I bought the Nespresso Vertuo Up about two weeks ago and have been using it every day since. After comparing it side by side with my older Vertuo Pop, I’ve realized that while the coffee in the cup remains consistent, the machine itself offers a significant hardware shift.
The big question is whether these changes—a larger rotating water tank, an extra settings button, and faster heating—actually justify the price jump. Here is the full technical breakdown from my two weeks of daily testing.
Watch my hands on review of the Nespresso Vertuo Up on my YouTube Channel.
Key Technical Upgrades: The Summary
For those in a hurry, here are the four major hardware shifts that define the Vertuo Up:
- Preventative Maintenance: Introduces a “Quick Rinse” feature that flushes residue without a capsule—critical for avoiding the “red light” errors I’ve covered previously.
- Near-Instant Heating: The Up is ready to brew in just a few seconds, whereas the Pop takes closer to a minute.
- Flexible Footprint: Features a larger, rotating water tank that makes it easier to fit into tighter kitchen layouts or narrow countertops.
- Dedicated Control Logic: Adds a separate “settings” button, moving away from the Pop’s confusing single-button multi-press system.
Vertuo Up vs Vertuo Pop
Here’s the short version if you’re deciding between the two.
Unboxing & Build Quality: Metal Meets Plastic
The unboxing experience is straightforward; you get two manuals, a cup holder, and a starter pack of 12 capsules. This sampler is excellent because it covers various cup sizes and flavors, allowing you to test the machine before buying full sleeves.
Regarding the build, Nespresso has upgraded certain parts to metal, specifically the drip tray cover, cup holder, and capsule lever. However, much of the machine is still plastic. On my unit, the fit and finish were just “okay”—I noticed some gaps weren’t perfectly aligned, though it doesn’t feel weak or flimsy.
One ergonomic win is the vertical drop-in capsule design. I can open and close the lever with one hand quite easily, whereas the Pop often requires more effort and sometimes two hands to shut firmly.
Daily use
This is where the Vertuo Up makes the strongest case for itself. The fast heat-up sounds like a small upgrade on paper, but in real life it changes how the machine feels every morning. It takes about 1 min to make an espresso from cold start. So when the Pop is still preheating, you can enjoy your cup of coffee from the Vertuo Up.
The water tank is also much larger than the Vertuo Pop’s, so I don’t need to refill the tank that often.
I also prefer the larger capsule container. My Pop fills up quickly, while the Up feels better suited to everyday use if you make coffee regularly. However, due to the vertically capsule loading design, the Vertuo Up tends to produce more waste water than the Pop.
The New Interface: A Smarter Settings System
The Vertuo Up adds a dedicated settings button, which is a massive improvement over the Pop’s one-button interface.
- Maintenance Simplified: By holding the settings button for 3 seconds, the brew button changes color to indicate different functions: Blue (Rinsing), Yellow (Emptying pipes), Red (Descaling)， White(both brew and creation buttons are white, reset shot volume)
- Factory Reset: You can press both the setting and brew buttons for 5 seconds to reset everything back to factory defaults.
- Connectivity: While the Wi-Fi indicator is visible, I found that app connection and Wi-Fi features are not supported in every region—mine wouldn’t connect. So remember to check if the app connection is available in your region if you care about that.
In comparison, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop requires more complicated operation to get into different settings.
Coffee quality
Since both machines use Nespresso’s Centrifusion extraction (reading the barcode to adjust spin speed and volume), the core flavor stays identical.
Temperature Check
I tested the serving temperature for different sizes:
- Standard Espresso Capsules: Around 67°C.
- Larger Capsules: Reached about 72°C. This confirms the machine serves a consistently hot cup.
The Foam (Not Crema)
The Vertuo Up produces the classic thick foam layer. In my side-by-side test, the Pop produced more foam initially, but the Up’s foam was finer and lasted longer, whereas the Pop’s foam faded faster.
That lines up with what you’d expect. Both machines are built around Nespresso’s Vertuo system, which reads the barcode on each capsule and adjusts brewing automatically, so the core result stays very similar from one machine to the other.
The “Coffee Creations” Mode
This mode is designed for iced or milk-based drinks. By pressing the dedicated button, the machine performs a concentrated extraction—giving you less liquid from the same capsule so the coffee stands up better to ice or milk.
I tried this with the Coconut Vanilla capsule. Normally a 230ml mug, in Coffee Creations mode it produced a much smaller, stronger cup. The aroma filled the room, and it’s one of the few capsules I highly recommend for this mode. (Note: The Pop also has this feature via a double-tap, but it’s hidden and less intuitive).
Cleaning
Cleaning is simple overall. Empty the used-capsule container, rinse the removable parts, and wipe things dry.
One feature I really like is the quick rinse option. On the Up, it’s easy to run a short rinse without using a capsule, and I found that genuinely useful after brewing.
I’ve had issues with the Pop where coffee residue builds up and jams the spinning brew head (causing the red light error).
Running a quick rinse on the Up showed tinted water even after a clean-looking brew, proving there’s residue left inside. This feature is a game-changer for the machine’s longevity.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Twice the Price?
The Vertuo Up is clearly a more polished machine. It’s faster, quieter, and the rotating tank makes it far more practical for narrow countertops.
Stick with the Pop if: You are strictly focused on budget and don’t mind the 60-second wait, as the coffee quality is the same.ompletely different cup.
Upgrade to the Up if: You value your time in the morning (3-second heat up) and want an easier cleaning routine.
FAQ
Is the Nespresso Vertuo Up worth buying?
Yes, if you care about speed and convenience more than flavor gains. It feels like a more polished daily-use machine than the Pop.
Does the Vertuo Up make better coffee than the Pop?
Not by much. In my testing, the taste was very close, with only small differences in body and foam.
What is Coffee Creations mode?
It’s a concentrated brew mode designed for milk-based and iced drinks. It gives you less liquid from the same capsule, so the drink holds up better once diluted.
Is the Vertuo Up better for small kitchens?
It can be. The rotating tank gives it a little more flexibility in tighter layouts, even though the machine itself is not dramatically smaller.
