Nespresso Vertuo Pop Coffee Machine review: is this the best coffee machine for small kitchens?

Price: £58 at Amazon, £58 at John Lewis and £69 at Nespresso (RRP £99)

Our rating: 9/10

We like:

• Easy to use
• Available in a range of fun colours
• Small and compact design

We don’t like:

• It’s only compatible with Nespresso’s own brand of pods
• It has one of the smaller water tanks on the market
• You can’t fit large travel mugs or taller mugs under the machine head when using the drip tray

What is the Nespresso Vertuo Pop?

While Nespresso offers a number of coffee machines, from budget friendly options ideal for beginners or those who enjoy the occasional coffee, all the way through to top of the range barista-style machines, the Vertuo Pop is their most compact entry-level option.

With a fun range of vibrant colours to choose from – hence the Pop name – as well as a classic black and coconut white, it’s perfect if you’re short on counter top space, want to store your coffee machine away out of sight when it’s not in use or just don’t want to spend too much.

Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended

Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product at the best price. No manufacturer ever sees copy before publication and we do not accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.

How we test coffee machines

While trying out the Vertuo Pop coffee machine, I tested a few different blends, cup sizes and settings to see exactly what it was capable of. As I did this, I was also assessing how easy it is to use, especially straight out of the box, as well as what kind of guidance or instructions are provided. Even though I’m confident at using most new technology, I took into consideration how someone who has never used a coffee machine before would fare when using it for the very first time.

Other assessments that I’m making when testing include considering how simple it is to clean and maintain and the variety of programmes that it offers, as well as its overall design and how well it fits into my kitchen and counter top space more generally. And of course, the most important factor is the quality and taste of the coffee.

Design: 9/10

At just 13.6cm wide, you don’t need to have a particularly large kitchen to keep this coffee machine out permanently on the countertop. But if you do prefer to keep your kitchen appliances stored away when not in use, it is lightweight enough to move it around and bring it out with ease.

Unlike most at-home coffee machines which mainly come in black – or white, at a push – what really makes the Vertuo Pop stand out from others on the market is the great range of colours that it is available in. I personally tested the black colourway, but the Pacific Blue, Aqua Mint, Yellow Mango and Spicy Red hues are bright and fun and really do allow you to add a pop of colour to your kitchen, as its name suggests. It’s a smart and simple design which would blend in or work well in a whole host of kitchens.

Ease of operation: 8/10

While the machine does come with an instruction manual which has imagery and step-by-step processes to take you through everything from its first rinse to descaling, there are no accompanying words in this booklet. This can only be accessed through a QR code, which could be rather off-putting for those who aren’t as confident or capable with using technology. It also means that you do need to have access to the internet – which shouldn’t be an issue for most – to use this booklet.

When it comes to actually operating the Vertuo Pop, it is essentially fully automated. All you have to do is lift the lid, insert the pod, close the lid, twist to lock it and you’re good to go.

The machine instinctively knows what the optimum blend and size is by niftily scanning a barcode on the pod before it starts brewing, altering the settings depending on this. But you do also have the option to press and hold the button to control how much liquid it dispenses into your mug, which can come in handy if you have a shorter or larger mug.

Variety of programmes: 8/10

There are six cup sizes to choose from – taking you all the way from a 25ml ristretto to a 335ml alto – and it switches between these with ease. There are also a great range of different Vertuo Pop coffee pods to pick from. Whether you’re in the mood for a double espresso or want something a bit sweeter like a roasted hazelnut or sweet vanilla, you get to be in control of what the machine whips up for you. 

It also has room to accommodate small through to extra-large pods. The only issue with this, though, is that you can only use Vertuo Pop pods with this device. This means that you can’t buy more affordable alternatives or pop in a hot chocolate pod from another brand. You are limited to what Nespresso offers, in terms of flavours and blends. You can’t use other Nespresso pods that aren’t specifically made for the Vertuo range of machines either.

Because of its compact size, you also can’t brew up a carafe or a particularly tall or travel mug from it. So, if you routinely make cups or mugs bigger than 355ml, this probably isn’t the best coffee pod machine for you and your needs.

Quality of results: 9/10

From the very first cup, I was instantly impressed with the coffee that the Vertuo Pop produced. As I tested it, I tried out a number of different flavours and blends and each one was equally enjoyable. They all had a good crema and I found that I didn’t need to add milk, like I usually would to my coffee. The coffee was creamy, well balanced and golden in colour, which is what I’m looking for from a great cup.

Each and every time it was piping hot and all of the settings made the perfect amount, allowing you to brew a larger coffee in the morning and a smaller amount in the evening, with ease.

