With the VERTUO Pop XN9201, Nespresso has created the most compact coffee machine in the Vertuo range. Only 25 cm high, the small capsule machine from the Swiss giant can make drinks from 40 to 230 ml. It also has a colourful design that will blend in with any interior.
Pros
- Compactness, design and quality finish
- Capsule recognition and automatic settings for preparation
- Capsule discharge system
- Rather quiet
Cons
- Relatively slow
- Small water tank
Overview
The Nespresso Vertuo Pop is the most compact of the Vertuo series of capsule coffee machines. Despite its small size – no more than 25 cm high -, it offers XL coffees (up to 230 ml) while exploiting a “Centrifusion” system that recommends a more extended infusion of the coffee grounds to bring powerful aromas to long drinks that are often too diluted. In addition, there is an optical reader, already seen in previous editions, which automatically recognises the inserted capsule thanks to a barcode and therefore allows the extraction parameters to be adapted to each preparation.
Easy to use
The Vertuo Pop is the most compact model in the range. With its 25 cm height, it joins the ranks of the manufacturer’s other coffee makers (such as the Pixie or Citiz), which are more compact and, therefore, easier to fit on a small work surface. It is, therefore, no longer the same high design as the previous Vertuo, such as the Next, which is 12 cm higher.
From an aesthetic point of view, Nespresso is not reinventing the genre: the machine has a shiny plastic cover that is utterly insensitive to fingerprints, which is a very good thing. However, the Swiss giant wanted to add a bright colour to liven things up.
This coffee maker has been highly simplified and looks very similar to the other models in the range. The only physical button used to start the preparation is also present. The capsules dedicated to the Vertuo range are equipped with a barcode that allows the extraction parameters to be automated for each preparation.
Depending on the capsule inserted, the machine automatically adapts the volume of water, the temperature, the water flow rate, the brewing time and the capsule’s speed of rotation, which can be as high as 7000 rpm. While previous Vertuo machines could brew up to 430ml, this one is limited to 230ml. Four coffee sizes are available: espresso (40 ml), double espresso (80 ml), long coffee (150 ml), or mug (230 ml).
For each drink, it is possible to extend or interrupt the preparation to adjust the quantity in the cup. Note, however, that these settings cannot be saved on the machine.
As was the case with the previous versions, the control panel has no buttons or LEDs. Only a warning light illuminates in orange when there is no water in the tank or when the capsule collector needs to be emptied.
The capsule ejection system is as ingenious as ever. When you unlock the machine’s lid, it automatically lifts, ejecting the capsule into the used capsule container – which holds 8 capsules, compared to 16 in the first Vertuo. It is good that the capacity of the used capsule collector is smaller when you know that used capsule bins are real nests of microbes; cleaning will be all the more regular.
The pouring spout maintains the good behaviour of its predecessors: it does not let any drops escape after pouring, even when the capsule has not been ejected.
The cup holder is removable. It can be placed under the steam nozzle or removed to adapt to the size of the cup, from espresso to travel mug.
The water tank is, therefore, relatively small, only 0.6 litres, so it will have to be refilled more regularly, primarily if you are used to making coffees of up to 230 ml.
Ease of maintenance
Like the Vertuo Next, the Vertuo Pop is easy to clean. When it is time to descale, the one button on the control panel lights up orange – unfortunately, the same colour for all maintenance signals. The instructions explain the series of steps to start the descaling mode, which takes about 20 minutes.
Nespresso Vertuo Pop: a small coffee maker for large preparations
All the elements are removable and dishwasher safe, but to ensure their longevity, manual washing is always preferable.
Speed
Most Nespresso machines are fast, but the Vertuo range is slower. This makes sense, as it has to read the barcode of the inserted capsule while implementing the Centrifusion system, which advocates a longer brew of the coffee.
Preheating the machine is relatively quick and takes 29 seconds. It is the extraction that is slower since it takes about 38 s for an espresso (length: level 4), 1 min 10 s for a lengthy coffee (length: level 8) and more than 2 min 48 s for a travel mug (length: level 10).
Power consumption
During preheating, the most energy-consuming stage of a coffee maker, the Vertuo Pop, consumes about 1400 W (peaking at 2000 W), which is relatively high compared to the average of our comparison, which is around 1200 W.
Its consumption is 0.3 W on standby, which is standard with the Swiss giant’s coffee machines.
The Vertuo Next switches off automatically and by default after 2 minutes, which is excellent. This time can be extended to 30 minutes at the user’s discretion.
Noise
Nespresso coffee machines are not always the quietest machines – the Pixie and Inissia models sent out as much as 68dB(A) – but the Vertuo Pop does quite well. When it reads the barcode on the capsule, it makes a rather unusual noise, as if it were preparing for take-off. It is not the noise level that’s surprising, but rather the sound it makes. When extracted, it emits 53 dB(A), which is still very moderate.
Capsule availability
The main drawback of the Vertuo series is undoubtedly the availability of the capsules. Several capsule formats are available for the machines in this range. These are incompatible with previous generation Nespresso machines and are worth their weight in gold. They are more expensive because they contain more coffee, and no other capsule on the market today can prepare such long coffee sizes.
CONCLUSION
Not content with being the most colourful coffee maker in the range, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop is also the most compact. Nevertheless, it delivers top performance with up to 230ml of coffee. Dedicated to XL coffee lovers, the Vertuo Pop wins the challenge of preserving the coffee’s aromas and froth on a small black and diluted coffee. Its biggest weakness lies in the capsules it uses: they are the most expensive on the market and are only available in shops or on the Nespresso website.
