When it comes to the coffee wars, Mr. Espresso—and its San Francisco cafe rep, Coffee Bar—might fly under the radar compared to the Blue Bottle phenomenon, but the family-run Oakland roaster does something no one else does: "Since the beginning, Mr. Espresso has used oak wood to roast its beans, a method Di Ruocco learned in Italy from a master coffee roaster ... Using oak wood — Mr. Espresso's supply comes from fire-damaged trees — means the beans are roasted at a lower temperature for a longer time, resulting in a medium roast with more complex flavor and less bitterness." [SJMN]
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