Do you believe that coffee enthusiasts would bare their fangs over the debate between third-wave and dark roasts? Nope. The portafilter and super-automated espresso machines represent the two poles on either side of the enormous split on the machine front.
According to the numbers provided by retailers, super automated espresso machines are selling like hotcakes. But sooner or later, those eager brewers will come to the realization that they want more out of their experience than simply pressing buttons. On the other hand, a portafilter presents a challenging challenge. Because there is so much information and action that is expected of you, a lot of individuals become hesitant.
The Australian company Breville, which is a major player in the market for coffee machines, has identified a gap in the market and is working to fill it with semi-automatic portafilter machines. The Breville Barista Express, which was released quite some time ago and was the first move in this way, was the product of a collaboration between Breville and the European company Gastroback.
The company’s goal now, with the introduction of the Breville Oracle Touch, is not only to strengthen the brand’s claim to this particular market segment, but also to set a higher standard in this new category of household appliances.
As a side note, Breville sells this new hybrid under the Sage brand in Europe; that’s why you’ll see that branding in the photographs we’ve provided here. But it’s the exact same piece of machinery. Promise.
So what is it about hybrids that makes them so popular? To a large extent, their operation is analogous to that of a portafilter machine. To summarize, the extraction of the coffee does not take place in an entirely automated fashion within the internal brew group. Instead, water pressure forces the shot through the portafilter basket that is mounted to the outside of the machine.
The amazing thing about semi-automatic espresso machines is that they virtually take care of all of the moving pieces that are necessary to produce the ideal cup of espresso. There is a minimal requirement for involvement from outside sources. Get hands on if you like. On the other hand, you could always just leave the machine to do its work, which is essentially the entirety of the process.
These kinds of hybrid machines have a good chance of becoming the next big thing in the realm of fully-automated coffee production. However, there is a cost associated with it at the moment. At the time of this writing, the Breville Oracle Touch has a price tag of a hefty $2,500, which is significantly higher than the prices of entry-level portafilter machines and the most popular super automated espresso machines.
Despite this, I believe that purchasing this item will be money well spent. Because it is truly the finest of both worlds, the Oracle Touch is the reason for this. It’s the ideal compromise, allowing hyper automated coffee purists and portafilter aficionados to coexist peacefully within the same machine and enjoy their respective methods of brewing coffee. When it makes its way into your kitchen, it won’t be leaving anytime soon.
The Oracle Presents Itself in Many Different Forms
Breville has become an industry-leading brand and the United States has become its most important market since the company first entered that market in 2003. The fact that the Breville Oracle Touch is one of the most costly things in the complete lineup of kitchen appliances produced by the company contributes to the growing mountain of superlatives that have been described. All of these are strong arguments in favor of putting the marketing machine into high gear within the United States.
In addition, there is a significant push being made in Germany, which is a new market for the firm and where I recently met a member of the promotional team. Even though he was using Gorilla coffee in the hopper, he was a really lovely guy and he had really great barista skills. Sigh. I came to the conclusion that I would not hold it against him.
In addition to sending out baristas to act as touts, Breville also talks with the most well-known people in Australia regarding the parameters of their machines. It is all the more important to begin evaluating more of their products, such as the Bambino Plus tiny espresso machine, as soon as possible. Let’s find out if they actually listened.
Breville is taking a stand against hyper automated machines in order to attract customers who are sick of having to make concessions with regard to the brewing methods they use and the quality of the coffee that ends up in their cup.
Attention: this may cause some confusion: the Barista Touch is what you get if, rather than an automated procedure, you have to tamp by hand, which means you have to compact the coffee puck. The machines share a similar design and several features, but the price gap between them is increased by $1,500, and there are several other significant changes. Look around first before you rush to click the “Buy now” button.
And just to keep things fresh, the first generation Breville Oracle (BES980) has more options for playing features snap than its replacement, the Oracle Touch (BES990). The upgrade comes with a touch screen, since the original only had an LCD and buttons, and it costs approximately $500 more on Amazon. These are the two most notable differences.
You are the only person who can decide whether or not a touch screen and some other features are worth paying for.
