How to use a Nespresso Vertuo or Vertuoline machine

With the launch of its larger capsules for its new type of machine, the Vertuo (Vertuoline in the US), Nespresso slightly changed the way its machines worked with single-button operation.

On the one hand, this makes making a single coffee easy, but it’s slightly trickier to get to the more advanced features. Here, we show you how to use a Nespresso Vertuo or Vertuoline machine.

1. Fill with water

First, you need to make sure that there’s enough water in the machine to make a coffee. All Nespresso machines have lift-in, lift-out water reservoirs, which will have a minimum-level mark on them. The minimum mark on Vertuo machines is slightly higher than with original Nespresso, as it’s possible to make coffee between 40ml and 414ml in volume.

If you refill the water, make sure that the reservoir is pressed down properly; if you don’t, then you may get the status light flashing.

Related: Best Nespresso Vertuo capsules

2. Insert the capsule

Nespresso Vertuo capsules are much larger than their original counterparts. Each capsule also has a barcode around the outside of it, which tells the machine how much liquid to pour and how to spin the capsule (Vertuo uses centrifugal force for brewing).

To insert the capsule, you need to open the lid, which can be automated or manual. Inside, you’ll see a capsule holder, and the Vertuo capsule drops into this upside down.

3. Brew your coffee

Close the lid on your machine. If it’s a manual lid, make sure that you’ve locked it properly; if you don’t, then the status light will flash when you try and make a coffee. Just put a suitable-sized mug underneath (the volume of coffee is written underneath the capsule), and then tap the button on top. When the machine has warmed up enough, it will brew the coffee: wait until the light on top has stopped flashing before you take the mug away.

Once done, you should open the lid to eject the used capsule automatically into the bin. Just remember to keep an eye on how full the bin is, and empty this regularly, using the Nespresso recycle process.

Related: Best Nespresso machine

4. Set the brew amount

What if you don’t want to brew the set amount of coffee? Fortunately, there are two options for adjusting water levels. First, while the coffee is brewing, you can tap the button on top to stop the coffee early, reducing how much water is output.

Secondly, you can set your default for each capsule size. To do this, put in a capsule as normal, but press and hold the button on top until you have sufficient water in your cup, then release the button. Next time you brew a coffee with that style capsule, just tap the button once and you’ll get your programmed amount of coffee. Repeat for each capsule volume that you use.

If you want to reset the machine to factory defaults, you need to follow the instructions in the manual, as they slightly differ from machine to machine. For example, with the VertuoPlus, you hold down the lever for three seconds, then press down on the lever and hold the button down at the same time. Then you press down on the lever three times and then press the button on top for three seconds.