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You Can’t Afford This Coffee Maker
The high-tech Clover, and two affordable alternatives
The Best Home Coffee Makers
Chemex
Chambord
The Chemex is an hourglass-shaped glass flask designed by German-immigrant chemist Peter Schlumbohm in 1941.
It makes beautifully clear, flavorful coffee, but compared to a French press (see next recommendation), it’s relatively time-consuming and messy, which can be a challenge first thing in the morning.
Dampen a special Chemex paper filter, insert it into the top of the flask, add medium-ground coffee, and continually add slightly-cooler-than-boiling water until you’ve brewed your desired amount. You don’t simply add water then step away. You must keep the top vessel filled while the finished coffee filters to the bottom. The sand-through-the-hourglass-like process is what makes the finished product so good. It gives the hot water time to infuse the coffee, yet also filter through.
Many coffee experts use a French press in the morning, because it’s easy to operate and clean out. Plus there are no paper filters, which people with very exacting palates claim can impart or absorb flavors. This Chambord model is a classic and considered to be one of the best.
It debuted in 1933, manufactured incongruously by a clarinet factory in Normandy. Now owned by Bodum, the press is still the same. It comes in several sizes. Like all French presses, it works like this: Add coarsely ground coffee and near-boiling water to the pot, then place the filter plunger on top, but don’t press down yet. After you let the grounds and water steep for about four minutes, press the plunger down slowly—the water will be pushed through the strainer, leaving the grounds behind on the bottom of the pot. Your coffee is ready.
Can a Good Coffee Maker Transform Bad Coffee?
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see if the French press and the Chemex could make low-quality coffee taste good. I chose Folgers Classic Roast, which in my opinion somehow manages to be thin yet jaw-achingly sharp and bitter.
The folks at Intelligentsia declined to let me brew Folgers in their Clover, because a company representative said we wouldn’t know the correct settings and therefore wouldn’t give the coffee a fair shake. I felt it would have been a bit much to ask Intelligentsia’s quality-control team to determine the best settings, and Folgers does not have brewing guidelines for the Clover.
Following Intelligentsia’s general guidelines for brewing coffee in non-Clover appliances, I used Brita-filtered water—boiled in an electric kettle and the temperature verified with a digital thermometer to be 205 degrees Fahrenheit—and two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.
The standard grind of Folgers was too fine for the French press, leaving way too much sediment. The Chemex made a characteristically clean and sediment-free coffee. Otherwise the finished cups of coffee were similar: There was no body. It was like drinking hot, brown, burnt water, an interesting concept actually. The piercing bitterness I usually taste with coffee of this caliber wasn’t there. So sadly, the answer is no, not even two great coffee makers can make bad coffee taste good. Just a little better.
Our Aeropress rocks: http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm
Using a thermometer and microwave, you can figure out the precise time to zap water to get the perfect temperature. Although it looks like a French Press, it's very different. The coffee doesn't steep. You just stir it enuff to mix the grounds into the water. Then, immediately press the plunger down (it's like a giant hypodermic)....+READ
Our Aeropress rocks: http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm
Using a thermometer and microwave, you can figure out the precise time to zap water to get the perfect temperature. Although it looks like a French Press, it's very different. The coffee doesn't steep. You just stir it enuff to mix the grounds into the water. Then, immediately press the plunger down (it's like a giant hypodermic). This accounts for how smooth things turn out. Some people like a bit of bitter... No problem, let it steep longer.
You're making espresso (YES, it even produces crema). You can then add water to make a cup of Java in the microwave. I live in Jackson Hole, and the only Clover in town was retired because it wasn't performing as advertised; our righteous roaster refused to give people anything but the best.
I haven't tasted Clover coffee, but have a hard time seeing why the Aerobie isn't doing the same thing waaaaay cheaper with no motors and crap to wear out. Check out reviews: http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/vacpots/aeropress/Douloscott and http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker-Filters/product-reviews/B001HBCVX0/ref=cm_cr_pr_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending-COLLAPSE
Yup. Aeropress is definitely the best way to make 1 or 2 cups of coffee at home and especially while traveling. Though I've never used a Chemex I am fairly confident the Aeropress does at least as good a job, with a bit less hassle and mess. The Aerorpess is sort of like a cross between a French Press and a Chemex, except, instead of generating a vacuum to provide the filtration pressure, you...+READ
Yup. Aeropress is definitely the best way to make 1 or 2 cups of coffee at home and especially while traveling. Though I've never used a Chemex I am fairly confident the Aeropress does at least as good a job, with a bit less hassle and mess. The Aerorpess is sort of like a cross between a French Press and a Chemex, except, instead of generating a vacuum to provide the filtration pressure, you generate it yourself with the plunger. It is better than a regular French Press because, in addition to the obvious advantage the filters providing grit free output, the air pressure filtration/extraction is capable of providing a smoother tasting coffee, in my experience.-COLLAPSE
Looks like a sophisticated French press to me.
