5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect amount of manual in an automatic espresso machine

J.R. · February 19, 2016

I have been using it for about a week. I have wanted it for about 2 years, since I saw it at a William Sonoma and tried a sample and loved how it operated. I have a Saeco super automatic machine that I have used every day for over 10 years. It is slowly breaking (display stopped working, water tank occasionally leaks, can't run the decalcifying program anymore). So, I didn't need this machine now. But, I was going to need it. The Saeco is a workhorse and I never expected to last as long as it has. I thought the coffee tasted fine from the Saeco. But, I realized it tasted like crap once I got this machine.Very easy to set up. There are a few things to know about operating it that requires reading the manual. But, day to day operation is pretty simple. It takes way longer to get ready than my Saeco. But, you can easily program it to turn on at a designated time. The main display is more old school than it needs to be. In this day and age, they can use something more than an old school lcd display. For some of the functions, if you don't know what it supposed to be displaying, you won't understand it. Probably used it for the aesthetic.I really like the manual part of this machine. It is still essentially an automatic machine. But, you have an espresso basket to put in one port for the grinds to be dispensed into and tamped. Then, you move it to the other port and it makes the coffee. If you make a triple cappuccino, like I do, it is a bit more work than pressing the espresso button 3 times, like I did on my old machine. With this, I have to move the basket from one port to the other, then bang out the grounds in the included barista ground disposal thing, rinse it off and start the cycle again and do that 3 times. You also have to move the cup for the coffee off the machine when you remove the espresso basket or you risk knocking it over. That takes slightly more time than a fully automatic machine but it is more the attention it requires. If you want to multitask while the machine does all of the work, this machine is not for you. One nice feature that saves time is that you can froth the milk while the espresso is being made and you can do that hands free. So, compared to my Saeco, the active time making a beverage is about the same, since the Saeco required my attention in frothing the milk.I think this machine provides the perfect amount of manual interaction in an automatic machine - and the interaction that I want. I would love to get a shiny La Pavoni and a professional grinder, learn the perfect amount of pressure to tamp and have that for the weekend and a fully automatic machine for the work week. But, I don't have the money or the counter space for that. This machine gives me close to both experiences. I get to use an espresso basket (which makes it feel more like an authentic coffee making experience) but still not have to worry about tamping it perfectly and watching the coffee come out and stopping it when it makes the right amount. Yet, you can still experiment with the time for the water flow to control the strength of the coffee. You can control the water temp, the tamping pressure, the grind and a bunch of other options. Or, you never have to fool with those settings.Did I mention it makes amazing coffee? It does. It tastes incredible and the froth is perfect every time. I haven't even used espresso beans in it yet. I have been using some light roast that a local roaster made and was given to me as a gift mixed with some Philz dark roast that I had left over.Only comment/complaint is that you only have one portafilter size. It only dispenses a fixed amount of grounds. So, the button for a double espresso isn't really a double, compared to the single. At a coffee shop, they would use a different size filter for a single and a double and a different amount of coffee in each. So, if you want a full strength double, you really have to make 2 singles. You will have something different if you just let water flow through the same grounds for an extra 10 seconds. Small price to pay, though. Other comment/critique is that the milk can be tough to clean off the bottom part of the frother and you really should do it each time.you use the frother. Didn't have that issue with the Saeco that used a plastic frother tip.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, if pricey machine!!

