Breville Oracle Touch Review: Do its Automatic Settings Stack Up?

Are you tired of buying coffee from coffee shops multiple times every single day? But, you’re either too busy to make great coffee yourself or just can’t figure out for the life of you how to operate an espresso machine?

Breville Oracle Touch espresso machine can be the perfect answer to your dilemma.

Automation is available every step of the way from grinding and brewing to milk frothing, providing you with the freshest and tastiest personalized cup of coffee quickly with a minimum effort every time.

In this article, you will be given a thorough Breville Oracle Touch review and why it can be your next favorite companion of the day.

However, there is one thing you should know about the limited control Breville Oracle Touch allows, but I’ll touch on this more in detail in the downsides of the machine to give you the full context.

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Are Breville Espresso Machines Worth It?

If you’re a coffee aficionado who’s familiar with the coffee scene, you surely have heard of the brand Breville, a globally well-known Australian home appliance manufacturer and distributor, including coffee machines.

Breville’s machines are known for:

• State-of-the-art technologies that improve users’ experience;
• A sleek appearance that’s a great addition to the surroundings;
• Long-lasting lifespan that saves you money on your journey together;
• Abundant availability so you can easily get it fixed or find replacement parts.

Breville’s espresso machines are not only a popular choice for a home barista but also a professional barista as well. The brand has long been in favor with coffee lovers around the world. And, the Breville Oracle Touch espresso machine can be your next favorite.

Function

If it hasn’t been abundantly clear until now, Breville Oracle Touch is a fully automatic, or super-automatic as some call, espresso machine that simplifies the coffee grinding and brewing process so that anyone can enjoy third-wave specialty coffee at the comfort of their home.

The machine is equipped with an integrated burr grinder that produces a consistent grind to best optimize flavor extraction every time.

Other than that, brewing pressure and temperature are also considered and automatically managed by the machine thanks to the Dual Boiler construction, Over Pressure Valve, pre-infusion, and digital temperature control technologies.

To make sure that all of these are easy to navigate for users, this powerhouse lets users make decisions and interact through an intuitive touch screen. So with just a few swipes and touches on the interface, users can personalize the options for their coffee drinks that suit their preference.

Appearance

Like every other Breville espresso machine, the Oracle Touch is such a sight for sore eyes. Though it’s not the most compact coffee maker out there considering the number of functions it’s capable of, every feature is neatly tucked in its place, which is not only easy to use but also pleasing to the eyes.

Its easy-going, modern, and polished material stainless steel appearance is available in 3 different shades of gray and black so you don’t have to rack your brain trying to match it with the rest of your furniture. And don’t worry, with its eye-candy dandy look, sprucing up your kitchen countertop is easy-peasy coffee brewery.

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Best Features Of The Breville Oracle Touch

Back To The Coffee Grinder

Moreover, a conical burr grinder can grind beans into consistent dual-sized grounds, small and large, which are better for pulling great espresso shots than a flat burr grinder that can only produce a single uniform grind size.

While the small coffee particles slow down the water flow, larger particles benefit from the lengthened coffee-to-water contact time to release more coffee compounds, contributing to an overall well-extracted cup of coffee.

In addition, like other espresso machines of Breville, this device can also control the grinding dose and tamp the optimal amount of coffee grounds to maximize flavor extraction.

In this specific case, 22 g of freshly ground coffee is prepared every time entirely automatically.

Under Water Pressure

This allows all of the coffee particles to be extracted evenly, producing a balanced brew from the first to the last drop.

The Oracle Touch also comes with an Over Pressure Valve, a special feature exclusive to this model only.

This function prevents the pump pressure from reaching its maximum capacity during the extraction process so that the unwanted bitter flavor profiles don’t slip into the cup of coffee.

It’s Not The Humidity, It’s The Heat

Other than that, the PID temperature control also helps the machine adjust and stabilize the brewing temperature to optimize pulling espresso shots with little variation.

Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk

All you need to do is work on your latte art skills to make your cup of Joe look as good as it would taste. But, if you want to take things into your own hand, feel free to switch to the manual setting.

Anyone Can Brew

Is everything completely hands-free? No, you still have to make decisions for how you want your coffee to be brewed and taste. But that process has been simplified thanks to the automated touch screen and personalization feature, which is considered a big catch for many coffee drinkers.

