Keurig hasn't yet offered comment on the potential workaround, but it isn't likely to take any challenges lying down. Like Nestle and its Nespresso system, Keurig is protecting a razors-and-blades sales model where it sells the base product (the brewer) for little to no profit and depends on pricey add-ons (K-cups) to make up the difference. However, the word of a circumvention technique suggests that there might not be much it can do to stop cheaper alternatives from reaching the market, at least in the short term. It also echoes what we've seen in attempts to combat digital piracy -- ultimately, there's no completely foolproof way to prevent copying.

[Image credit: Keith McDuffee, Flickr]