For me the coffee was as good as, if not better, than the coffee that you would be able to find at a decent coffee shop. I didn’t feel the urge to pop out for a coffee once while testing this and even chose to take my own in a small travel mug when I was heading out the door, to save me from even thinking about buying some while out and about. I can see it saving me money in the long run and cutting down my habit of grabbing coffee on the go.

Ease of cleaning and maintenance: 8/10

As you might expect, before you use the machine for the first time, you will need to give it a quick clean, with the brand recommending that you run its self-clean cycle to do so. This was easy to do and only took a few minutes before I was ready to start using it properly.

And in terms of cleaning the Vertuo Pop more generally, the only area that will need a quick rinse is the drip tray. Compared to some coffee pod machines that I’ve used previously, not much drips down into it in the first place, meaning that you don’t need to clean it on a daily basis, which I certainly appreciated. Plus, the fact that the drip tray isn’t connected to the machine base meant that I didn’t need to worry about dismantling it when it did need cleaning.

I really appreciated the fact that the empty capsule bin has a solid tray at the bottom, as well. This means that when you go to remove the capsule bin, you won’t drip or trail water as you make your way over to the kitchen bin (or recycling bag). The exterior of the machine can also be wiped down with a clean cloth periodically.

The only negative would be in regards to descaling. This process should be done every three months or so to stop limescale from building up, with the machine flashing to let you know when this is required. But the Nespresso descaling kit does come at an additional cost of £9 – an extra expense and purchase that you will need to make to clean and maintain your machine.

Technical specifications

The Vertuo Pop is one of the Nespresso’s more budget coffee makers, here’s how it stacks up against one of the brand’s more premium pod machines.

Telegraph verdict: 8 out of 10

If you want a compact coffee pod machine for less than £100 that allows you to make a wide range of different coffees and blends that taste just as good as the ones that you could get from a café, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop is well worth considering.

It is simple and straightforward to use and takes basically all of the hassle out of brewing a tasty cup of coffee. I also liked the fact that you could pair your phone to it with Bluetooth to allow you to have your coffee brewing for you while you’re still in bed or on your way home.

If you are a big coffee drinker and spend quite a bit buying coffees at cafés and coffee shops throughout the course of a week, buying this machine is much better value for money. After just a few months it will have effectively paid for itself, when you save on paying £3 to £5 per cup outside your home, with the pods being relatively affordable too.

As long as you take care of it and descale it when it needs to be – even if this is an additional expense – it should last you for many years to come and is a worthwhile investment to make when it comes to your daily coffee making.

FAQs

Is the Nespresso Vertuo Pop worth it?

This all depends on how often you will use it and whether or not you are a big coffee drinker. For example, if you buy coffees at the likes of Starbucks or Costa several times a week, this can soon add up. And given that the results were comparable to those store-bought coffees, you will save money in the long run by having a machine like this and making them at home.

I would say, if you can find it on offer – particularly around the £60 mark, like I found – it is well worth the money. And given that it is somewhat of an entry-level pod machine, it isn’t too much of an expense and will allow you to make a wide variety of drinks, both hot and cold, for a fraction of what it would cost in a cafe.

What types of coffee can the Vertuo Pop brew?

With six size settings to take any and all of the guesswork out of making a variety of drinks, you can make ristretto, espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, mug and alto at the push of a button.

Depending on the pods that you buy, you can brew everything from a sweet roasted hazelnut blend to their dark ‘stormio boost’ in the Vertuo Pop. It is worth noting that you can only use Nespresso’s Vertuo pods in this particular machine, but when you purchase it directly from Nespresso, they often have deals running whereby you receive a number of pods – for free – with the machine to help get you up and running.

How do you clean a Nespresso Vertuo Pop?

In terms of day to day cleaning, you should only really need to give the drip tray and capsule container a rinse, and wipe the exterior of the machine with a clean cloth, to keep it looking its best. You will also need to rinse and clean the water tank – I did this every time that I needed to refill it with clean water.

The Vertuo Pop does have a self-cleaning function, which is straightforward and only takes a few minutes to complete. Nespresso also recommends descaling your machine every three months or every 300 capsules, whichever comes first. Every three months should more than suffice, as it would take drinking around three pods a day to reach this 300 figure before then. Thankfully the machine will blink orange three times, before turning to a steady white, to indicate when it needs to be descaled.

Can Nespresso Vertuo Pop pods be recycled?

Yes, Nespresso Vertuo Pop pods can be recycled. After ordering or collecting a free recycling bag from the brand, simply fill it with any used capsules and either drop it off at your nearest Nespresso store or have it collected via their new collection scheme with Royal Mail.

According to Nespresso, “after you have returned your capsules through any of our methods, they are sent to our specialist recycling plants, where the coffee is removed from the aluminium. The aluminium is smelted and recycled into new products, such as beverage cans. While the coffee is used to create renewable energy and soil improver.”