I spent a week testing Nespresso's cutest coffee maker — my verdict on the Vertuo Pop Plus

There is an upper limit to how good pod coffee can taste, but if you're committed to buying a single-serve coffee maker, a Nespresso machine could be a smart choice. The cheapest of the brand's lineup is its Vertuo Pop+ machine, which you can frequently find reduced to well under $100 / £100.

The Vertuo Pop+ is cute and colorful, with a huge variety of eye-catching pastel colorways to choose from, and a retro-style curved finish that's enjoyable to use and to behold. No $100 coffee maker is going to blow your mind, but for the price, it's a sensible option.

That's not to say this compact coffee maker doesn't have its downsides. Chiefly, it won't work with some mugs or glasses thanks to its short stature. And I also found it more than a little drippy, meaning its drip tray will need emptying on the regular. However, depending on your budget and coffee preferences, these flaws can be easily overlooked for the price.

Nespresso Vertuo Pop+: Price and availability

Nespresso's website says this machine has a regular price of $189 / £129, but I've never once seen it retail for more than $129 / £100. It's almost always discounted, and you can usually pick it up for around $100 / £89.

It also comes in an assortment of fun colors. I tested the Pistachio shade, which is a limited-edition summer color that's soon to be discontinued. But it also comes in pink, blue, orange, yellow... basically any color you can think of.

One thing to point out is that I tested this machine in the UK, where the machine comes in two variations: Pop and Pop+. The machine I tested is has a chunkier drip tray and a smaller (19 fl oz / 560ml vs 25 fl oz / 750ml) water container, but other than those small differences, it's exactly the same machine as the Pop+ you can buy in the U.S. market.

Nespresso Vertuo Pop+: Design

The Vertuo Pop+ is part of Nespresso's Vertuo line. There are two varieties of Nespresso machine to choose from: Vertuo and Original. In my comparison between Nespresso Vertuo and Nespresso Original lines, I found that Vertuo machines don't quite compare to the authenticity of the espresso you'll brew in an Original line.

On the other hand, they're better value for money and a lot more versatile than Nespresso Original machines. Because Nespresso wants to lock you in to its patented Vertuo pod system (which will cost more per pod than Original, and without the option of buying from other roasters) you can typically pick up the Vertuo machines for a lot less, and around peak times like Black Friday, they can cost under $100.

Despite the improved set of brewing options you get with Vertuo machines, they're still controlled by a single button. The machine allows you to insert a pod of your choosing, and it will read the barcode of your pod and dispense the optimal amount of the specific roast and amount of coffee in the pod.

The Pop+ can brew five sizes: Espresso (1.35oz), Double Espresso (2.7oz), Gran Lungo (5oz), Coffee (8oz), XL (12oz). That's less than some machines like the Vertuo Creatista and the Vertuo Next, which also offer a Carafe (18oz) size. If you want to brew a carafe of coffee, you'll be better off looking at a larger alternative.

Nespresso Vertuo Pop+: Performance

I used this machine for a week while testing it, which was plenty of time to identify any possible pain points, and for a coffee snob like me, the longest I'll willingly be separated from my beloved espresso machine. Sue me, I like fresh espresso.

I'll say right off the bat that Nespresso coffee can't rival really good coffee. It's very dark-roasted, and most blends feature a heavy-handed cereal note, no matter what its purported flavor is.

But not everyone cares about drinking high-quality coffee. Some people want some hot and bitter bean juice to jolt them awake in the morning, and they want it in under a minute. I'm not here to judge. Sound familiar? Well, a Nespresso or Keurig will do the trick very nicely.

The first drink I made in the Pop+ was a pistachio latte over ice. I used the limited-edition Pistachio pods, which were released alongside the machine. They had a nutty (and yes, cereal-y) overtone but without the sweetness you'd expect from a pistachio-flavored drink. After adding a splash of sugar syrup and some milk, I was pretty happy with the drink.

