Keurig and Caraway Take Aim At Coffee Waste With New Plastic-Free Machines

4 min readI was a barista for six years in my late teens and early twenties, and during that time I learned the ins and outs of an espresso machine, how to make latte art, what different bean grinds mean for flavor, and which drinks need more milk foam than others. I love having this kind of knowledge; however, most people who drink coffee daily aren’t familiar with these details. For most coffee drinkers, the morning starts with a simple drip coffee, a flavored cup made with a single-serve K-cup, or a stop at the Starbucks or Dunkin’ drive-thru.Although single-serve coffee makers are wonderfully convenient for coffee novices, popular models like Keurigs and Nespresso machines create a big problem that environmental advocates have discussed for years: large amounts of plastic and aluminum waste. Every time you make a cup of coffee in one of these machines, you’re discarding a filtered pod. In time, the waste adds up.If you’re becoming more eco-conscious about your coffee consumption this holiday season, two new products are worth considering: the Keurig Alta and the Caraway Non-Toxic 10-Cup Drip Coffee Maker. Both are fully plastic-free, at-home coffee makers designed to improve your daily coffee routine while reducing waste and exposure to chemicals in plastics.The Keurig Alta: Keurig’s first espresso machineKeurig is taking its first swing at the espresso market with the Alta, a single-serve machine designed to bring coffeehouse-style drinks to people who don’t want to play barista before their first cup. The big change is the AltaRound, a compact puck of finely ground coffee with a plant-based coating that replaces the traditional K-Cup for espresso brewing. Drop one in, select your drink, and the machine does the rest—no grinder, no tamping, no guesswork. Even the milk steaming is automated, and the machine is programmed to froth different types of milk perfectly, from regular dairy milk to oat milk.The Alta can brew espresso at up to 10 bars of pressure, and its recipe-reading technology automatically adjusts brewing parameters for different drinks. An integrated milk frother rounds out the setup, making lattes, cappuccinos, and other café staples a few button presses away. It also accepts standard K-Cup pods, so existing Keurig owners don’t have to abandon their old favorites.The most interesting part may be the new pod format. AltaRounds ditch the rigid plastic capsule in favor of pressed coffee and a plant-based coating, though the individual rounds still come in plastic freshness wrappers. It’s a fresh approach to the single-serve formula, and one that puts Keurig in a more premium corner of the coffee market.In testing, I was very impressed with the drink quality and the improved taste compared to a regular K-Cup. The AltaRounds preserve freshness very well and do produce a more robust-tasting coffee. I am admittedly not the biggest fan of the taste of classic K-Cups and prefer fresher, stronger coffee, and the AltaRounds delivered for me.I will also say, at $500, this machine is not cheap, but it is much more affordable than other espresso machines on the market, especially fully automated models. So if you drink coffee every day and want an upgrade, this machine is worth a look.Caraway Non-Toxic Drip Coffee Maker: Precision brewing, zero plastic contactFor drip-coffee folks, Caraway is bringing its signature design-forward approach to the coffee counter with its first-ever coffee maker, a 10-cup drip machine built around one big idea: keeping plastic out of your brew. Its Clean Brew System uses a glass water reservoir and carafe, along with stainless steel tubing, a shower head, and a brew basket, so water and coffee never touch plastic along the way.The machine is simple to use, too: A single dial handles brewing and cleaning, while a controlled bloom cycle and precise temperature management produce a balanced, evenly extracted cup. A reusable stainless steel filter comes standard, and a warming plate keeps coffee hot for up to 90 minutes. There’s no touchscreen or laundry list of settings to fiddle with — just a straightforward pot of coffee.Of course, Caraway’s knack for making kitchen essentials look good is part of the appeal. The metal-bodied machine comes in muted shades including Cream, Stone, Clay, and Midnight, and looks more like a considered countertop accessory than a utilitarian appliance. At $495, it's still quite the serious splurge for a drip coffee maker.Our TakeBoth machines make high-quality coffee conveniently and plastic-free. Personally, I prefer the Keurig. For the price, you get so much more. I love a good cortado or cold foam iced latte, and this machine makes that easier than ever.For me and my tastes, I’m definitely pro Keurig Alta; I’m even recommending it to friends and family who have reached out asking for espresso machine recommendations. If you don’t know the ins and outs of coffeehouse-style beverages but want an easy latte at home, the Alta is a game-changer.Meanwhile, our Deputy Editor, Eunice Lucero-Lee, loves how the Caraway 10-Cup Coffee Maker fits perfectly into her new plastic-avoidant lifestyle. Its stainless steel and glass brew path ensures a “clean” drip each time, and a quick, easy one at that. The handy reusable filter also cuts down on waste. As a newbie to the whole home coffee experience (she’s been staunchly #TeamEarlGrey for most of her life), the beginner-friendly single-dial mechanism is super intuitive — and a fantastic, elevated starting point.Shop the Keurig AltaShop the Caraway 10-Cup Coffee MakerOther Coffee Machines We LoveClassic Drip Coffee MakerSarah Connor is a Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics. She also contributes to Runner’s World, Bicycling, Best Products, and Biography.com. Before joining the Hearst Magazines team, Sarah was a National Content Editor for Hearst Television. She holds a master's in Journalism from Syracuse University and a dual bachelor's in English and Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. When she isn’t writing up a review of the newest gadgets, you can find her heading to the nearest rink for a figure skating session or enjoying the outdoors with her beloved Australian Shepherd, Rosie.Eunice Lucero-Lee is the Deputy Editor, Deals and Trends, for Best Products, Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Biography. Her obsession with beauty and pop culture keeps her on top of the latest trends and viral online finds, which can also be seen in her work spearheading the Hearst Enthusiast Group’s sales and deals content. Her editorials have been featured in publications like Cosmopolitan, Esquire, The Numinous, woman&home, and Sparkling, among many others. A former music editor, she pioneered Asia’s first-ever English-helmed K-Pop magazine and has extensive experience with celebrity profiling and red-carpet reportage. She is based in Manhattan where she watches Scandi-noir crime procedurals with her cat.