For decades, it was the all the bells and whistles that was the selling point for a fancy coffee machine. Now, consumers are looking for what it lacks. Growing concern over microplastics and sustainability is sparking a wave of plastic-free coffee pods and machines. Coffee companies and appliance makers have released new machines and redesigned capsules in recent months. Keurig and Lavazza’s new pods ditch the 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 doesn’t have plastic in its brew path. More research is needed to determine the actual harm microplastics cause. But nine in 10 Americans are concerned about the effect of the miniscule plastic pieces on the planet and their bodies, according to a 2025 poll conducted by environmental group 5 Gyres; and studies have shown that pods shed microplastics. The growth in pricey equipment and plastic-free pods fits a broader pattern of consumers trading up on home coffee equipment since the pandemic, said Peter Giuliano, senior advisor for research at Specialty Coffee Association. The appeal and growth combine three things: health worries about microplastics, concern about plastic in the environment and the “feeling that metal and glass are more ‘luxury’ than plastic,” he told CNN. New pods In June, Lavazza introduced Tablì in the US, a US$129 machine that uses only single-serve espresso tablets made with compressed ground coffee — a shift from its capsules made from plastic and aluminum. The tablets are made by a custom technology that “compresses precisely dosed, ground, and tamped coffee into a solid, ready-to-use tab,” Lavazza said in a press release. The Italian company says the new machine is its “largest investment yet” in the United States as it looks to double revenue to US$1 billion by 2029, unlocking the stranglehold Keurig Dr. Pepper has on the coffee market. Tablì is aimed at customers that 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-serve,” she told CNN. Keurig, which ushered in the boom of plastics with their K-Cups back in the 1990s, launched in October a new line of compostable pods with a specially designed machine called the Alta. (The new pods don’t fit in the old machines.) Called AltaRounds, the pods have been in development since 2020 in response to consumers’ shifting sustainability and health preferences. The new pods represent a “significant reduction in plastic compared to our K-Cup pods,” said Phil Drapeau, senior vice president for Keurig’s Future Coffee Systems unit. “We’ve heard clearly from customers that they want more sustainable products and specifically less plastic and plastic waste,” Drapeau told CNN. “Our data shows that drink variety, quality, and less plastic waste are high priorities across almost every group.” Keurig has come under fire in the past over its pods, agreeing in 2022 to pay US$10 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers by marketing its plastic K-Cups as recyclable, though it denied any wrongdoing. But while the pods and the machine contain less plastic, they are considerably more expensive than a traditional Keurig machine. The Alta bundle that includes glassware and pods costs US$499. Melissa Valiant, director of communications for 5 Gyres, said that both the Lavazza and Keurig products still use plastic, which “ends up in a landfill, incinerator, or our environment after use, contributing to the planet’s growing plastic pollution crisis.” New machine Caraway has focused on developing a US$495 coffee machine, released last month, that’s created entirely of stainless steel and glass, ensuring that no plastic touches the ground coffee. (Lavazza’s and Keurig’s machines contain some amounts of plastic.) Developing a coffee machine with plastic-free brew path was challenging, according to Caraway CEO Jordan Nathan. That’s because the pricey glass and steel parts all need to be custom-made. “We had to make the best coffee possible with no plastic on the interior with a full metal body, but also in a small (counter) footprint that had a single dial,” he told CNN. Concern over plastic in the kitchen and its affects on the endocrine system has been growing for the past few years, Nathan said, referencing a viral article that linked 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 where they can, including in makeup, food and bedding. Caraway’s other plastic-free products, like cutting boards, have soared in sales over the past three years. Coffee is a natural next step, Nathan added, because “you never want to heat plastic.” Demand for Caraway’s new 10-cup coffee maker has been so strong that it’s sold out until January, forcing the company to ramp up production. Meanwhile, Keurig and Lavazza reported similar interest with both company’s product selling out quickly after their initial release. That appetite for these pods and machines signals the industry will move toward more plastic-free alternatives, Nathan said. “If you’re not doing it, you’re behind where the puck is moving,” he concluded.
