Description
What the Nespresso VertuoPlus is
The VertuoPlus is a capsule coffee machine made by Breville under license for Nespresso’s Vertuo system. It brews four sizes at a button press: 5 ounce and 8 ounce coffee, and single and double espresso. The listing gives the color as grey, the weight as 10.14 pounds and the warranty as one year, with hand wash care instructions.
The Vertuo line is worth understanding before buying, because it is not the same as Nespresso’s Original line. Vertuo capsules are dome shaped, carry a barcode around the rim, and are read by the machine to set the brew parameters automatically. Original line capsules do not fit and will not work. This is a closed system, and choosing it means committing to Vertuo capsules from Nespresso or its licensed partners for the life of the machine.
Centrifusion and what it does differently
Most capsule machines force hot water through a sealed pod under pressure. Vertuo machines spin the capsule instead, at high speed, so centrifugal force pushes water through the coffee bed and out through the rim. Nespresso calls this Centrifusion.
The practical result is the crema. Spinning aerates the extraction heavily and produces a thick foam layer on top of the cup, which is the visual signature of a Vertuo coffee and the thing owners either love or find excessive. It also allows one machine to produce both espresso sized shots and larger coffees from a single mechanism, which a pressure only machine struggles to do well.
The barcode is what makes it work without user input. Each capsule tells the machine the volume, the rotation speed and the extraction time for that specific blend. The user chooses a capsule and presses a button; nothing else is adjustable. That is the appeal for some buyers and the frustration for others, since there is no way to make the machine do something the capsule was not programmed for.
Tank, capsule handling and heat up
The 40 ounce removable water tank is generous for a single serve machine and reduces refilling to every few days for a light user. Removability matters as much as capacity, since it means filling at the sink rather than trying to pour into a fixed reservoir.
Used capsules eject automatically into a container holding up to ten. This is a genuine convenience: no lever to pull, no wet capsule to fish out by hand. Ten is not many though, and the container needs emptying regularly for a household with more than one coffee drinker.
The listing quotes a heat up time of 20 to 25 seconds, restated as 25 seconds in the feature bullets. That is fast for a capsule machine and it is the number that matters most for a machine used first thing in the morning. Automatic energy saving shutoff turns the machine off after a period of inactivity.
The listing contradictions
Several fields in this listing disagree with each other and with the product itself, and they are worth naming rather than picking between.
The voltage is recorded as 220 volts. A North American countertop appliance runs on a nominal 120 volt supply, and a 220 volt entry on a US listing is a data fault rather than a real requirement. Nothing about this machine needs a special outlet.
The included components field lists a milk frother. The style field says machine only, the description names only the machine, the water tank and the used capsule container, and no frother appears in the feature bullets. Nespresso does sell VertuoPlus bundles that include an Aeroccino milk frother, so the field may have been carried over from a different configuration. Confirm with the seller before assuming a frother is in the box.
The special feature is listed as manual while the operation mode is listed as fully automatic, and the filter type is given as foam. None of those describe a barcode driven capsule machine accurately. The dimensions of 6 inches deep by 17 inches wide by 13 inches high are also questionable, since 17 inches of width does not match the shape of the appliance and more likely describes its depth or the carton.
Highlights
- Four cup sizes at a button press: 5 ounce and 8 ounce coffee, single and double espresso.
- Centrifusion extraction producing a thick crema layer.
- Barcode reading capsules set brew parameters automatically.
- 40 ounce removable water tank.
- Automatic used capsule ejection with a container holding ten.
- Heat up quoted at 20 to 25 seconds, with automatic energy saving shutoff.
- A starter set of Vertuo capsules is included with each machine.
- One year warranty.
Things To Consider
- Vertuo is a closed system. Only Nespresso Vertuo capsules and licensed equivalents fit, and Original line capsules do not.
- Nothing about the brew is adjustable. The capsule barcode sets everything.
- The voltage field reads 220 volts, which is a data fault. This appliance runs on a standard 120 volt supply.
- A milk frother appears in the components field but nowhere else in the listing. Confirm what actually ships.
- The used capsule container holds only ten, which fills quickly in a two person household.
- Ongoing capsule cost is the real expense of owning the machine.
- Care instructions are hand wash. The tank and drip tray are not dishwasher items.
- The published dimensions do not match the shape of the appliance and are probably the carton.
- The capsule assortment in the welcome set varies and may not match the product images.
Who it suits
The VertuoPlus suits someone who wants both a short espresso style shot and a full mug of coffee from one machine, with no decisions to make in the morning. The fast heat up, the large tank and the automatic capsule ejection make it one of the easier capsule machines to live with, and the crema is genuinely distinctive.
It is the wrong choice for anyone who wants control over their coffee, who objects to a closed capsule ecosystem, or who is price sensitive about the running cost. Buyers comparing within the range should read the Nespresso Vertuo by Breville and the Nespresso Creatista Plus, which adds a steam wand. Those weighing a different pod ecosystem should look at the Keurig K-Supreme and the wider single-serve brewers category. Anyone ready to move to ground coffee and a portafilter should compare the Breville Bambino Plus.
