Alta uses compressed pods with no plastic or aluminum. Here's how the groundbreaking coffee system fared in testing.
As a seasoned reviewer of all things coffee, I’ve sampled my fair share of Keurig products. After all, the brand’s presence is far-reaching — Keurig’s single-serve coffee makers are found in tens of millions of American households. So when I heard the brand had completely revamped its hard plastic-encased K-Cup, I knew this was big news. First teased way back in 2024, Keurig’s plastic-free pod coffee system has finally arrived.
Called an AltaRound, this puck consists of coffee grounds encased in seaweed-derived gel. The changes go beyond packaging. The transformed pods come with a new machine, the $500 Alta, a revamped brewer that marks Keurig’s first foray into high-pressure espresso extraction. The machine extracts at up to 10 bars, on par with a standard espresso machine.
Put the puck and coffee machine together, and the technology is striking. The coffee maker even scans QR codes printed on the pucks and suggests drinks on a touchscreen. It’s a futuristic reinvention, but what matters most to me is the environmental initiative coupled with coffee quality. It’s an ambitious redesign for Keurig’s consumer scale, and I can’t wait to see how the new Alta system performs.
Keurig’s range of coffee makers spans from no-frills single-button models to spiffed-up machines. Right out of the box, the Alta is clearly the brand’s most substantial offering yet. The appliance is fairly large, taking up 19 inches by 10 inches of counter space and standing 1 foot tall.
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