My two cents on the topic is that the touch operation seems (at least to me) to be better attuned to the many brewing factors than the other modes of operation do. Because of this, it is not only simpler to program, but it also has the ability to be calibrated with greater precision. This is due, in no small part, to the digital sliding scales that are available.
The Features and Functions of the Breville Oracle Touch, as well as Their Pros and Cons
What exactly is it about the Breville Oracle Touch semi-automatic espresso machine that makes it such a worthwhile investment for your home? A quick rundown of the causes is as follows:
• Produces real espresso in the style of portafilters
• The most important factors, such as grind texture, tamping, water temperature, pressure, and processing time, are all taken care of in an automated fashion by a single appliance.
• Appropriate for use by both novices and seasoned coffee drinkers alike. You have the option of delegating the majority of the work to the automated systems or taking it on yourself.
• You have the choice of making the froth on the milk automatically (!) or by hand with a steam wand (!)
• Easier to run and keep clean in comparison to a fully automatic machine
• A high-quality case made of stainless steel, as well as the individual components
The Breville Oracle Touch is the product of a love affair between a super automated machine and a portafilter machine. It features not one, but two important automatic systems:
• An integrated grinder that performs automatic tamping. Baristas that use a portafilter will always have a separate grinder at their disposal and will manually crush the coffee grounds.
• Integrated touch screen with preprogrammed settings and menus that you won’t find on a portafilter; this feature is exclusive to the machine.
Because producing espresso is typically where beginning baristas struggle the most, having an integrated grinder and auto-tamper is a huge benefit for them because these are the two areas in which they are typically less confident. After all, the correct grind size and optimal compression are crucial because they determine the amount of time it takes for water to go through the basket, and hence the quality of the brew that is produced.
On the other hand, a built-in grinder does not allow the user to achieve the same level of nuance as they would with a separate, professional-grade grinder. This is a significant drawback. On the other hand, considering the demographic of people to whom the Breville Oracle Touch is targeted, this compromise is reasonable. The preprogramming and the ability to perform “automatic brewing” are, without a doubt, the most appealing aspects of hybrid equipment. In essence, the reassuringly commonplace super automated set-up has been converted to be used for the production of espresso.
Take note of the phrase “virtually.” Because of this, espresso made using a professional portafilter machine has a few characteristics that can only be achieved by a person. However, for the ordinary coffee drinker, these things probably won’t matter all that much.
If you have a hankering for a cappuccino or a flat white, the Breville Oracle Touch is almost like having one brought to you on a saucer. Putting the pitcher with the milk within it under the steam wand is the only other step that needs to be taken.
In all other respects, you can rely on the programmed automatic frother to adequately froth your milk. Ignore everything that has been said about “rolling” the milk and “cracking the surface” with the wand. You won’t hurt anything by doing so.
Doesn’t that just sound absolutely fantastic to you? I’d say!
The rain that fell during this march was and is the price that must be paid. Because there are so few comparable goods, or at least ones that are worth considering, you should expect to shell out a sizeable sum of money that is significantly higher than what you would pay for a hyper automated machine or an entry-level portafilter.
It is necessary to re-program the drinks settings because they are somewhat haphazard, as is the case with virtually every kind of super automatic espresso machine. But we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the Breville Oracle Touch is such an interesting product precisely because it gives users the opportunity to learn new brewing techniques and improve their existing ones.
After all, the purpose of the device is to move away from the hyper automatic mentality of “place cup under spout, push button, go do something else, and return to premade coffee.” This is the machine’s main selling feature. You will have the opportunity to participate in the brewing process to a greater extent here.
Setting up and Using the Breville Oracle Touch Device
If you are eager to get your brand new Breville Oracle Touch to make happy coffee noises and you are in the process of unboxing it, it is to your advantage to be familiar with how to operate a super automatic espresso machine. In a manner comparable to that of those machines, we will begin with these pointers:
• Give every detachable and loose component a good rinse and a thorough cleaning.
• Make sure the grinder is adjusted to a more finely ground consistency.
• Familiarize yourself with the options and the menu.
