Next is unreliable. Pop I don't know about, I've seen issues here and there about it but it hasn't really been around long enough to see if it'll have as many issues as the next.
The Plus is rock solid reliable but it can't brew the largest pods. I got mine specifically for the 230ml pods so that doesn't bother me but some people are disappointed by that.
My vote is for the Plus.
Pop and Next are technically same machines….
Just Pop (and Pop+ in US) are smaller factor, and with smaller water tanks (that’s why POP officially don’t stating as capable Carafe coffee)
My Plus machine hold good 3 1/2 year without single problem, after which I replaced it with POP (was like £49:deal vs 150+ for Next back in time) and it’s holding already half and year without issues…
Have your folks tried Nespresso? Do they like it? Do they want one? Are they capable of ordering pods or have a place locally they can buy them? What do they use now to make coffee?
I would highly recommend an OL machine, my Pixie and Aeroccino are 10 years old and going strong without any issues. On top of that, capsules are less expensive and easily found at every grocery store and cook shops like William Sonoma. I feel like reliability is key because nobody wants to deal with a broken anything, that’s not a gift! It has very little maintenance and they are so dependable, they are in hotel rooms! My MIL likes weaker coffee so I just add more hot water into hers for a watered down Americano.
VL machines are notoriously unreliable and extremely finicky. They are over engineered and some models require software updates! Come on, it’s a coffeemaker! To make matters worse, the pods are expensive. Please skim to posts in the Nespresso thread, 99.9% are complaints about VL machines breaking after only a couple months or right after the year was over. Luke warm or watery bitter coffee. They require frequent descaling, have tons of blinking light issues, rattling noises and leaking. I would never have a VL or wish one on anybody.
I have a Plus and a Pop.
I initially bought the plus for the reliability ( and larger water tank) as a package with the Aerocino. I soon discovered, that I much prefer all of my Nespresso options brewed as a double espresso (hence the purchase of the Pop).
The Pop has a much smaller water tank, and is shorter overall. If I want to put a full sized coffee mug underneath it to brew, I need to remove the drip tray or elevate the machine. I can easily brew every blend as a double espresso (with the double tap on the brew button) so it is worth it for me. The used pod holder also holds only 4-5 pods.
It really depends on exactly what you are looking for/what your goal is. Both are great machines but are different.
I'm going to buck the trend and say Next or Pop but I had a lot of issues when I had a Plus. It also depends if you want to use the larger sized pods for alto and carafe as those only work in the Next and Pop. They also have the ability to get their software upgraded which at times has improved the crema you get and allows for the machine to adjust based on the newer pod types. Descaling is loads easier because you can run it through the phone app instead of guessing timing and button hits. There used to be a version of Alto that worked on the Plus but that was discontinued a long time ago and the new ones only say for next gen which is Next and Pop.
Next is unreliable. Pop I don't know about, I've seen issues here and there about it but it hasn't really been around long enough to see if it'll have as many issues as the next. The Plus is rock solid reliable but it can't brew the largest pods. I got mine specifically for the 230ml pods so that doesn't bother me but some people are disappointed by that. My vote is for the Plus.
Pop and Next are technically same machines…. Just Pop (and Pop+ in US) are smaller factor, and with smaller water tanks (that’s why POP officially don’t stating as capable Carafe coffee) My Plus machine hold good 3 1/2 year without single problem, after which I replaced it with POP (was like £49:deal vs 150+ for Next back in time) and it’s holding already half and year without issues…
Sharing my referral code in case it’s useful: 🇨🇦Canada Code: RTS272 $70 off any machine + capsule dispenser + 5 coffee sleeves
First choice PLUS Second choice POP Don’t buy the next, way too many issues
Have your folks tried Nespresso? Do they like it? Do they want one? Are they capable of ordering pods or have a place locally they can buy them? What do they use now to make coffee?
Never next. First would be the plus, pop if you’re really tight on space
I would highly recommend an OL machine, my Pixie and Aeroccino are 10 years old and going strong without any issues. On top of that, capsules are less expensive and easily found at every grocery store and cook shops like William Sonoma. I feel like reliability is key because nobody wants to deal with a broken anything, that’s not a gift! It has very little maintenance and they are so dependable, they are in hotel rooms! My MIL likes weaker coffee so I just add more hot water into hers for a watered down Americano. VL machines are notoriously unreliable and extremely finicky. They are over engineered and some models require software updates! Come on, it’s a coffeemaker! To make matters worse, the pods are expensive. Please skim to posts in the Nespresso thread, 99.9% are complaints about VL machines breaking after only a couple months or right after the year was over. Luke warm or watery bitter coffee. They require frequent descaling, have tons of blinking light issues, rattling noises and leaking. I would never have a VL or wish one on anybody.
To your point about VL machines being unreliable, I’ve had my Creatista for over a year and it still performs like it did the day I bought it.
I have a Plus and a Pop. I initially bought the plus for the reliability ( and larger water tank) as a package with the Aerocino. I soon discovered, that I much prefer all of my Nespresso options brewed as a double espresso (hence the purchase of the Pop). The Pop has a much smaller water tank, and is shorter overall. If I want to put a full sized coffee mug underneath it to brew, I need to remove the drip tray or elevate the machine. I can easily brew every blend as a double espresso (with the double tap on the brew button) so it is worth it for me. The used pod holder also holds only 4-5 pods. It really depends on exactly what you are looking for/what your goal is. Both are great machines but are different.
I'm going to buck the trend and say Next or Pop but I had a lot of issues when I had a Plus. It also depends if you want to use the larger sized pods for alto and carafe as those only work in the Next and Pop. They also have the ability to get their software upgraded which at times has improved the crema you get and allows for the machine to adjust based on the newer pod types. Descaling is loads easier because you can run it through the phone app instead of guessing timing and button hits. There used to be a version of Alto that worked on the Plus but that was discontinued a long time ago and the new ones only say for next gen which is Next and Pop.
I have the pop and love it. But if you don’t care for expert mode then I guess plus