Tom's Guide Verdict
The Nespresso Vertuo Up is Nespresso’s newest machine, and it brings some super futuristic features with it. Not only do you now have an “Over Ice” mode for summer iced lattes, but you’ve also got app functionality. Usually I’m an app hater, but this app is genuinely useful. You can customize drink sizes, temperatures, run through cleaning cycles, and look at instruction manuals directly from your phone.
Pros
- +
Super easy to use
- +
App is genuinely useful
- +
Rotating water tank
- +
Narrow, ideal for small spaces
Cons
- -
Leaks what is presumably leftover coffee into the next drink
- -
Can only buy pods direct from Nespresso, and they’re pricier than OG pods
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The Nespresso Vertuo Up is the newest Nespresso machine as of July 2026. It brings back the iconic Nespresso plug-and-play brew style with an added “Over Ice” mode and app functionality. Yes, this coffee machine connects to my phone, and I’m actually not mad about it.
But is this enough to make it one of the best Nespresso machines you can get? Heck, yeah! I loved testing this machine. It’s as easy as pie — or, as easy as Nespresso — and doesn’t look particularly hideous while doing it. Of course, it’s not as premium as the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista, but it’s also $400 cheaper.
I had a great time testing this machine, and so did my colleagues. One of my colleagues drank four cups of coffee in one day during my testing period — that’s how good it is. Want to find out more about the new Nespresso machine? Why wouldn’t you? Keep reading this Nespresso Vertuo Up review.
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: Specs
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: Price & availability
The Nespresso Vertuo Up is $229 from Amazon U.S. and £179 from Amazon U.K.. Nespresso makes two lines of machines: original and Vertuo. Of the Vertuo collection, the Up is the most premium. If you want similar performance for less, you’d be looking at the $189 Vertuo Next or the $129 Vertuo Pop+.
Vertuo machines are generally cheaper than original Nespresso machines. This is because Vertuo pods are patented, whereas original Nespresso pods are not. Ergo, Nespresso charges less for the initial machine, but more for the pods… so you might end up paying more over time.
The Nespresso CitiZ ($265) is my favorite original Nespresso machine, but you can still get the three-year-old Nespresso Pixie ($229). Of course, neither of these machines have app connectivity, so you can’t adjust the heat or size of your drinks.
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: Design
The Nespresso Vertuo Up, like other Nespresso machines, is compact and ideal for small spaces. As it’s just 4.7 inches wide, I was able to fit it in my kitchen with zero stress.
However, it’s worth noting that it needs a decent amount of overhead clearance — the pod release comes up 5 inches, giving it an overall height of 15.9 inches. Because of this, I wouldn’t recommend putting it under low-lying cabinets.
One of my favorite design features is the rotating water tank. Unlike other Nespresso machines (CitiZ), the water tank can fit on the back or on either side, so you can adapt the machine to fit your space rather than the other way around.
Of course, the Vertuo Up is relatively plasticky. It is a Nespresso machine, after all. If you want a more premium aesthetic, I’d recommend checking out the eye-wateringly expensive Vertuo Creatista ($699).
Another “it is a Nespresso machine, after all” design feature is the minimal on-machine controls. Instead of levers, buttons, and dials you might find on espresso machines like the De’Longhi Stilosa ($149) or Breville Bambino ($299), the Vertuo Up has just two buttons: “Ice” and “Go”. Those aren’t the official names, of course, but they explain what I mean well enough.
If you’re using “Over Ice” pods (like I was), you’ll need to press the “Ice” button before “Go”. Otherwise, you’ll get a hot drink. Obviously, this is great if you want to stick it to the man and brew a hot coffee using “Over Ice” pods, but, as I experienced, pods designed for iced drinks don’t taste great hot.
Unlike Nespresso original machines, you can’t choose between an espresso or lungo shot. Each Vertuo pod has a specific dosage volume: for example, the Coconut & Vanilla is a 230ml “mug”, whereas the Yuzu & Vanilla is an 80ml “double shot”. You can kind of adjust volumes with the NespressoSmart app (more on that later), but you can’t do it on the machine itself. This is a little frustrating, and I’d like to see Nespresso utilize on-machine buttons to correct this in the future, as not everyone wants or needs the Nespresso app on their phone.
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: Performance
The Nespresso Vertuo Up is supremely easy to use. I’ll say it for the third time: it is a Nespresso machine, after all. These things are revered for their ease of use and simplicity.
All you have to do is insert the pod of your choice and press “Go”. That’s it. The pod starts spinning like an errant hair caught in a plughole, and thirty seconds later, you’ve got a fresh coffee.
