Breville Oracle Espresso Machine BES980XL, Brushed Stainless Steel

Perfect amount of manual in an automatic espresso machine
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.

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.

☕🍵 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!

We purchased the Oracle Espresso machine to replace our Jura F8. The Jura was a fine machine but did not live up to its promises with respect to foaming milk for lattes etc. My partner wanted to take the F8 to work where it will continue to churn out great coffee and luke-warm foam. So the Oracle came with many hopes and wishes, and it has not disappointed at all! Machine operation is very easy and I appreciate the control the machine gives you on adjusting the grind. Americanos are easy with this machine, and it does a great job foaming milk (even non-fat). It is not “latte’ art” quality foam but it is very good, and hot! The steam wand is fabulous with its auto-clean feature. We looked at the “One Touch” version of this machine and decided the extra cost wasn’t it worth it given that this machine will do it all without the colour touch screen (the One Touch will also save drinks, but when you make the same thing 90% of the time that is not a big deal).Oh, and by the way, the coffee it makes is FABULOUS. The brew quality is excellent once you get the grind you prefer.