Keurig coffee makers are very popular for making the whole coffee brewing process easier- they are so easy to operate. However, the single-serve coffee giant has taken a step forward in the coffee brewing game. They’ve launched coffee pods that offer some cool features. What are these pods’ features? Are they now available for sale? This article will answer these questions and more. Let’s dive in.
An interesting innovation
Keurig revealed a prototype for their new plant-based pods, called K-Rounds, some days ago. The single-serve pods are a more sustainable development, and they will be 100% certified compostable before entering the market.
Courtesy: Keurig
The K-Rounds are pressed coffee grounds covered in a cellulose coating and will be available in different sizes. These coffee pods might just be the company’s solution to the problem of excess plastic waste caused by coffee pod machines.
What’s so unique about the coffee pods?
K-Rounds will have a certain code that the brewer can identify and use to determine a proper extraction profile. This will help the brewer get optimal flavor based on the roast and bean type.
Courtesy: TechRadar
Furthermore, the K-Rounds will be more versatile and will fit different custom needs. The pods are in different specialty grinds to brew regular coffee, espresso, and iced coffee. This means these new coffee pods will attend to more unique users’ needs, aside from being sustainable.
The old plus the new
Alongside the unveiling of K-Rounds, Keurig also unveiled the brand new coffee maker, Keurig Alta. This has made owners of the plastic K-Cups wonder if the new coffee brewer is only meant for the new K-Rounds.
Courtesy: Yahoo
In order not to alienate users of the former K-Cups, the new Alta coffee maker also brews the plastic cups through a different chamber. Since the new coffee pods are fed into the top chamber just like how K-Cups were fed into it, it isn’t restricted to the new pods.
Brewing the new K-Rounds
Although the new coffee brewer can work with the former plastic cups, the K-Rounds aren’t compatible with existing Keurig pod machines. This implies that users can’t buy the K-Rounds without buying the Keurig Alta- well, is it expensive?
Courtesy: Keurig
At the unveiling, the company’s representatives pointed out that the coffee pods will be sold at a premium when they enter the market. The new machine will also be more expensive than the existing one since it has more advanced features.
Are the pods now available?
During this fall, Keurig’s Alta coffee maker and K-Rounds will begin beta testing. The company will use the insights and feedback from brand partners and retailers to optimize the products before launching them.
Courtesy: Keurig
Of course, this process takes a lot of time as many decisions and corrections must be made. The plant-based K-Rounds and Alta coffee brewer might not enter the market until next year.