If you're in the market for a compact, affordable coffee machine, then you're in luck as Nespresso's newest offering, the Vertuo Up, just landed on UK shores.
Priced at £179.99 and available via John Lewis, the Up has a whole host of features that will appeal to those with cosier kitchens as well as iced coffee lovers – just in time for the start of summer.
For me, the standout thing with this coffee machine is the 'Coffee Creations Mode', which brews shorter, more concentrated coffees which are well suited to adding to an espresso martini or a barista-style cold drink like you would ordinarily pick up from Blank Street or Starbucks.
Ideal Home's coffee-loving team got an exclusive first look at the Vertuo Up at The Recipe Remix, Nespresso's pop-up running in Covent Garden between the 14th and 19th April to celebrate the launch. Here's what they discovered about this brand-new pod coffee machine launch.
Right now, if you buy the Vertuo Up via John Lewis you'll also qualify for their limited-time free gifts offer, which includes a complimentary Nespresso tumbler, ice cube tray and £100 credit on pods. You'll also get a welcome pack of 12 Vertuo pods so you can pick your favourite flavour.
For a lot of us space can be at a premium on our kitchen worktops, which is where the sleekness of the Vertuo Up comes into its own. Measuring up at 25.5cm tall and 12cm wide, it's a real space saver – but just bear in mind that you'll need 40.5cm of space overall so that the spout on top of the machine can open.
As well as its slim build, there are a few efficient features that can help you get to your morning coffee faster including rapid heat-up (which means it can be ready to brew in 3 seconds) and a larger water tank for less frequent refilling. The water tank can also be rotated around the back of the machine, so that you can sit the machine where is most convenient.
Another bonus with the Vertuo Up, which the Ideal Home team got a taste of in person, is the colour options. You can choose from Pearl White, Ink Black, Graphite and Ocean Blue to suit your kitchen colour scheme, which is great for those who are picky about what they choose for their kitchen worktops.
Another thing that caught the eye at the pop-up was the machine's movable cup platform, which works in tandem with the ability to create up to 40 different drinks, according to Nespresso.
You'll probably be using this feature if you capitalise on the new Coffee Creations mode, as this brews shorter drinks that you can then add milk or other ingredients to in order to make your iced or hot coffee exactly how you want it.
The pop-up, which is serving up pickled coffee colas and Nespresso double espresso chiaro Vertuo pods brewed over ice, is showcasing the weird and wonderful breadth of coffees you can mix up with this machine.
While the Ideal Home team might not have been won over by the strange combination of the pickled coffee cola (which is the new brand ambassador Dua Lipa's supposed drink of choice) they were impressed by the Vertuo Up machines on show working overtime to serve 25 people their coffees at once.
Hopefully we can get our hands on the Nespresso Vertuo Up soon for a full, thorough review of its new features, as well as to test out its slimline credentials. Here's to hoping it's a true small kitchen space-saver!
