education Class every Sat @2pm” so I had to make time to go check it out. I use my ceramic hand drip (Hario set) at home and I love it! but I’ve been interested in getting my own Chemex set for some time now and I knew Blue Bottle Coffee was the right place to learn how to use this method. Chemex pour over design has been around since the 40s and there must be a darn good reason why it has not changed. The coffee education class was 1-hour long and it was open to public. First half of the class is showing the Chemex hand-drip process and second half was cupping (tasting) with Q&A. This class was just me and this other girl on her backpacking trip from Japan. It was like getting a private lesson (nice!) We tasted Guatemala Bella Vista Antigua blend (their newest blend) and it was very suitable for Chemex dripping (Oh yes, I learned that certain blends taste better with certain type of brewing method.)

Blue Bottle Coffee takes big part in coffee culture in Oakland ever since they opened up the headquarters on Webster St. (in Jack London Sq. area) in 2009 and another location in W.C. Morse bulding on Broadway/42nd St. last year. I love both locations and how open to public they are in terms of their coffee education. They also have a whole section at the W.C Morse location just for their tech teams to advise you on technical things about your coffee machine, including repairs.

Being introduced to coffee at pretty early age (my teens) and working at Coffee Beanery as a barista during my college years, I thought I knew enough about coffee and coffee-making but boy, was I far too short in my education and the work behind growing beans, roasting and the brewing process. I love that there is so much to learn about coffee. Make sure to take advantage of these free classes and tasting sessions at Blue Bottle Coffee Oakland.

Free Public Tasting every Sundays and Tuesdays at 2pm (Webster St.)

Free Public Coffee Education Class every Saturdays at 2pm (Webster St.)

Step-by-Step Chemex Brewing Guides {link}

All Photos are taken by @skycreatives, Illustrations via Blue Bottle Coffee website.