• Put some water in the detachable tank.
• If necessary, adjust the water hardness to the desired level.
The Breville Oracle Touch, which is a machine that is closer on the continuum to a portafilter than a super automatic espresso machine, comes with a bunch of accessories that you won’t get with a super automatic espresso machine, including:
• Handle of a Portafilter that has a double spout
• Professional basket with space for two shots (double espresso)
• Pro basket for a single shot (single espresso)
• Blind basket for cleaning
• Container with a lid for collecting stale coffee pucks
• Stainless steel milk pitcher
Another piece of encouraging information is that the baskets are not of the novice double-walled version but rather of the professional barista variety. All of these things have the appearance and texture of high-quality components that you’d find at upscale coffee shops.
Despite the fact that this device is made of stainless steel and weighs approximately 46 pounds, it is not quite as unyielding as I had expected it would be. When it comes to cleaning and adjusting the machine, the roller bearings that can be locked and released by turning a knob on the machine are a huge aid. This is especially the case when it comes to the roller bearings.
You have the option of getting a water tank that fills from a jug or one that can be removed from the back and pulled out. The jug technique will most likely be chosen by the majority. Keep in mind that water tanks can soon develop a stale and unpleasant odor. Therefore, you should make sure to clean it more frequently in between uses.
As soon as you press the power button for the first time, you will be led directly to the setup menu, which walks you through the fundamentals of using the device. It is not easy to get lost because the touch menu has a straightforward organization, and the icons are designed to be as intuitive as possible. Aside from that, the sprinkling of clear directions and basic sliding scales are as easy to understand as can be.
Which more or less gets us to the climactic phase of the discussion. It is now time to load the beans, and once you have finished the first (automatic) rinse, you will be ready to brew!
Coffee extracted using the Breville Oracle Touch
You now need to understand how to manually pull a shot of espresso (with milk froth) in order to completely comprehend what it is about brewing espresso using the Breville Oracle Touch that can be described as “revolutionary.” The following is a rundown of the stages that must be completed:
• Use a separate grinder to prepare the coffee beans for grinding. The appropriate grind texture and dosage must be set in advance by cautiously making incremental modifications and testing them on the portafilter machine. This is required in order to fulfill the requirements for the preparation.
• Use your hands to push down the grounds in the portafilter until they are as compact as possible. Again, this is the result of having practiced using a kitchen scale to achieve the right amount of pressure and wrist action.
Ensure that the machine has the portafilter installed. Another motion that is pounded into you by repeated practice and the demonstration of an object lesson, which is the cleaning of the machine when the portafilter is “blasted off” by the pressure.
• Get the process of brewing underway. You have, without a doubt, already put the portafilter machine through its paces in order to determine the ideal temperature, processing time, and amount of water to use.
• Use the steam wand to create a foam in the milk. But this is only after a considerable amount of time and milk has been invested in the process of perfecting the microfoam whipping technique.
• Put your knowledge to use by applying it to the different coffee-to-milk ratios that are used in speciality beverages. After all, a cappuccino is not the same as a flat white.
You think that sounds like a lot of experimenting with coffee, don’t you? The skills were not easily obtained. No kidding. With the Breville Oracle Touch, though, you won’t have to go through any of the hassle and can go straight to enjoying your delicious coffee. Because of a number of beneficial shortcuts that are automatically applied:
• The machine has “stations” for grinding, brewing, and foaming, and you can access them by moving from left to right. You can select the stations and operate them by using the touch screen. The menu for the appropriate beverage includes instructions that describe what must be done at each station. You can work through each one sequentially or simultaneously. It is up to you to decide.
• The portafilter should be affixed to the base of the grinder. The beans are processed in such a way that they are mechanically ground and compressed.
• Place the portafilter into the brewing station’s portafilter holder next. It snaps into position pleasantly and without any effort.
• Because the two boilers run separately, you have the option to froth the milk (while keeping your hands free) while the coffee is being brewed. This may be done whenever you wish.
• The display provides detailed instructions for each individual step.
To tell the truth, one would have to make a conscious effort to produce substandard work.
