Nespresso Vertuo Up review: a sleek pod machine that makes iced coffee feel effortless

Nespresso is undoubtedly the king of pod coffee machines. From their original series to their Vertuo range, they’ve consistently set the benchmark for what a good pod machine can do, and with the new Nespresso Vertuo Up, they’ve raised the bar again. If you’re in the market for one of the best pod machines that money can buy, then this one should be at the top of your list.

It’s been years since Nespresso has had a revamp on their Vertuo range, and the Vertuo Up arrives with a handful of genuinely impressive upgrades. For a start, they’ve increased how fast you can get your coffee with a three-second heat-up time, and included Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity via the Nespresso app. An iced coffee mode is there for the ice latte fans, and there’s even an option to customise brew strength and temperature. All that is before we start looking at the design upgrades, which include a slimmer body and enough space for a travel cup.

I’ve spent some serious time with the Nespresso Vertuo Up over the last couple of days, testing out all the functions and working through a variety of capsules. What really stood out to me was how effortless the whole experience feels. This pod machine is perfect for anyone who wants to be able to enjoy a range of coffee sizes and styles without the faff of a bean-to-cup coffee machine.

As with any Nespresso Vertuo, there are a few downsides that are worth considering before making that commitment, such as the cost of the pods, these things aren’t cheap if you enjoy multiple cups of coffee a day. But without further ado, read on to find out whether I think the Nespresso Up is worth the upgrade or not.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: price and availability

The Nespresso Up retails at £179.99 and is available from Amazon or directly from Nespresso. All Nespresso Vertuo machines come with a 2-year limited warranty from the date of purchase.

The Nespresso Up sits right in the middle of the Nespresso Vertuo range. It’s not as budget-friendly as the Vertuo Pop, which retails at £99, but nowhere near as pricey as the Vertuo Creatista, which has a price tag of £649. It should be noted that Nespresso run regular sales throughout the year, which offer significant savings for new customers.

The real cost when it comes to purchasing a Nespresso Vertuo Up is the pods. There’s no better way of putting it – they are not cheap. You have to buy them in sleeves of 10, and prices start from £4.70 for a 25ml ristretto pods all the way up to £8.50 a sleeve for limited edition, XL and coffee creation pods.

Nespresso do offer a subscription service on their Vertuo machines. You pay less for your machine, and then pay a monthly direct debit, which turns into credit to spend on pods. You receive benefits like a free sleeve if you order over 70 pods, money off accessories and free delivery.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: design and features

The Nespresso Vertuo Up has had a bit of a glow-up in terms of design. Let’s start with the colour choices, you can choose from white, black, blue and grey. I tested the blue and it’s lovely, it’s more of a dark teal and the colour is just on the side panels with the rest of it in black so it looks sleek and stylish on the side.

It’s a great choice for anyone who doesn’t have loads of free space on their counter because the Nespresso Vertuo Up is very compact. It measures in at 49 x 12 x 25.5cm and the 1.4 litre water tank can be manoeuvred to sit on the left, right or directly behind the machine, so whatever space you’re placing it in, you can work it so it takes up the least room. It’s not as tall as other versions so if you have wall cupboards, you can easily push it under them and still be able to lift the lever and pop your pod in without having to pull the machine out every time you want a coffee, something I struggled with when I owned a different Nespresso Vertuo.

The build quality is solid, it doesn’t feel cheap or plastic. I think the redesigned lever and the brushed gold accents give this machine a premium look and feel. For anyone who likes to take a coffee with them on the go, it now has clearance for a travel mug so you can pop the pod in and be out of the door in less than a minute.

The Nespresso Vertuo Up comes with a host of feature upgrades. The standout is the coffee creations button, which allows users to brew a more concentrated version of their favourite coffee to use specifically with iced and milky drinks. There’s also a faster heat-up time, and it now takes just three seconds to heat up, plus WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. My personal favourite feature is the ability to adjust brew size and temperature within the app, so you can get your ideal cup of coffee.

