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A wave of plastic-free coffee pods and machines

50 points thunderbong 11 hours ago 75 comments

troyvit 11 hours ago | parent

Huh, cool. If you want to save a few bucks you can go with a stainless steel French press or a mason jar if you're into cold brews. You're symbolizing a different kind of status though.

This summer was sunny and hot in Colorado, so every morning I'd make a jar of sun coffee. I'd leave it out through the day and overnight. The next morning I'd pull it in, filter it, refill it with grounds and water and take it outside again. It was cool enough to enjoy and really smooth.

dominotw 11 hours ago | parent

i dont like french press coffee

Fricken 11 hours ago | parent

I use a moka pot. I don't feel comfortable calling what it makes espresso but for it's still pretty decent. If I had more patience I would do pour over at home.

bulbar 10 hours ago | parent

Well, the moka pot makes moka, not espresso ;-).

Marsymars 11 hours ago | parent

FWIW, French press and cold brew are entirely different - the fact that a French press was used to filter cold brew is really kind of incidental.

roflchoppa 11 hours ago | parent

I should get my cold brew setup out, thanks for the reminder.

mathgeek 3 hours ago | parent

> You're symbolizing a different kind of status though.

Now I'm curious whether you mean a higher status (which I infer when folks are using such things) or a lower status (which I could also infer).

throwaway81523 2 hours ago | parent

French press coffee isn't so healthy either because of stuff like cafestols in the fines (small diameter grounds) that slip through the french press screen. To get rid of those you want a brewing scheme with a paper filter. The simplest no-plastic approach is a Chemex. They have a history and they also look cool as heck. Unfortunately, since they are made of glass, they can break if you're not careful. https://chemexcoffeemaker.com/

hyperbovine 2 hours ago | parent

Which is ironic because if you’re into Chemex you’re into vinyl, in my experience.

nickff 2 hours ago | parent

The Chemex can also be a little annoying because of the tendency of the filter to block the 'spout', causing the brewer to stall, and requiring a chopstick or straw to avoid. That said, I use my Chemex twice a week.

VladVladikoff 1 hour ago | parent

What is the advantage of this over a normal paper filter coffee maker?

asdff 34 minutes ago | parent

When I broke my french press I got by fine with just throwing grounds in a pot of boiled water and decanting it off after a few minutes steep. Basically all the press does anyhow just less convenient.

zaphar 11 hours ago | parent

I mean, among real coffee snobs the status symbol is mostly not using a Keurig or Lavazza machine at all. Pour overs, Espresso machines, most status symbol coffee equipment is pretty light on the plastic already.

Marsymars 11 hours ago | parent

Yeah, my normal morning coffee for my wife and I is from a Kalita Wave glass brewer. No plastic touches the coffee. Costs $40. Ceramic or stainless steel also available.

schnevets 11 hours ago | parent

I think it's less about status or quality and more about a convenient cup of complimentary coffee in a waiting room that doesn't come with two ounces of environmental guilt.

shostack 10 hours ago | parent

This. Anyone serious about coffee who is not going with one of these machines purely for convenience and speed would not otherwise consider them in a million years.

jrootabega 10 hours ago | parent

It's CNN. Not exactly news snobs.

elchief 11 hours ago | parent

i just use a stainless steel electric kettle, and a glass ikea french press

$55ish CAD total

rafram 11 hours ago | parent

This setup does not make good coffee compared to an espresso machine.

mcmcmc 11 hours ago | parent

It does if you like French press

skinfaxi 11 hours ago | parent

I wouldn't consider a French-press coffee to be espresso. In fact, espresso is probably too fine for a French press.

Milner08 10 hours ago | parent

Nonsense. They are different drinks. Filter coffee through a French press can be fantastic, as can Espresso. You can also get dreadful espresso and dreadful filter coffee. However if you start with good beans the chance of getting good coffee out of a French press is much higher than a proper espresso machine (If you know what you're doing it can be amazing, but dialing it in properly is no easy task)

chocochunks 10 hours ago | parent

I think you mean that setup does not make good espresso compared to an espresso machine. As someone that enjoys good coffee but doesn't particularly like drinking an overly strong thimble of coffee, a cup of milk on top of a thimble of coffee or a grossly stringent cup of coffee I hate the equation that espresso is the best coffee. My favourite bits of coffee, what I enjoy in lighter roasts is lost in espresso. Espresso is nice for cafes because it's a quick non-batch brew, that's about it.

