Keurig has brewed up a new kind of coffee pod: First look at the plastic-free Alta brewing system

The useful part

Then the industry saw another shake-up with the introduction of single-serve coffee, which hit the mainstream when Keurig introduced its single-cup brewing system and K-Cups in 1998. They're in hotel rooms, conference rooms, and roughly 47 million households in the U.S. In the subsequent 28-year stretch, Keurig has partnered with nearly every recognizable coffee brand to produce K-Cups, and has introduced numerous machines to the market.

How it works

• The product and technology—single-cup brewers and K-Cups—remained unchanged.
• Keurig goes plastic- and aluminum-free At the end of September, Keurig will officially unveil the Keurig Alta system and the next iteration of K-Cup pods, called AltaRounds.
• AltaRounds, which are effectively the "new" K-Cups, do not use any plastic or metal and instead are fully compostable.
• The Alta system was initially teased in 2024 as "K-Rounds." Several redesigns later, K-Rounds evolved...

Details worth keeping

The history of in-home coffee making is a story in and of itself. Keurig and its machines have since become ubiquitous.