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Coffee B is promoting a podless coffee machine that uses coffee balls, while Lavazza’s Tablí uses coffee pucks. Both systems are presented as alternatives to conventional capsules, with coffee-based waste described by the source as compostable; real-world performance and disposal guidance still need closer scrutiny.
Coffee B’s podless coffee machine uses compact balls made from coffee grounds rather than conventional capsules, offering another format for people who want the convenience of a single-serve machine without a standard coffee pod. Ideal Home’s report places it alongside Lavazza’s Tablí, which uses coffee pucks, as two newer systems seeking to reduce packaging waste from home coffee making.
Coffee B’s system uses a 19-bar pressure system and is described as heating quickly. Its distinguishing feature is a dispenser and chute that feed coffee balls into the machine. The balls are made from coffee and have a thin, patented seaweed-based coating, which the report says helps them remain storable for up to 14 months unopened.
Lavazza’s Tablí takes a different approach: its coffee is pressed into pucks that slot into the machine, rather than being enclosed in a conventional pod. Ideal Home says the pucks can be stored for 12 to 18 months under the same unopened conditions. The Tablí has a lift-up compartment for inserting a puck; Coffee B displays its balls in a dispenser as part of the machine’s design.
Ideal Home estimates the coffee cost at about 48p per Coffee B drink and roughly 49p per Lavazza puck. The report describes both products’ used coffee units as compostable. These figures and environmental descriptions come from the report; they do not establish that the machines, every component, or all disposal routes are identical.
A Different Route to Single-Serve Coffee
The appeal is practical as well as environmental: these machines aim to preserve the portion-by-portion convenience associated with capsule makers while changing what goes into the machine and what is left behind. For households that dislike sorting or storing used capsules, coffee balls or pucks may offer a simpler waste routine if local composting arrangements accept them.
The estimated drink costs are close to one another, at around 48p to 49p per serving, according to Ideal Home. That gives shoppers a rough comparison between the two systems, but not a complete measure of running costs. The report does not provide machine prices for both systems in a directly comparable format, nor does it establish how taste, availability, cleaning, or long-term reliability compare with conventional pod machines.
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How the Ball and Puck Systems Differ
Single-serve coffee makers are popular for preparing one drink with limited measuring and cleanup. Conventional capsules can create a disposal problem because their materials may require sorting or specialist recycling, a concern raised in Ideal Home’s report. The Coffee B and Lavazza designs respond by removing the traditional pod format, though they still rely on proprietary portions made for their respective machines.
The report describes Coffee B as a Swiss-engineered system and says its coffee balls use a seaweed-based coating. Lavazza’s Tablí was also presented as a recent podless option, with pucks inserted through a lift-up compartment. Ideal Home noted that its reviewer, Helen McCue, was testing the Tablí at the time of publication, so the report did not yet offer her full assessment of how the puck system performs in everyday use.
“Both of these machines have ditched plastic coatings and the traditional pod design.”
— Ideal Home
Performance and Disposal Still Need Testing
The report does not provide independent test results comparing drink quality, brewing consistency, machine durability, or ease of cleaning. It also does not establish whether Coffee B’s coffee balls and Lavazza’s pucks are compatible with other machines; the descriptions indicate different mechanisms designed around each system’s own portions.
The claim that the used portions are compostable does not answer whether they can go into every council food-waste collection or home compost setup. The report does not detail local disposal rules or the environmental footprint of manufacturing and shipping the machines and portions. Availability, full machine pricing, and the cost of buying replacement portions are also not fully compared.
Awaiting Hands-On Tablí Findings
The next useful development is the outcome of Helen McCue’s hands-on Lavazza Tablí review, which could clarify how readily the puck mechanism works in practice. Consumers comparing the systems will also need current product details on machine prices, portion availability, and local composting guidance before deciding whether either format suits their kitchen.
Key Questions
What makes the Coffee B machine podless?
It uses coffee balls rather than conventional capsules. The balls are made from coffee and have a reported seaweed-based coating.
How does Lavazza’s Tablí system work?
The Tablí uses coffee pucks that are placed in a compartment revealed by lifting part of the machine. It uses a different portion format from Coffee B’s balls.
How much does each drink cost?
Ideal Home estimates about 48p per Coffee B drink and around 49p per Lavazza puck. These are reported estimates, not a full comparison of all ownership costs.
Can the used portions go in any compost bin?
The report describes both systems’ used portions as 100% compostable, but does not specify whether every council collection or home compost setup accepts them. Check local disposal rules.
Has the Lavazza Tablí been fully reviewed?
Not in the cited report. Ideal Home said reviewer Helen McCue was testing the machine, so practical findings were still pending at publication.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