http://brockeim-coffee-love.blogspot.com/
Dino,
1) Go to Remedy Coffee on Telegraph & 43rd in Oakland. They have a Clover, use coffee from Ritual Roasters in SF, and charge $3/cup.
2) http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm
...is the Aeropress the one that works on a vacuum system that looks like the Chemex?
@ work, we have a Starbucks (*sorry*) with one of these things. The cups from it are really good. It also helps that our boss gave us $25 gift cards over the holidays...& that the shop downstairs doesn't list the $22-range coffee on the board. End result, you get to try the good cups from the $11K (!)/110lb Clover for just a bit more than you pay for the typical cup.
I'm usually a Peet's guy, so...+READ
@ work, we have a Starbucks (*sorry*) with one of these things. The cups from it are really good. It also helps that our boss gave us $25 gift cards over the holidays...& that the shop downstairs doesn't list the $22-range coffee on the board. End result, you get to try the good cups from the $11K (!)/110lb Clover for just a bit more than you pay for the typical cup.
I'm usually a Peet's guy, so this was a pleasant treat to try out on (my) cheap. Don't know if our Peet's down the street will ever get one but I doubt it....somehow I'm fine with that.
FYI, Peet's is from Oakland/Berkeley where I am & we see it as the "good guy/local favorite" over Seattle's Starbucks...simpler & local.-COLLAPSE
I agree the best home coffee maker available is the Aeropress.
-Josh Schrock
The clover produces a unique cup of coffee, bringing out flavors I haven't had in a cup. It doesn't mean that it is better.
$11k for a robotic demonstration of the French Press method?
And you have to waggle a spatula in the grounds while they steep?
Boshemoi.
"There's one born every minute."
- Everyone who ever quoted P. T. Barnum
21st Street Coffee in the Strip District (Pittsburgh) has a Clover machine and it is a delight. I am glad to get a cup before buying my produce and Penn Mac cheese on Saturday mornings.
Seriously? Really... seriously?
I'll stick to my presso coffee maker from pressoamerica.com Not only is it portal and easy to use but it is stylish to keep on my kitchen countertop
Cafe Grumpy apparently has the #1 and #2 clover in terms of total number of cups sold. What do people here think about Starbucks acquiring the Clover?
Cafe Grumpy's had 2 Clovers at their West 20th Street (btwn 7th & 8th Ave). They were charging between $2 and $3 per cup. Although I didn't have a cup, the brew (I was standing very close to the Clover) smelled very rich and not burnt.
They have really good beans there from what I could taste, though I got a latte.
Some coffees show better through a press pot, some through a Chemex, some through a Clover, some through an espresso machine, some through a vac pot (siphon).
About the only absolute is that you're never going to get a great tasting cup of coffee using old pre-ground beans through an inexpensive drip machine or percolator. Other than that, it's all subjective.
Some coffeehouses (far too few)...+READ
Some coffees show better through a press pot, some through a Chemex, some through a Clover, some through an espresso machine, some through a vac pot (siphon).
About the only absolute is that you're never going to get a great tasting cup of coffee using old pre-ground beans through an inexpensive drip machine or percolator. Other than that, it's all subjective.
Some coffeehouses (far too few) have tasting bars set up where you can explore a single varietal via numerous different brewing methods. An exceptional barista will know how to brew on them all and know the variables that bean density, roast profile, bean age, brew temp, grind, dwell time and agitation will have on the the flavor notes present in the cup being served.
When done properly with understanding of the brew processes and the beans, it's possible to make a great cup of coffee with a half dozen brew methods (or more). It's not rocket science, but it's not something you can do half-awake either.
