Geek out on gear at Williams-Sonoma

Back in January, while searching desperately for a Baratza Virtuoso on clearance, I noticed that the local Williams Sonoma store had a new display called "Specialty Coffee" toward the back. It's worth looking for! I didn't have time to take note of all the prices, etc., but below you'll find a regrettably blurry glimpse in case you haven't been to the mall lately. Very cool. Their gear is available online as well.

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Top shelf (left to right): Hario Woodneck drip pot, Hario Skerton grinder, Hario V60 02 ceramic pour-over cone, Hario V60 02 plastic pour-over cone ($9!), Hario Buono kettle, some kind of Bormioli Rocco cup

Middle shelf (left to right): Toddy cold brewer, Chemex, Bodum teapot (lost its way, perhaps?), Bodum Santos stovetop vac pot

Bottom shelf: A bunch of presses

Here's a more recent pic, taken by Jay Caragay at Spro (source of the mug used in my recent post on the Kantan), in which you can see a small but uber-pricey Hario cold brew tower on the top shelf. Check the video if you're curious to get a sense of its size compared to, say, this nearly 4-ft. behemoth (which I've encountered a few times).

In my admittedly limited experience shopping at Williams-Sonoma, I've found that the employees aren't very knowledgeable about how their non-Nespresso coffee gear works. Still, it's without question a big plus to be able to find these products available for sale (with display units out for inspection) in a relatively common retail store. Do your research before heading in and you should be fine, provided you're willing to swallow the price mark-up they seem to have applied across the board. For instance, Hario's Buono kettle is $10 cheaper here on ROASTe.

p.s. I did find that Virtuoso on clearance eventually for $49.99. Bought two (one for myself and one for a friend). Thanks, Williams-Sonoma!