You can just swipe and select the type of coffee you want from a ready-for-use menu. Does the Breville Oracle make regular coffee? Since this is an espresso machine, its pre-programmed menu consists of:

So, just espresso and espresso-based coffee drinks. If the menu doesn’t suit your taste, personally make adjustments to the coffee strength, temperature, or milk texture, experiment, and save them for convenient future selections.

You get to save up to 8 personalized coffees. My advice for those with a bad memory is to save every formula you come up with and tweak the selections until satisfying results come about.

Part Of The Deal

What you get won’t just be the espresso machine. Coffee gear accessories that come with your purchase comprise:

• Mini Grinds Bin
• 58mm Full Stainless Steel Portafilter
• 1-cup & 2-cup Single Wall Filter Baskets
• 480ml Stainless Steel Milk Jug
• Steam Wand spare parts
• Cleaning Kit
• Water Hardness Test Strip
• Water Filter Holder and Water Filter

Everything you need to get started. All you need to prepare is your favorite espresso coffee beans and water.

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The Downsides Of The Breville Oracle Touch

Limited Control

Since this is a super-automatic espresso machine, you can’t dictate what it does with your grind and espresso shots. Everything is calculated and accurately executed by the Oracle Touch stainless steel machine.

For example, the coffee grinder grinds, doses, and tamps exactly 22 g of grounds fitting the precisely designed portafilter. Moreover, this stainless steel machine can’t make froth that is rich enough in volume for a cappuccino.

While casual coffee drinkers can neglect this, a coffee connoisseur may not. However, if you want to experiment more outside of the safe zone that this automatic espresso machine offers and to be in control, switch the machine to manual mode.

You can manually:

• Override espresso extraction: Press and hold the Brew button for around 2 seconds to enter the mode. Touch the Brew button to start the extraction and touch it again when you want to cease the process.
  
• Milk texturing: Lift the steam wand and press and hold the Milk button for around 2 seconds to enter the mode. You can press the Milk button to start manually frothing.
  
• Add hot water: Other than brewing coffee, Oracle Touch is also a cup preheater and hot water dispenser at your beck and call. Well, for the latter, it’s only possible most of the time, except for when you’re extracting espresso. To start and stop the hot water flow, touch Hot Water on the screen.

The Price Is High

Compared to other espresso machine models of Breville, Oracle Touch is in another league due to its smart designs and incorporated helpful and precise automation functions.

But not everyone has the money to burn on an espresso machine for single-person usage. So it’s a better investment for an office or household where more than a few enjoy coffee.

Not The Most Compact

The price tag isn’t the only big thing.

Oracle Touch can take up a lot of space both in the area and in height with the dimensions of 14.7 x 14.5 x 17.6 inches (37.3 x 36.8 x 44.7 cm).

So, if size matters to you, keep it in mind and measure your own space first before bringing home a disappointment.

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How To Clean The Breville Oracle Touch

Since this is a super-automatic espresso machine, one can expect Oracle Touch’s technologies to be so advanced that it can clean itself. It’s true to some extent.

However, there are still places the machine can’t reach or do it properly, so you, as the Oracle Touch’s owner, will have to be the machine’s hands. However, compared to other espresso machine models, Oracle Touch can still be considered easy to clean.

General Maintenance

1. Touch screen:

Keep it dry and clean at all times.

2. Water filter:

Replace the water filter that has collected buildups and impurities after every 3 months. This will help decrease the need for descaling as well.

3. Burr grinder:

Once in a while, you need to clean the coffee grinder to remove debris and oil build-ups, ensuring that the grinder is always in tip-top shape to continue to provide consistent grind size.

Start by removing the coffee beans, lock the empty bean hopper back into place, and run the grinder until empty. Then, unlock and remove every part and clean thoroughly with a burr brush.

4. Steam wand:

Use a damp cloth to wipe the steam wand and tip and purge immediately after every use. Do not neglect. Or else, milk texturing performance and milk temperature can be affected.

Use the steam tip cleaning tool and steam wand cleaning powder to remove blockages. And, according to coffee experts, fill the milk jug with water and leave the steam wand immersed in it when not in use to lower the blockage risks.

5. Filter basket and portafilter

Rinse them under hot water after each use to get rid of residual coffee oils and blockages.

If the holes are still clogged, soak them in a solution made of water and a cleaning tablet for a while to deal with the issue. Make sure to rinse thoroughly afterward. We don’t want to drink cleaning chemicals.

6. Brew group head

Wipe the brew group head and the shower screen with a damp cloth every day to remove leftover coffee particles. And, run an empty cycle (no coffee, just hot water) periodically to clean out any unwanted particles that still stuck.

