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New Breville Oracle

edited January 1970 in Espresso Machines
Just received an email from Breville promoting their new "oracle" coffee machine.  An automatic manual machine?!?
the Oracle

Comments

  • Well yeah no one can disagree about what else you can get for the $$ and that it will have heaps better build quality. To be fair though, this machine is not aimed at people looking at buying solid pieces of Italian stallion hardware. Its for people who are already paying the 2 to 4K on big super autos from HN that make crap coffee. The Oracle offers benefits of the super auto world but with the big step up in quality from the manual side of the machine, this of course is all assuming that they don't just go and put supermarket beans in the breville like they would with a super auto. :'(
  • To be honest I don't have anything against Breville in regards to the quality of the coffee produced.  A few members have them and love them.  What I don't like is service when things go wrong.  For people that have problems it can take weeks just to get them looked at!  Not good enough when your in this price range IMO. It will be interesting to see if people go for this machine.  It does incorporate a grinder (not sure of the specs), and tamps for you, so as you say it's aimed at the super auto people, but will this still be too involved for them?  For me it's too uninvolved.  I want to feel part of the process, like my actions make a different to a good or bad cup.  :)
  • But it's not as easy as a Superauto.... You've got to do the handle thingy in and out of the grinding whatsit and monitor your pour and adjust the grind as necessary. These have been out for a bit now and it will be interesting to see if they sell.
  • I like the sound of the duel boiler and PID and OPV just don't care about automatic anything But I am sure many rich people would like it.
  • You know, I don't think so.  The wealthy folk I know ALL have Nescrapsso which they say... Their words: Is not great Is bad for the environment I'd love it if they upgraded to an Oracle but I reckon this is aimed at those wishing to bridge the gap between high-end user and barista wannabe.
  • I better post a photo of the new Oracle for members to see [attachimg=1]
  • I'm guessing this machine would be aimed at the Office - where they are attempting to provide their more up-market clients with a Cafe quality coffee without having to employ a Barista to make it. A significant step up from using a pod machine (for convenience) when entertaining guests, or running an office from home. $2.5k seems about right .. and affordable/appealing for this use. I wouldn't think an employer would purchase one of these for their employees .. in an Office. Having said this .. I could easily be wrong .. just throwing my 5c in the ring.  :P
  • on 1405743137:
    I'm guessing this machine would be aimed at the Office - where they are attempting to provide their more up-market clients with a Cafe quality coffee without having to employ a Barista to make it. A significant step up from using a pod machine (for convenience) when entertaining guests, or running an office from home. $2.5k seems about right .. and affordable/appealing for this use. I wouldn't think an employer would purchase one of these for their employees .. in an Office. Having said this .. I could easily be wrong .. just throwing my 5c in the ring.  :P
    Yeah, I can see that!  I can also see the specs of the machine!  We'll have to wait to see if they sell
  • I can't see this as a machine for rich people. It is aimed at people who found dosing and grinding too hard with the other Breville model. It is for people who want something better than what an automatic Jura produces. If you read the thread on the green site, you can easily see who buys the machine. They also seem to be having issues with it. Most of the issues seem to stem from people not understanding the basics about coffee. Adjusting the grind seems to cause no end of problems. Most "rich" people are time poor, spend bugger all time in their tiny kitchens (monstrous houses though) and prefer to go out for coffee. For the home, Nespresso or similar is good enough. They fall victim to Nespresso advertising very easily.
  • on 1407222257:
    They fall victim to Nespresso advertising very easily.
    You mean George Clooney advertising! ;)  ::)  :rofl:
  • Had one at office and makes a decent coffee, so bought one for home. Worked well for 2 months, then one morning wouldn’t turn on. Pretty disappointing that a $2000+ machine completely fails after 2 months, but hey these things happen. Warranty process however very disappointing. First call was great, seemed very efficient, sent me a form, I packed up machine and let them know ready for courier to pick up. I was told it would be picked up by their courier within 48 hours, it took Startrack that long to even contact me. Arranged a pickup between 2pm and 5pm the following Monday, Startrack turns up at a completely different time, ring Startrack to chase, vague answers, maybe this time tomorrow, etc Contacted Breville again, backtracking on what they said, we’ll forward this on to another team and we’ll see what we can do, not our fault, we didn’t say that, etc. Almost a week since it broke, had to come home from work twice for a courier that doesn’t turn up and wasted over a day of my time, no idea when it will be picked up, and who knows how long for them to actually try and fix it and get it back to me. Best guess at this stage is it will be a month, not great for something we use every day!! In summary – good machine if it works, just pray that nothing goes wrong as Breville’s warranty support is awful.