I will say that the Vertuo Up is incredibly loud: it peaked at 70.9dB. It was so loud, in fact, I had colleagues come up to me and say things like, “Oh, that’s a bit of a screamer, isn’t it?” Yes. Yes it is.
Even so, this isn’t a dealbreaker for me. I’m using the machine for, what, a minute? I can put up with 71dB for a minute in exchange for fresh coffee.
Taste is tricky to evaluate because different pods taste different, and different people have different palates. I tested the Vertuo Up with the Yuzu & Vanilla, Coconut & Vanilla, and Oatly Barista Edition Over Ice pods. They all tasted great, with zero burned or bitter notes (except once).
Let me elaborate. I’ll preface this by saying this is purely user error. This is simply advice to you — not an issue with the Vertuo Up at all. I mistakenly brewed the Yuzu & Vanilla pod hot rather than “Over Ice”; it tasted super bitter, with a really frothy crema. It was, put simply, not good. So learn from my mistakes and follow the instructions on the pod packaging!
The only real con I have with the Nespresso Vertuo Up is its tendency to leak before extraction. After inserting a pod and pressing “G o”, the machine leaks around half a teaspoon of coffee into the cup, presumably leftover coffee stuck in the dispensing nozzle from the previous brew. Kinda gross. Although I’m sure this didn’t majorly impact the flavor of my subsequent coffee, it’s worth noting. I’d like to see Nespresso rectify this for the next model, whenever that may be. There’s no “clean” option between drinks.
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: App
I’m usually an app hater, but I really like the NespressoSmart app. It actually benefits the user experience.
As you can see, the app is clean, easy to use, and user-friendly. I can see even the most technophobic person on the planet being able to make the most of this app. You can change the volume of your pods, change water temperature, run cleaning cycles, run water emptying cycles, and look up instruction manuals.
Of course, I would like to see some on-machine controls for these settings as not everyone wants or needs to download an app to use a coffee machine, but as far as apps go, this is a decent one.
The only downside is that the app asks you for full contact information while signing up. You have to put in your full name, email, full address, and phone number. Why? Why does the app need this info for me to customize my espresso? I just wrote “No” in all the address boxes, put a random zip code, and a fake number and it let me make the account, but this is still annoying.
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: Storage & maintenance
As this is a Vertuo machine, replacement pods are only available from Nespresso’s official Amazon store and Nespresso direct. This is disappointing. I wanted to buy some extra pods and visited my local grocery store (a large store with tons of products, including Nespresso pods), but it only stocked original pods. After a quick Google, I discovered that I could only buy these specific pods online.
Therefore, you’ll need some pre-planning to ensure you don’t run out of pods. The price of pods is also quite different from original Nespresso pods. A 30-pack of OG Nespresso pods retails for $27, working out to $0.90 per pod. Vertuo pods are $40.50 for the same sized pack, $1.35 per pod. The pods I personally tested with were around $1.25-$1.55 per pod.
So while the Vertuo machines are cheaper from the off, you might actually spend more money over time. Let’s quickly do some coffee math. Say you’re spending $13 extra a month (if you drink one a day). There’s a $36 price difference between the Vertuo Up and the Citiz. After 3 months, you’ll have spent that extra $36 on Nespresso’s patented Vertuo pods.
Personally, I would always buy an original Nespresso machine for this reason, but of course, the decision is up to you.
Cleaning the machine is straightforward: there are detailed instructions in the app and you can start cleaning cycles from your phone. You can also buy cleaning kits directly from the app: a descaling kit is $10.99 for two sachets.
Alright, last but not least: pod recycling. Of course, not buying single-use pods is inherently more environmentally friendly than buying single-use pods, but at least you can recycle Nespresso pods. You can either get a recycling bag direct from Nespresso, return your pods to Nespresso stores, or drop off your pods at select convenience stores.
Nespresso Vertuo Up review: Verdict
The Nespresso Vertuo Up is a really great Nespresso machine. It’s beyond easy to use, looks pretty good, and the app is genuinely useful. While it’s not perfect, hence the 4-star rating, it’s bound to make any hands-free coffee lover happy. My colleagues all remarked on its ease of use and pleasant coffee flavor.
Sure, I’d appreciate some on-machine controls for the next gen and I’d appreciate more pod options, but if you want to save that initial cost with a Vertuo, this is a pretty good one to get. It can make iced and hot coffees in seconds, and never made a bad brew (except my experiment).
I recommend the Nespresso Vertuo Up for anyone interested in upgrading an old Nespresso machine, anyone who particularly likes having smart control features on their coffee machine, or, simply, anyone who wants hot (or cold) coffee and wants it now.
