Coffee Nerding

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2262016/watch_the_clover_coffee_machine_in_action/

Finally went to a Starbucks which had one of these interesting machines. It's basically an inverse French press with more precise temperature control. They offer 5 single country of origin coffees (Kona, Sumatra, Kenya, Ecuador, and another one) spanning the range from medium to extra dark roast.

It is interesting that they don't use any of the 'normal' Starbucks blends in the Clover. I may go during a quiet time of the day and ask to try it to see if the usual acidity found in Starbucks coffee comes from the beans or normal brewing method.

After trying the two lightest roast beans (Kona and Kenya) I have to say it was without qualification a very good cup of coffee. Nice, mellow nutty coffee flavor with no acidity or 'burnt' taste at all. Allison and I agreed that it compared very well with our (and everyone that has tried it) unanimous favorite coffee - Dilettante Cafe Hapsburg (Medium) roast.

The downside- $2 cup of coffee. But if you ever are in the mood for a perfect cup, the Clover can make it.

Yeah, this has been more Starbucks pimping after the Via mini-review, but I get a pretty regular string of Starbucks gift cards as part of a micro-bonus system at work, so they actually compete for my attention with some of the excellent independent cafes in Seattle. Having used many of their locations their problem isn't product or concept, but consistency. If the barista knows what they're doing, you can get excellent coffee/espresso. In the downtown Seattle area locations, good is more common than not. In the suburbs or other states, it's hit or miss at best, and at that point it ends up being not worth the cost. If anything the Clover seems to be a nearly foolproof way to make a consistently perfect cup of coffee, so I applaud the innovation and hope it makes its way across the country. (And thus decreases the cost through economies of scale)