Clover is simply one other piece of ordnance in the barista''s arsenal but not the end-all-be-all. What it does - again, in the right hands - is provide a level of control over brewing variables that until now has been unachievable. Therefore, it should produce repeatable results... for a few hours, that is, because the beans will perform differently tomorrow.-COLLAPSE
Swaq,
Need to know where to get a Boeing 777 for yourself? That's easy! http://www.boeing.com/commercial/bbj/index.html of course. Now about that vent hood . . . .
In LA, coffee from the clover is $3 (Groundwork, Intelligentsia LA, and La Mill all have it). In Portland, it's $2 (Stumptown).
I have three Clovers at home; they're nowhere near good enough to use for actual coffee, but they make nice paperweights. The fellow who comes over every morning to inject pure caffeine into my veins with a platinum needle completely agrees.
But I digress. Hee. Yes, Clover-made coffee is a thing unto itself. You would never, ever confuse a normal cup of brewed coffee with a Clover cup. All the...+READ
I have three Clovers at home; they're nowhere near good enough to use for actual coffee, but they make nice paperweights. The fellow who comes over every morning to inject pure caffeine into my veins with a platinum needle completely agrees.
But I digress. Hee. Yes, Clover-made coffee is a thing unto itself. You would never, ever confuse a normal cup of brewed coffee with a Clover cup. All the flavor is there with none of the harshness. You taste subtleties in the blend you'd never have been able to spot before. And enough about the $22 cups of coffee -- those are the anomalies; a normal cup of Clover coffee at Intelligentsia is around $3. And well worth it.-COLLAPSE
AeroPress is the way to go ($30, includes a year of filters). Much better than a French press, for the same reason a Clover is.
The clover definitely tastes better in a side by side comparrison to most other forms of brewing although, like a lot of things, it may not be worth it to everyone. The average $3-6 for a cup isn't going to be worth it for someone looking for their morning fix. It's going to have to be a person looking for a really delicious cup of coffee. And, of course the beans matter. As the article points...+READ
The clover definitely tastes better in a side by side comparrison to most other forms of brewing although, like a lot of things, it may not be worth it to everyone. The average $3-6 for a cup isn't going to be worth it for someone looking for their morning fix. It's going to have to be a person looking for a really delicious cup of coffee. And, of course the beans matter. As the article points out, foldgers is never going to taste good on a clover and it's going to be hard to beat coffee that sells for $50/lb even if it's brewed (correctly) as a drip. Fortunately, almost any place willing to fork out the dough for a clover, typically has really good coffee. If you want to find out where you can get a clover-made cup, Clover has put out a google map of the places that have bought their machines. http://cloverequipment.com/find_a_clover.aspx-COLLAPSE
The clover definitely tastes better in a side by side comparrison although, I think like a lot of things, it may not be worth it to everyone. The average $3-6 for a cup isn't going to be worth it for someone looking for their morning fix. They are going to have to be someone looking for a really delicious cup of coffee. And, of course the beans matter. As the article points out, foldgers is never...+READ
The clover definitely tastes better in a side by side comparrison although, I think like a lot of things, it may not be worth it to everyone. The average $3-6 for a cup isn't going to be worth it for someone looking for their morning fix. They are going to have to be someone looking for a really delicious cup of coffee. And, of course the beans matter. As the article points out, foldgers is never going to taste good on a clover and it's going to be hard to beat coffee that sells for $50/lb even if it's brewed (correctly) as a drip. Fortunately, almost any place willing to fork out the dough for a clover, typically has really good coffee. If you want to find out where you can get a clover-made cup, Clover has put out a google map of the places that have bought their machines. http://cloverequipment.com/find_a_clover.aspx-COLLAPSE
The coffee shop in KC that i visit the most has one. The Roasterie charges anywhere from $2.225-5.00. i get my coffee from the clover everyday and it is so much better than any drip coffee.
i worked at a coffeehouse that had a clover. salt spring coffee in vancouver, bc.
definitely a fun machine. turns making drip into an attraction. some customers took photos.
we charged $2.25.
Hands down, the Clover produces an excellent cup of coffee, but it's obviously a luxury if you are considering it for home use. I was able to try a cup of the La Minita del Sol from a Clover at a Dancing Goats in Atlanta.
