Starbucks Fresh Pressed
I’m blessed. My local Starbucks (on Charles Street in Boston) is one of six that’s testing Clovers, single-brew machines that let the brewer control all the parameters that matter. I’ve now tried the Aged Sumatra and the Arabian Mocha Sanani. Both were more than worth the extra fifty cents Starbucks is charging — better coffee and, well… very fresh. According to the barista on duty today, there’s two other locations in Boston (Federal Street and Harvard Square) and three in Seattle that are testing the “fresh pressed” coffees.
There’s a discussion with lots more details on Starbucks Gossip at starbucksgossip.typepad.com/_/2008/02/starbucks-tests.html.
The Clover machine is described on the Coffee Equipment Company website at cloverequipment.com/whyclover/why_clover.aspx. They offer a service that gives you web access to your Clovers including what’s brewing on each. One can only imagine the Starbucks control center filled with real-time screens showing thousands of cups of coffee brewing all over the world.
The latest news from my local Starbucks is that the current test is a “pretest” which will continue for a full calendar quarter. Depending on how well it goes, the next phase will be a full test, involving stores all over the US. Current plans include phasing out the breakfast sandwiches, which would free up space for Clover machines.
I hope it goes as planned. I’d love to see Starbucks focus on making the best coffee possible and leaving sandwiches to someone else.
My morning report from the barista is that all of the Fresh Pressed coffee is being roasted at a small 3rd-floor facility in Seattle. They are nearing the end of th Kona run and plan to replace it with something else. Fine with me. It’s by far the most normal of the lot.