Coffee machines · 7 min readWhich pod coffee machine? Choose the capsules first
Three machines, three capsule systems that do not mix, and a difference in running costs of several hundred pounds a year. The machine is the cheap part.
The best pod coffee machine for most people in the UK is a Nespresso Original machine such as the Nespresso Essenza Mini, £113.95 on Amazon at the time of writing (September 2026), because Original is the system with the widest choice of capsules from other brands and the cheapest we track costs 19p a cup. Buy the Nespresso Vertuo Pop (£98.98) if you want a full mug at one press of a button and will pay Nespresso's prices, around 85p a cup. Buy the Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus (£95.99) if you want lattes and cappuccinos from capsules alone.
Which pod coffee machine should you buy?
Decide on the capsule system first, because that decides what every cup costs for as long as you own the machine. The three systems sold widely in the UK do not share capsules: a Nespresso Original capsule will not fit a Vertuo machine, and neither fits a Dolce Gusto. All three machines here cost under £115 on Amazon at the time of writing (September 2026). Over a year at two cups a day, the capsules cost between about £139 and £621 on our prices, depending on the system.
Expert Reviews' verdict after comparing the two brands was that Nespresso 'simply deliver more choice, quality and far better coffee', while Dolce Gusto wins on machine price and makes milk drinks from capsules. That matches our catalogue, with one twist: the cheapest capsules for a Nespresso machine are not Nespresso's own.
Nespresso Original, Vertuo or Dolce Gusto: what is the difference?
Original makes espresso-length coffee by pressure and takes capsules from many brands; Vertuo makes everything up to a mug by spinning a barcoded capsule and takes only Nespresso's; Dolce Gusto makes black coffee, milk drinks and hot chocolate from larger capsules. TechRadar's guide to Nespresso machines puts the split plainly: Original capsules are available from third-party coffee brands as well as Nespresso, and Vertuo capsules 'are only made by Nespresso'.
| System | Who makes the capsules | What it brews | Typical cost per cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nespresso Original | Nespresso and many other brands | Espresso and lungo | £0.52 Nespresso's own, from £0.19 compatible |
| Nespresso Vertuo | Nespresso only | Espresso to a 230ml mug | £0.85 median of 13 |
| Nescafé Dolce Gusto | Nescafé Dolce Gusto, including Starbucks-branded capsules | Black coffee, milk drinks, hot chocolate | £0.21 median of 10; £0.38 to £0.42 for two-capsule milk drinks |
The Original figure needs a word of explanation. The Nespresso-branded Original capsules we track come out at about 52p a cup, but Original is the system other brands make capsules for. The cheapest we track is by Amazon's Colombian at 19p, and as our review of it notes, its Amazon listing names the Essenza Mini among the machines it fits. Expert Reviews mentions Dualit, Lavazza and Rave among the third-party makers, and Ideal Home notes you can buy Original-shaped capsules in a supermarket. Always check the box says Nespresso Original before you buy.
Dolce Gusto prices need care for a different reason. Its milk drinks use two capsules, one coffee and one milk: half the capsules in a box of cappuccino pods are milk, as Tech Advisor explains. Our catalogue prices those drinks per drink: 38p to 42p. The single-capsule black coffees cost about 21p.
Which machine for each system?
Within a system, the machines differ far less than the systems do. These three are small, simple machines at under £115 each.
Nespresso Essenza Mini: cheapest to run
Nespresso lists a 19 bar pump, two cup sizes (a 40ml espresso and a 110ml lungo), a 0.6 litre tank and a 30 second heat-up, in a body 8.4cm wide and 2.31kg. It switches itself off after 9 minutes. There is no milk system, and it will not make a mug of coffee, only espresso and lungo.
Independent reviews of this particular machine are thinner than for the others here. Expert Reviews' guide to Nespresso machines found its CitiZ pick 'far more consistent' than the Essenza Mini, and TechRadar's top Nespresso pick is the Pixie, another Original machine. Any Original machine takes the same capsules, so if you can find either at a similar price, they are fair swaps. The case for the Essenza Mini is the system and the size.
Skip it if you drink your coffee by the mug, or want milk drinks without buying a frother.
The cheapest Original compatible capsule we track, and which machines it fits, is in our review. by Amazon Colombian pods review
Nespresso Vertuo Pop: best for a full mug
One button, a barcode on every capsule, and drinks from a 40ml espresso to a 230ml mug. Nespresso lists it at 13.6cm wide with a 560ml tank and a 30 second heat-up. TechRadar called it 'super-easy to use' and Expert Reviews named it the best budget Nespresso machine. James Hoffmann, who investigated the Vertuo system on video, found the spinning brew extracts the coffee thoroughly and tops it with a foam he believes is aerated rather than crema.
The costs are the catch. Nespresso describes the Pop's pod compatibility as 'Nespresso Vertuo exclusive', and the 13 Vertuo capsule products we track have a median of 85p a cup. You also live with a small tank (about two mugs, by TechRadar's and Ideal Home's accounts) and only 8cm under the spout unless you remove the drip tray, as Expert Reviews measured.
