388785 Thu Apr 05 14:27:16 -0700 2007 2 2 Los Angeles Area 0 2454820 I tried the much-touted (in the LA Times food section a week or so ago) drip coffee made from the Clover machine at Groundworks in downtown LA. Unfortunately I was in a rush and so probably didn't give the experience it's due. The barista was very helpful and informative, and recommended a varietal that she felt would show the qualities of the machine as well as fit my idea of a good cup of coffee (full-bodied and medium-to-dark roast). I thought it was very good - very smooth yet flavorful and aromatic, but basically to me it just tasted like properly extracted, fresh-ground coffee. Maybe I was expecting too much (or, more likely, my palate is simply not all that attuned to the nuances that were in there, esp. given my time crunch.) I was just wondering if others have tried it and what your opinions were. P.S. this may also be because, while I drink drip coffee at home in the morning, my preference is generally for a good espresso, so maybe I'm just more of a full-throttle espresso drinker at heart. Thu Apr 05 14:27:16 -0700 2007 19558 mikester 1 2454825 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/381168?query=clover%20groundworks Thu Apr 05 14:28:30 -0700 2007 2454820 21341 hrhboo 1 2454902 Mike- we've been blessed with a new coffee place in Calgary (Phil+Sebastian Coffee Co) that has the first Clover in Canada outside of the Vancouver-Victoria area, and I was chuffed to give it a try, so I sampled an Ethiopian Hecha, and ya know what? My reaction was precisely the same as yours. It was very good. It was not espresso. I want espresso. I got a trad cappuccino (they even let me pour my own art, which for me is the sine qua non of a FRIENDLY coffeehouse) with milk that had been of course expertly steamed and I was in coffee heaven. Now, it's great, it's awesome to feel that we're on the coffee map in Calgary (no Clover in Toronto, hooray for us), but I am much much happier to have a place with great beans pulling great shots and making world-class cappos. Thu Apr 05 14:48:02 -0700 2007 2454820 12135 John Manzo