Keurig Alta Brewer Review: Brand-New Tech, Classically Good Coffee

Courtesy of Keurig

$500 at Keurig

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Rating:8/10

WIRED

Gorgeous design. AltaRounds and K-Cup compatibility. Easy to use. Supports many drink types. Built-in steam wand. Room for customization.

TIRED

AltaRounds aren't always perfect. Large footprint. Slight learning curve. I don't like the waste collection bin.

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.

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.

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.

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.