Technological advances are at full throttle these days. My camera phone was the most exciting invention since the pager - for a couple seconds. It, like the elliptical machine I'm so fond of, seems almost archaic at this point. I find myself incredibly jealous of the many lucky folk that have full-blown computers and televisions on their phones. Yesterday I exercised on a machine that works you out by simply vibrating while you stand there and do nothing. Afterwards I sat in an infrared sauna. The advancements in coffee brewing methods move at the same supersonic pace as everything else.

A couple months ago I had a cutting-edge coffee encounter with the Clover at Cafe Corsa, a small coffee shop in West Los Angeles. I was a bit perplexed by the three dollar price tag on a cup of coffee. I asked the owner why this was. He explained that the coffee was brewed in this magical brewing contraption called the Clover.

With this elevated brewing device I could expect my coffee to be freshly brewed by the cup in under a minute with all the undertones boldly present. The Clover controls every step of the brewing process, from the water temperature to the coffee grind to the coffee to water ratio and brew time.

The prior owner of Cafe Corsa had high hopes for this brewing method and paid $15,000 for it, which helped to explain the inordinate pricing on coffee. The current proprietor explained that fanatical customers drive all the way from Orange County for a prodigiously smooth cup of coffee from the Clover.

I ordered my cup with high hopes. I was told that if I didn't like it I would be reimbursed. I liked it. It was smooth, it was fresh, it was made just for me - all fine things. Perhaps I'm a coffee traditionalist because, although it may take longer (3 to 4 minutes) I prefer the french press. I like my coffee to be nuanced and akin to silk, don't get me wrong, but I also like to witness the artistry of the barista preparing my coffee, and I like it with some sediment floating in it. A little grittiness just feels right.

The owner of Cafe Corsa claimed that this was one of the only Clover brewing machines in California, but I went to Lamill Coffee in Silverlake later that day and saw that they had a couple of them. Starbucks, who in 2008 bought the Coffee Equipment Company, whose first product was the Clover, offers the advanced brewing system at many locations in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. So, for those who don't like their coffee on the dirty side, not to worry:

Los Angeles and Orange County Coffee Shops with the Clover Brewing System

Cafe Corsa
2238 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 746-2604

Lamill Coffee
1636 Silver Lake Boulevard
Los Angeles, Ca 90026
(323) 663-4441

Starbucks
3997 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, California 92620
(714) 734 – 9757

800 West Olympic Blvd. #102
Los Angeles, CA 90015

5757 Wilshire Boulevard #106
Los Angeles, CA  90036
(323) 931 – 1013

7624 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852 9690

4264 Lincoln Boulevard
Marina Del Ray, CA 90292
(310) 578 6832

117 West Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena CA 91105
(626) 577 4622

12170 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 762-9368

8595 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659 -1856