  • on 1426482948:
    Had one at office and makes a decent coffee, so bought one for home. Worked well for 2 months, then one morning wouldn’t turn on. Pretty disappointing that a $2000+ machine completely fails after 2 months, but hey these things happen. Warranty process however very disappointing. First call was great, seemed very efficient, sent me a form, I packed up machine and let them know ready for courier to pick up. I was told it would be picked up by their courier within 48 hours, it took Startrack that long to even contact me. Arranged a pickup between 2pm and 5pm the following Monday, Startrack turns up at a completely different time, ring Startrack to chase, vague answers, maybe this time tomorrow, etc Contacted Breville again, backtracking on what they said, we’ll forward this on to another team and we’ll see what we can do, not our fault, we didn’t say that, etc. Almost a week since it broke, had to come home from work twice for a courier that doesn’t turn up and wasted over a day of my time, no idea when it will be picked up, and who knows how long for them to actually try and fix it and get it back to me. Best guess at this stage is it will be a month, not great for something we use every day!! In summary – good machine if it works, just pray that nothing goes wrong as Breville’s warranty support is awful.
    Welcome to The Coffee Forum Simonde98, congratulations on your first post. Can imagine your disappointment re the Breville machine, lousy back up service is inexcusable in this day and age, Breville are a large enough company to have issues like this sorted, hope it all works out in your favour. :)
  • Welcome Simonde98 and commiserations on your miserable experience.  Hopefully it will all be sorted soon.  Most appliances make a decent coffee when they're working properly :(  I think your post highlights perfectly the reservations people have spending top-dollar on appliance-grade goods.  Despite innovation, if these machines worked as reliably as they are clever, there'd be no need for shiny Italian imports.  Clearly this is it the case!
  • Hello everyone - this is my first post.  I have been following coffee forum and coffee snobs pages since before Christmas, and was debating whether or not to bite the bullet and buy the Oracle Touch - but was very apprehensive about shelling out the $$$.  I have had my trusty Rancilio Silvia/Rocky set up now since 2010, and while it has provided me with a fantastic learning experience into the world of manual espresso, and while I've loved the shots that Silvia provided, I could only ever pour two good coffees out of every five, and latte art was something that I was never able to master.  But ultimately I was just sick and tired of the clean up, the maintenance, the inconsistency, the messy bench top, grinds everywhere, having to refill the single boiler, waiting half an hour for the machine to reach temperature - you get the picture.  I only ever had the desire to use the machine on weekends because it was just too much work for this non-morning person.  So after scoring a deal at Harvey Norman for $2,750 along with $204 worth of beans, guess what was sitting under our Christmas tree five days ago?  A shiny new Oracle Touch, with all its bells and whistles.  Have to say, this is one GORGEOUS machine.  But after five days of practice, I am obviously still in the learning process, and I will be brutally honest with you all and admit I have NOT yet been able to get the same quality of shot and milk as I did on the Rancilio - whether this is to be expected or not I do not know, however like I said, it's still early days.  So here are my first impressions: PROS:  Auto switch on/off scheduling, easy-manoeuvre wheel, speedy heat up, consistent puck, next to no mess, beautiful intuitive touch screen with lovely graphics, customisable options, auto milk wand purge, adjustable grind/brew time/milk temperature/froth level.  The machine is a breeze to use, and so far my first impressions are excellent.  CONS:  Puck gets almost baked in the filter basket and won't tap out unless I chisel it out with a spoon, dose is non-adjustable, milk has to be filled up to a line on the wand which seems excessive and means you waste a LOT of milk, I can't seem to get the milk not to separate which gives me quite a watery cup with foam on top only.  These are things I hope to conquer in time, but I would really love to hear from any Touch users who have mastered these issues and can give me some tips on how to perfect my cups.  My honest opinion is that it while it doesn't (so far) give me the same quality of cup as with my Rancilio, the pay-offs in cleaning, time saving, ease of use, convenience, consistency, and customisable options well outweigh this.  I find I am now drinking a coffee from my home machine every weekday morning rather than a trip down to the local cafe before work, so that's a good thing and a money saving right there.  Plus my partner loves it too, and he never really got the hang of the Rancilio.  So I'm really looking forward to hearing the opinions of other users; what are your first impressions, has anything changed since you first bought your machine, and especially hoping for some advice regarding the puck issue and milk separating.  Thanks for listening! 
