Plastic coffee pods swap to Steel refillable pod

Why make the swap

• Why switch to steel refillable pod

  A refillable pod of 304 stainless steel with a steel mesh holds your own grounds, so no plastic pod sits in the hot water.

• What's the concern with plastic coffee pods

  Near-boiling water runs through a plastic cup. A 2025 University of Birmingham study found microplastics in all 155 drinks it tested, more in hot drinks than cold. One of its authors said the particles in pod coffee matched the kind of plastic each pod was made of. What that means for health isn’t known yet.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.

• Good to know before you buy

  The lid has a silicone seal, and your brewer’s water tank and lines are still plastic. Fits Keurig 1.0 brewers (K-Mini, K-Classic, K-Express, K-Duo Gen 1 and others), not Keurig 2.0, K-Supreme or K-Slim. Metal mesh lets through more cafestol, which raises LDL cholesterol, than paper filters do.

  NESSUS 304 stainless steel refillable K-cups, Keurig 1.0, 4-pack: Steel pod and mesh; the lid seal is silicone.

• Sources (4)

  1. Al-Mansoori et al. 2025: microplastics in all 155 hot and cold drinks tested, more in hot drinks (opens in a new tab)
  2. TIME, Nov 2025: study author says pod-coffee particles matched each pod's plastic (opens in a new tab)
  3. Hussain et al. 2023, ES&T: heated plastic releases micro/nanoplastics (opens in a new tab)
  4. Urgert & Katan 1997: cafestol and kahweol raise LDL; a paper filter retains them, cafetiere coffee does not (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.