After firing off a few rounds, I used the knob on the machine’s side to adjust to a more finely ground consistency for the coffee. My skepticism extended to the factory’s default setting for the dosage, which results in baskets that are marginally stuffed over capacity. Reduce the amount of coffee you use in the machine in small increments until the ground coffee forms a fully level surface just below the lip of the basket.
In order to accomplish this, you will need to extend the auger lock nut on the auto-tamp system. The machine will recognize that the basket is full sooner, at which point it will turn off the dispenser for the grinder. Adjusting the machine’s settings may be necessary after a change in the beans’ characteristics. You’ll get the hang of it in no time at all with just a little bit of practice.
You can now proceed to place the portafilter within the brew group as soon as you have completed the previous steps. Choose whether you want to take a single shot, a double shot, or a shot manually.
The default settings are spot on, with a single round taking 25 seconds and a double round taking 30 seconds respectively. However, this is not a valid excuse to accept “bad” espresso that either overfills or underfills the cup and does not have an adequate crema. You need only make adjustments to the length of time in one-second increments.
You brought up the subject of temperature, didn’t you? If you are still relatively new to the portafilter game, it is best not to mess with what is already working. Before delving into the nuances of adjusting the degrees for different roasts, you really need to have a good understanding of the subject matter.
In the end, you end up with a very great espresso that has a good crema and looks the part thanks to its appearance. In addition to this, it is more than capable of competing favorably with the genuine product. You’re going to have a tough time distinguishing between the two if you don’t have a trained palate. The best part is that even a person who has never done it before can succeed.
Milk Frothing Capability of the Breville Oracle Touch
The automated steam wand on the Breville Oracle Touch is one of the most impressive features of this appliance. Why? Altering the temperature from 104 to 167 degrees Fahrenheit allows you to modify the microfoam’s texture with the push of a button. The range of temperatures is from 104 to 167 degrees.
At 113 degrees Fahrenheit, your milk is barely denatured. Raise the temperature to anywhere between 131 and 140 degrees, and you will be in the “Goldilocks zone” for latte art. When the temperature of the milk is over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, it is being scalded to death. On the other hand, there are situations when a liquid that is extremely hot is required.
The foam consistency levels, which range from 1 to 9, provide an indication of the degree to which your foam will be rigid. When you reach level 9, you unlock the bubble bath reward. You’re probably right that you’ve heard some cretin boast about this as the pinnacle of cappuccino foam. Don’t give in to the temptation. On Level 3, you’ll find the latte artists competing.
When I initially heard about the concept, to say that I had my doubts about it would be an understatement. To clarify, I mean that no self-respecting barista in their right mind would ever dream of placing the lance into the milk pitcher and then moving on to do something else. But now I have to eat my words since it actually does work!
In addition, there is no requirement to speculate on the configuration parameters. When the machine stops running, the foam should be ready to use. No ifs, no buts about it. Simply clip the wand back into its original position. The all-important burst of disinfecting steam is triggered by an automatic system. The only thing that has to be done is to use a towel to clean the exterior of the wand.
You can conduct the whole frothing process by hand if you truly have the itch to test your barista skills and see how far you can go. But why would you do that when the results of simply hitting a button are so satisfying?
Of course, the “ideal” settings for the milk froth are included in each of the specialized beverages that are offered on the menu of alcoholic beverages. It makes no difference whether you follow the rules or go your own way; there is no right or wrong.
By the way, latte macchiato is missing from the list of preprogrammed specialties offered by the Breville Oracle Touch, which is a strange omission. That doesn’t bother me at all on a personal level, but who would have thought it?
What do I think? A meticulous “assembly” is required to make a delicious latte macchiato. After the milk has been properly steamed and frothed, it is decanted into a glass in such a way as to form the appropriate layers. The espresso is not poured over the milk mountain in the glass until after it has been specially prepared in a pot designed specifically for making espresso.
The rest of the specialties can be prepared immediately in the cup, with the exception of the frothing of the milk, of course. Which is precisely what a hybrid machine like the Breville Oracle Touch is intended to perform as its primary function.