Skip it if cost per cup matters, or if you brew for more than two people.
Everything owners report about the Vertuo Pop, and a year of its capsules costed, is in the full review. Nespresso Vertuo Pop review
Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus: best for milk drinks
De'Longhi, which makes this version, lists a 15 bar pump, a 0.8 litre tank and a body 12cm wide. Expert Reviews named it its favourite Dolce Gusto machine. It has temperature control from warm to very hot plus a room-temperature setting for iced drinks, an Espresso Boost that pre-wets the coffee, and a dial with seven volume settings plus XL, as Tech Advisor describes. Milk drinks come from capsules, so there is nothing to froth.
The coffee is the weakness. Expert Reviews found Dolce Gusto capsules 'a little hit and miss' and lacking in flavour against Nespresso. Tech Advisor's Emma Rowley called the drinks 'much better than instant, although it's nowhere near as good as freshly ground'. She also found the rear water tank awkward to fill under wall cupboards.
Skip it if you drink black coffee and care how it tastes; on Expert Reviews' findings, a Nespresso Original machine does that better for a similar running cost.
How do the three compare on paper?
The Nespresso Essenza Mini is the narrowest at 8.4cm, against 12cm for the Genio S Plus and 13.6cm for the Vertuo Pop, according to Nespresso and De'Longhi. The Genio S Plus has the biggest tank at 0.8 litres.
| Spec | Nespresso Essenza Mini | Nespresso Vertuo Pop | Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon price | £113.95 | £98.98 | £95.99 |
| Capsules | Nespresso Original | Nespresso Vertuo | Nescafé Dolce Gusto |
| Water tank (litres) | 0.6 | 0.56 | 0.8 |
| Milk | None | None | Milk capsules |
What does a year of capsules cost?
Between about £139 and £621 at two cups a day, on our prices. The machine is the smaller part of what you spend: in every case here, a year of capsules costs more than the machine.
| Machine and capsule | Machine | Per cup | Capsules for a year | First year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essenza Mini, by Amazon Colombian | £113.95 | £0.19 | £138.70 | £252.65 |
| Essenza Mini, Nespresso's own Original | £113.95 | £0.52 | £379.60 | £493.55 |
| Vertuo Pop, Vertuo median | £98.98 | £0.85 | £620.50 | £719.48 |
| Genio S Plus, black coffee | £95.99 | £0.21 | £153.30 | £249.29 |
| Genio S Plus, two-capsule milk drinks | £95.99 | £0.42 | £306.60 | £402.59 |
Two things stand out. The cheapest way to run a pod machine is a Nespresso Original machine with someone else's capsules, which costs less than half as much in capsules as the same machine with Nespresso's own. And the Vertuo Pop, the cheapest machine to buy, is by far the dearest to run: about £467 more in the first year than an Essenza Mini with by Amazon's capsules.
Against a coffee shop, every option wins. Two flat whites a day at £3.50 is £2,555 a year. The Dolce Gusto milk drinks are the fairest comparison, since they include milk; at 42p a drink they cost about an eighth as much.
Beyond the capsules, the regular cost is descaler. Nespresso suggests descaling Vertuo machines every 3 to 6 months, and the Genio S Plus has a descaling indicator, as Tech Advisor notes.
Can you recycle coffee pods in the UK?
Yes, though usually not in your household recycling bin; TechRadar notes that only some areas collect pods from the kerb. Podback, a free UK service funded by the pod brands, takes Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules among others, at more than 1,500 drop-off points, according to Podback. TechRadar used a Podback bag and a CollectPlus drop-off for its Vertuo Pop capsules, and notes Nespresso also collects from your door when you order capsules from it.
Who should skip all of these?
- Anyone who wants espresso to rival a café. TechRadar's verdict even on the Vertuo Creatista, its pick for milk drinks, is that its espresso cannot compete with a dedicated espresso machine using freshly ground beans.
- Anyone brewing for a household, where a filter machine makes a jug at a time.
- Anyone who wants to choose coffee from any roaster they like. Capsules limit you to what is made for your system.
- Anyone who will not take used capsules to a recycling point.
The verdict
Buy a Nespresso Original machine such as the Essenza Mini if you want the cheapest good capsule coffee, and shop around for compatible capsules. Buy the Vertuo Pop only if a full mug at one button press is worth about 85p a cup to you. Buy the Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus if most of what you drink is milky and you want it without a frother.
- Nespresso UK, Essenza Mini C30 product page19 bar pump, espresso (40ml) and lungo (110ml), 0.6 litre tank, 30 second heat-up, 8.4 x 33.0 x 20.4cm, 2.31kg, automatic power-off after 9 minutes, £119.
- Nespresso UK, Vertuo Pop Coconut White product page136 x 426 x 250mm, 3.5kg, 560ml tank (also listed as 0.6 litre), 30 second heat-up, auto-off after 2 minutes, holds 8 espresso or 5 mug capsules, 'Nespresso Vertuo exclusive', four cup sizes in one section and six in another, descale every 3 to 6 months, £99.
