Single-serve coffee pods, like those made by coffee machine company Keurig, are notoriously awful for the environment — so much so that K-cup inventor John Sylan publicly stated that he regrets ever creating them. Now, according to Fast Company, designer Eason Chow has a solution.

Chow's Droops Coffee Maker utilizes coffee pods that are covered in sugar. These pods and their coating dissolve as the machine pours hot water over them. Because the coating affects the taste of the coffee, Chow's pods come in in a variety of shapes and sizes "to include different coffee flavors and to adjust the amount of sugar to the drinker's liking": Thicker pods are sweeter, while smaller pods contain less sugar.

The design of Chow's Keurig coffee machine alternative is simple, too. The sleek and minimalist coffee machine consists of three parts — a heating base, a metal water container, and a pump — stacked on top of each other. Chow tells Fast Company that he wanted the machine to be aesthetically pleasing and socially responsible: "[Most coffee machines] neglect the importance of their appearance and of social responsibility." Unfortunately for eco-friendly single-serve coffee lovers, Droops is currently only a concept and not a product available on the market — yet.

Mai Linh