Starbucks Introduces Clover Coffee Machine In Brooklyn Stores

Although Starbucks' coffee is most commonly regarded as being burnt and ordinary, the coffee chain sees their potential far beyond that. Never one to leave behind progressive ideas, Starbucks recently announced that they are going to bring the famed Clover coffee machine to several of its Brooklyn locations. This new brewing method, usually found at only the most coffee-serious cafes, has been at their Brooklyn Heights' location since May and will be introduced into other locations in the coming months.

Starbucks bought the company that manufactures Clover machines last year, which means it surely get a discount on the $13,000 machine. The machine's high-ticket price is reflected in the coffee, which costs $5 and is only made from Starbucks' reserve blends. While the machine may not look like anything special, it brews individual cups of coffee in a stainless-steel chamber that is insulated in order to keep the coffee within a couple degrees of its ideal temperature. After being brewed for the ideal amount of time, the grounds are pressed out and your cup is ready. Starbucks promises that it will "be the best cup of coffee you've ever tasted."

With a high price tag — at least for a cup of Starbucks coffee — it may surprise some people that these machines see a decent amount of activity. Brooklyn Heights reported that they brew roughly 50 cups per day. 

While the Clover machine isn't going to show up at every Starbucks in the future, it does represent the company's increasing desire to break into the gourmet coffee market, especially in cities such as New York. After tasting the coffee, Gothamist editors pointed out, "[the Clover machine] gives Starbucks more of an edge to compete with local breweries..." If the machines prove to be big successes at the New York stores, Starbucks might just introduce them at other coffee-crazed cities in America.

(Photo Modified: Flickr/MichaelAllenSmith)