You can have good coffee from any method.

SomaticPirate 11 hours ago | parent

Aeropress makes a glass version although I was never too concerned about the microplastic risk

SoftTalker 10 hours ago | parent

Huh. They used to say they specifically did not offer a glass or stainless version because it would get too hot to hold/use.

Instead of a new $500 coffee maker like the ones in the article, that takes special (likely costly) presssed pellets of coffee, get a Chemex pour over for $50 and you'll never need another coffee maker again (unless you drop it). No plastic, and you can use whatever coffee you want.

jrootabega 10 hours ago | parent

Bodum makes a pourover thingy that is no more than $20-30. Chemex is just the "prestige" brand.

iamnothere 8 hours ago | parent

How are other people supposed to understand that you’re wealthy and attractive if you buy the plebeian brand?

plorkyeran 10 hours ago | parent

The original founder sold the company and the people who took over promptly did all the things people asked for and he said no to.

The glass aeropress is way more expensive ($200 rather than $30) and is bad in all the ways he said it'd be bad. Heavier, fragile, and makes worse coffee unless you put some extra effort into preheating it. Looks better, though.

mathgeek 3 hours ago | parent

Can't say I really have a problem with them. Let them sell expensive glass ones for the folks who care about the look. I've been plenty happy with my plastic ones (including the travel set).

Kirby64 3 hours ago | parent

> Huh. They used to say they specifically did not offer a glass or stainless version because it would get too hot to hold/use.

The expensive glass one uses double walled glass, so it’s not too bad. It’s $200 though which is ridiculous.

grich7642 10 hours ago | parent

It's not actually glass but a different synthetic/plastic. They do, however, make a stainless steel version. A lot of food safe stainless steel products are coated in PFAS though.

nachbo 10 hours ago | parent

I own one. It's glass and cast aluminum. Pricey but feels very solid. The glass does not get hot. It's very think.

BobaFloutist 9 hours ago | parent

Now I'm going down the same rabbit hole I went down when people started talking about using wax instead of plastic, trying to determine if something being glass means it's definitely not plastic.

It does look like things we recognize as glass aren't plastic. So that's nice!

throwitaway222 11 hours ago | parent

I think the status symbol is not having enough time to make it at home and also being able to afford it at Starbucks.

christkv 11 hours ago | parent

So ridiculous we already have ESE pods for traditional expresso machines. We replaced the Nespresso machine in the office with a normal expresso machine so people can make bring their own ground coffee if they want but we also offer ESE pods for people who don't care but still want a good coffee.

comrade1234 11 hours ago | parent

I used to grind my coffee and manually make espresso. Years ago though I switched to an all-in-one. I was very adamant that it had to have ceramic grinders so that it will last forever. I've since had to replace some internal parts and I'm sure the display will eventually fail and not be replaceable, but those grinders are going to last centuries!

giwook 11 hours ago | parent

I'm assuming you've already noted in your will that the ceramic grinders be harvested from your coffee maker when everything's being sold at an estate sale otherwise what was the point of anything

Marsymars 11 hours ago | parent

> I was very adamant that it had to have ceramic grinders so that it will last forever.

I wonder about this - I've got a few 1Zpresso grinders - they're rated for 100-200kg of coffee, and napkin math says my most-used one has probably done about 70kg to date. At grinder prices and my age though, not sure I'd ever come out ahead with BIFL burrs though.

Kirby64 3 hours ago | parent

No ceramic burr grinders make comparable coffee to steel burrs. They’re all worse. Enjoy your steel burrs and don’t overthink it. Even “worn out” I bet they will taste better than ceramic burrs.

zekehernandez 11 hours ago | parent

I would enjoy a plastic-free drip machine with a thermal carafe for convenient large batches. For now, been enjoying a stainless steel french press and pour over.

zodwick 10 hours ago | parent

good thread to lookup : https://x.com/levelsio/status/2088235859887726696

cjoelrun 10 hours ago | parent

Status: titanium credit card at expensive local coffee shop.

seemaze 10 hours ago | parent

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even the $10k slayer espresso machine has a plastic water resevoir. Granted the brewing assembly is mostly plastic free.