- De'Longhi, Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus EDG315.B product information15 bar pump, 0.8 litre tank, 1,400W, 120 x 270 x 290mm, 2kg, Espresso Boost pre-wetting, temperature control from warm to very hot plus a room-temperature setting for iced drinks, automatic shut-off after 1 minute.
- TechRadar, The best Nespresso machinesOriginal capsules come from many third-party brands, Vertuo capsules only from Nespresso; the Pixie its best overall Nespresso machine; capsule espresso cannot match a dedicated espresso machine.
- TechRadar, Nespresso Vertuo Pop review (Jennifer Oksien, April 2023)Four cup sizes, a 600ml tank good for two mugs, 62 to 71dB while brewing, a mug in under 30 seconds, descale every three months or 300 capsules, recycling through Podback.
- Expert Reviews, Nespresso vs Dolce Gusto (Jamie Stedmond, January 2023)Original and Vertuo capsules are not interchangeable, third-party Original capsules from Dualit, Lavazza and Rave, Dolce Gusto capsules hit and miss on flavour, the Genio S Plus its favourite Dolce Gusto machine, Nespresso the overall winner.
- Expert Reviews, The best Nespresso machine (Danielle Amato, January 2024)Found the Nespresso CitiZ 'far more consistent' than the Essenza Mini; the Vertuo Pop its best budget pick.
- Expert Reviews, Nespresso Vertuo Pop review (Danielle Amato, updated December 2023)8cm of cup clearance with the tray in and 12cm without, a warning light that flashes orange when nothing is wrong, an app with little practical use.
- Ideal Home, Nespresso Vertuo Pop review (Molly Cleary, August 2024)Two coffees per tank, a standard mug only fitting with the drip tray removed, 1 minute 38 seconds for a 230ml mug, bitter coffee and foam rather than crema, capsules patented to Nespresso, reusable pods available.
- Tech Advisor, Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus review (Emma Rowley, August 2020)Milk drinks split into a coffee pod and a milk pod, seven volume settings plus XL, three temperatures, espresso boost, a descaling indicator, a rear tank awkward to fill under wall cupboards.
- James Hoffmann (YouTube), The Bizarre And Surprising Coffee Of The Nespresso Vertuo (July 2021)Barcode reading and spinning extraction, foam he believes is aerated, about 23% extraction, 7.5g, 10.6g and 13g of coffee in the espresso, gran lungo and mug capsules, and a system he says is built to lock you in.
- Podback, the UK coffee pod recycling serviceFree to use across the UK, covers Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto among others, more than 1,500 drop-off points.
- We Try Coffee catalogue, October 2026Pods median 52p a cup across 129 products. Nespresso Vertuo capsules: 13 products, median 85p, range 68p to £1.70. Nespresso's own Original capsules about 52p. Dolce Gusto: 10 products, median 21p. Whole beans 63p and ground coffee 71p on an 18g dose.
Questions people ask
What is the best pod coffee machine in the UK?
For most people, a Nespresso Original machine such as the Nespresso Essenza Mini, because Original capsules are made by many brands and the cheapest we track costs 19p a cup. The Nespresso Vertuo Pop suits mug drinkers who accept Nespresso-only capsules at about 85p, and the Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus suits people who mostly drink milky coffee.
Is Nespresso or Dolce Gusto cheaper to run?
It depends on the capsules. Dolce Gusto black coffees cost about 21p a cup in our catalogue and its two-capsule milk drinks 38p to 42p. Nespresso's own Original capsules cost about 52p and Vertuo capsules about 85p, but Nespresso Original compatible capsules start at 19p, which makes an Original machine the cheapest to run.
Do Nespresso Original pods fit a Vertuo machine?
No. Nespresso Original and Nespresso Vertuo capsules are different shapes and are not interchangeable in either direction, as Expert Reviews and Nespresso both state. Vertuo machines also read a barcode on each Vertuo capsule. Nespresso describes the Vertuo Pop's pod compatibility as 'Nespresso Vertuo exclusive'.
Can you use other brands' capsules in a Dolce Gusto machine?
Only capsules made for Nescafé Dolce Gusto. Expert Reviews says the third-party range lacks the breadth of Nespresso's, and names Starbucks' Dolce Gusto capsules as one draw. All 10 Dolce Gusto products in our catalogue are Nescafé Dolce Gusto's own. Check that the box says Dolce Gusto before you buy.
How much does a pod machine cost to run for a year?
Between about £139 and £621 in capsules at two cups a day, on our prices. A Nespresso Original machine with by Amazon's 19p compatible capsules is the cheapest; a Nespresso Vertuo machine at the 85p Vertuo median is the dearest. Two coffee-shop flat whites a day at £3.50 cost £2,555 a year.
Can you recycle coffee pods in the UK?
Yes, through Podback, a free service funded by the pod brands that takes Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules among others at more than 1,500 UK drop-off points, according to Podback. TechRadar found its Vertuo Pop capsules could not go in its home recycling, and notes Nespresso will also collect used capsules from your door with an order.
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