Nespresso’s next pod machine is a power grab

Nespresso's Vertuo line is set to double in size with the arrival of the new Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima coffee machines.

In both name and nature, the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista is a hybrid of the existing Nespresso Vertuo Next and the Creatista models. You get a built-in steam wand, a stainless steel design plus support for larger Vertuo coffee pods.

Although those Vertuo capsules are a little more pricey than their predecessors, they come encoded with a bar code that contains additional instructions for how best to brew a given capsule.

Without getting too cynical about it, the Vertuo line looks a lot like an attempt by Nespresso to pivot into something closer to the platform capitalism of companies like Apple. While traditional Nespresso pods are an open ecosystem, Vertuo pods aren't. The only company that makes them is Nespresso and the pods themselves can be as much as double the cost of a traditional Nespresso capsule. Maybe the company will open the floodgates to third-party Vertuo pods later down the line, but it certainly won't do so without taking a cut.

The sudden and rapid expansion of the Vertuo line over the last six months feels indicative of a shift in strategy by Nespresso. It's no longer looking to convince new customers to try pod coffee. Now, it's about extracting as much value as possible from those who are already on board with the idea.

Proprietary ecosystems have always been a part of how competition has looked within the pod coffee landscape, but there's still something icky about it. That said, if seeing Nespresso enter its villain era isn't something that bothers you that much then there's a lot to like here.

On paper, the Lattissima and Creatista look like Nespresso's most feature-rich Vertuo coffee machines to date.

If previous Nespresso Vertuo machines have been the appetiser, the Vertuo Creatista is the main course. It's an all-in-one machine for those who want the best pod coffee pods Nespresso has plus the hardware to go with it. 

In some respects, the Vertuo Creatista is pitching itself as the pod machine for power users. It even comes with the "Expert Mode" previously exclusive to the Nespresso Vertuo Pop.

The Nespresso Lattissima hits many of the same notes. It isn't quite as exxy but it's a clear step up from the Vertuo Next and Vertuo Pop. The machine features an integrated multi-serve milk system that can be detached from the unit when needed but called upon to produce entire beverages with the press of a single button.

If the fact that previous Vertuo machines didn't have a built-in milk frothing solution was the thing holding you back, the Lattissima is the one for you.

In Australia, the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima is available with prices starting at $749.

The Nespresso Vertuo Creatista is also available now but priced at $1,099.