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