The only U.S. Starbucks that offers Reserve coffees but does not have a Clover brewer is 1912 Pike Place Starbucks. That historic store is located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in a historic building. I recall in the past asking store partners why their store didn’t have a Clover. As I recall, I heard things like that the store is just physically too small and that because it’s in a building designated as a historic structure, any kind permits for plumbing modifications would be difficult to obtain.
A pour over, if correctly done, will create an amazing single cup of coffee. At the 1912 Pike Place Starbucks, they do a slow brew pour over, pre-wetting the paper filter first and then slowly pouring the water over the grounds for about a three minute brew time. Pre-wetting the filter of a pour over helps to remove any paper flavor from the coffee and slows down the coffee extraction time as well.
If you want a pour over at this store, you have to order from the selection of Reserve coffees listed on the menu board. The charge per cup varies depending on which coffee bean you choose.
I know the Clover coffee brewer makes a great single cup of coffee but the experience of a great pour over rivals it. It’s a renaissance of coffee happening at 1912 Pike Place Starbucks. This store just started offering the Reserve pour over about one week ago.
Hope you drop by and check it out. If you like reading other articles on 1912 Pike Place, click here.
On a completely different topic, Wednesday, March 19, 2014, is the Starbucks annual meeting at McCaw Hall in Seattle. The actual meeting starts at 10:00 AM. If you’ll be there, and you see me, please say a friendly “hello.” In honor of the annual meeting tomorrow, I’m recommending that you click through to those older article of mine which features the first Starbucks Annual Report ever – the 1992 Shareholder’s Report. Take a look! It’s quite a history lesson!
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Melody… is the Pike Place location still using a La Marzocco? If so, it’s bound to be the last remaining SBUX-owned location using it. That would help to further explain why it doesn’t choose to install a Clover. (However, the lack-of-space issue at Pike Place is reason alone for that spot not having a Clover.)
I wonder why they don’t use french presses? Maybe it’s too much washing & too time consuming? I only use a french press at home & as much as I like the Clover I actually like my coffee at home better. I mostly go to Starbucks when I’m on the go & need coffee
I purchased a pour-over cone after reading about this great way to brew a cup of coffee. I have not stopped raving about how wonderful my coffee tastes. I thought my french press was the only way for a great cup of coffee. Thanks for the great recommendation.
I find that very few SB customers know that you can ask for a pour over cup of coffee. Just curious are customers made aware that this is an option? I also wonder once they start offering Teavana would they do a pour over for these teas?
I like that! Maybe this concept can be used to expand the number of stores offering Reserve coffees again in the future.
For the moment though I’d just be happy to see a bit more training for Partners in how to correctly make a pour over. Here in the great lakes area — Michigan and Indiana — I’ve only had one pour over (out of the 28 I’ve ordered) not botched to the point where I’ve sent it back. Specifically filter hasn’t been pre-wet, a pour over pot hasn’t been used so the water’s been dumped over far too quickly, and the list goes on.
Melody, you probably know better than I do about it, but I believe that back before Starbucks began actually offering brewed coffee for sale in its stores that customers could sample coffees via pour over. I don’t think the process was as “refined” as it is today. I believe it was the fact that Starbucks was selling so many plastic filter cones that led a Hammerplast VP to fly out to Seattle to see for himself this little coffee outfit selling so many Hammerplast filter cones. This of course led to the cup of Sumatra that changed Starbucks forever.
I think it is great that 1912 Pike is offering Reserve coffees via pour over. Coffee is Starbucks core and to bring the best coffees Starbucks has to offer to the heart and soul of all Starbucks stores just makes so much sense that it almost makes one wonder why it didn’t happen sooner. I like the fact that it is pour over and not necessarily Clover. I like the old-school nature of the pour over and as I mentioned above, this store has a rich history with the pour over cone. Plus, many of the Reserve coffees are expressed very well via pour over. Since many of the Reserve coffees are washed process, lively coffees roasted a touch more lightly than the Starbucks Roast the pour over can really smooth out the acidity. That said, I love my French press and will never give it up.
This last part is just for the partners that read this site. How many QASA violations do you spot in the photos? I’m not being mean or nitpicking. I play this game every morning when I walk into my store and now I can’t help but play it every time I step into or see pictures of a Starbucks store.