...+READ
Hands down, the Clover produces an excellent cup of coffee, but it's obviously a luxury if you are considering it for home use. I was able to try a cup of the La Minita del Sol from a Clover at a Dancing Goats in Atlanta.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&q=Dancing+goats&near=Decatur,+GA&fb=1&cid=0,0,12455851907339102689&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=image
It was probably one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had, though I don't think will ever be buying one for home use.
The Chemex does produce a very clean cup of coffee, though it has more estringent quality like tea. I'm not really a fan. Never tried the Aeropress. Sounds interesting.-COLLAPSE
Exactly, Jane. The "Cup of Excellence" auctions have recently hit very high levels. I tried to point that out with the $60/pound reference above. Most places with Clovers are selling an array of different small lot coffees in the $3-$6 range, depending upon the specific coffee being used.
....chiming in to say that these $22 cups are made from special auction-lot beans that are in very limited quantity. They are like the ultra-fine wines that can go for thousands. This is not everyday coffee, but something to call attention to the brewing machine and process. Like so much journalism nowadays, this article was written for the outrage factor. So go untwist your knickers, sheesh.
I tried the clover today and I must say I was impressed. I had the best cup of black coffee in my life. I went to http://www.caffepronto.com/index.php and choose the "El Salvador Suiza" bean. One 12oz cup was $3.00. Well worth the try if your in the area.
the AeroPress looks interesting.... although, you still have to buy filters. i guess i'll have to try to make a comparison
Meh. I had a cup of Nicaraguan made by a Clover at a cafe in St Louis recently, and I gotta say, I wasn't impressed. It was a good cup of coffee, absolutley, but not good enough for me to want to drop $2.75 on an 8oz cup. I have better uses for that money.
And $22? You gotta be insane.
I used a french press for a least 15 years until I found the AeroPress. I put the french press in the closet until company comes and I need several cups ready at the same time.
Have to agree on the AeroPress...it's the best method for making coffee that I've tried.
FWIW, the cups I had cost around $5-6, IIRC. But you're quite right: the coffee mentioned in the article above retails at $60.00/lb.
Whatever for brains, the original line was "Intelligentsia charges anywhere from a few bucks to $22 per 12-ounce cup of Clover-brewed java.", so the 22 bucks would seem to be more dependent on the beans than the Clover.
For myself, I doubt that I'd be able to appreciate a $22 cup of coffee, but is someone can and has the disposable income, I say "go for it". (Just don't sing the blues about a...+READ
Whatever for brains, the original line was "Intelligentsia charges anywhere from a few bucks to $22 per 12-ounce cup of Clover-brewed java.", so the 22 bucks would seem to be more dependent on the beans than the Clover.
For myself, I doubt that I'd be able to appreciate a $22 cup of coffee, but is someone can and has the disposable income, I say "go for it". (Just don't sing the blues about a dozen maxed out credit cards.)-COLLAPSE
I've had cups from a Clover twice, and the quality of the brewed coffee was amazing! That said, as a confirmed espresso kind-of-a-guy (complete with a small semi-commercial/"prosumer" machine at home and in my office), I have no desire to buy one (!), and rarely the desire to order a cup UNLESS the café is comfortable and I have a nice chair and book I can sink into . . .
That said, I'll admit...+READ
I've had cups from a Clover twice, and the quality of the brewed coffee was amazing! That said, as a confirmed espresso kind-of-a-guy (complete with a small semi-commercial/"prosumer" machine at home and in my office), I have no desire to buy one (!), and rarely the desire to order a cup UNLESS the café is comfortable and I have a nice chair and book I can sink into . . .
That said, I'll admit to having used a Chemex in the 1960s (and its Melita successor in the 1970s), until I got my first espresso machine in 1978. Since then, when "brewing" coffee (as opposed to making espresso), I use a French Press.
* * * * *
Different strokes for different folks, but my take on the AeroPress is that it's a very good alternative for a French Press when it comes to making one cup at a time. Then again, the only time I use the French Press is when we have company over for dinner. If it's just us, or us and another couple, I'm making espresso, cappuccino, etc. to order.
* * * * *
Finally, there must be something on the newswires re: the Clover, as NPR's "Morning Edition" did something on Clover today, too.-COLLAPSE
Even *considering* a Clover for your home kitchen? What?!?
Are we all the idiots who want restaurant-grade stoves in our home kitchens and act all stupid when we find out we cannot afford the $40,000 ventilation system upgrades to code?
