An $11,000 coffee maker ought to make a darn fine cup of coffee.

And it does. So fine and so nuanced, in fact, the coffee world has been buzzing for months over how the Clover coffee machine would revolutionize the coffee shop industry and how Americans view drip java.

Trouble is, lately the Clover and its new corporate owner have brewed more controversy than coffee. Once the domain of independent shops looking to distinguish themselves from big chains, the Clover now belongs to Starbucks Corp. In a deal of still undisclosed terms, the Seattle coffee behemoth acquired the machine’s maker, Seattle-based Coffee Equipment Co., recently.

Suddenly, some of that revolutionary luster seems lost.

Soon after Starbucks announced the buyout at its recent shareholders meeting - as well as plans to stop selling the machine to others - the blogosphere lit up with angst-ridden talk of independents threatening to jettison their Clovers.

For more information, visit kristinaskafe.com