If you sum up the recent home cafe trend in one phrase, it is "a cup tailored to my taste." In the past, consumers were satisfied just drinking coffee at home conveniently, but lately demand has grown to recreate at home the variety of drinks they used to have at cafes, such as iced coffee, lattes, and decaf. Coffee machines, too, are evolving into products that reflect users' drinking habits and preferences.
Nespresso's next-generation machine Vertuo Up, released in Korea on Mar. 3, is aimed squarely at this trend. Following the United States and Canada, Korea was the third market worldwide and the first in Asia. It is interpreted as a sign that the company sees the Korean market trend as that important. While retaining the Vertuo system's one-touch extraction and spinning-brew technology, it reflects Korean consumers' drinking habits.
◇ Large-capacity water tank with adjustable position
Testing the product on the 5th showed one of the biggest changes was improved space efficiency. Because coffee machines are used daily, they are often left on kitchen counters or dining tables. In these cases, not only the device's size but also the water tank position affects actual usability. Existing machines had fixed water tank positions, making installation space relatively limited. With a water tank capacity of more than 1 liter, the tank also took up a fair amount of space.
But Vertuo Up is designed so its 1.4-liter large-capacity water tank can be moved to the side or the back. When the tank is placed at the back, the front width is only 120 mm. Slimmer than its predecessor Vertuo Pop (136 mm), it can be placed almost anywhere with ease. When the tank is placed on the side, the front width expands to 220 mm. The device length at this time is 390 mm, which is also shorter than Vertuo Pop (426 mm), making the overall silhouette even more compact. It is a size that can be placed relatively comfortably even in a narrow kitchen or a one-person household space.
Although the device is smaller, it can accommodate tall cups without issue. A 20-ounce (590 ml) tumbler has ample clearance.
There are two buttons on the top of the machine. One is the coffee extraction button, and the other is the ice & latte mode button. The operation is intuitive. Insert the capsule and press the extraction button, and the machine starts preheating; it is ready in 3 seconds. Compared with typical capsule coffee machines that take as little as 20 seconds to as much as nearly 1 minute to preheat, Vertuo Up has virtually no wait time. It is useful performance on busy mornings before work.
The ice & latte mode button reflects Korean consumers' so-called "eoljuk-a (iced Americano even if freezing to death)" culture. On previous models, users had to rely on a hidden feature such as pressing a button twice quickly. Even if a function exists, if users do not know it, utilization inevitably drops, so Vertuo Up separates the ice & latte mode into its own button. According to Nespresso, utilization of ice & latte mode in Korea is 34%, the highest in the world.
Pressing this button and pulling a shot in practice adjusted the extraction volume and further concentrated the flavor. Even when filled with ice or milk, the coffee's inherent rich taste did not collapse and held to the end.
◇ Rich crema is a strength, noise is fairly loud
The extraction method applies the Vertuo line's signature Centrifusion™ spinning technology and barcode brewing system. The machine reads the barcode to find the optimal recipe for each capsule, then spins at up to 7,000 revolutions per minute to extract the coffee. In this process, Vertuo's characteristic rich crema forms on the surface.
Its smart maintenance features also stand out. When linked with the Nespresso Smart mobile app, it not only updates software but also sends alerts for machine cleaning and descaling. Even beginners unfamiliar with device care can maintain peak condition with a tap on a smartphone.
The container capacity for used capsules is also generous. Using a range of capsules from espresso (40 ml) to mug (230 ml) sizes, the spent capsule container comfortably held around 15. This reduces the hassle of frequent emptying.
However, because it extracts coffee by spinning the capsule at high speed, you hear a whirring noise during extraction. The noise ends quickly and was not overly bothersome, but it may feel somewhat loud in the quiet early morning or late at night.
It was disappointing that residual water left in the capsule after use dripped or splashed into the container. Simply folding and placing a sheet of kitchen towel on the bottom of the container was enough to address it, but users who want pristine upkeep may want to note this.
Nespresso is the only brand with a capsule coffee system that uses centrifugal spinning extraction, making price comparisons with other brands difficult. Vertuo Up comes in four colors—pearl white, ink black, graphite, and ocean blue—and is priced at 329,000 won.