Coffee War Brewing With a New Plastic-Free Tablet

A new Italian contender is jumping into America's single-serve coffee fight—with no pods in sight. Lavazza is rolling out Tablì in the US, a brewing system that uses compact "espresso tablets" made only of compressed ground coffee, no plastic or aluminum. The tablets work exclusively with Lavazza's own machines and launch in five varieties, from standard espresso to decaf and a longer "lungo" shot, reports CNBC. A $99.99 pre-order bundle includes the machine, 60 tablets, and a milk frother; the regular price for the bundle will be $249.99, notes Quartz.

Tablì, born from Lavazza's 2020 acquisition of startup Caffemotive, took five years, more than 15 patents, and a new Italian factory to develop. Lavazza CEO Antonio Baravalle says the aim isn't to topple Keurig or Nespresso—Keurig controls about half the US pod market—but to carve out a niche, leaning on the plastic-free sustainability pitch and the brand's premium positioning. The US is increasingly central to the 130-year-old, family-owned company, which posted $4.5 billion in revenue and $106 million in profit in 2025 and hopes to build a $1.15 billion US business, even as Keurig readies its own plastic- and aluminum-free "K-Rounds" for later this year.