While I sympathize with the sentiment to eliminate plastic from the transport chain for anything ingestible, it's practically impossible in the modern world.

Simple is usually best; glass or ceramic pour over, stainless press, or even the traditional South American coffee sock[0]

[0]https://perfectdailygrind.com/2016/01/coffee-sock-old-school...

saidnooneever 10 hours ago | parent

stainless steel might be less bad for environment if u chuck it in the bin but if you look at the entire process from getting ores to having the steel item i dont really think its a very big difference.

used to live nexto a huge steel refinery and many mental diseases and cancers in the area are up more than 50% not to mention lots of birth defects etc.

maybe its effects are more local idk. Not sure how glass and ceramic are made.

ofc not bad to try and eliminate plastics but having 1 plastic free device that is overly expensive is really just a status thing. it contributes nexto nothing to environmental goals which i think eliminating plastics belongs to.

u can just put the grounds in a cup and pour hot water on it afterall. tastes fine.

coolestguy 5 hours ago | parent

It’s not about the environment for a lot of people, it’s about microplastics and their body

plorg 10 hours ago | parent

And unless you're picking it up at your roaster in a container you bring yourself the beans have probably been rattling around in a polyethylene-lined bag.

ninininino 10 hours ago | parent

> it's practically impossible in the modern world

This sort of defeatism is why people don't try. Consumers can shift products through purchase behaviors. We're already seeing improvements in kitchen appliances and gear, cosmetics, some outdoor gear.

jrootabega 9 hours ago | parent

A small subset of coffee drinkers might produce a purchase trend that leads to a brief production of an overpriced coffee machine which still ends up being produced in the cheapest, dirtiest country they can get away with. The rest do not care and never will.

iamnothere 8 hours ago | parent

Believe it or not, lawsuits and regulations are much more effective. Consumer behavior rarely moves the needle. It may make you feel better, but you can’t consume your way to a better world.

Conspicuous consumption has many forms, “ethical” consumerism is just the latest variation.

zenapollo 2 hours ago | parent

Would love to see some research on this. My libertarian friends are a dog with a bone in their belief that our individual dollar-votes are the foremost and correct way we shape the economic landscape. I can’t imagine how anyone arrives there from research or history or experience, but I guess it keeps their Ayn Rand-ian ambition fired up.

That being said i wish they were right. I pay a premium for organic and farmers market. As well as plastic free everything. It feels good to support those businesses, but they are still mostly just getting by.

Beyond lawsuits and regulations - I’ve personally seen what Europe is doing to deploy financial programs for transitions to, for example, regenerative farming. It really works. With the extra funds/financing, farms are able to plan 2-5 year payback instead 10+. The incentive alignment makes a huge difference.

iamnothere 10 minutes ago | parent

Asbestos, lead, CFCs, DDT, there’s a ton of examples of where it worked. The question as usual is where regulation is appropriate and how far it should go. Banning lead pipes was obvious, and it worked once people understood the downsides and limited upside, but banning drugs has been a failure.

You have to look at the demand side of the equation, because creating black markets isn’t a good idea, and neither is creating widespread resistance and discontent. Governments aren’t all powerful, so regulation has to focus on the stuff that’s most harmful and has the highest chance of success.

wackget 10 hours ago | parent

I was very skeptical but apparently the Caraway machine uses a glass reservoir and stainless steel pipes.

panos_news 7 hours ago | parent

This one has a glass reservoir. Look at the product page images before you decide to bear any news

seemaze 2 hours ago | parent

Well, it was paywalled, but that's beside the point. The point is that this marketeering contraption solves a problem that the marketeers created.

