After reading this Wired article about the Clover coffee machine, I knew I had to try it. In case you haven’t yet consumed enough caffeine to get you through the article, the quick summary is that the Clover is a new machine designed to brew a single cup of coffee with great control of the variables that can affect a cups’ taste, including brew time, exposure of grounds to water, and water temperature. Those who have tried it describe a kind of re-awakening, as if they were tasting coffee for the first time. Colors seem brighter, smells more intense, and the world just generally seems to be a better place after a cup from one of these machines. 

The other day, a co-worker and I headed down to the nearest Clover-equipped Starbucks to see what all the fuss was about. (Starbucks CEO Shultz apparently bought the company that makes these after sampling the goods, so soon Starbucks will be the only place to try one). We entered expecting to see the place plastered with ads for the special brew, but there was nothing. In fact, we figured we had been duped, that the machine wasn’t even there yet. We reached the register and cautiously inquired.

“So…um…do you have the..um…Clover?” we asked in hushed tones, as if we were asking for something illegal.

“We do!” said the woman at the register, a bit too loudly for my taste. After ushering a geeky-looking coworker to the main section of the shop (presumably the only certified Clover-operator in the store), she led us to the machine. I got the feeling they didn’t let this guy out from the back very often, but he seemed harmless enough. He gave us a tour of the five types of beans selected for use on the Clover. We settled on the Costa Rican, since it was the freshest (my biggest complaint about Starbucks is that their beans often become stale as the sit on the shelf). 

The Clover operator carefully weighed the beans on a scale next to the machine. I noticed a stray bean sitting on the scale and wondered if I should tell him about it. I decided it would make me appear to be too obsessive so I held my tongue. He ground the beans and dumped them into a hole in the top of the machine and appeared to push a button. A jet of hot water (presumably exactly 202 degrees…or so) shot out of a tap and into the chamber. He reached for a rubber spatula to stir the concoction briefly (wait…didn’t the Wired article say he should use a wire whisk…). After some churning I was handed a cup of coffee.

I carefully sipped from the cup, bracing myself for a life-changing experience.

It was…ok. More drinkable than the usual Starbucks brew but certainly not the best cup I’ve ever had. I was a big fan of Starbucks’ Gold Coast blend in the past, though even that has now waned in quality as the beans have been allowed to steadily oxidize on store shelves. 

I haven’t given up hope. Apparently there’s still a non-Starbucks Clover shop in Cambridge somewhere, so I’m going to keep dreaming about that perfect cup.