The Product
Lavazza North America has officially launched Tablì, a single-serve coffee tab system it describes as the world's first 100% coffee tab format, now available on LavazzaUSA.com with Amazon distribution following later this month. The system is the result of five years of R&D and more than 15 patents, and it enters a US single-serve market dominated by capsule and pod formats that typically incorporate filters, plastics, and other non-coffee materials.
Each Tablì tab starts as precisely ground and tamped coffee before being compressed into a solid, concave disc. That concave geometry allows the grounds to expand during extraction, which Lavazza says generates what it calls Crema Plus — a dense, velvety crema consistent with traditional espresso. There are no filters, no pods, and no capsule shells: the tab itself is the dose. For operators and office foodservice buyers evaluating the format, that means no pod waste stream and a significantly simplified replenishment footprint versus traditional capsule systems.
Machine Specs and Pricing
The Tablì machine retails at $129.99 and is available in three finishes — Graphite Black, Sand White, and Walnut Brown. A bean-shaped slider delivers one-touch operation, and the unit pairs with a separate Lavazza Milk Frother for latte and cappuccino preparation. Promotional bundles range from $169.99 (machine plus Variety Collection) to $249.99 for an all-in-one kit including the frother and a 60-count tab assortment. Tabs are sold in 48-count packs ranging from $48.00 to $52.80 across five blends — Super Crema, Espresso, Decaf, Espresso Lungo, and Espresso Double — or in 12-tab boxes from $12.49 for custom bundles.
The machine's compact, Italian-designed profile and no-cleanup operation make it a candidate for office pantry, hotel guestroom, and breakroom deployments — settings where beverage and ice equipment buyers have increasingly favored low-maintenance single-serve units over traditional espresso equipment that requires barista skill or regular descaling attention.
Market Context
The Tablì pre-order window in June and July sold out across five separate drop moments, with the fastest clearing in under an hour, according to Daniele Foti, VP of Marketing, Lavazza North America. That consumer velocity signals demand for cleaner-label coffee formats, a trend that aligns with broader foodservice operator interest in ingredient transparency across all menu categories.
For the commercial channel, the Tablì format raises questions about tab-based systems as a complement or alternative to traditional pod coffee in office and hospitality settings. As energy and sustainability considerations push operators toward equipment with reduced consumable waste, a fully compostable or zero-shell format could become a differentiator in contract foodservice and corporate dining procurement. Lavazza has not yet detailed foodservice-specific channel pricing or bulk supply terms, but the Amazon availability planned for later this month suggests an aggressive distribution push that will reach office supply and breakroom channels quickly.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
