I’ve been anxious to try Starbucks’ latest venture to return to personalized service, the Clover, ever since reading about it in Wired a few months ago. Therefore, I was ecstatic to discover my local Starbucks (which, for the record, might be my favorite branch ever) was going to be debuting this coffee contraption.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Clover, it is essentially the $11,000 version of your office Flavia coffee machines. The extra $10,800 is a bit pricey, but the coffee isn’t from a packet either. In addition to using freshly ground beans (measured out precisely to the tenth of a gram), the machine boasts customizable temperature and brew time settings. Starbucks also offers an additional coffee selection specifically used with the Clover. Swoon.
As you can probably tell, I’m a coffee fan. My entire family has it pulsating through their veins. Now I’ll be honest though, I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks’ drip coffee. I find it bitter and unappealing. I much prefer their lattes and teas. This is why the Clover piqued my interest; coffee, made freshly for me, in front of me and with really cool technology!
And yesterday was the big day (which was celebrated with balloons outside the shop). I sauntered in on my way home and checked out the offerings. After a few seconds of debate, I selected the El Savador Pacamara, a coffee from Latin America with hints of lemon and dark chocolate (cool, huh?). I should note all of the “Small Batch Coffee” offerings had a fruit influence, a bit more variety would have been appreciated. The barista measured and ground the beans in front of me as we made small chat about the new item.
About a minute later, I had a fresh cup of coffee in my hand. Stop. Sniff. Sip. Burn Tongue. Oops, I got a little too excited and forgot that coffee is served hot. A few minutes later I repeated the exercise. Freshness, not bitter, not unappealing, and not $4 like the Wired article said (it was ~$2.50 for the tall). In fact, I rather liked it. I was able to taste the distinct flavors and I did not need sugar to mask bitterness.
Did Starbucks make the right choice in purchasing the entire Clover operation? That is still a question to be answered. The coffee was superior to the usual drip that had been sitting around, but I question the Clover’s versatility. This Starbucks was located in the outer part of Kendall Square in Cambridge, it’s never ridiculously crowded and the baristas are genuinely friendly. I feel this particular one corresponds to Starbuck’s vision of returning to their roots and focusing on the customer. Here, the Clover fits.
I question its usability in metropolitan places like Manhattan and Chicago. A place where there is a Starbucks on every corner and people have finished their coffee before they’ve paid. A place where I always have had to wait in line to get coffee…imagine what the extra minute per person would do to those lines?! Disaster.
Although at $11,000 each, I’m sure they would not be set up in all those locations just yet. For now, I’m still excited to have the Clover in my neighborhood so I can try out the other coffee flavors and see if they also live up to the hype.
*Yes, I realize this line has probably been used to death
