Best Coffee: Roasting Plant (Readers’ Choice)

 First-time visitors to the Roasting Plant on Orchard Street are forgiven for thinking they’ve become part of some strange science experiment. In a way, that’s exactly what’s happened. When you order a cup of coffee, vacuum-tube technology sucks the beans from canisters mounted on a wall into a roaster and then shoots them to a grinder and then to eventually to a brewer. The contraption produces a deliciously fresh cup of coffee, according to our readers, who gave Roasting Plant top honors among stiff competition. In the last few years, the neighborhood has seen an explosion of gourmet coffee shops. In our survey, Pushcart Coffee at 221 E. Broadway also garnered quite a few votes. In the three years since it opened, Pushcart (originally Dora) has become a valued community gathering spot, not just a place for a morning caffeine jolt. Other spots mentioned by readers include: Caffe Vita (124 Ludlow St.), 12 Corners (155 E. Broadway), Cafe Grumpy (13 Essex St.) and Lost Weekend (45 Orchard St.)

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