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The Nespresso Vertuo Pop is the compact choice in the current Vertuo range: narrow on the worktop, simple to operate and capable of six published cup sizes from 25ml Ristretto to 355ml Cold Brew Style / XL. Its strongest case is convenience and drink-size flexibility in a small machine. The main compromises are the 560ml water tank, Vertuo-only capsule ecosystem and the fact that its Centrifusion-brewed espresso is a different style from pressure-extracted espresso.
Check the exact listing before buying. This review covers the current UK Nespresso Vertuo Pop platform. Nespresso currently publishes six cup sizes, a 560ml tank, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity and Coffee Creations mode for the Pop. Retail versions can carry different manufacturer and colour codes; De’Longhi ENV90.B is one current black UK reference model. Do not confuse the Pop with the wider Vertuo Pop+, which has a 1.1-litre water tank.
One or two people who want fast capsule coffee in several sizes and have limited worktop width.
You mainly want traditional espresso, a large water tank or the freedom to choose outside the Vertuo capsule system.
Six current cup sizes and one-touch barcode-guided brewing in a body only about 13.6cm wide.
The 560ml tank is small for a system built partly around 230ml and 355ml coffees.
Our rating: 8.2/10
A strong compact Vertuo—if the small tank suits you
This is an editorial score based on the current UK specification, pricing, buyer fit, independent review evidence and available owner feedback. Home Barista Guide has not personally lab-tested this machine.
The Vertuo Pop does the core Vertuo job with very little friction. Insert a compatible capsule, close the head and press the button; the machine reads the capsule barcode and selects its brewing parameters automatically. That makes it particularly easy to live with if your priority is repeatability rather than experimenting with grind size, dose or extraction.
The compact body is genuinely useful, but the machine earns that footprint by shrinking the water capacity. For someone making one or two coffees at a time, that is a reasonable trade. A household regularly preparing several 230ml mugs or 355ml drinks will notice the refill frequency much more quickly.
Current published specifications
| Product family | Nespresso Vertuo Pop |
|---|---|
| Reference UK variant | De’Longhi ENV90.B in black; other UK manufacturer and colour codes also exist |
| Capsule system | Nespresso Vertuo capsules only; not compatible with Original capsules |
| Published cup sizes | Six: Ristretto 25ml, Espresso 40ml, Double Espresso 80ml, Gran Lungo 150ml, Mug 230ml, Cold Brew Style / XL 355ml |
| Brewing system | Barcode recognition with Nespresso Centrifusion; current De’Longhi material states rotation up to 7,000rpm |
| Coffee Creations mode | Yes — concentrated extraction for milk- and ice-based recipes |
| Water tank | 560ml, removable |
| Used capsule container | Approximately 5–8 capsules depending on capsule size |
| Heat-up time | 30 seconds |
| Automatic power-off | After 2 minutes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth and Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions | 136 × 426 × 250mm (W × D × H) |
| Weight | Approximately 3.5kg |
| Built-in milk system | None; separate milk frother or bundle required for automatic frothing |
| Current Nespresso UK list price | £99; promotional pricing is common and can change the comparison with other Vertuo models |
Why some older specifications look different
The Vertuo Pop launched with a more limited published drinks list, and some retailer or manufacturer pages still show older five-size information. Nespresso’s current UK product range features six cup sizes and Coffee Creations mode.
How does the Vertuo Pop brew coffee?
Vertuo uses a different brewing system from Nespresso Original. Each Vertuo capsule carries a barcode, and the machine uses that information to adjust parameters such as water volume and the Centrifusion brewing cycle. De’Longhi’s current Vertuo Pop material describes the capsule rotating at up to 7,000rpm during extraction.
The result is the characteristic Vertuo presentation: coffee topped with a substantial foam or crema-like layer. It should not be judged as though it were the same thing as crema from a conventional pressure-extracted espresso. If your priority is a short, traditional espresso-style experience, the more important decision is Original versus Vertuo rather than Pop versus another Vertuo machine.
Coffee character also depends far more on the capsule than on fine machine adjustment because there is effectively no manual brewing recipe to dial in. That is the attraction for convenience-focused buyers and the limitation for anyone who wants control over dose, grind, temperature or extraction ratio.
Six cup sizes and Coffee Creations mode
The Nespresso Vertuo Pop features an unusually broad size range for such a small capsule machine:
- Ristretto: 25ml
- Espresso: 40ml
- Double Espresso: 80ml
- Gran Lungo: 150ml
- Mug: 230ml
- Cold Brew Style / XL: 355ml
The 355ml “Cold Brew Style” is a programmed Vertuo drink designed for a cold-coffee style of serving; it is not traditional cold brew, where ground coffee is normally extracted in cool water over several hours.
