Review: Keurig Alta Brewer

Ahead of my virtual taste-test briefing for the new Keurig Alta brewer, it was 9:50 am and I was panicking. Pesky time zones be darned; the meeting I thought was taking place in two hours was actually in 10 minutes. That led to the first of many positive interactions with this machine—I had it fully set up, connected to my Wi-Fi, and ready to brew in less than seven minutes. That's about as intuitive a setup process as one could hope for with a first-of-its-kind coffee machine. (We won't talk about the amount of packaging scattered all over my kitchen floor during the aforementioned meeting.)

The Keurig Alta looks like something straight out of a design convention. It almost looks like spaceship decor with its curved white lines and sleek components (it also comes in black and stainless steel). Whereas some inexpensive Keurigs—the kind that sell for $50 during shopping holidays—can feel cheap and plasticky, this machine feels high-end from top to bottom. The cup holder is metal, the cup and whisk for the steam wand are magnetic, and the reservoir bin is slim and reversible. Both drip trays tuck away seamlessly without adding extra bulk.

The top of the machine has two compartments. On the right side, you'll find the standard Keurig K-Cup basket, with the typical needle at the bottom to pierce the cup. On the left, though, is a new compartment for the brand-new Keurig AltaRounds ($11 for a box of 8). These little pucks are the latest in Keurig's coffee technology and are like nothing I've seen before. The whole package comes at a high price point, but compared to in-home espresso makers, it's not unreasonable.

In Bloom

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

If you've ever used an espresso machine or watched a barista pull shots, you'll be familiar with the process of filling a portafilter with ground coffee and tamping it down. The Keurig AltaRounds look similar to this puck of coffee. Each puck is coated in a substance derived from seaweed, and that layer of “glue” holding the AltaRounds together allows them to bloom inside the machine. They're available in four varieties right now: dark roast, medium roast, a caramel blend, and double-shot espresso, with light-roast coffee and single-shot espresso varieties coming soon. The AltaRounds are stamped with a QR code that the machine reads in a split second when you insert them into the left touchscreen compartment.

The machine then recommends different drink types (more on that in a second.) When spent, the pucks are collected in a waste bin and can be popped into your home compost or simply tossed in the garbage. While they're currently shipping in foil-based packaging, they'll eventually be wrapped in paper-based packaging, which will be curbside recyclable. This plastic-free coffee delivery system is a first for Keurig and really appeals to me. I've tested machines like the Bruvi BV-01, which has biodegradable pods, and technically Nespresso pods are recyclable, but most municipalities require that you send them to Nespresso for recycling via the mail, which is not exactly convenient. Keurig has a bad reputation for its K-Cups being wasteful; these little AltaRounds are the opposite.

The resulting brews I've tried have been fantastic. The Alta uses up to 10 bars of pressure to brew actual espresso, rather than using the concentrated coffee some pod machines label as “espresso.” Plain old coffee has a layer of crema and a rich oiliness that offers a full-bodied taste and viscosity that I wouldn't typically associate with pod coffee makers. I'm not usually a flavored-coffee person, but even the caramel blend is delicious, with a sweet scent and a cozy taste that isn't overdone. My friends who have gotten an under-oath sneak peek couldn't believe their eyes or taste buds, either. My initial skepticism was quickly overshadowed by sheer excitement.

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

Be Your Own Barista

The Alta brewer has a nifty touchscreen interface that will suggest different drinks based on which AltaRound you're using. You can favorite these drinks for quick access, but navigating the menu is pretty easy, even if it's first thing in the morning and you're groggy. There are options for every coffee drinker. Want a flat white, a latte, or a cappuccino? How about a cortado or Americano? All of these and more are possible, with options to customize size, temperature, and strength. The Alta features a built-in steam wand, complete with a dedicated vessel and a magnetic whisk. When you select a drink that requires milk froth, the machine will walk you through the process step by step. It'll tell you how much milk to add—there are measurements inside the vessel—and it can make intelligent adjustments based on whether you're using dairy, oat, almond, or soy. You can make tweaks for a wetter or drier foam, and it can also create cold foam or cold froth.

The milk toppers are all rich, silky, and exquisite additions to my standard coffee drinks. You can tell the difference between drinks as well. Lattes are creamy and smooth, while cortados have a light and airy whip on top. This wand can be used manually if you'd prefer ultimate control. Once the milk is ready, the wand purges itself into a separate drip tray. Simply wipe it down and rinse out the cup; the magnetic storage keeps it in place on the machine. I love that this is a built-in feature and that it's so easy to use. I just need to pick up some flavored syrups so I can make more intricate beverages when the mood hits. I'd also like to improve my latte art, which feels a bit like cheating when I don't have to manually steam my own milk. The entire process is seamless: The coffee brews, the milk froths, you mix the components, and you have a perfect drink in hand.

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

I do have a few tiny nitpicks regarding this machine. The footprint is huge (10.8" W × 11.8" H × 19.0" D), and the brewer is heavy at 22 pounds. I had to reconfigure my 15-inch baker's rack in order to make room for the machine, and even still, my microwave is hanging precariously over the shelf end. And while AltaRounds have largely been flawless, I did have one incident in which my Round burst open inside its compartment and made a real big mess that I still haven't fully been able to clean out. On a similar note, I don't like the coffee waste bin. It's separated into two compartments—one for the coffee grounds and one for the residual water that comes out of them—but there are three pieces in all, including the tray that holds them both. I always forget this and end up dumping out the entire water tray because I forget that I need to hold it in place rather than just flipping my hand upside down while holding the base.

It's a small detail, but as part of a machine that feels so engineered to be easy to use, it stands out as being disproportionately annoying. And there is a slight learning curve with all the fancy bells and whistles. These are first-world problems, but I sometimes find myself overwhelmed when navigating the menus on the touchscreen, and I'm trying to sort between all of the options to tweak customizations. It's also not easy to tell at a glance whether I'm making a hot drink or a cold drink unless I double-check—I'd love an easier visual cue for drink temperature specifically. I assume this will get easier over time, and I regret complaining about my lobster being too buttery. But if you have little patience for newfangled technology, you may want to keep this in mind. Yes, the machine is very easy to use—once you know all of the ways in which you can use it. I'm still learning some of them.

Overall, though, this promising brewer truly does seem like the next frontier of homemade pod-brewed coffee. It's rare that I find a gadget truly disruptive, if you'll forgive me for that overused word, but I've tested dozens of pod coffee machines and have never found one quite like this. In fact, I'm having so much fun with it, I may be overdoing it on the caffeine. (Perhaps there are decaf AltaRounds on the horizon.)

A lot of the pod coffee machines I've tried have made my morning caffeination process more convenient, but up until now, none have made it feel so automated. I don't have to think too hard at all—not for tamping my espresso grounds, not for frothing my own milk, and certainly not for brewing the right amount of coffee for the drink I want. It's more than basic convenience. It truly feels like a replacement for going out and ordering coffee … something that I haven't done since I started testing this machine. If that's not reason to have one around, I don't know what is.

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