Excuse me while I debate where I am going to buy my next Boeing 777. %^/
(This story is also a year old too. Search Google for "holy platinum percolators", for...+READ
Even *considering* a Clover for your home kitchen? What?!?
Are we all the idiots who want restaurant-grade stoves in our home kitchens and act all stupid when we find out we cannot afford the $40,000 ventilation system upgrades to code?
Excuse me while I debate where I am going to buy my next Boeing 777. %^/
(This story is also a year old too. Search Google for "holy platinum percolators", for example. Would have been a better pitch back in Feb...)-COLLAPSE
A Clover for your home kitchen? Are we all the idiots who want restaurant-grade stoves in our home kitchens and act all stupid when we find out we cannot afford the $40,000 ventilation system upgrades to code?
Excuse me while I debate where I am going to buy my next Boeing 777. %^/
well where is that chowhounder who has made a list of all the coffeeshops in NYC that use a Clover? f
well where is that chowhounder who has made a list of all the coffeeshops in NYC that use a Clover?
Agree with mgl, above. I've had very, very good coffee that wasn't made in an $11,000 machine. I reckon it had to do with proper water temperature, quality of coffee beans (freshness, when they were roasted, etc), and all sorts of other factors that coffee lovers pay attention to.
This Clover machine reminds me of Auto-Tune, the pitch-correcting software for people who can't sing.
i have to say, electronics are fabulous and have made our lives simpler, i think...but in the realm of food, never mind the absurdity of price, i never have had such a good cup of coffee as a hand-pulled espresso and someone who can work the wand for foam (i'm talkin' rancillio/etc.) you can't beat that skill with a machine...that is, a machine that "does it all" for you. it just never measures...+READ
i have to say, electronics are fabulous and have made our lives simpler, i think...but in the realm of food, never mind the absurdity of price, i never have had such a good cup of coffee as a hand-pulled espresso and someone who can work the wand for foam (i'm talkin' rancillio/etc.) you can't beat that skill with a machine...that is, a machine that "does it all" for you. it just never measures up, in my opinion.-COLLAPSE
i have to say, electronics are fabulous and have made our lives simpler, i think...but in the realm of food, never mind the absurdity of price, i never have had such a good cup of coffee as a hand-pulled espresso and someone who can work the wand for foam (i'm talkin' rancillio/etc.) you can't beat that skill with a machine. it just never measures up, in my opinion.
foodperv, where do you get off telling someone they have piss for brains for buying a $22 coffee? Have you ever had one? No. Then how can you judge whether or not it's worth it. Some people are passionate about coffee, so what?
I've had some Clover-brewed coffee, though it was $11.25 not $22.
I must say, it was amazing coffee. Seeing as how I've had $hit coffee served to me for $5-7, the...+READ
foodperv, where do you get off telling someone they have piss for brains for buying a $22 coffee? Have you ever had one? No. Then how can you judge whether or not it's worth it. Some people are passionate about coffee, so what?
I've had some Clover-brewed coffee, though it was $11.25 not $22.
I must say, it was amazing coffee. Seeing as how I've had $hit coffee served to me for $5-7, the $11.25 coffee had amazing value
It's no different than spending $8,000 on a stereo. $200 on jeans.
$125 for a Kobe Steak, $100+ for a bottle of wine. Don't even start with coins, stamps and artwork. I'm sure if I went over your spending habits I would find something that you spend money on that the majority don't.-COLLAPSE
maplesugar- when Java Jamboree opens their new shop (Kawa Espresso Bar) in the beltline (8 St and 14 Ave SW), they'll have our second Clover- well, third, since there's one at Fratello roasters but that's not open to the public. Amazing that Calgary had a Clover before any shop in Toronto, Montreal, or NYC did! But the west is the best for coffee, in North America at least.
it allows them to chg up to $22 a cup
only someone with piss for brains would spend that for a cup of coffee
any one that will even attempt to rationalize that stupidity must have a mother and father that were bro. and sister
Phil & Sebastian's at the Calgary Farmer's Market also has a Clover. They have developed a very loyal following.
I second the praise for the AeroPress. After a bit of practice, an awesome cup -- or any number of different awesome cups -- can be yours on demand and on the cheap.
Once again, I must say toss the Chemex, ditch the french press.
What you want is an AeroPress.