Coffee Creations mode adds another useful layer. Nespresso describes it as a concentrated extraction activated for recipes where you intend to add milk or ice. That is more practical than simply brewing a full 230ml coffee and diluting it further with milk.
Daily use and kitchen fit
One-button brewing is the Pop’s biggest day-to-day strength. The capsule is recognised automatically, the machine handles the brew programme and the used capsule is ejected into the internal container afterwards. There is very little opportunity to make a procedural mistake, which makes it easy to share between people who do not want to learn an espresso workflow.
The machine is narrow at 136mm, but “compact” needs a qualification: it is still about 426mm deep. That depth is easy to overlook when judging it from the front, so measure the worktop if cupboards, sockets or other appliances sit behind the intended position.
The 560ml tank is the other practical compromise. It is adequate for lower-volume use, but large Vertuo drinks consume a meaningful share of that capacity. The Pop+ and larger Vertuo machines make more sense if several people will use the machine throughout the day.
Independent testing has also highlighted the Pop’s relatively limited cup height as a practical quirk. Ordinary espresso cups and mugs are straightforward, but particularly tall vessels may need more thought than they would with a larger machine.
Does the Wi-Fi connection matter?
The Pop includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but connectivity is not the main reason to buy it. Nespresso uses the connection for software updates and support functions, including keeping current brewing features available. The actual coffee-making experience remains intentionally simple and button-led.
What about lattes and cappuccinos?
The Vertuo Pop has no integrated milk system. You can make milk drinks by adding milk from a separate electric frother such as an Aeroccino, using another milk frother, or buying one of Nespresso’s machine-and-frother bundles.
For milk drinks, a Double Espresso capsule or Coffee Creations concentrated extraction is usually a more logical starting point than a full mug-size coffee because it keeps the coffee more concentrated once milk is added. The exact capsule and amount of milk remain a preference rather than a fixed latte recipe.
Price the complete setup, not only the machine
If milk drinks are your main reason for buying, include the cost and worktop space of a separate frother in the comparison. A low promotional price for the Pop is less meaningful if you immediately need to add another appliance.
Capsules and ongoing cost
The most important ownership decision is the Vertuo capsule ecosystem. Nespresso’s Vertuo machines are currently compatible exclusively with Nespresso Vertuo pods, and Original capsules do not fit. The current Vertuo range contains more than 30 coffees across different sizes, permanent blends, limited editions and flavoured options.
That gives you plenty of choice within Vertuo, but considerably less purchasing freedom than a system where compatible capsules are available from several manufacturers. The machine price is therefore only part of the ownership cost. Before choosing a heavily discounted Pop, look at the current price of the capsule sizes you expect to drink most often and multiply that by your realistic weekly use.
This is also why an Original-versus-Vertuo decision matters more than a small difference between two Vertuo machines. Once you own the Pop, the capsule format determines the coffees and serving sizes you will buy for the life of the machine.
Cleaning, descaling and ownership
The Pop is simpler to maintain than a machine with a grinder, portafilter or milk circuit, but it is not maintenance-free. The drip tray, water tank and used-capsule container need regular emptying and rinsing, while the brew head and capsule area should be kept clean so residue does not accumulate around the brewing mechanism.
Nespresso provides cleaning and descaling procedures for the Vertuo range. Descaling frequency should follow the machine’s guidance and your local water conditions rather than a rigid calendar rule. If you use a separate Aeroccino or other frother, its milk-contact parts create an additional cleaning routine.
- Regularly: empty the used-capsule container and drip tray before residue builds up.
- As needed: rinse the removable tank and run the machine’s cleaning procedure according to Nespresso’s instructions.
- When prompted or required: complete the Vertuo descaling cycle with a compatible descaler.
- After milk drinks: clean the separate frother according to its own instructions; there is no milk circuit inside the Pop itself.
Owner discussions contain both long-running positive experiences and reports of leaks, warning lights or head/lever faults. Those anecdotes are useful context but cannot establish a reliable failure rate. Buy through an established retailer, retain the receipt and register the machine so you can use the appropriate UK support route if a fault develops.
Vertuo Pop vs Pop+, Next and Up
Vertuo Pop
560ml tank · 6 cup sizes
Choose it for: the narrowest current Vertuo body, lower list price and one- or two-person use.
Trade-off: the small tank is noticeable when you regularly brew 230ml or 355ml drinks.
Vertuo Pop+
1.1L tank · 6 cup sizes
Choose it for: broadly the same six-size Vertuo flexibility with roughly double the published tank capacity.
