Lavazza says its Tublitabs are made with 100% coffee, without any gelatin, coatings or binders.
Source: Lavazza
Lavazza introduces espresso tablets to the US, aiming for relief keurig dr peppers Dominate the single-serve coffee category.
The Italian coffee giant launched Tabli last year, making it the first in Italy to introduce a new brewing system. The tablets are made from compressed ground coffee without coatings, binders or gelatin and can only be used in Tablì coffee machines manufactured by Lavazza. Each tablet is marked with the words “100% Coffee.” At launch, the tablets come in five varieties: espresso, double espresso, decaf espresso, super crema, lungo, or “long shot” espresso brewed with more water.
Lavazza CEO Antonio Baravalle told CNBC: “The results we were able to achieve were achieved through a very complex industrial process in order to make[the coffee tablets]very compact, so that they can be delivered without breaking them, and so that they can be used in coffee machines.”
Tablì is the result of Lavazza’s acquisition of Italian startup Caffemotive in 2020. This new system took five years of development, more than 15 patents and a new production facility in Gattinara, Italy, to bring to market.
The US launch comes as the country becomes an increasingly important part of Lavazza’s business. Lavazza said the company’s North American sales, or revenue, increased 26.9% in 2025.
“We are actively investing in the United States because we consider it an important place for us,” Baravalle said, adding that Lavazza ultimately aims to have a 1 billion euro ($1.15 billion) operation in the United States.
“The brand is growing very well in terms of equity,” Barabare said. “We’ve spent a lot of money over the last two years, and we’re going to continue to do that for the next five years.”
More than 130 years after its founding, the Lavazza family still privately owns this Italian company. According to Lavazza’s latest annual report, in 2025 it reported a net profit of 92 million euros on a net revenue of 3.9 billion euros.
In the United States, it generates more than $100 million in sales annually through retailers such as Target and Walmart. For context, Keurig reported annual net sales of $3.99 billion for its U.S. coffee division in 2025.
The bulk of Keurig’s coffee revenue comes from K-cups. Keurig has dominated the single-serve coffee market in the U.S. for more than a decade, but Nestlé’s Nespresso has been winning over customers in recent years. Keurig has about half of the total U.S. market for freshly ground coffee pods, according to data from Euromonitor International. Nespresso’s market share is approximately 7%.
Of course, Lavazza sells K-cup pods in the U.S. through a partnership with Keurig.
Baravalle said he doesn’t expect to beat Keurig or Nespresso.
“For us it is important to find our space, but we are talking about two giants, one of whom we have an important contract that we are very happy with,” he said.
Play in pursuit of sustainability
While Lavazza believes sustainability remains a top priority for many coffee lovers, Baravalle said it may differ from country to country.
Keurig’s pods have long been plagued by questions about waste, leaving room for competitors to develop more environmentally friendly products. The company previously claimed that since the end of 2020, 100% of its K-cups are recyclable.
In 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused the beverage giant of making misleading statements about the recyclability of pods. Keurig agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings. The company’s website currently says, “Please check locally as it is not recycled in many locations.”
Nespresso’s aluminum pods can be more easily recycled through the brand’s free mailback service.
While Lavazza brings in potential competitors, Keurig has its own plans for plastic- and aluminum-free coffee pods. This fall, the company plans to launch K-Rounds, which use a plant-based coating to store ground coffee inside packaged pods. This innovation is thanks to a multi-year partnership with Delica Suisse, makers of the CoffeeB system, which uses plastic-free coffee balls, which is gaining traction in parts of Europe.
Lavazza plans to officially launch Tablì in the US in August. The $99.99 bundle, which includes the machine, a variety pack of 60-count tubs, and a milk frother, is currently available for pre-order on the company’s website.
Baravare said in May that it was conducting consumer research to understand how much coffee lovers were willing to pay and was still deciding on its pricing strategy.
“We’re also watching to see how some of our larger competitors move in the industry as they try to offer something similar,” Barabare said. “But certainly, Lavazza has a great position and we wouldn’t do anything differently.”
