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For decades, these were all the features that were the selling point of a sophisticated coffee machine. Now consumers are looking for what they are missing.
Growing concern over microplastics and sustainability is sparking a wave of plastic-free pods and coffee machines.
Coffee makers and appliance makers have launched new machines and redesigned capsules in recent months. New pods from Keurig and Lavazza ditch traditional plastic cups for compostable coffee tablets. Caraway’s new machine uses traditional coffee grounds, but unlike a conventional drip machine, the stainless steel and glass machine has no plastic in its brew path.
More research is needed to determine the actual harm caused by microplastics. But nine in 10 Americans are concerned about the effect of tiny pieces of plastic on the planet and their bodies, according to a 2025 poll by the environmental group 5 Gyres; and studies have shown that pods excrete microplastics.
The growth of expensive equipment and plastic-free pods fits a broader pattern of consumers buying home coffee equipment since the pandemic, said Peter Giuliano, senior adviser for research at the Specialty Coffee Association.
The appeal and growth combines three things: health concerns about microplastics, concerns about plastic in the environment, and the “feeling that metal and glass are more ‘luxury’ than plastic,” he told CNN.
In June, Lavazza launched Tablì in the United States, a $129 machine that uses only single-serve espresso tablets made from compressed ground coffee — a change from its plastic and aluminum capsules.
The tablets are made using custom technology that “compresses precisely dosed, ground and tamped coffee into a strong, ready-to-use tablet,” Lavazza said in a press release.
Italian company says new machine is its ‘biggest investment to date’ in the United States, which seeks to double its revenue to $1 billion by 2029, freeing Keurig Dr. Pepper’s stranglehold on the coffee market.
Tablì is aimed at customers who want a sustainable alternative to the traditional pod, according to Daniele Foti, vice president of marketing for Lavazza North America.
“Consumers want to enjoy their coffee without the waste that usually comes with single servings,” she told CNN.
Keurig, which ushered in the plastic boom with its K-Cups in the 1990s, launched a new line of compostable pods in October with a specially designed machine called the High. (New pods will not fit in old machines.)
Called AltaRounds, the pods have been in development since 2020 in response to changing consumer preferences around sustainability and health.
The new pods represent “a significant reduction in plastic compared to our K-Cup pods,” said Phil Drapeau, senior vice president of Keurig’s Future Coffee Systems unit.
“Customers have clearly told us they want more sustainable products and, in particular, less plastic and plastic waste,” Drapeau told CNN. “Our data shows that beverage variety, quality and reducing plastic waste are high priorities across almost all groups. »
Keurig has faced criticism in the past over its pods, agreeing in 2022 to pay $10 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers by marketing its plastic K-Cups as recyclable, although it has denied any wrongdoing.
But although the pods and machine contain less plastic, they are considerably more expensive than a traditional Keurig machine. The Alta package which includes glassware and pods costs $499.
Melissa Valliant, communications director for 5 Gyres, said Lavazza and Keurig products still use plastic packaging, which “ends up in a landfill, incinerator or in our environment after use, contributing to the planet’s growing plastic pollution crisis.”
Caraway focused on developing a $495 coffee machine, launched last month, created entirely from stainless steel and glass, ensuring no plastic touches the ground coffee. (Lavazza and Keurig machines contain some plastic.)
Developing a coffee machine with a plastic-free brew path was a challenge, according to Jordan Nathan, CEO of Caraway. This is because expensive glass and steel parts must all be custom made.
“We needed to make the best coffee possible, with no plastic inside, an all-metal body, but also in a small (countertop) footprint that had a single dial,” he told CNN.
Concern about plastic in the kitchen and its effects on the endocrine system has grown in recent years, Nathan said, referencing a viral article linking black plastics in the kitchen to alarming levels of toxic flame retardants.
Social media, influencers and various scientific studies have all fueled the conversation, with parents and other health-conscious shoppers avoiding plastic wherever possible, including in makeup, food and bedding. Caraway’s other plastic-free products, like cutting boards, have seen sales soar over the past three years.
Coffee is a natural next step, Nathan added, because “you never want to heat plastic.”
Request for the new 10-cup coffee maker from Caraway was so strong that it was sold out until January, forcing the company to increase production. Meanwhile, Keurig and Lavazza have reported similar interest, with both companies’ products selling out quickly after their initial release.
This appetite for these pods and machines indicates that the industry will move toward more plastic-free alternatives, Nathan said.
“If you don’t do it, you’re behind where the puck is moving,” he concluded.
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