l. · November 12, 2016

I've been a fan of Breville's espresso machines for years going back to a really inexpensive one I bought 9+ years ago that is still working. It isn't the greatest machine, but it produces decent, if not great espresso. A little more than a year ago I got a Breville 920XL that is still working fine with an easy repair I did recently.So I decided that the Oracle would better fit me because I'm remodeling the kitchen and would like to reduce the counter space usage. Got the Oracle a couple weeks ago and it was DOA! Called Breville and they offered a fix I could do, but it didn't work. They sent me a replacement which did the same thing. But this time I remembered that air locks are sometimes a fact of life. So I opened the 2 boiler drains and then turned it on and let it run until some water came out. Closed the drains, the machine kept going and filled the boilers and heated up. All is good!! BTW, I had called Breville on this second unit and they were going to pull one from the warehouse and fully test it before sending it out. That's going above and beyond IMO.Now for the review of the Oracle itself. After doing all the preliminary things such as bringing it up and flushing things as the instructions said, I then proceeded to brew an Americano with the default settings. Nearly perfect, though it was a bit thin. Well within range of dialing it in. After 2 more runs with changed grind settings, things are spot on! Pulled a very sweet Americano.Next was to test out the automatic frothing/heating of milk for a Cappuccino. Worked perfectly, I was impressed by how well it does it. The milk was at the proper temp (140F) and the consistency was like wet paint, just like it is supposed to be. The cleaning flush for the steam wand is wonderful! You do the milk, wipe the steam arm down with a damp cloth and push it back into place and it automatically does a few cleaning spurts. Very nice.Overall this machine is excellent IMO. Looks good, works good and my experience with Breville says it will last quite awhile and they do back up their stuff quite well. There are all sorts of adjustments that you can do as you learn this machine. Brew temp, pre-infusion time and pressure, Americano volume, shot temp and volume and Tamp time and pressure are all there, as are auto-start and auto-stop. BTW, Americano has 3 built in settings and you can add 6 more settings depending on how you like your Americanos.The auto-steamer has temp and type adjustment so you can set the temp you want the milk to get to, and the type for a Latte or a Cappuccino or anywhere in between. It is a well thought out implementation.I noted some other reviews that saw issues with descaling. I think that is probably earlier models as there has been a firmware change to aid in that not being an issue. I've descaled my 920XL which is the same basic design as the Oracle's espresso side a few times with no issues.

Excelente cafetera semi automática. Grandiosos cappuccinos con filtro naked!

R.s.1.r. · January 20, 2020

The media could not be loaded. Esta cafetera la estaba buscando encontrar para comprar porque es una excelente maquina semi automática.Tiene doble caldera, con lo que puedes espumar la leche y extraer el café al mismo tiempo, aparte de poder agregar agua caliente a un americano, o simplemente para Té.Tiene dos opciones para agregar agua a su tanque, una es por detrás, pero en este modelo tambien por arriba en la parte frontal, entonces no necesitas estar moviendo la maquina para cargar agua, muy cómodo.Trae uno de los accesorios por lo que la queria adquirir, la posibilidad de utilizar un filtro naked o bottomless, con el que puedes hacer café con una crema densa y aromática, que dejan al café distinto y a mi criterio más sabroso.El filtro naked se compra aparte, pero es en este modelo que puedes utilizarlo, porque la mayoría de las cafeteras Breville traen un portafiltro de 54mm, y en este modelo es de 58mm que permite utilizar y conseguir filtros profesionales como el Naked.Al encenderla por primera vez, creí que la maquina venia fallada, porque necesitas encenderla y dejar que llegue a los 200 grados. Pero la encendía y apagaba varias veces sin llegar a pasar los 165. La deje durante 24hs pensando en regresarla y cuando la volví a prender encendió y llego a los 200. Luego de este detalle no volvió a presentar ningún problema hasta ahora. Y todo funciona a la perfección.Trae un jarro de acero quirúrgico muy practico para espumar la leche para cappuccinos.La recomiendo aunque es una cafetera algo elevada en precio, pero vale la pena para tenerla esperando no necesitar cambiarla o comprar otra durante muchos años.

2 years later: Fantastic machine, but not perfect.

B.C. · July 16, 2017

The media could not be loaded. This is a long review with 2+ years of updates:As it can run fully automatic, it is very quick to dial in the perfect shot. Adjust grind to get a nice extraction, then adjust water volume to preference. Automatic milk steaming is very consistent and convenient. Automatic americano function is also great. Pulled dozens of shots in the first few days getting it set up then making espressos for my friends, family, and I.Then, on day 3, it faulted. I turned the steam temperature knob and the main LCD flickered out. Then it came back, flashing randomly (see video attached). All functions still work, but without the main LCD the menu system cannot be accessed. After unplugging the unit for a few hours everything was back to normal. A couple of days later, the the bottom line disappeared from the main LCD again.I have NOT contacted Breville (yet); Bolo is sending me a replacement, no questions asked, and I'll ship the defective one back when the replacement arrives. I will not pass judgement on a single defective unit - yes it is so expensive that anything but top quality is disappointing to say the least - but I'll give it another chance. Will update with a more damning review if the replacement is anything less than perfect.**update 1. Have been using the replacement machine to pull 2-4 shots per day for the last 9 months with no issues. This thing is nothing short of brilliant.**update 2. As reviewer “Doug” notes, at the 2 year mark my machine also started leaking. Small puddles appeared in the morning. I also am finding I can’t even pull 2 shots and steam a pitcher of milk without it stopping to reheat. Last year I could pull shot after shot for guests and it never skipped a beat. Good thing I purchased the extended warranty. They’re sending a cheque for replacement cost, which should cover repairs and then some. For 2 years this thing has brought me joy. Really disappointing turn of events...**update 3 - I contacted Breville Canada and they provided me a free shipping label to ship the machine to their shop in Vancouver for repairs. It was returned to me in 2 weeks working perfectly. All free of charge. My only complaint was that the service technicians did not communicate what was found and what was fixed - Just got a machine in a box that works like new. I called Breville and they confirmed that the seals were replaced. Hopefully it will perform consistently for more than 2 years this time. I wonder how much the bill for new seals will be once I’m out of the warranty period...Beyond the issues I’ve encountered it really is great. When I think about it the failure rate isn’t terrible; I use it at least twice a day to grind and pull at least 3 shots per day, 365 days/year! It leaked after 2 years and was repaired for free. Not sure I could reasonably expect better of a machine this complex...

