Clover Machines?
Late to work today, held my nose and went into Buckey's on Market & 3rd for caffeine. I was pleasantly surprised that they have a clover machine going now -- it helped out even the Starbuck's beans that they shoveled inside. The coffee seemed to open up and I could taste flavors I'd never imagine I'd taste inside a Starbuck's paper sippy-cup.
This experience made me wonder where else around the city one might find a clover machine, in a cafe serving nicer beans. . . .
Also, what do other's think of the clover? Is it all hype or is it worth every penny of its $11,000 price tag?
(I shall now say seven hail Blue Bottles, on my Chowhound Coffee-snob decoder-ring for praising Starbucks.)
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Starbucks Coffee
7 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103
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I'm not a clover devotee, but my few brief exposures have been positive. Not much better than perfectly prepared drip, but almost always perfectly prepared.
According to a yelper, Coffee Bar still has a clover, "when it's not in the shop."
Note that Coffee Bar's address is misleading and the entrance is 1/4 block away. I like their attitude much better than Ritual's, and I like the coffee about the same, though the selection is narrower than at ritual.
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Coffee Bar
1890 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94110 -
pastryqueen
Jun 25, 2009 06:57 AM
Yes, as Windy said, Ritual has them and uses some of the most remarkable beans to make a lovely cup. I had a cup of the Fazenda Kaquend, Cup of Excellence #1 (? I think that was the name. . I scribbled it down and can hardly read my own writing!) in the Clover at the stand in Oxbow and it was excellent.
I love this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTiWaL...Last year Starbucks bought the company that developed the Clover machines. The company was based in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood and Clover machines were white hot on the coffee scene all over Seattle. Once the deal went through a lot of the coffee houses returned their machines wanting nothing to do with something that would soon be in every Starbucks. :(
That being said, get thee to a Ritual soon. . .I would not be surprised if Ritual phases them out, too or as Windy said, Starbucks goes all monopoly on the brewing machines.
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