Nespresso Vertuo - when you want the next step in pod coffee machines

Nestlé created the capsule coffee system in 1986, launching Nespresso as a premium coffee option for workplaces. It soon crossed the bridge into domestic kitchens, and has dominated the home capsule coffee market ever since.

For almost three decades, all Nespresso machines used a high-pressure pump system to make, primarily, classic 40ml espresso shots. Then, in 2014, the game changed with the introduction of the Nespresso Vertuo system, which can make up to six different styles of coffee in a huge range of flavours and intensities.

At the heart of Nespresso Vertuo is its Centrifusion technology, which uses centrifugal force to spin the coffee pods at around 7,000 rotations per minute while being infused with hot water. This blends the coffee grounds more evenly, extracting a fuller flavour and aroma from the unique Vertuo capsules (you can’t use regular Nespresso pods in these machines).

Nespresso Vertuo machines cater to diverse coffee preferences that traditional Nespresso machines (also known as OriginalLine) can’t do without human assistance. The dome-shaped coffee pods that it takes come in more than 35 flavours and a range of sizes, according to their coffee style, from Espresso and Barista Creations, to Long Black, and Craft and Cold Brew varieties.

The machine reads a barcode on the capsule you insert, and adjusts the amount of water, speed of extraction and temperature to make whichever style coffee the pod instructs it to. From a smooth Gran Lungo, to a generously sized Alto, Nespresso Vertuo automatically creates different style coffees for a range of cup sizes, without you needing to intervene.

If a classic espresso is your go-to, the technology in Nespresso Vertuo should satisfy your caffeine cravings (the name Vertuo is derived from ‘virtuoso’, meaning ‘mastering an expertise'). With the touch of a button, the machines deliver a shot, or double shot, of rich espresso with a velvety crema foam on top, if not exactly the same as your local café serves up, then extremely close. There are a few models of machine in the Vertuo range.

The Nespresso Vertuo Next, launched in 2020, has a 1100ml water tank and the ability to make six different styles of coffee, the widest range of any of the Vertuo machines. It can even make a super-large 18-ounce (535ml) ‘carafe’ pour-over style coffee.

Released in 2023, the Vertuo Lattissima shares many features and capabilities with the Vertuo Next, but with an integrated milk frother. This allows the Lattissima to make six coffee sizes and styles, including milk coffees. The milk technology has three adjustable temperature/texture settings, so if you like your cappuccino extra hot and foamy, that’s how you can have it.

Introduced in 2023, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop is a more compact Vertuo model, with a smaller 600ml water capacity. Available in a range of colours that ‘pop’, as well as black or white, the machines are made with bright, sturdy plastic, making them a fun looking accessory for your kitchen.

With the same centrifusion technology as its siblings, the main point of difference of the Nespresso Vertuo Plus range, which was introduced in 2017, is its design functionality. A simpler pod insertion mechanism and movable water tank make it easy to use and to position on kitchen benchtops.

The Vertuo Next, Lattissima and Pop machines have wifi connectivity, so you can connect your coffee machine to the Nespresso app and get phone alerts when it’s time to descale it. The Vertuo Plus doesn’t have this connectivity, but for many people that won’t make much difference to how they use it.

Although Nespresso designs its own pod coffee machines, it licenses the designs to a range of appliance brands around the globe to manufacture them. In Australia, Nespresso Vertuo machines you buy will be made by DeLonghi or Breville, and will usually feature both Nespresso and the manufacturer's branding.

In the realm of capsule coffee, Nespresso Vertuo machines and coffee pods reign supreme in terms of their versatility and the range of drinks they can create. With their advanced centrifusion and barcode-reading technologies, they take the effort out of making your favourite coffee, from double espresso to lungo.