Nespresso Vertuo Up – the pod machine with an iced coffee button
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Iced coffee from a pod machine usually goes like this. You brew a normal cup over ice, the ice melts, and you’re drinking cold brown water with a faint memory of coffee in it.
The Nespresso Vertuo Up is a new Vertuo pod machine with a button for exactly that problem. Press Coffee Creations before you brew, and it makes a more concentrated coffee meant to go over ice or into milk. It’s also Nespresso’s fastest Vertuo yet, ready in three seconds.
It’s a normal gadget done really well, which makes it a very safe gift.
What is the Nespresso Vertuo Up?
Nespresso is Nestlé’s coffee pod brand from Switzerland. Vertuo is its second pod system, with dome-shaped pods that carry a barcode on the rim. The machine reads the barcode and knows how much water to use and how to brew. The Up arrived in the US in January 2026 at 229.99 dollars. T3 called it the first new Vertuo machine in years, after the Pop and Pop+.
Like the other Vertuos, it brews six cup sizes: 5, 8, 12 and 18 ounce coffees plus single and double espresso. Nespresso has its machines built by partners, so on Amazon you’ll see versions “by Breville” and “by De’Longhi”.
How does it work?
Pop in a pod, press the lever down, press the brew button. The pod spins while it brews. That’s it.
The new bits:
- A Coffee Creations button. Press it first for a stronger brew over ice or milk.
- A three-second start, so no waiting around.
- The Nespresso app changes cup size and temperature per pod, and runs cleaning and descaling.
- The 47-ounce water tank clips to the back or to either side, so it fits odd corners.
- T3 says there’s room under the spout for travel mugs up to 7.5 inches tall.
The good and the not-so-good
The good: Tom’s Guide gave it four stars and found it very easy to use. T3 gave it a Platinum Award and liked that the app lets you make the coffee hotter, which is a common complaint about pod machines. Both reviewers liked iced drinks from the Coffee Creations mode. T3’s tester found no bitterness in them at all.
The not-so-good: it’s loud. Tom’s Guide measured 70.9 dB and colleagues came over to comment on the noise. The same reviewer saw about half a teaspoon of old coffee drip into the cup before each brew. The app wants your full name, address and phone number just to sign up, which is a lot for a coffee machine.
Then there are the pods. Vertuo pods only come from Nespresso. Tom’s Guide worked out about $1.35 per pod against about $0.90 for the older Original pods, and couldn’t find Vertuo pods at the local supermarket. The machine is the cheap part.
Who is the Nespresso Vertuo Up for?
It’s for someone who wants good coffee with zero effort, and especially for the iced latte crowd. It’s an easy upgrade for anyone with an older Vertuo, and a good gift for a parent who will never, ever tamp a portafilter.
Skip it if you drink four cups a day and watch your budget; the pods add up fast. If you want espresso without the waste, the Lavazza Tablì uses compressed coffee tabs instead of capsules. And if you like a ritual, the AeroPress Premium is cheaper to run. More ideas in our gifts for coffee lovers.
Where can I buy the Nespresso Vertuo Up?
Nespresso sells it directly, and it’s on Amazon in several colors, with or without an Aeroccino milk frother. The black version by Breville was about 223 bucks on Amazon at the time of writing (October 2026).
Three seconds to coffee. My mornings need this.