If you’re one of us coffee geeks who heard talk of the new steam-punk process at the Glassbox Coffee & Juice location in the fancy new Arbor Hills Crossing on Washtenaw and got there in the first weeks to view the mad-scientist tower of bubbling, steaming water that produced wonderfully full-bodied and balanced coffee, here comes the bad news: steam-punk is no more. In the week before Thanksgiving, the owners decided it was a wasteful system that could be counted on for only seven great cups of coffee out of every ten, and they hauled the hardware out.

Now for the good news (and there’s lots of it): The cup-sized vacuum presses that replace the steam-punk towers also make way-above-average coffee–not surprisingly, since it’s the same process on a smaller scale. Glassbox still gets beans from some of the top roasters in the U.S., like Gimme! Coffee of New York, and there are Latin American single-source options in rotation to try. Zingerman’s baked goods provide the little something to go with. And a wildly eclectic lineup of juiced-while-you-wait concoctions keep the conversation and taste buds going. Liquid Sunshine, for instance, combines pineapple, cucumber, mint, and basil in perfect proportions, so you can taste just enough and not too much of each. The Red Wing takes flight with beets, pineapple, lime, celery, and, if you’re game, jalapeno.

The modern interior wood-dominant design is attractive and relatively comfortable, with laptop outlets by every seat at the counter. Best of all in winter, big floor-to-ceiling windows brighten the interior, making the Glassbox live up to its name. That’s true at the original tiny South U location as well. All of which, plus lovely latte art, should get you through a gray winter or two just fine.