Capsule systems · review
The Vertuo machine with the full range of cup sizes, up to a 414 ml carafe. Same excellent long coffee, same single-supplier capsules, in a body made largely from recycled plastic.
The bottom line The right Vertuo if you drink big cups — and Vertuo is still a commitment.
Within the Vertuo range the machines are more alike than the marketing suggests: the capsule carries a barcode that tells the machine its volume, speed and temperature, so a given capsule brews the same way in any of them.
What the Next adds over the cheaper Pop is range and capacity. Five cup sizes rather than four, topping out at a 414 ml carafe, and a 1.1 litre tank instead of 0.56. If you make large black coffee, or occasionally want something to share, that is the whole difference and it is a real one.
The build is where the price shows in both directions. The body is largely recycled plastic, which is genuinely well done and does not feel cheap. The lid mechanism, however, is noticeably lighter than the metal Vertuo machines and is the part owners report problems with. And centrifusion spins fast, so this is a loud machine — noticeably louder than any Original model.
The system question is unchanged and it is the one that matters. Vertuo makes the best long black coffee any capsule system makes, and its capsules come from essentially one supplier at one price for the life of the machine. That is a defensible trade if long coffee is what you drink. It is an expensive mistake if what you actually wanted was espresso.
At 180 $, it is the 5 cheapest of the 6 models in this category published here.
| System | Nespresso Vertuo |
|---|---|
| Cup sizes | 5, up to 414 ml |
| Reading | Barcode, automatic |
| Water tank | 1.1 L |
| Body | 54 % recycled plastic |
Range and tank. The Pop offers four sizes to 230 ml with a 0.56 L tank; the Next adds the 414 ml carafe size and nearly doubles the tank. The coffee from a shared capsule size is the same.
Yes, clearly. Centrifusion spins the capsule rather than pressing water through it, producing a thick stable crema on a large cup that no pressure-based system manages at that volume. For espresso, Original is better and much cheaper to run.
7.5/ 10
The right Vertuo if you drink big cups — and Vertuo is still a commitment.
Someone who drinks large black coffee and occasionally wants a carafe.
Same category, nearest prices. Only the specifications every one of them states are shown — a half-empty column compares nothing.
| Model | Price | System | Water tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nespresso Vertuo Next | 180 $ | Nespresso Vertuo | 1.1 L |
| Nespresso CitiZ | 190 $ | Nespresso Original | 1 L |
| Nespresso Essenza Mini | 150 $ | Nespresso Original | 0.6 L |
| NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Genio S | 110 $ | Dolce Gusto | 0.8 L |
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on August 8, 2026.
Specifications: manufacturer sheet and Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. No product on this site has been physically tested.
15 bar · hot & cold drinks · milk capsules
Makes hot chocolate, chai and iced drinks as well as coffee, using a separate milk capsule instead of real milk. Good at being a drinks machine, mediocre at being a coffee machine.
Best for: A household with mixed tastes where not everyone drinks coffee.
≈ $110 / £70 / 80 €
A Modo Mio system · 0.5 L · 12 cm wide
A third capsule system worth knowing about, because A Modo Mio capsules are among the cheapest in Europe and the machine costs almost nothing. The coffee is Italian-roast dark and unapologetic about it.
Best for: Espresso in the Italian style, at the lowest running cost of any capsule system here.
≈ £70 / 75 €
Original system · 0.6 L · 11 cm wide
Eleven centimetres wide, twenty-five seconds to heat, and it takes the Original capsules that dozens of brands make. The cheapest sensible way into the system that stays cheap to run.
Best for: A small kitchen, a studio flat, an office desk, or a second machine.
≈ $150 / £80 / 90 €
