Coffee Talk

Learning the Secrets Behind Sightglass, Both the Name and Their Cast-Iron German Roaster

The sightglass in the Probat roaster.
The sightglass in the Probat roaster. Photo: Catherine Cole/SFoodie

So-called “third wave” (or, if you’re 7x7, “fourth wave“) coffee aficionados have been gladly buying up the gently roasted magic of Sightglass’s artisanal coffees, ever since they opened in March, and wondering when they’ll be finished building out their fancy coffee bar on 7th and Folsom. “We like to aim for seasons, not months or dates,” co-owner Jerad Morrison tells SFoodie, but he and his brother/partner Justin are now aiming for spring, after they ran into a couple of inspection snags and started doing some demolition without a permit. You can still buy their coffee at the kiosk at 270 7th Street, next to the unfinished roastery/bar.

But SFoodie also lets us in on some more knowledge, including the meaning behind the name (it refers to the little window in the roaster that shows the color of the beans while roasting), and the Morrison brothers’ prized possession: a 1961 Probat roaster which they found in Germany and needed an importer in Oklahoma City in order to get here. The thing is cast-iron and may well be the key secret to their delicate roasts. But the brothers’ also amassed a fair amount of institutional knowledge while working for Blue Bottle and elsewhere — something others in the coffee world have muttered bitterly about as the brothers gain success. But such is the way of all things, and Food & Wine is always looking for the next hot young things to feature.

Sightglass Brothers Open a Window on the Microroastery
[SFoodie]
Earlier: Iced Coffee [Food & Wine]
Sight Glass Begins Roasting Coffee [Grub Street]

Learning the Secrets Behind Sightglass, Both the Name and Their Cast-Iron German