What company made the Clover Brewing System before Starbucks acquired it?

The company that made the Clover Brewing System before Starbucks acquired it was Coffee Equipment Company.

Seattle-based Coffee Equipment Company developed the Clover 1s, a brewer designed to make one cup of coffee at a time. Its method combined elements of a French press with a vacuum mechanism that separated brewed coffee from the grounds.

Starbucks acquired Coffee Equipment Company in March 2008 after chairman Howard Schultz tasted Clover-brewed coffee and praised its quality. Starbucks then introduced the equipment in selected stores, positioning it as a premium “fresh-pressed” brewing method.

A common mix-up is confusing the manufacturer with later coffee-equipment partners such as Bunn-O-Matic or La Marzocco. The Clover name refers to the brewing system; Coffee Equipment Company was the business Starbucks bought.