Posted by dtifft at 8/26/08 11:39 a.m.

How absurd! I make my own coffee at home using a $15 coffee maker, at less than 1/10th the cost of a trip to Starbucks.

Posted by unregistered user at 8/26/08 11:55 a.m.

I swear, the staff of the big blog must get free unlimited (burnt) coffee from Starbucks.

This won't make anything taste better. Or cost less.

Posted by decksawash at 8/26/08 12:01 p.m.

I have made my coffee using a single cup Melita drip cone for 35 years now-- ever since a couple of Starbucks baristas introduced me to both Melita and good coffee. Rock on Starbucks! Every time I get a weak or tepid cuppa at some kute koffee shop on the road I remember why I keep coming back to the pros.

Posted by unregistered user at 8/26/08 12:04 p.m.

Hey, 170306--
What's wrong with giving some coverage to a home-town company? I, for one, appreciate the local flavor here.

If you don't like it, don't read it, and I'm also guessing that you haven't (and won't) try any Clover coffee before spouting off your preformulated static opinions. For the record, I won't be trying it either.

How much more expensive is this over their regular over-roasted drip?

Posted by unregistered user at 8/26/08 12:09 p.m.

Much like decksawash, I've been using a Melita drip cone for the past 6 years. Although I roast my own at home, so it tastes better than the always-consistent burnt flavor you get from $tarbuck$.

Posted by mikevanbaker at 8/26/08 12:10 p.m.

That Clover machine is for real, doubters, and straight outta Ballard. I can't vouch for the coffee Starbucks puts in it, but it makes a damn fine cup of joe. Plus, it allows them to serve cups of the small batch stuff, which has to be a good thing.

Posted by Monica Guzman at 8/26/08 12:11 p.m.

#170318: Just called the 5th Ave store. Their regular drip costs $1.53 for short, $1.70 for tall, with tax. And their small batch Clover coffees cost between $2.25 and $4.00 for all sizes (they come only in short and tall - no venti)

Posted by unregistered user at 8/26/08 1:34 p.m.

Monica, since it wouldn't be cost-prohibitive to try this, could you and any convinceable coffee-loving coworker go do a side-by-side taste test (you could even split the cups)? Even better, have the Starbucks barista make it a blind taste test.

Aroma, bitterness/bite, other hints of flavors, body/thickness, etc...
Yay, a field trip!

mikevanbaker (seattlest?), I've heard similar good things about the Clover.

Posted by markit8 at 8/26/08 2:51 p.m.

How much is it at cafe vita or zoka?
does the price compare with the starbux price?

taste tests would be great, but at two fitty each, I am priced out!

Posted by unregistered user at 8/26/08 3:30 p.m.

The Clover machine is great, and good for Starbucks for recognizing a local innovation. And the whole over-roasted, burnt diatribe against Starbucks is so tired, hackneyed, played, and just plain ignorant. Starbucks offers a broad spectrum of roasts and origins, each with a pretty unique taste. And this is the funniest phrase I've heard in a LOOONG time: "Starbucks is so desperate to resemble local coffee companies..."

Posted by DAVIDRF at 8/26/08 4:27 p.m.

"I swear, the staff of the big blog must get free unlimited (burnt) coffee from Starbucks."

I swear....this chestnut gets trotted out in EVERY Soundoff about Starbucks. YAWN.

Posted by Bellingman at 8/26/08 5:30 p.m.

Agreed, DAVIDRF. The inevitable "$tarbuck$" (hilarious!) has already arrived, and I'm sure "charbucks" (how clever!) will not be far behind.

The bottom line is that they make very good coffee. Not great perhaps, but very good, and very consistent. By all accounts Clover coffee is worth a few cents extra, so I say kudos ... and I hope it fares better than the Chantico debacle.

Posted by mikevanbaker at 8/27/08 10:13 a.m.

@#170412, yes, I'm aka Seattlest's MvB. So much for my cloaking device. Another place to try out a Clover besides Starbucks is the U District's Trabant Coffee, btw.

Posted by unregistered user at 9/9/08 5:51 p.m.

I am trying to compile a comprehensive list of locations that have Clover machine in place and collect as many recipes as possible. All the data is for public use, just to keep the Clover community going. I started with locations and have quite a few now. Would be great if someone could share recipes as well at http://www.beclover.com

Posted by unregistered user at 9/16/08 2:29 p.m.

Using the Clover machine is a great step in the right direction for Starbucks, but if they keep putting burnt coffee in it, the results won't live up to the potential of the machine. I just don't understand how a company that has a market cap of 11.7 BILLION dollars can't figure out how to roast coffee correctly. Or for that matter, why people keep buying the results.