On the other hand, I have one more sneaking suspicion. Breville, which is an Australian company, has made it one of its missions to promote the country’s most famous coffee drink, the flat white. Additionally, it is a great deal more “dardy” (ask an Australian) than the completely burnt latte.
The next factor to take into account is one that is entirely practical. And this is not me throwing out random ideas. The fact of the matter is that the ubiquitous IKEA latte glasses will not fit beneath the portafilter of the Breville Oracle Touch because of its extremely compact size. There will be no pre-programmed latte macchiato, and there will be no open can of worms.
Which is not to suggest you can’t make one. Thanks to the six adjustable profiles, you can go ahead and tune in the parameters for latte macchiato yourself. Even if I roll my eyes at you and hurriedly point at the flat white.
Cleaning the Breville Oracle Touch
In my super automated espresso machine evaluations, you’ll have noted that I’m on a bit of a crusade regarding regular cleaning. Especially when it comes to the brew group, where damp coffee grounds accumulate and start quietly spreading mildew. Before you realize it, your machine is useless.
But you can forget about all that ugliness – or at least that specific nastiness – with a portafilter or hybrid machine like the Breville Oracle Touch.
No, it’s not an excuse to never clean again. But at least you’ve eliminated coffee grounds – or mold paradise – from the equation. That’s because they never enter the brewing components, only come into contact with the portafilter and spout. Hooray!
What this means is that you may focus your cleaning energies largely on the spout, the brew head and baskets. Putting a blank into the portafilter handle means that during the cleaning cycle, water won’t pour out of the machine and is instead swirled around the brew group. It’s kind of like the machine is gargling.
A perfectly good and speedy clean can be achieved by skipping the use of the portafilter throughout the brewing process. In this way, the brew group will be flushed, and residues on the shower screen will be rinsed away.
Make use of the brushes that are included with the machine in order to thoroughly clean your spouts. Keep in mind that you also need to clean the portafilter after every time you remove a puck from the machine. The same goes for the steam wand; make sure to wipe it down after each usage. The end, as they say. Finished and out of the way.
The grinder can be disassembled almost to the same extent as a professional mill, which enables you to get it as clean as possible.
Your justifications for not cleaning are no longer valid now that you have a Breville Oracle Touch.
The Breville Oracle Touch Vacuum Cleaner: All Hail the Hybrid!
The Breville Oracle Touch has improved its professional credentials in comparison to its predecessor, the Breville Barista Express, and it does so without requiring you to have any prior experience or training in barista techniques.
My verdict on the Breville Oracle Touch is resoundingly positive, and it has me grinning from ear to ear. Because a high-quality cup of coffee can be produced with a surprisingly small amount of labor. Walking the fine line between the frustrations of novice users and the expectations of more advanced users is a masterful balancing act that requires a lot of practice.
Which is not an inexpensive option. However, take a look at what you will receive:
• There is no requirement to purchase an independent espresso-grade coffee grinder, which is, as one might expect, priced somewhere around $300.
• A significantly lower risk of contamination when compared to using a machine that is extremely automatic
• You are free to participate as actively or passively as you like in the creation of the final product.
• Gain all of the barista skills you’ve always wanted to have, without having to learn them through trial and error. Learn. Grow. Consolidate. And achieve consistently wonderful outcomes.
• It is very likely that this incredibly high-quality appliance will outlive any entry-level super automatic machine by a significant margin.
• Don’t just settle for super automatic espresso. The contrast is as stark as that between chalk and cheese.
• Take advantage of the full glory of the espresso beans for which you paid a good deal of money to small roasters.
Will the hype surrounding super automatic espresso machines become a thing of the past thanks to hybrid machines? Nope. Absolutely not. This is due to the fact that the Breville Oracle Touch does not allow its users to simply kick back and relax. You need to get stuck in. And I’m pretty sure that’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea.
This machine is going to be a huge hit with anyone who has been hankering after a “real” espresso machine for a considerable amount of time but has been unable to devote the necessary amount of time to the lengthy process of developing barista muscle memory and expertise. And if you find that you have a knack for making coffee, you’ll have a willing instructor right there in your own kitchen.
