Indy Telecom & Industrial Media

Just how much are you willing to pay for that coffee machine of yours? Does $11,000 sound a bit…steep?

Well, apparently, that’s how much Clover’s new coffee machine costs.

Take this excerpt from this Slate article on Clover’s new coffee machine -

The Clover is so eyebrow-raisingly expensive because it’s not mass-produced: Each device is built to order by a small Seattle company. It brews coffee like a French press, but it’s more dramatic to watch and much more precise. Unlike lesser methods of making coffee, which are no more reliable than their users and can’t be counted on to produce the same cup twice, the Clover is equipped with a “PID algorithm” for regulating temperature and “programmable workflow modes” to help micromanage the brewing process. Latourell enumerates six variables that contribute to the taste of brewed coffee—choice of bean, grind, “dose” of coffee, brewing time, temperature, and amount of water. The first three, for better or worse, are in the hands of the barista (”Call me when you get a better grinder!” Latourell half-teases the Grumpy staff)—but the Clover can precisely regulate the last three.

And of course, the article goes on to make a comparison between wine and coffee and how connoisseurs would be willing to pay much higher for a good cup of coffee.

All I can say is this - it’s a cup of coffee, and it wakes me up. Now, if I’m going to be adding milk and sugar and foam to my coffee anyway, why would I bother with the “finer” tastes and aroma of jasmine (or whatever) in my coffee?

Ah, well.