Coffee was enjoyed for hundreds of years before plastic was invented. The answer is not to get rid of the plastic, but get rid of the machine.

dachworker 10 hours ago | parent

Hmm, is all the metal food safe? To what extent?

bob1029 10 hours ago | parent

When I drank coffee I would use a Hario V60. Avoiding plastic is trivial (and cheap). $40-50 for the entire setup. I preferred to waste my money on expensive beans instead.

lanfeust6 41 minutes ago | parent

Hario Switch for me. The cheap manual devices make the best brew. Mind you, I make only one strong cup in the am and it's just for me.

silverFork 10 hours ago | parent

Typical paper cups that are used to serve coffee produce massively more plastic particles and they are more toxic. One cup per year exceeds what whole year of coffee maker plastic releases..

plastic coffee maker: 7-20 particles

paper cup : 25000 particles

https://getplasticproof.com/blog/does-coffee-have-microplast...

https://sifts.co/blogs/microplastics/microplastics-and-coffe...

https://sprudge.com/hot-to-go-which-type-of-coffee-has-the-m...

amelius 10 hours ago | parent

Ok, but real coffee drinkers don't use paper cups ...

silverFork 10 hours ago | parent

They do when they are at work. People don't carry a tumbler when they go to the movies. There are starbuck's what do you call groupies and alike. The pods produce a lot of micro plastic too.

Years ago I looked for all stainless coffee maker and even the most expensive ones had plastic parts. The drip mechanism for all of them had plastic parts. I don't know if they have changed or not.

polotics 6 hours ago | parent

Nope! The number of jokes I get at the office coffee machine (well the nespresso next to it) with my shot glass, you wouldn't believe. btw anyone tried the seaweed sphere capsules? :-)

silverFork 5 hours ago | parent

Never had heard of seaweed capsules.. neat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvktnHozAj4&t=71s

PowerElectronix 10 hours ago | parent

Do people take pods coffee seriously? If you want to signal true status with coffee you pull your roasted coffee beans from a very exotic place, ground them in your very expensive stainless steel manual grinder and make a very strong, very flavorful espresso in your generic chinese espresso machine (that steo is just heat, water and pressure, no need to go overboard there).

nstents 10 hours ago | parent

In the hinterlands we use a variable speed drill, a Hilti at this level, to power our manual grinder for the roasted exotic beans before using a stainless steel Alessi moka pot for our coffee.

No sense using our hands to belabor the point when grinding.

amelius 10 hours ago | parent

I hate it that Apple products still have so much plastic in them. Makes them look flimsy.

turtlebro 10 hours ago | parent

Join team instant coffee. It's way better then its rep. No microplastics either.

viciousvoxel 1 hour ago | parent

Unfortunately instant coffee still has microplastics from the production process. Probably even more than regular coffee actually.

zombot 8 hours ago | parent

I must be hot shit then, my portafilter has no plasic and neither does my grinder.

devindotcom 1 hour ago | parent

I have a Technivorm Moccamaster KBG-V and they use good plastic for their parts but it's still plastic (except the thermal carafe etc). There's a new copycat version that's all glass and plastic (Simply Good I think?) but not sure how it actually performs.

What I'm surprised at is that no one has made non-plastic drop-in replacement parts for the reservoir, basket, and funnel. The KBG-V is highly modular so it's strange to me that no one has gone this route. It shouldn't change anything significant in the brewing process or quality of the coffee.

skew-aberration 1 hour ago | parent

Does it even make a difference for non-heated parts? Potable water is delivered in PVC pipes and HDPE hoses these days.

sfpotter 1 hour ago | parent

Love my La Pavoni.

boplicity 1 hour ago | parent

Check out Coffee Sensor -- they make non-plastic replacement parts, so you can get fully plastic free.

regus 43 minutes ago | parent

I make coffee in an electric percolator. It’s stainless steel, the coffee never touches any plastic. People online say this is the worst way to make coffee, but it tastes fine to me.

mikeweiss 42 minutes ago | parent

I like Moka pots. Zero plastic

But seriously it's a shame how hard it is to find products like coffee makers and electric kettles with no plastic. Heat and plastic don't mix

asdff 35 minutes ago | parent

Took me forever to find a french press that was all glass and stainless steel. Most of them the little filter at the cap (which vintage ones lack entirely fwiw) is some black plastic, but I found a bodum off crate and barrel a couple years ago that was stainless for that part too.