Like with other models in the Vertuo range, you still have access to 7 cup sizes, including Ristretto, Espresso, Double Espresso, Gran Lungo, Mug, XL Coffee and Carafe.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: performance

The Nespresso Vertuo Up machine performs incredibly well and just from my first pod, I was left wondering why I ever got rid of my old Nespresso Vertuo in the first place. It’s incredibly easy to use, which is something you really notice if you’ve been using a bean-to-cup machine.

There’s just two buttons to master, the first being the coffee creations button and the second the brew button. If you’ve not owned a Vertuo before and you’re wondering how you switch from an Americano to an espresso, the pod does all the hard work. Each pod has a barcode which is read by the machine and it releases the right amount of coffee for the type of pod you’ve selected.

This feature has been made even better by the app. When you open the machine up you get a QR code to scan that downloads the Nespresso app. Just have your WiFi password ready, turn on the machine and the app will automatically connect with the Vertuo. This was super easy, and it didn’t spend ages trying to find it, just took less than a minute and I was connected.

If you’re wondering why you’d need an app for a coffee machine, which I’ll be honest, I was a little grumpy about myself, believe me, you do. The app gives you access to be able to customise your drinks. You select the pod you’re using, decide whether to make the drink longer or shorter (great if you’re like me and have a giant mug) and also, which is honestly one of my favourite things about this machine, you can make it hotter. One thing I hate about pod machines is the water is never as hot as I’d like it, and thanks to the Vertuo Up, that problem is solved.

The coffee creations mode is another game-changing feature. It allows you to create concentrated versions of your coffee so you can use them with iced or milky drinks. If you love an iced latte, you’ll already know how frustrating it is to make one at home and have it taste weak and watered down. This function stops that from happening.

I was really impressed by how this function kept the depth and flavour of the coffee with no bitterness at all, perfect for an iced latte. Same goes for a regular latte too, the coffee creations button just makes it taste so nice, you’d struggle to tell the difference between your at home creation and something whipped up by a barista.

It's quite noisy, and certainly louder than previous versions. It’s not the kind of noise that will ruin your morning, as even if you’re making a mug of coffee it produces it so quickly that it’s not running for that long.

The biggest limitation, which I know I’ve already mentioned, is the cost of the pods. Unlike original Nespresso pods, you can’t buy generic versions of the Vertuo capsules. You have to buy them from Nespresso (although Amazon do sell them, just don’t expect a wide choice) and you can only buy in packs of 10. The regular coffee isn’t too bad with prices starting from £4.70 for a pack of Ristretto pods but if you want limited edition flavours or speciality coffee, like the iced coffee pods, then you’re going to be looking at spending up to £8.50 for 10.

How you view the pricing does depend on how you drink coffee. If you’re replacing your daily Starbucks with a cup from your Vertuo, it’s a no-brainer as you’ll find yourself saving money. If you have multiple cups of coffee a day, you’re going to find that it starts to get a little expensive.

Overall, if your priority is a good, barista-style coffee at home with no-fuss or mess or you love your iced and milky drinks, the Nespresso Vertuo Up delivers and is a great choice.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: verdict

The Nespresso Vertuo Up hasn’t exactly reinvented the pod machine as you’ll still get a decent cup of coffee with any of the Vertuo range. But what it has done is improve the machine to make it more user-friendly and customisable.

The coffee creations button is a huge plus for anyone who prefers an iced latte or flat white to a black coffee, because you’ll be able to create coffee shop-style iced and milky drinks at home with no fuss and no loss of flavour.

If you already own a Vertuo and you’re wondering whether it’s a good time to upgrade, then this machine does genuinely have some useful upgrades like the coffee creations button, faster heat-up time, a sleeker design and the ability to customise your drink to how you like it. It would definitely make me consider an upgrade, especially if the machine is in daily use.

Back to the price of the pods again, the pod costs do add up. If you’re a coffee purist, nothing is going to lure you away from the control you get from a traditional coffee machine, but if you’re looking for a machine that delivers great coffee with minimal effort, the Nespresso Vertuo Up is one of the best pod machines you can buy right now.