Nespresso Citiz vs Vertuo: Which Is Better One For You?

This is the comparison of two mid-range pod-to-cup machines, Nespresso Citiz vs Vertuo.

The Nespresso has two lineups, the Citiz comes from the OriginalLine and the Vertuo comes from the VertuoLine. Both the lineups are great and have their own pros and cons.

Like other OriginalLine members, the Citiz is an expensive option than Vertuoline’s Vertuo. Hopefully, this article will help you determine whether extra bucks will justify your money or not.

Let’s get started with an in-depth look at what sets these machines apart.

Nespresso Citiz vs Vertuo – Which One To Consider?

See, for this comparison between Citiz vs Vetuo, it’s an easy win for Nespresso Citiz as it gives better tasting espresso and also, per cup cost is lower than Vertuo.

Although Nespresso Vertuo also brews excellent coffee and has variations in serving size, especially if you want to love drinking black coffee.

Nespresso licensed their product to Breville and De’longhi and this is the same in this case too; so, you have one more option to choose your preferred company and both are trusted ones.

Nespresso Citiz vs Vertuo: Head To Head Comparison

Both machines have a lot of things uncommon which can be the deciding factors to choose one machine that we are going to discuss in the very next section.

Design and Build

The Nespresso Citiz is a compact machine compared to the Nespresso Vertuo. If we talk about the dimensions, Citiz is relatively smaller in width and height but larger in depth. 

Machines	Dimensions (WxDxH)
Citiz	5.2 x 14.6 x 10.9 inch
Vertuo	8.3  x 11.91 x 11.9 inch

Also, Citiz is lighter in weight than the Vertuo. The Citiz weighs 8.9 Pounds and on the other side, the Vertuo weighs 10.85 Pounds.

As both are small machines, you can easily use them in a tight space or as a portable machine, like you can use in an RV.

In terms of build quality, the Nespresso Citiz is fully made of good-quality plastic. The Vertuo is also made of plastic but with metal details. But they both look sturdy and have a glossy finish.

Both machines have trays for shorter cups, the Citiz comes with a foldable tray and the Vertuo comes with a very good adjustable tray that goes up and down and is good for every cup size.

The Vertuo also has a separate used capsule container which easily holds around 12-14 capsules, depending upon the size of the capsule. 

Whereas Citiz’s used capsule container is inside the machine which has a capacity of 9-10 capsules and you can access it by pulling out the foldable tray.

The water tank of both machines is of different sizes – Citiz has a water capacity of 40 ounces and on the other hand, the Vertuo has a comparatively lower water tank size which is 33 ounces.

Both machines have a transparent water tank but in Vertuo, you can clearly see the water level as it is on the left side of the machine and visible from the front. 

But the Citiz water tank is placed on the backside of the machine and chances are there that sometimes you may miss seeing the water volume.

There I feel that the water tank refill indicator must be there, which is lacking in both machines. If there is low water it will make low-water volume coffee and taste awful. However, it is recommended by Nespresso to refill water every day.

Pod Extraction System

The Citiz extraction system is typically like any other espresso machine where we need bar pump pressure to extract coffee. 

Citiz provides 19 bar pressure which is more than the usual 7-11 bars but more bar pressure is required to extract coffee from the pods compared to a portafilter. 

The Vertuo machine has an interesting pod extraction system which Nespresso called Centrifusion Technology and claims that it gives good crema on the beverages without tasting over-extracted.

Citiz uses standard OriginalLine pods; whereas Vertuo uses VertuoLine pods which come in five different sizes, named espresso & double espresso, gran lungo, mug & alto, master origin and barista creations, these also depend upon intensity and flavors.

In Vertuo pods there is a barcode underneath the pod rim which the machine reads and decides which pods require how much infusion time and volume & flow of water.

When you put the pod into the machine, the machine punctures the pod from the middle and all the way around the edges, which is 19 holes in total. 

The middle one is the bigger hole used by the machine to inject water and the edges holes are the smaller ones and it is where the water comes out with the coffee aroma and flavors.

