Nespresso VertuoPlus: worth it, and what do the capsules cost?

Short answer: the VertuoPlus suits you if you want one-button mugs of coffee and can live with Nespresso-only Vertuo capsules. It cannot brew the XL Alto, Cold Brew or Carafe sizes. The capsules, not the machine, are the main cost over time.

Not sure VertuoPlus is the right system? Use our Vertuo vs Original picker and cost calculator.

The VertuoPlus makes its strongest case through convenience: insert a compatible capsule, close the motorized head and press a button. The more consequential purchase decision is whether its capsule range matches your daily drink.

What does the VertuoPlus do for you?

Nespresso documents a barcode reader that identifies a capsule and adjusts brewing parameters. The brew head opens and closes with a touch of the lever, and the water tank can be repositioned. Those details may matter in a kitchen with limited counter space or overhead clearance.

Before ordering, measure the space with the head open and allow access to refill the tank and empty used capsules. Check the exact regional version and bundle; photographs of a milk frother do not establish that one is included.

Which Vertuo capsules does it accept?

The manufacturer’s Plus manual lists supported smaller capsule formats and excludes XL Alto/Cold Brew and XL Carafe capsules. If a large-format coffee is the reason you want Vertuo, check the capsule’s compatibility before buying this machine.

This distinction is easy to miss on family-level comparison pages. A feature offered somewhere in the Vertuo range is not automatically available on VertuoPlus.

What do the capsules cost over time?

Check the local capsule range and price for your preferred drink. A useful calculation is daily capsules multiplied by 30 and then by the current per-capsule cost. Repeat it for a stronger routine if you often use two capsules. The difference can outweigh a machine discount over time.

If you are also weighing a pump espresso machine, our espresso machine cost per cup tool works out a homemade latte at BLS coffee and milk prices and how many café drinks pay back 10 Breville and De’Longhi machines.

Do not assume the machine removes all maintenance. Read its cleaning and descaling instructions, and make room for the used-capsule container in your routine. Recycling arrangements depend on location and should be checked locally.

When does the VertuoPlus make sense?

Shortlist VertuoPlus if you want one-touch preparation, supported longer cups and the motorized head. Reconsider if you mainly want espresso and have not compared Original, or if your preferred Vertuo capsule is one the Plus does not support.

Our Original versus Vertuo guide helps settle that system choice first. The right machine is the one that makes the drinks you want at a recurring cost you are happy to keep paying.

Before your next big purchase

Coffee machines are often discounted in the same sales as TVs and robot vacuums. If one of those is next on your list, these pages can help.

Buy now or wait for a sale? weighs the likely saving against the cost of waiting.
TCL QM6K vs QM7L shows when the step up is worth the extra money.
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Robot vacuum height lists how tall each model is, so you can check it fits under your furniture.

Method: how we checked this guide

This is a research guide, not a hands-on test. We have not bought or measured these products.

Specifications come from the pages under Sources, almost all of them the makers' own. Where a figure comes from anyone else, the table or text names them. Where we compare two figures we compare like with like, for example rated battery life in the same mode.

Where a maker gives no figure we leave it out rather than estimate it.

Our general rules are in the editorial policy.

Sources

Changes

2026-10-13: First published in its current, research-based form.
2026-10-16: Content updated.