Last week I mentioned how fun it can be to make your own coffee at home. The manual and experimental process involved with using tools like pour-over devices is what allows the final product to be so special. Manual devices allow you to control all the different aspects involved in brewing coffee—from temperature to portion and, most importantly, timing—in a way that automatic machines can’t. The level of control and precision you get with pour-overs or immersion brews let you not only make the exact type of coffee you like but also allows you to fully taste the nuisances of single origin coffee beans.

I really do enjoy using my Hario V60 to make coffee, especially as an alternative to simply using an automatic drip coffee maker. Still, I recognize that it may seem like a slow and unnecessarily complicated process for others. But since I really believe that coffee tastes better when it’s brewed manually and because I want to convince you that it’s worth your time, I’m recommending two of my favorite local coffee shops where you can go have an amazing cup of manually brewed coffee made by seasoned baristas. Hopefully, the tasty artistry you experience at these spots will make you a believer.

Pour-over coffee is precisely yummy.

Coffee with Heart: Chemex at Denver’s Purple Door Coffee

Denver’s Purple Door Coffee is a quaint shop with an honorable mission. Not only are they out to serve fresh coffee to their customers but they’re also in the business of supporting their employees—Purple Door Coffee employs homeless youth in order to help them become self sufficient and skilled workers. I know from my own experience that being a trained barista is great skill set, which can potentially offer a steady stream of employment. Purple Door’s story is commendable but their coffee is also worthy of its own praise. Serving Colorado’s Corvus Coffee and Sweet Bloom Coffee, the friendly and efficient baristas at Purple Door make fantastic pour-over coffee. Using a Chemex maker, they’re able to brew a clean and smooth cup of coffee that’ll make you wish you always had the time to sit, relax, and enjoy a pour-over there.

Unique & Tasty: Boxcar’s Exclusive Boilermaker

The Boilermaker is simultaneously a spectacle and simply a great way to brew coffee. It’s Boxcar Coffee’s device for making a perfectly brewed cup of coffee at high altitudes. Part immersion device and part percolator, the Boilermaker is one of the coolest coffee making devices I’ve ever seen. After the grounds are initially immersed in hot water, the coffee is then properly boiled in a beaker on a concave heater. The result of this precise percolation process is a delightfully crisp brew. With a location on Pearl Street in Boulder and another at The Source in Denver, you can enjoy this captivating cup in two different fun places.

Pour-over coffee or other unconventional brew methods can be an inconvenient procedure if you’re in a rush or if you’re not into getting crafty with your caffeine. But manually brewed coffee isn’t meant to test your patience; it’ll surprise and please you instead. Every coffee lover who has access to a third wave coffee shop should take the time to try a non-auto drip cup of coffee. From watching a skilled barista at work to tasting all the nuanced flavors in the crisp finished cup, pour-over coffee is my go-to drink to order at a coffee shop. Try to make some time for a cup of manually brewed coffee this weekend by visiting one of your local shops that offer it. And don’t forget to tip the baristas for their craftsmanship!

Javaher Nooryani