If you can’t beat them, join them.
And if you’re Delica, that’s precisely what the Swiss-based company did. That’s because today, North American single-serve giant Keurig Dr. Pepper announced that they have developed a completely new single-serve coffee form factor, one that does away with the iconic (and environmentally damaging) plastic pod, by partnering up with Delica, maker of the CoffeeB fully compostable single-serve coffee ground form factor.
Longtime readers of The Spoon know that Delica launched the CoffeeB system in 2022, and it has been quickly gaining traction in Switzerland, France, and Germany with its fully compostable coffee pods balls. According to Keurig, they have entered into a long-term partnership with Delica that grants Keurig the exclusive rights to use and build upon Delica’s proprietary technology for consumers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Keurig’s new single-serve coffee grounds form factor is called the K-Round, which, like Delica’s, will use a plant-based compostable container. According to Keurig, the K-Round is not only a result of the collaboration with Delica, but also a multi-year research effort by Keurig Dr Pepper’s R&D team. In addition to Delica’s IP, the K-Round utilizes its internal IP to develop a product tailored for the North American market, which includes patents pending for both the brew system and the plastic-free pods.
One primary difference between the CoffeeB system and the new K-Rounds is that the K-Round is essentially a flat puck shape compared to the CoffeeB system’s ball shape. One reason for the different shapes is that they enable Keurig to utilize its BrewID technology, which scans information printed on the top of each K-Round to get information about the specific coffee type and optimize the brew.
“We’ve invented a different shape for them,” Becky Opdyke, senior vice president of Keurig Systems Marketing, told The Spoon. “And that’s because we’re going to be printing some coding on the top that will be read by the brewer so that it makes the coffee type that best matches the K-Round. There will be ones that are specifically sized for espresso versus a long coffee versus a cold brew, for example.”
Of course, the delivery of a new single-serve form factor requires a new coffee brewer, and on that front, Keurig also had plenty of news. Alongside announcing the new K-Round, the company introduced its new Alta coffee brewing system. According to Keurig, the Alta will enable a Keurig brewer to deliver espresso-style coffee extraction for the first time, including the ability to create crema. This new capability is directly tied to the new K-Round, which can withstand up to 250 psi of pressure.
Keurig also announced that the new Alta will be backward compatible with existing pods. While that might initially be a bummer for those who want to see an end to plastic pods, it’s actually critically important since consumers tend to take time to change consumption patterns. By providing a device that bridges generations of pods, Keurig is giving its new system and single-serve form factor its best chance of survival.
A year and a half ago, I asked if CoffeeB stood a chance against Keurig. As it turns out, they didn’t have to fight that battle since they decided to partner with the North American’s single-serve giant. Ultimately, this strategy means consumers (and the earth) will be the winners in the long run with more choices and less waste.
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