7. Drip tray and storage tray

Empty and clean them with water, soap, and a non-abrasive sponge after every use or every day.

8. Outer housing and cup warming tray

Grab a soft damp cloth and wipe the exterior once in while to keep this commercial machine looking sleek and shiny on your kitchen countertop.

As long as you maintain cleaning discipline after each use and set up a date for a periodic flush, it’s not hard to see Oracle Touch maintain its stamina and performance for a long time.

Cleaning

When the coffee machine signals, run a cleaning cycle called backflushing.

1. Empty the drip tray.
2. Insert the cleaning disc into the filter basket. Insert the portafilter into the group head.
3. Touch the Brew button. Wait for around 20 seconds. Touch the button again to release the built-up pressure.
4. Repeat the process 5 times to flush out any stuck-up coffee particles and oil residuals.

Descaling

Similarly, when Oracle Touch signals a descaling cycle, as you would with nature’s call, answer the machine’s call to get rid of mineral and oil build-ups which can affect the performance of the machine and the taste of the coffee brew.

All you have to do is follow the step-by-step instructions that appear on the screen from start to finish. Make sure to shut the machine off and let it cool down for at least 1 hour before entering the descaling mode.

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Main Competitors – How Does It Compare?

Breville Oracle Touch Vs Breville Oracle

Both of these espresso machines are super-automatic. They’re the professional that does everything for you, from precisely preparing the right dose of coffee grounds to precisely pulling espresso shots and texturing milk.

Both are equipped with advanced technologies that give them better control over all of the grinding and brewing processes such as temperature and pressure management.

So, what is the difference between Breville Oracle and Oracle Touch? For the average consumer, one of the first differences one would notice is the price tag. The Breville Oracle is around 500 dollars cheaper than the Oracle Touch.

This 500-dollar difference mostly comes from the following distinguishing features:

• Navigation: The Breville Oracle lets users interact through the typical LCD screen popular among espresso machines, which is less high-tech than the touch screen operation on the Oracle Touch. You can probably tell where the name comes from now.
• Personalization: The original Oracle machine doesn’t let you create your personalized go-to coffee drinks to be saved either. This is exclusive to the Breville Oracle Touch only.

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Breville Oracle Touch Vs Breville Barista Pro

The Breville Barista Pro is only a semi-automatic espresso machine, so it’s more affordable but less convenient than the powerhouse in focus today.

The Barista Pro also lacks a lot of the temperature and water pressure technologies that only exist on this more updated model. So expect more precision on the Oracle Touch as well. After all, you get what you pay for.

Nevertheless, the Barista Pro can be an excellent choice for coffee lovers who prefer getting things done with their own hands and a bit more affordable price range.

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Breville Oracle Touch Vs Jura E8

Which is better, Jura or Breville? The E8 espresso maker is Jura’s most popular automatic coffee machine, a comparable competitor to Breville’s Oracle Touch.

Since they’re both automatic machines, they share a lot of similarities despite being from different brands, including:

• Built-in grinder.
• Touch screen with pre-programmed drinks: Oracle Touch has 5 while E8 has 16.
• Steaming milk: E8 doesn’t come with a milk tank but has a built-in milk frother.

More on differences, the AromaG3 burr grinder of E8 brings speedy and consistent results.

In addition, its Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.) technology is also designed to be optimal for the extraction of ristretto and espresso specialty coffee drinks.

E8’s foam frother G2 is also great at creating stunningly fine-textured milk micro-foam for lattes and other beverages.

Jura E8 also enables full customization, from the coffee strength, brew temperature.

And the most notable of all, Jura E8 is still less expensive than Oracle Touch despite having more pre-programmed options.

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Breville Oracle Touch Vs Jura S8

S8 is another fully automated espresso machine of Jura. It’s capable of preparing 15 different gourmet coffee drinks from its pre-programmed menu including common drinks such as latte and flat white.

Users can grab a quick caffeine boost from a few touches of the finger on the touch screen. S8 is most noticeable for its compact size and adjustable water hardness.

The machine can also be wirelessly operated once connected to Siri. So you can use voice commands to make coffee in the morning. Perfect for those who want to wake up to coffee aroma without lifting an arm in the morning.

The machine, however, is a bit fussier to maintain than the Oracle Touch. Milk lines are often left behind after use and someone has to do it because the machine can’t pick up after itself.

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