S$1 for coffee at home that tastes like it’s made by a barista? Our writer tells you how she does it

Remember the good ol’ days when we used to go café-hopping, drinking cup after cup of coffee while digging into Insta-worthy brunch or dessert?

With the pandemic, however, most of us probably think twice now before stepping out of the house – especially if we’re living with our parents and grandparents under one roof.

But if you can’t easily go out and get yourself a café experience outside, why not bring the experience to your home? Yes, we are, of course, talking about at-home coffee machines but the subject we’re putting in the spotlight today is not your ordinary coffee machine, though.

What’s new about Nespresso Vertuo Next

Meet the new Vertuo Next by Nespresso, an expansion of the brand’s innovative Vertuo range that aims to redefine the coffee-at-home experience. AVENUE ONE had the chance to take this machine for a spin, and here’s everything you need to know about the newly launched Vertuo Next, including what we think about it.

The machine is powered by an innovative brewing technology

nespresso vertuo next premium rich brown

What makes the Vertuo Next machine a class on its own is that the Vertuo system uses an innovative Centrifusion technology. In layman terms, the machine rotates the coffee grounds and water at high speed, offering a naturally formed generous and silky cream (that’s coffee lingo for foam) as it gently extracts every drop of flavour for your coffee. ​

But, that’s not all there is to Vertuo Next. Like a personal barista asking for your name or whether you want your drink hot or cold, factors such as temperature, the quantity of water, and rotation speed are precalibrated and automated, so that the machine can always pour out the perfect coffee for you each time.

That’s because the machine is intelligent enough to adjust brewing parameters for a specific capsule simply by reading the barcode that is printed under the rim of the capsule.

So, coffee lovers simply have to decide which coffee they want, pop the capsule in, push a button, and voila! Out comes the perfect coffee just for you.

While this function is undeniably smart, it also means that you can only use Vertuo-compatible Nespresso capsules as the machine will not – we repeat, will not – be able to produce any coffee without first analysing the printed barcode that has all the information it needs to know about the coffee capsule of your choice.

It has an even more extensive menu of coffee flavours and styles

nespresso vertuo next full coffee menu

Let’s be honest here for a second: coffee drinkers today want more than just one option or style for their drink. With this in mind, the Vertuo system has been designed to deliver a wide range of brewing styles and sizes – all topped off with generous and silky crema.

The expanded Vertuo coffee menu offers 30 blends to suit every taste and elevate any occasion: from intense espressos (40ml) and double espressos (80ml) to longer coffees (150 to 230ml), single-origin, iced-coffee, and flavoured options.

nespresso vertuo next cup size range

For those who need cups of coffee to power through the day, you’ll also be happy to know that Nespresso has launched the new Carafe Pour-Over Style (535ml) that’s available just for the Vertuo Next machine on top of the existing coffee cup sizes: Mug (230ml), Gran Lungo (150ml), Double Espresso (80ml), and Espresso (40ml).

In conjunction with the launch of Vertuo Next, Nespresso is also introducing eight new Vertuo coffee capsules to help us home baristas replicate a café-like experience from the comfort of our homes:

  • Il Caffè (40ml) with hints of wood and cocoa
  • Orafio (40ml) with warm cereal and caramel notes, graced with a hint of acidity
  • Toccanto (40ml) with wild, candied fruit notes and a hint of toasted bread
  • Altissio Decaffeinato (40ml), a full-bodied and creamy decaffeinated espresso
  • Inizio (150ml) with rich toasted cereal and wild floral notes
  • Fortado Decaffeinato (150ml), the decaffeinated version of the most intense coffee in the Gran Lungo size
  • Melozio Decaffeinato (230ml) with a delightful smooth cereal note and honeyed sweetness
  • Carafe Pour-Over Style Intense (535ml), an easy-to-drink blend with roasted and smoky notes hidden beneath a delicate crown of crema

The machine is more sustainable compared to other current existing models

nespresso second life coasters
Aluminium from 45 Nespresso capsules was repurposed into the limited-edition Second Life Coaster which can be won through a monthly lucky draw from October to December 2021.

Sustainability and carbon footprint reduction have been the hottest topics especially for larger companies, and the Vertuo Next range is the latest step in Nespresso’s commitment to providing sustainable, quality coffee options.

Compared to other existing Nespresso machines, Vertuo Next is made from more than 50% recycled plastics, with recyclable packaging made out of 99.5% recycled material.

In addition, the machine is equipped with the new Vertuo Next technology which means it operates on a smaller footprint, with a two-minute auto-shutoff function and a 30-second heat up time.