☕🍵 Elevate Your Morning Routine & Coffee Game with the Breville Oracle Espresso Machine ☕🍵

J. · March 24, 2024

The media could not be loaded. ☕🍵 Elevate Your Morning Routine & Coffee Game with the Breville Oracle Espresso Machine ☕🍵Experience coffee perfection with this intuitive and sophisticated coffee machine which delivers third wave specialty coffee at home with its professional Dual Boiler construction and integrated precision conical burr grinder. Complete with automatic grinding, dosing, and tamping, brewing the perfect cup is effortless!The Oracle ensures optimal espresso extraction with features like the Over Pressure Valve and low-pressure pre-infusion. Its dual stainless steel boilers and heated group head deliver water at precisely the right temperature for exceptional flavor. Plus, the automatic microfoam milk texturing creates barista-quality microfoam for lattes and cappuccinos with ease! The self-cleaning steam wand, powered by a dedicated boiler, effortlessly textures milk to your liking, enhancing flavor and enabling you to create latte art at home like a pro!!With one-touch Americano functionality and customizable settings on the LCD display, brewing your favorite coffee drink is simple. It also comes with essential accessories like the mini grinds bin and a full stainless steel portafilter, making the brewing process seamless.In conclusion, the Breville Oracle Espresso Machine is a must-have, game-changing appliance for coffee enthusiasts seeking both convenience and quality. With its advanced features, intuitive design, and exceptional brewing capabilities, it's the perfect addition to any home kitchen.Say goodbye to mediocre coffee and hello to the perfect espresso, brewed effortlessly with the Breville Oracle in around a minute. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!

This machine makes great tasting coffee, but is poorly made for how expensive it is.

B.K. · April 10, 2022

We originally purchased this machine for $2500 we've had it for just over 4 years. In that time we've paid $1200 in repairs. It broke just outside the warranty the first time, then again about 18 months later.We took excellent care doing all the regular maintenance that the manual dictates. Essentially if you purchase this machine you can expect to pay the current retail price followed by an average of $600 in repairs every 1.5 years after that. Both times Breville said they were replacing our unit with a new one for the reduced rate of $449+tax and shipping. As of today, 14 months later, our newest one has also broken. That rules out that our first unit was just a 'lemon' as we've now owned 3 and none of them have seen their second birthday.Apparently they're just not good machines. I highly recommend you look to another brand. Unless you're happy dropping $2,400+tax on a coffee machine that needs to be replaced for $600 every 1.5 years or so.This was our last time, moving on to try a different brand now. Too bad, the coffee was good.

Best Small Appliance We've Ever Purchased

S. · October 24, 2015

We have now owned this machine for over a year and have literally used it every single day (minimum 2 drinks a day). It is very easy to use and the even better part is it's even easier to clean. I don't have espresso drinks from coffee shops anymore because ours taste so much better! Anyone who comes over says it's the best coffee they've had.One problem we've had is with the beans getting stuck in the hopper and not falling through into the grinder. We talked to Breville and they sent us a new hopper. Still didn't fix it but we are sure it's the beans we use (Costco brand) which are perhaps a little large and aren't the freshest. They are our fav beans though, taste really good and are inexpensive.The machine is expensive but has definitely been worth it. I think we will have it for years and years. We watched videos online on how to use the machine properly which was very helpful. Love the oracle!