Nespresso Vertuo Plus Coffee and Espresso Maker by De’Longhi, Grey

Simple, decadent and delicious!
This was a Chanukah gift for my husband. He is now a coffee addict. He adores this. He has also started making his own blends which he says is easy. It is fast and every cup whether one shot (1.2 oz I think); 2 shot pod (2.7 oz) 5 oz or full coffee cup (7oz) has a beautiful crema on it every time. We use mainly decaf and sometimes blend two flavors. It is a one touch to lift; one touch to lower and one tap to start. So simple, decadent and delicious.

Wow, completely different experience from other “pod coffeemakers”
“Is this a good coffee maker?” Well, that’s going to depend upon your expectations in coffee.If you’re looking for a “pod coffee maker” that makes normal drip coffee (think Keurig) then Nespresso is somewhat different, and may or may not meet your expectations.I also have a Keurig. It’s just fine for brewing basic, cheap coffee (or more expensive if you buy major-brand-name capsules). I like my Keurig–we’ve had it for over 5 years, and it works great. But, those who are environmentally conscious will soon realize that Keurig is not recyclable at all, and countless billions of pods a year are making their way into landfills.Nespresso’s pods are made of 100% recycled/recyclable aluminum. Nespresso is VERY focused on a goal of 100% recycle-ability, and provides recycling bags with fully pre-paid shipping. Fill the bag (holds about 75-100 capsules), seal it, and drop it off at your nearest UPS store (or Nespresso store/kiosk if you happen to have one in a mall nearby). Nespresso will dismantle the pods, collect all the used grounds and process it into compost for landscaping use, and then melt down the pods and recycle them. 100% recycled!All those recycling costs are already built in to the pod cost, so while these pods are more expensive than Keurig, there is ZERO waste as long as the consumer does their job.The best way I can describe Nespresso is it’s a totally new coffee “experience.” Espresso or “foo foo coffee” lovers will likely be very pleased with this machine line. Folks who aren’t impressed with anything beyond a drip cup may find Nespresso a little “snooty” for them.Nespresso’s Vertuo product produces coffee that is much more similar to a cup of espresso. The pods are spun at variable RPM’s (typically 3000 – 7000RPM) and use “centrifusion” – a made up word intended to commingle “centrifugal force” and “infusion”. Basically, they spin the pod, a pump squirts in water, and the spinning forces produce the coffee which is extracted and drips into the cup. It’s not particularly noisy for a kitchen appliance, but you can definitely hear the spinning. Regardless of pod, they all come out with a layer of crema (coffee foam). There are (at the moment) five “sizes” of pods, which produce 1.5oz (espresso) up through 14 oz (“Alto XL”).As with any product line, there are pros and cons. There are some fantastic things about Vertuo and a few limitations.Pros: Absolutely fantastic coffee. All cups have a crema layer on them, and there are a relatively plentiful number of flavors and intensities available, ranging from lighter and fruitier/acidic flavors all the way up to very dark bold and smoky options. There are seasonal special pods as well, such as holiday blends or single-origin “master” type coffees. Pods and contents are 100% recyclable. Easy to use out of the box–there’s ONE button. You press it. It works. Milk frother (optional add-on, included in our purchase) is FANTASTIC. I thought it was going to be a gimmick, but I use it with every cup! It’s easy to use, and creates that “latte experience”–it makes better lattes’ than a certain really large chain whose name ends with “bucks”–yeah, you’ll spend ’em there. Pod cost, compared to an espresso shop brewing an equivalent latte for you, is cheap. VERY tightly-integrated recycling: drop pods in bag. Bag full? Seal it and drop it off at your UPS store. Pre-paid return shipping means zero-extra cost. Done. Milk frother is VERY easy to clean–takes about 15 seconds, if that. I’ve only owned the machine for a month, but the build and overall experience lends itself to belief this is a very high-quality unit. Excellent app (iOS/Android)—you can view/order/manage pods, accessories, maintenance/cleaning products and subscriptions right from your phone/tablet. Love a particular flavor? Just add it to your cart. It even supports automatic/routine replenishment if you want that. Seasonal and other specials show up in the app when available, making the app a one-stop-shop. Company is VERY plugged in environmentally and has created a coffee experience that doesn’t fill a landfill. If you actually play the game the way Nespresso intends, it’s a holistic coffee experience and a great one at that.Cons: No third-party pods, and pods are relatively expensive when compared to other “pod” brewing standards. You want this machine? You’ll be buying Nespresso-branded pods from Nespresso, or authorized resellers, and at full-tilt retail which typically runs about $0.90 for an Espresso pod and up to $1.20 for their normal coffees (some origins are as high as $2.00 a pod). So each cup is roughly double the cost of a Keurig brew. There are about 20 different pod flavors and five sizes available, so most people will find SOMETHING they like, but if you don’t love one of the 20, you’re out of luck as there are no 3rd-party options without “hacking together” a used pod, some self-ground coffee, and some foil cap stickers you found on the Internet.Overall, this is an EXCELLENT machine for those who want more than a pod of coffee. I’ve owned it for a month and I’m 100% hooked.

Malfunctioned Day After Return Window Closed
I bought one of these back in 2020 and loved the quality of coffee, then it died within days of the warranty expiring…and tossed it in the trash. Then I saw the same machine on a sale price and after I saw that an extended warranty was available I purchased my now 2nd machine. Days after the return window closed in August, the pods stop ejecting and as you can see in my photo, the pod holder is stuck in the down position.I got in touch with De’Longhi support and after several emails back and forth, they refer me to Nespresso support. I asked them, wouldn’t it have just been easier to refer me to Nespresso support in the first place rather than have me take photos and go back and forth?So I get in touch with Nespresso support and they….eh hem….have me get on a Video Call for 45 minutes…might have been longer, and they have me brew cup after cup…and try various things. They told me I needed to descale the machine, being that the descaling light was “on”. I didn’t disagree, but I asked them why they thought the spring at the bottom of the pod holder had anything to do with descaling.So, I purchased a “Nespresso descaling” kit just avoid finger pointing or accusations that I went off-brand with my descaling efforts.The descaling warning light did turn off, but the pod holder and ejection remained as it was. Then the descaling light turned back on.Then after I descale the machine “two times”, I call Nespresso support again.They have me back on a Video call again, and have me descaling again, this time with water. The support guy subtly accused me of not descaling.After 45 minutes on this time sucking Video call, the descaling light turned off, just like it had for me when I descaled the machine, but later turned on again. I informed the support guy that this had happened before where the descaling light turned off briefly, but had turned back on shortly after.Then….support informs me that I will need to return the machine for repair. After 1.5 hours of Video call support, I get to return the machine for repair. He informs me that this will take 2 weeks.So I asked if Nespresso cross-ships (with credit card) a working machine and I return the malfunctioning machine?His answer, “No, Nespresso doesn’t do that”.My summary: People, if you must have a Nespresso machine, don’t buy this version with automatic ejecting, because it definitely will malfunction, it’s just a matter of time. And the extended warranty offered here doesn’t kick in until the manufacturer’s warranty expires in 1 year.Nespresso has wonderful coffee, but their machines and support are need of refinement.I believe I will go for a more high end espresso machine next go around.arrrrggghhhh….

Fast shipment good product

This is our first Nespresso machine, but not our first coffee pod system. These coffees are far superior to other pod coffees and comparable to cafés. Easy to use, and the technology is very cool.

Easy to use. Great foam.