Capsules
Cheap capsules forever, or the best long black coffee a capsule can make?
This is not really a comparison of two machines. It is a choice between two supply arrangements that will govern what you spend on coffee for the next decade.
| Compared on | CitiZ | Vertuo Pop |
|---|---|---|
| Capsule suppliers | Dozens — patents expired | Effectively Nespresso only |
| Cost per capsule | From about a third of Nespresso price | Nespresso price, permanently |
| Espresso quality | Good — 19 bar, proper shot | Adequate — spun, not pressed |
| Long black coffee | Thin and over-extracted | Excellent, real crema at 230 ml |
| Ease of use | Choose your volume | Barcode sets everything |
| Capsule waste volume | Small capsules | Large capsules, bin fills fast |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these machines answer different questions.
Buy an Original machine if you drink espresso, lungo or milk drinks built on a shot. The compatible-capsule market pays back the difference within months and keeps paying for the life of the machine.
Buy Vertuo if what you actually drink is a big mug of black coffee. Centrifusion does that better than any pressure-based capsule system, and you are accepting a single supplier in exchange.
The good ones are close, and capsules from a small independent roaster are often fresher than Nespresso own-brand because they are filled to order rather than to a distribution schedule. Cheap supermarket own-brands are noticeably thinner.
At three cups a day, within about two months for either system. That is the whole reason to choose on capsules rather than on the machine.
19 bar · Original system · 1 L tank
The Original system, where the patents expired and everyone makes capsules. The machine is unremarkable; the point is that you can buy pods from a supermarket at a third of Nespresso's price.
Best for: Espresso and lungo drinkers who want capsule convenience without capsule prices.
≈ $190 / £150 / 160 €
Centrifusion · barcode-read capsules · 4 cup sizes
Spins the capsule instead of pressing water through it, which makes genuinely good long black coffee — and locks you into a closed capsule system with almost no third-party competition.
Best for: Someone who drinks mugs of black coffee and wants zero decisions.
≈ $100 / £80 / 90 €
