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Buy the Vertuo Next if you want the smaller, lighter machine with app connectivity and the ability to brew the 18 oz Carafe pod. Buy the VertuoPlus if you want the bigger water tank and the motorized head that opens and closes on its own. The coffee itself is identical: both run the same Centrifusion system and the same Vertuo pods, so nothing you taste in the cup changes between them. The Next holds a 37 oz tank and weighs 8.8 pounds, while the VertuoPlus runs a 40 oz tank and weighs closer to 10 pounds. Everything else is convenience, not quality.
Same coffee, different hardware
This is the part people overspend on. Both machines read the barcode on a Vertuo pod, spin it at high speed, and pull the same crema-topped cup. There is no espresso machine hiding inside one and a lesser brewer inside the other. If your goal is better coffee, neither wins, because they make the exact same coffee. What you are actually choosing between is footprint, tank size, connectivity, and how the head opens.
The Vertuo Next is the newer design and the one Nespresso leaned into for sustainability and size. It is built with 54% recycled plastic, weighs 8.8 pounds, and carries both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so it pairs with the Nespresso app for ordering and firmware updates. It is also the only one of the two that reads the 18 oz Carafe pour-over pod, so if you want a full pot-style serving without a separate machine, the Next is the one that does it. The trade is a manual head: you lift and lock it yourself, and the 37 oz tank is the smallest in the Vertuo line.
The VertuoPlus is the older, chunkier machine, and its selling point is the motorized head. Drop a pod in, press the button, and the machine pulls the head shut, brews, then opens and ejects the used pod into the bin on its own. It also carries a larger 40 oz tank as standard, and the tank is repositionable to the back or side so you can fit it against a wall or under a cabinet. The VertuoPlus Deluxe pushes that tank to 60 oz. The cost is size and weight: it is heavier at around 10 pounds, has no app connectivity, and does not brew the Carafe pod.
Spec comparison
| Spec | Vertuo Next | VertuoPlus |
|---|---|---|
| Water tank | 37 oz (craftcoffeespot.com) | 40 oz standard, 60 oz on Deluxe (easytoespresso.com) |
| Weight | 8.8 lb | About 10 lb |
| Brew head | Manual, lift and lock yourself | Motorized, opens and closes automatically |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (app) | None |
| Cup sizes | Five standard pods plus the 18 oz Carafe | Five standard pods, no Carafe |
| Used pod bin | Holds roughly 10 used pods | Holds roughly 10 used pods |
| Materials | 54% recycled plastic | Standard plastic build |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | About 5.5 x 16.8 x 12.4 in | About 5.6 x 16.9 x 12.8 in |
| Where to buy | Vertuo Next on Amazon | VertuoPlus on Amazon |
One thing the table flattens: the standard cup sizes are the same five on both machines, from the 1.35 oz Espresso up to the 14 oz Alto. The only pod range difference is the Carafe. So the "more sizes" advantage on the Next comes down to one pod format most people never buy. If you never plan to brew a carafe, that column is a wash and the real decision is head style versus tank size.
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Which one fits your kitchen
Go Vertuo Next if counter space is tight, you want the machine to talk to the app, or you actually want the 18 oz Carafe pod for a bigger single pour. It is the lighter machine, the greener build, and the more modern one to look at. The compromises are a smaller 37 oz tank you refill more often and a head you open and close by hand.
Go VertuoPlus if you refill the tank less often and you like the hands-free head. The motorized open and eject is the feature people miss most when they downgrade to the Next, and the 40 oz tank (or 60 oz on the Deluxe) means fewer trips to the sink. You give up the app and the Carafe pod, and you give up counter space, since it is the heavier and slightly deeper machine. Neither is a better coffee maker. Pick the one whose daily friction bothers you less. If your current Vertuo is throwing error lights instead of brewing, our Vertuo blinking lights guide decodes what each pattern means before you shop for a replacement.
Related reads
If you already own a Vertuo and it is acting up, start with our Nespresso Vertuo blinking lights guide. Deciding on a milk frother to pair with either machine? Our Breville Milk Cafe vs Nespresso Aeroccino comparison covers the froth side. And for the full lineup of machine picks, browse our coffee gear guides hub.
FAQ
Does the Vertuo Next or VertuoPlus make better coffee? Neither. Both use the same Centrifusion brewing system and the same Vertuo pods, so the cup is identical. The differences are tank size, connectivity, brew head, and footprint, not coffee quality.
Which one has the bigger water tank? The VertuoPlus, with a 40 oz standard tank and a 60 oz tank on the Deluxe version. The Vertuo Next has the smallest tank in the range at 37 oz, so you refill it more often.
What can the Vertuo Next do that the VertuoPlus cannot? The Next connects to the Nespresso app over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and it brews the 18 oz Carafe pour-over pod. The VertuoPlus has no app connectivity and does not read the Carafe pod, but it adds a motorized head that opens and ejects pods automatically.