Trade-off: it costs more and gives up some of the original Pop’s ultra-narrow footprint.
What about Vertuo Next?
The current Vertuo Next moves to a 1.1-litre tank and seven published cup sizes, including the 535ml Carafe format. At current Nespresso UK list prices it sits above the Pop, so it makes more sense when the larger tank and full size range are features you will actually use rather than simply because it is the next model up.
What about the newer Vertuo Up?
The Vertuo Up is Nespresso’s newer, more feature-rich option, with seven cup sizes, a 1.4-litre multi-position tank, a published three-second heat-up and more app-based customisation. It is a substantially more expensive proposition. The Pop remains relevant because it solves a different problem: straightforward Vertuo brewing in a much cheaper, narrower machine.
Promotions are frequent across the range, so do not assume the normal price hierarchy will always hold. If the Pop+ or Next is available for only a small premium, the larger water tank can be worth paying for.
Pros and good to know
Pros
- Six currently published cup sizes from 25ml to 355ml
- Very narrow 136mm body
- Simple one-button, barcode-guided brewing
- 30-second heat-up time
- Coffee Creations concentrated mode for milk and iced recipes
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support software updates
- No grinder, portafilter or internal milk circuit to clean
Good to know
- The 560ml water tank is small for frequent large Vertuo drinks
- At 426mm deep, the footprint is narrow rather than genuinely tiny in every direction
- No built-in milk frother
- Uses Vertuo capsules only; Original capsules are incompatible
- Very little manual control over the brewing recipe
- Vertuo espresso is a different style from pressure-extracted espresso
- Promotions can make larger Vertuo models unexpectedly close in price
Verdict: is the Nespresso Vertuo Pop worth buying?
Yes, if you want the Vertuo system in its most space-efficient mainstream form and the 560ml tank matches your routine. The current six-size capability makes the Pop more versatile than its original launch specification suggests, while barcode-guided one-touch brewing keeps the learning curve close to zero.
The trade-offs are equally clear. Large-coffee households will refill it frequently, milk drinks need a separate frother, and buying the machine commits you to the Vertuo capsule ecosystem. If traditional espresso or capsule choice is your priority, compare Original before choosing any Vertuo machine. If you already know Vertuo suits you, the Pop is a strong compact option—but compare live Pop+ and Next prices before assuming it is automatically the best-value model.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nespresso Vertuo Pop worth buying?
It is a strong fit if you want one-touch Vertuo coffee, several cup sizes and a narrow machine for one or two people. The 560ml tank is the main practical limitation. Households making several large coffees each day should compare the Pop+ or another Vertuo with a larger tank.
How many cup sizes does the Vertuo Pop make?
Currently six: Ristretto 25ml, Espresso 40ml, Double Espresso 80ml, Gran Lungo 150ml, Mug 230ml and Cold Brew Style / XL 355ml. Older reviews and retailer pages may still show the earlier drinks list.
What is the difference between Vertuo Pop and Vertuo Pop+?
The biggest practical difference is water capacity. The Pop currently features a 560ml tank whilst the Pop+ features a 1.1-litre tank. Both include six cup sizes and connectivity. Choose the Pop for the narrower body; choose the Pop+ when fewer refills matter more.
Can the Vertuo Pop make lattes and cappuccinos?
It can supply the coffee, but it has no built-in milk system. Add milk from a separate frother or choose a bundle that includes an Aeroccino. Coffee Creations mode provides a concentrated extraction intended for milk- and ice-based recipes.
Does the Vertuo Pop make traditional espresso?
It makes 40ml and 80ml Vertuo espresso formats using Centrifusion and barcode-guided brewing. That produces a different extraction and foam profile from a conventional pump espresso machine or Nespresso Original system. Whether you prefer it is a matter of taste and convenience.
Can I use Original Nespresso capsules in the Vertuo Pop?
No. Original and Vertuo use different capsule shapes and brewing systems. Nespresso’s current UK guidance states that Vertuo machines are compatible exclusively with Vertuo pods.
Does the Vertuo Pop need Wi-Fi to make coffee?
No. Normal brewing is controlled from the machine. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support connected features and software updates; the Pop remains a one-button capsule machine for everyday use.
How often should the Vertuo Pop be descaled?
Use the machine and Nespresso support guidance rather than relying on one fixed interval. Water hardness and usage affect scale build-up. Complete the proper Vertuo descaling procedure when the machine indicates it is required or when the manual recommends it for your conditions.
Guidance based on current Nespresso UK Vertuo Pop specifications and range information, De’Longhi’s current ENV90.B product material, established independent review evidence and available owner feedback as of August 2026. Promotional prices, colour codes and manufacturer-branded variants can change.