This morning I visited Kopplin's Coffee in St. Paul for a cup of coffee and a lovely chocolate croissant. A friend introduced me to this little hole in the wall (located next to Ran Ham bowling and The Nook, two favorites) last week and I am well on my way to becoming a regular. So why am I so excited about Kopplin's? Aside from the great ambiance and fabulous baked goods, they take extra pride in serving the perfect cup of coffee.At Kopplin's the finest beans are used and when you request a cup of coffee it is made one cup at at time in a machine somewhat similar to a french press. I believe it is called a Clover (pictured), but will have to double check on my next visit.
According to various sources this is the coffee machine Starbucks is looking to put in their stores. At $11,000 a pop, what makes the Clover worth it? Elementary, my dear Whatson. The online magazine Slate describes them as "equipped with a 'PID algorithm' for regulating temperature and 'programmable workflow modes' to help micromanage the brewing process." Um...okay. Whatever is going in that brilliant machine, the coffee was exquisite and I am already looking forward to my next trip on Tuesday.
For those of you in the Twin Cities, Kopplin's is in the Blue Sky Guide (a book full of coupons and discounts for independently owned local businesses). Kopplin's has a coupon that will give you 5 cups of coffee for $2 a pop or $2 off an espresso beverage. Last time I tried a latte per recommendation and it was truly the richest, creamiest I have ever had.Have a favorite beverage? I would love hear about it.
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4 comments:
sounds like a fabulous cup o coffee
I'm so glad you finally experienced the Clover. The best cup of coffee I've ever had was brewed via the Clover. And I am a self proclaimed coffee snob. I first read about it last summer in Wired magazine. According to the article, Starbucks has indeed purchased the Clover and will soon be rolling it out in select locations. It's a great article. Should be noted however, that the writer makes an excellent point that the even this machine is bound to the quality of the beans and skill of the baristas. You should definitely check it out.
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/magazine/16-08/mf_clover
I am a HUGE fan of Kopplins! It was introduced to me by a friend who said that their coffee was so good it made a grown man cry. Since then I have been bringing everyone I know to experience the best coffee in the Twin Cities. I'm so glad you wrote a post about it!
So far, each time I've gone there I have had a latte because they're just SO good that I can't seem to select anything else. But I am determined to try their individually brewed coffe soon.
Thanks for writing about it!
I review espresso for my blog and after extensive research you're right, Kopplin's is in a category all its own...
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