4 ms·

The Coffee Fix: Can the $11,000 Clover Machine Save Starbucks?

13 points by naish 18y ago

david927 18y ago
Unless it can also go back in time and fix the economy so that luxury discretionary spending like a $4 cup of coffee is prevalent across America again, I don't see it saving Starbucks. That said, the Clover looks amazing. I want one.
- cconstantine 18y ago
  I admit I can be kinda cheap, and I hate spending $4 for starbucks. But, when I lived in Seattle, I was happy to spend $4 for a cup of Clover coffee. That stuff is fantastic. Now... after the wedding we just paid for... I would love to have 4 dollars to spend on clover coffee ;)
- maryrosecook 18y ago
  The fall in luxury spending is not to blame for Starbucks's troubles. In fact, spending on low cost, luxury items goes up in a recession. For example, the revenues of posh cosmetics companies generally increases in a recession. This is because people cannot afford to buy a high-price product like a new car, but they still want the post-spending feel-good factor so they buy a lower-priced luxury-brand lipstick instead.
  - hugh 18y ago
    I'm not convinced that a four-dollar cup of coffee is really a feel-good luxury item though. A luxury item stops feeling like a luxury when you buy it twice a day -- it just feels like an overpriced daily necessity.
truebosko 18y ago
$4 a pop? Go buy yourself a french press for $30 and learn how to make coffee correctly in it. Give or take a week of getting temperatures and measurements correct and you'll have amazing coffee for yourself every morning for much cheaper. But to be honest after reading that article the coffee from the Clover sounds ... nice :) I will have to try it out one day when I can
- drewcrawford 18y ago
  French press is too gritty for me--I hate getting the grounds in my coffee. Lately I've been using an aeropress and have been quite happy. Not Clover coffee, but better than FP and unbeatable for the price.
  - iron_ball 18y ago
    Just grind it coarser and coarser, increasing the time or heat with each grind, until you get no grounds.
  - silencio 18y ago
    Hmm, have you tried a Chemex? Every single comparison I've seen between the two basically point out the inconvenience of the aeropress when you're trying to make coffee for, say, more than one or two people, which is inconvenient for me...but it's another alternative to french press.
    - far33d 18y ago
      I have both - the chemex is a much cleaner cup of coffee but more difficult to produce a 'perfect' cup. As a benefit, it doesn't require a burr mill grinder - the key to a solid french press cup is consistent grind. But a french press cup brewed properly will express the flavor of the beans better than most other coffee brewing methods. But for the love of coffee, don't use a home drip machine. They suck.
  - msb 18y ago
    Grind it coarser and add one of these: http://www.sweetmarias.com/frpress.nylon-screens.jpg http://www.sweetmarias.com/frpress.nylon-screens.jpg Makes a big difference.
- cconstantine 18y ago
  I've found that if you go the french press route you still end up spending a fair amount for coffee, with the french press being a minor cost. Still less than $4/cup, but not nearly as cheap as a drip coffee machine and Folger's. You'll still spend $8+ per small bag of whole beans, and french presses LOVE using lots of beans... then you've got $60+ for a good ber-grinder (sp?), then you need a $40+ hot water kettle. Plus you've now got a ton of stuff to wash and it takes 5 minutes of attentive time to make the coffee. I love myself some properly made french press coffee, but it's a different kind of thing from the Clover. Both are good, they are just different.
Prrometheus 18y ago
Getting rid of the awful McDonald's copy-cat "Pike's Place Roast" could save Starbucks. It became more awful when they decided to make that the only drip-coffee they sell after 2PM. The only way it tastes good is with Bailey's.
- hugh 18y ago
  Personally I think the Pike's Place Roast is a big improvement over their old brewed coffee, although I find it varies from day to day.
silencio 18y ago
I still stand by my opinion from long, long ago that the Clover can't save Starbucks because of the quality of their beans. If anything it'll be the "ooh $11,000 coffee machine!" effect. I'm wondering what my two favorite local coffee shops both with Clovers are going to do..I'm half hoping they're going to keep them around, but I personally don't think they need a Clover to brew some amazingly delish coffee.

