A Japanese siphon bar is apparently some kind of crazed alchemical machine. It brews coffee in a way that the owners of the thing talk up as being so good it sounds like a cross between enlightenment and an orgasm. (And sadly, no, those two things don’t always go together.) Of course, if I had bought something for $20K, I’d talk it up like crazy too.
This article in the New York Times also talks about a $11K machine called a Clover. There’s two of them in New York City, apparently.
I’m going to have to seek one of them out and try this legendary coffee. For $20K or even $11K, the coffee better keep me up for three days straight, plus alleviate my need to wear contacts and help me lose weight. I wouldn’t expect it to do anything for my personality, because honestly, there are limits.