Now, centrifusion technology works by spinning the coffee pod at a very high speed which is up to 7000 RPM, depending upon the type of pod used. Basically, this extraction technology is based on centrifugal force, a basic physics theory.

Yes, this extraction process has more crema for sure than the typical ones but while it rotates the pod at a very high RPM, with crema you’ll also get a lot of aerated coffee foam. So, don’t confuse coffee foam with crema.

Beverages and Customization

Now we have come to the most important section of the article, which machine makes how many types of and best coffee.

The Nespresso Citiz has two options; Espresso (40ml) and Lungo (110ml). There are two buttons, one on either side of the machine – the left one is for espresso and the right one is for lungo.

On the other hand, Nespresso Vertuo has five options; Espresso (40ml), Double Espresso (80ml), Gran Lungo (150ml), Mug (230ml) and Alto (414ml). 

Its beverage type basically depends upon the pod you use. Here, you’ll get only one button which you have to press after adding the pod to the machine.

One thing I found after the tasting is that the OriginalLine Nespresso machines including Citiz brew more authentic and slightly better-tasting beverages than VertuoLine including Vertuo.

Check our detailed comparison of the OriginalLine Nespresso Creatista Pro vs Plus.

However, you are not only restricted to the default coffee volumes but you can also customize it according to your liking. 

For customization in Citiz, if you want more beverages, let’s say espresso, then you have to press the espresso button and hold and the coffee will keep coming out and release when you get your desired quantity. 

And same with Vertuo but here everything is done by one button as it is more focused on their pods. And if you want less coffee then press, hold and release it for a shorter duration.

But there is one pro and con of this feature as both machines remember your customization and the next time you brew, it’ll extract coffee according to your previous settings.

If you make the same beverage every time with your customized setting then it is a great feature but if you occasionally change the settings or are operated by multiple people then it is a headache because you have to reset it every time. 

Also, resetting both machines has a different process. 

For Citiz; first, turn off the machine by pressing both the buttons until the light turns off and then press the lungo for 5 seconds or until the light comes back.

For Vertuo; first, dispose the capsule and close the lid and leave the lever in the unlocked position then press the button 5 times within 3 seconds – the button light will change to orange and blink 5 times and then change to a steady white light.

Thermoblock Heating Element

Thermoblock heating element is the heart of most of the household espresso and nespresso machines including Citiz and Vertuo.

The Verto thermoblock heating element is faster and takes around 15 seconds to heat up, whereas Citiz heating time is 25 seconds and it is slower comparatively.

While the machine is heating, the lights of both machines keep blinking and once the light is steady then you are ready to go. 

But I found that if you brew just right after heating in Vertuo – you’ll get excellent coffee but it is not that hot compared to Citiz.

There I recommend using the machine for at least after a minute or you can also run a preheat cycle by pressing the button 3 times quickly.

Cleaning & Maintenance

If I only talk about the cleaning, both machines have the same process for internal cleaning but the process is different. I’ll not go into the process but Citiz has a comparatively easy process.

Now come to descaling, here is some significant difference and the Vertuo leads this race.

You have to descale your Citiz machine every 3 months or 300 capsules – recommended by Nespresso (whichever comes first).

It sounds nice but for this, you either have to mark the calendar which is doable or count capsules which are very hard to remember.

To solve all this, Vertuo notifies you when it needs descaling as its button light will blink orange 3 times in frequent intervals.

Also, the process of descaling in both machines is different, you can refer to user manuals for more detail.

Nespresso Citiz – Quick Rundown

Nespresso Vertuo – Quick Rundown

Final Thoughts

My final thought is with the Nespresso Citiz machine in our comparison of Citiz vs Veruto machines.

As the OriginalLine pods deliver great espresso and a major plus point is their 3rd party option is also available where you can try different specialty coffee at affordable prices.

But, the features of Citiz come at a higher cost and it also has an addon which is Nespresso Aeroccino which froths the milk and is a great option for espresso-based milk beverage lovers.

However, Vertuo is not a bad product, some of their capsule lineup is so amazing like Melozio and also if you love drinking bigger cups of coffee then go with Vertuo. And Vertuo is an excellent budget-friendly option.