13 points by naish 18y ago

Unless it can also go back in time and fix the economy so that luxury discretionary spending like a $4 cup of coffee is prevalent across America again, I don't see it saving Starbucks. That said, the Clover looks amazing. I want one.

cconstantine 18y ago
I admit I can be kinda cheap, and I hate spending $4 for starbucks. But, when I lived in Seattle, I was happy to spend $4 for a cup of Clover coffee. That stuff is fantastic. Now... after the wedding we just paid for... I would love to have 4 dollars to spend on clover coffee ;)
maryrosecook 18y ago
The fall in luxury spending is not to blame for Starbucks's troubles. In fact, spending on low cost, luxury items goes up in a recession. For example, the revenues of posh cosmetics companies generally increases in a recession. This is because people cannot afford to buy a high-price product like a new car, but they still want the post-spending feel-good factor so they buy a lower-priced luxury-brand lipstick instead.
- hugh 18y ago
  I'm not convinced that a four-dollar cup of coffee is really a feel-good luxury item though. A luxury item stops feeling like a luxury when you buy it twice a day -- it just feels like an overpriced daily necessity.

truebosko 18y ago

$4 a pop? Go buy yourself a french press for $30 and learn how to make coffee correctly in it. Give or take a week of getting temperatures and measurements correct and you'll have amazing coffee for yourself every morning for much cheaper. But to be honest after reading that article the coffee from the Clover sounds ... nice :) I will have to try it out one day when I can

drewcrawford 18y ago
French press is too gritty for me--I hate getting the grounds in my coffee. Lately I've been using an aeropress and have been quite happy. Not Clover coffee, but better than FP and unbeatable for the price.
- iron_ball 18y ago
  Just grind it coarser and coarser, increasing the time or heat with each grind, until you get no grounds.
- silencio 18y ago
  Hmm, have you tried a Chemex? Every single comparison I've seen between the two basically point out the inconvenience of the aeropress when you're trying to make coffee for, say, more than one or two people, which is inconvenient for me...but it's another alternative to french press.
  - far33d 18y ago
    I have both - the chemex is a much cleaner cup of coffee but more difficult to produce a 'perfect' cup. As a benefit, it doesn't require a burr mill grinder - the key to a solid french press cup is consistent grind. But a french press cup brewed properly will express the flavor of the beans better than most other coffee brewing methods. But for the love of coffee, don't use a home drip machine. They suck.
- msb 18y ago
  Grind it coarser and add one of these: http://www.sweetmarias.com/frpress.nylon-screens.jpg http://www.sweetmarias.com/frpress.nylon-screens.jpg Makes a big difference.
cconstantine 18y ago
I've found that if you go the french press route you still end up spending a fair amount for coffee, with the french press being a minor cost. Still less than $4/cup, but not nearly as cheap as a drip coffee machine and Folger's. You'll still spend $8+ per small bag of whole beans, and french presses LOVE using lots of beans... then you've got $60+ for a good ber-grinder (sp?), then you need a $40+ hot water kettle. Plus you've now got a ton of stuff to wash and it takes 5 minutes of attentive time to make the coffee. I love myself some properly made french press coffee, but it's a different kind of thing from the Clover. Both are good, they are just different.

Prrometheus 18y ago

Getting rid of the awful McDonald's copy-cat "Pike's Place Roast" could save Starbucks. It became more awful when they decided to make that the only drip-coffee they sell after 2PM. The only way it tastes good is with Bailey's.

hugh 18y ago
Personally I think the Pike's Place Roast is a big improvement over their old brewed coffee, although I find it varies from day to day.

silencio 18y ago

I still stand by my opinion from long, long ago that the Clover can't save Starbucks because of the quality of their beans. If anything it'll be the "ooh $11,000 coffee machine!" effect. I'm wondering what my two favorite local coffee shops both with Clovers are going to do..I'm half hoping they're going to keep them around, but I personally don't think they need a Clover to brew some amazingly delish coffee.