Single-serve coffee capsules in 2014 hit over $ 3 billion in US sales , it 's been revealed . The finding was unveiled in a CBS News report by Susan Spencer on one such company that manufactures them , the Vermont-based Keurig Green Mountain . Speaking to Spencer , Keurig 's chief technology officer Kevin Sullivan explained the appeal of his company 's single-serve coffee machine is that users can 'Just close the handle and touch a button , and away it goes . ' Scroll down for video . Success : Keurig 's chief technology officer Kevin Sullivan has said that single-serve coffee has 'found the hidden need - the need that people did n't know they had ' Keurig Green Mountain 's single-serve capsules in 2014 hit over $ 3 billion in US sales . CBS News revealed that Keurig Green Mountain has proved highly successfully and made $ 4.7 billion in revenue . Among its many coffee flavors available , Keurig sells on its website Krispy Kreme , Starbucks , Folgers , Dunkin Donuts and Kahlua options . Prices vary , but 24-counts of single-serve coffee capsules - often simply referred to as K-Cups - usually have list prices between $ 15.49 and $ 17.99 , with members paying slightly less . 'Single serve , I think , found the hidden need - the need that people did n't know they had , ' Sullivan said during the interview . 1/3 of homes in the United States now feature single-serve coffee machines , CBS News reported . Spencer said in the interview ' A cup of coffee made this way is not necessarily cheap . ' Sullivan answered 'It 's less expensive than if you go to a coffee shop , but it 's more expensive than if you bought a pound of coffee and did your drip grind . ' Big hit : Keurig Green Mountain has also made $ 4.7 billion in revenue , and 1/3 of homes in the US reportedly feature single-serve coffee machines . Science : Keurig employees are seen with coffee equipment at the company 's offices . At one point in the interview , Spencer posed the question 'So where is Keurig now in terms of making these things recyclable ? ' 'We 've been hard at work to solve that problem , ' Sullivan answered . 'We introduced a system called Vue that has cups that are , in fact , recyclable . 'We have a company objective that everything will be recyclable by the year 2020 . We certainly are n't going to wait that long . I think we 're going to start that much sooner , and hopefully convert sooner than that . ' Keurig has said on its website that a new type of K-Cup is being created , and that 'we intend to move toward polypropylene ( # 5 ) plastic for the cup itself — a material often used in common household items , such as yogurt and butter containers . ' The company said the material 'is [ ... ] accepted by recyclers in approximately 60 % of communities in the United States and 93 % of communities in Canada . ' According to Keurig , the company is 'working with the recycling community and other partners to develop a more robust recycling infrastructure that accepts # 5 plastics in even more communities and that can consistently capture small items , such as our portion packs . '
Keurig Green Mountain 's single-serve capsules in 2014 hit $ 4.7 billion in US sales , it 's been revealed . The company has also made over $ 3 billion in revenue . 1/3 of homes in the US reportedly feature single-serve coffee machines . Keurig 's chief technology officer Kevin Sullivan has said 'Single serve , I think , found the hidden need - the need that people did n't know they had '