Be warned, though, just because Nespresso sells pods to be brewed over ice, that doesn't mean they brew cold. The coffee came out just as hot as it would with any other drink, and immediately set to melting my ice.

And while I'm warning, you should be prepared for a little dripping with this machine. After dispensing my drink, I found that it dripped for around 30 seconds before it slowly stopped. Combine this with the fact that you might need to remove your drip tray to fit larger glasses, and I'd be wary about placing this machine anywhere you wouldn't mind mopping up on the regular.

Next up, I decided to brew a coffee capsule, which dispenses 8oz. I had to remove the base to slot my mug underneath the dispenser, but seeing as the drip tray on the Pop+ is much shallower, I think the mug would've been ok on the upgraded model.

As you can see, the coffee has a lot of crema. Or should I say, 'crema', because that foam you see on top of my drink is far from the real deal. It's the result of the Vertuo process, which spins as it brews to aerate the coffee and artificially give it the thick and frothy top your brain may associate with a great espresso.

I'm not a huge fan of this Vertuo feature, but a lot of people do really like it. And because I'm reviewing the machine here, not the entire Nespresso line, I should note that this is a feature you will get with literally any Vertuo; the Pop+ just does it for less money!

The machine brewed at 172°F / 78°C, which is a little on the cold side for proper coffee, but does mean it's drinkable straight out of the machine.

Nespresso was clever in designing the Pop+ so that you could just slot its smallest travel tumbler under the dispenser, which is exactly what I did to brew an XL coffee. You're going to need a whole tankard to fit this size drink, but if you want to use up those XL pods without such a long drink, it's worth flagging that Nespresso Vertuo machines come with an 'expert mode'. This allows you to double-tap the top button, which will override the auto-brewing and make a shorter and stronger shot of whatever pod you're using. It'a ideal for making milk-based drinks.

I could see the height of the dispenser being an issue if you want to brew over ice into a big tumbler, but you could always brew into an espresso cup and then simply pour this over ice and milk in a larger glass, which is what I do with my regular espresso machine anyway.

Noise was incredibly unobtrusive, which will be welcome news to those in dorms. It hit 74dB when brewing, but considering how fast this machine speeds up (I counted 22 seconds) and then dispenses, it won't prove irritating in the morning.

The waste pod container on the Nespresso Pop+ was surprisingly large. I managed to get through eight drinks before I needed to empty it, and I enjoy that Vertuo machines will automatically dispense of your used pods when you open up the lid after use.

I didn't have any complaints about the water tank capacity with the machine I tested, but considering the Plus model is even larger, I'd be prepared to only refill it every other day, at most. For a super compact machine, that's pretty good.

How does the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ compare?

If you're looking for a somewhat affordable Nespresso machine but would prefer an Original line option, you should consider the Essenza Mini. It's less charming to look at but it's incredibly narrow and shallow, meaning it's also well-suited to small spaces.

Alternatively, we recently tested the Keurig K-Mini Mate. It's Keurig's most compact machine ever, and perfectly suited to snug spaces such as dorm rooms. It comes in three shades and retails for $79.99, making it comparable to the Pop+ in specs, looks and price. I know I've not been praising Nespresso Vertuo machines for the flavor of their coffee, but I'd personally pick a Nespresso over a K-Cup any day. However, K-Cups come in a huge range of flavors from some household name brands, which gives you more options.

Should you buy the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+?

If you've decided you want a Nespresso Vertuo machine and aren't concerned about buying a machine with a built-in milk frother, you may as well get the Pop+. It's cute, it's colorful, it's affordable, and the flavor of your pods won't improve if you opt for a more expensive machine.

However, I do prefer the taste of Nespresso Original pods, so if you can stomach the higher up-front price, you can expect to pay a little less on the pods you'd buy for a machine like the Essenza or CitiZ.

Don't forget that the Pop+ often goes on sale, so I'd recommend you wait if you're seeing it at full price on the likes of Amazon and Nespresso.com. But in terms of ease of use, design and user-friendly features, it's a smart pick.