Lavazza Tabli review: eco-friendly coffee tablets make quick, delicious espresso

Lavazza Tabli: 30-second review Coffee pods are out, and tablets are in.

Recently, Keurig announced that it was killing off the K-Cup in favor of compressed coffee tablets, but it wasn't the first to the punch.

Italian coffee company Lavazza had debuted its own coffee tablets and brewer — the Tabli system — months before, and it's excellent.

The main appeal of Tabli's compressed coffee pucks (called tabs) is their minimal packaging — there's no metal or plastic pod that needs to be recycled after each brew or worse, end up in landfill.

Using ground coffee or whole beans is a much less wasteful way to prepare an espresso, but it takes longer, and while it's a fun hobby for some of us, not everyone is interested in getting into the technicalities of brewing a balanced shot.

Each of Lavazza's tabs provides exactly the right amount of coffee for a single serving, so there's no weighing required, and no loose grounds to make a mess of your counter.

The whole process is just as clean and simple as using coffee capsules, but without the empty capsules to dispose of at the end.

It seems like such a simple idea that it's surprising it hasn't hit the mainstream before — and the results are very impressive.

I've become quite picky during my years reviewing coffee machines, and the Tabli system produces a better-tasting brew than any coffee capsule I've tried.

Its app compatibility is a nice touch too, but the ease of use and flavor are what really count — and they're both truly impressive. (Image credit: Future) Lavazza Tabli: price and availability List price $129 / £199 for the machine alone Available as a bundle that includes a milk frother and coffee tabs Tabs are competitively priced and cheaper than Nespresso The Tabli coffee machine has a list price of $129 / £199.

That's between AU$190 and AU$380, though the Tabli system isn't available in Australia yet.

There are also bundles available that include the Lavazza MilkEasy frother and several boxes of Tabs for much less than all the components would cost separately.

Although it's not the cheapest single-serve coffee maker around, bear in mind that unlike some of its rivals, the Tabli system won't sting you with the price of coffee in the longer term.

Bosch Tassimo machines, for example, are very cheap, but the pods are some of the priciest around.