And in case you didn’t know, all Nespresso coffee capsules, including the Vertuo range, are made from aluminium, an infinitely recyclable material, which carefully protects the freshness, quality, and taste of the coffees.

Nespresso has also made it a point to invest in local recycling programmes to make it as simple and convenient as possible for Nespresso coffee machine users to recycle their used capsules, which are then given a second life.

Nespresso Vertuo Next review

nespresso vertuo cups with coffee

As an avid coffee drinker, having the Nespresso Vertuo Next right there in my kitchen is certainly nothing short of amazing as I could now enjoy a cup of café-style coffee right in the comfort of my home. The convenience of the machine gets my vote because I no longer need to get dressed to go out for a coffee run or spend a few extra bucks just to get a cuppa joe delivered to my doorstep.

For coffee machine virgins like myself, it does take a great deal of trial and error to identify the flavours that you like (I realised that coffee with fruity notes is just not my cup of tea, or in this case, coffee) and also nail down your most ideal amount of milk-coffee ratio if you don’t drink it black.

Once you have these “situations” sorted, getting barista-made coffee every morning right in the kitchen can actually be a reality! Of course, we’re not talking about doing intricate coffee art for the ‘gram but the actual taste of the coffee produced by Vertuo Next is highly comparable to the ones you get from cafés that you frequent.

nespresso vertuo next cups

Being a compact machine, it also means that the Vertuo Next doesn’t require much space on your countertop which makes it a good choice even for smaller homes.

Another plus point that I like about the new Vertuo Next machine is the all-new Carafe Pour-Over Style, which is a bigger cup size exclusive to only the Vertuo Next machine that makes exactly 535ml of coffee – just enough for me to easily share with my husband.

More of the type of coffee drinker who needs cups and cups of coffee to get through the day? Then, I’m certain that you’ll get a lot of utility out of the Vertuo Next machine and the Carafe Pour-Over Style too, as it yields a much larger cup of coffee than the average cup of hot coffee you get from a café. For comparison, the Carafe Pour-Over Style yields 535ml per coffee capsule which is just 56ml lesser than a hot Venti beverage from Starbucks (591ml).

Additionally, the large assortment of flavours in various sizes gives me the flexibility to try new flavours according to my mood so if you’re adventurous with your coffee just like me, the Nespresso Vertuo Next is definitely a worthy investment.

Perhaps what convinced me the most is the amount of money you get to save when you make your own cup of coffee using the Nespresso Vertuo Next machine. A standard cup of latte from a café costs at least S$4 or S$5 on average but each Nespresso capsule that is capable of producing café-style coffee every time comes up to only about S$1, which is a lot more cost-efficient compared to the latte you frequently buy from the cafés nearby.

While you do have to fork out a little more than S$300 first to purchase the machine, getting a Vertuo Next for your home will surely save you money in the long run.

Indeed, the Vertuo Next is not the cheapest coffee machine out there but it’s not the most expensive either (some can stretch upwards of S$500 to a few thousand dollars, depending on the brand and technology), so it’s an investment worth considering especially if you can’t go a day without coffee as it offers a cost-efficient solution without sacrificing the taste and quality of barista-made coffee.

Prices + where to buy Nespresso Vertuo Next

nespresso vertuo next cherry red with frother

The new Nespresso Vertuo Next machine comes in Cherry Red and Dark Grey, and is priced at S$328. Currently, there’s an ongoing promotion from now until 15 November 2021 that lets you enjoy S$70 off the original price.

If you prefer the machine to come with chrome finishing, you can consider the Nespresso Vertuo Next Premium which is available in a Rich Brown colourway. It is priced at S$358 but like Vertuo Next, you can get a S$70 discount for a limited time only.

nespresso vertuo next cups capsules

If you’d like to first try the extensive range of coffee capsules that Nespresso offers, you can check out Nespresso’s Vertuo Coffee Assortments (starts from S$29) that has a mix of flavours to kickstart your journey.

Once you’ve identified the flavours that you prefer, you can then get sleeves of the coffee capsules that you like. Each sleeve contains 10 capsules and prices range from S$8 for the Espresso capsules to S$11.50 for Indulgent capsules featuring flavours like Hazelino Muffin, Caramel Cookie, and Vanilla Custard Pie.

Meanwhile, coffee capsules for the sharing cup size (Carafe Pour-Over Style) are sold in a sleeve of seven capsules which is priced at S$12.60. That works out to be S$1.80 per capsule which yields 535ml of coffee.

Shop the Vertuo Next machine at your nearest Nespresso store or click here to shop conveniently online.