Nespresso Vertuo machines and capsules

Vertuo is Nespresso's second capsule line, designed for the thing the Original line cannot do well: a full mug of coffee from a capsule. The capsule is larger and domed, the machine reads a code printed around its rim, and instead of forcing water through at pressure it spins the capsule to extract it.

Spinning, not pressure

Nespresso calls the method Centrifusion. Water enters the capsule while it rotates at high speed, and the spin drives the coffee out through the edge. Because extraction is set by speed, volume and time rather than by pump pressure alone, the same machine can make a short espresso and a large coffee without over-extracting the big one, which is the limit that keeps Original machines to short drinks.

The foam is not crema

Every Vertuo drink arrives under a thick, pale head, and it is the first thing people notice. It is air whipped in by the spin rather than the emulsified oils that sit on an espresso, so it is lighter, larger and fades faster. Some drinkers love it and some find it too much on a black mug. It is a property of the method, not a sign of a stronger coffee.

The code sets the recipe, and the price

Each capsule tells the machine its cup size, water volume, temperature and spin, so you press one button and the capsule decides the rest. Sizes run from a single espresso through a double and a gran lungo to mugs, and not every machine offers every size: the Vertuo Pop+, for example, tops out at 12 ounces. The same code keeps the range closed. Compatible capsules from other companies are effectively absent, refillables are not supported, and the price per cup is whatever Nespresso sets. What a pod really costs per cup does the arithmetic.

Starbucks capsules are Nespresso capsules

The Starbucks range for Vertuo, such as Starbucks Espresso Roast by Nespresso for Vertuo, is produced by Nespresso under licence, which is why it fits. It widens the flavours on offer without changing who controls supply.

Who it is for, and who it is not for

Choose Vertuo if your usual coffee is a mug, you want an espresso now and then from the same machine, and you are content to buy every capsule from one company. Choose the Original line if you mostly drink espresso or milk drinks and care about running cost. The detailed comparison is in Original against Vertuo, and our best Vertuo pods list covers what to put in it.