by: David Watsky | CNET
Recently, Lavazza launched the first pod coffee maker that brews compostable discs of pressed coffee, with no aluminum, no plastic and no waste. Just this month, our coffee expert Nikita Ephanov tested the Tabli system and found that it made authentic-tasting espresso shots with minimal effort and far less garbage than your typical pod brewer.
Given the fanfare around this innovative new single-serve espresso machine, which launched in late August, we were pleasantly surprised to spot it on sale for October Prime Day — down to $58 for the white model and $90 for the black or mocha models (typically $85 and $130). Note that those prices are for Prime members only. The Tabli is an obvious upgrade from existing single-serve machines that rely on plastic pods. It’s light, compact and requires minimal brain power to operate, which is a big boon during blurry-eyed early mornings.
$58 (save $27)
Lavazza Tabli
Nikita praised the eco-friendly design, but was just as taken with the rich, flavorful coffee this one-of-a-kind machine produced. Picture a Keurig, minus the plastic K-Cups piling up in landfills. The tabs run about $1 each and are available through Amazon or directly from Lavazza.
An alternative you might like
Only two plastic-free pod systems are available in the US. Keurig launched its premium Alta system last week, which also brews 100% compostable pods. The $500 Alta has more bells and whistles than Tabli, including 10 bars of pressure for brewing genuine espresso and a built-in whisk and frother for lattes and flat whites. The Alta preorder sold out in a few hours, but the brand plans to restock soon.
For more, here are the six best kitchen deals we’ve spotted for Prime Day.
David Watsky
Managing Editor / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he’s spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. David earned his BA from Northeastern and has toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now he’s likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week. See full bio