  • Hello MF,  welcome and thank you for a fantastic first post.  Get amongst the threads mate!!
  • Hi MF, great to have you on board and good to hear your first-hand impressions; am thinking of combining this with the 'New Breville Oracle' thread for context - any objections? cheers A
  • Thank you - thank you - no objections to moving it at all.  I thought I'd start another thread as there are different models of the Oracle and I didn't see a specific one for the Oracle "Touch".  More than happy for you to merge them.  :coffee2:
  • Welcome MF. I don't own or use a machine similar to yours, however, I might offer some observations and context based upon what you have written. Generally speaking, people that buy a machine similar to yours are not what you would call coffee enthusiasts as the primary objective for that machine is convenience over "tweak-able" performance or development of coffee making skills - which are precisely the benefits you have already stated as being enjoyed already from the ownership experience. As such, it's not my intention to disappoint, but it's perhaps unlikely that non-enthusiasts would frequent coffee forums and hence it might be a long shot that an owner might come through with some useful tips or answers.  From your message, it appears to be 2 types of challenges - one with the puck and the other with quality of textured milk. In the case of the puck, I would suggest you contact Breville immediately as it might either be a defect or a nuance of that model - again, I have no idea whatsoever. Regarding milk, I'm not surprised to be honest. Most auto systems are mediocre at best with milk and result in a warm bubble bath. Perhaps trying different brand or batch of milk and if you are trying with skim milk then maybe full cream. Some milks at certain times of the year are difficult to work. As you probably know already, many causes of separation are due to a lack of motion or agitation of the milk. In terms of the cup flavour of coffee produced from the machine not matching the Rancilio, one suggestion is to look at whether your "great deal" on Harvey Norman beans is in fact fresh roasted, quality coffee.  Whilst it's unlikely those beans are causing you puck issues, however, I do have a theory that if the beans are stale then it's possible the grind is set so fine to produce crema and prevent gushing that the puck is compacting. In most cases, fresher beans will need a coarser grind and this will change the resultant puck after extraction - just an idea, it could go some way to alleviate the issue. I have many customers with the Oracle systems and one of my employees also has one on his kitchen bench - according to him it's a convenient system but produces just basic/average results (I don't know what model). That's not to say they are inferior, but it's just an ownership experience. Recently a good friend had 2 of the Oracles fail over a 3 year period - so he cracked it, gave up on the concept and reverted back to spending about the same money again on a separate machine and grinder with the goals of achieving a better cup and longer ROI - again, this was just his experience and does not reflect my views.
  • Morning all, Thank you Jeff. I've not even seen an Oracle Machine so can't comment except to say that the quality of roasted coffee and milk you feed a machine greatly impacts the outcome.  Grab some freshly roasted beans and you may have a far more satisfactory outcome. Cheers BH 
  • Hey Monsterface, No first hand experience here but I’ve seen and read that the sticky pucks are common on the Oracle. Taking the PF out straight after the shot has finished helps I think. Or was it leaving it in there longer? Can’t remember sorry, but I know I read that one of these things helps most of the time. Particular beans will act differently as well I would imagine. As far as steaming goes everything I’ve heard and read about this side of the Oracle has been positive. So I’m wondering if it’s either the milk you’re using or one or two of the settings you’ve got for steaming. Experiment a little if you can and don’t use skim milk. Also give the jug a good swirl straight after taking the wand out then pour straight away. Good luck and have fun with the new toy.
  • Mr Monsterface, Can’t add mutch to what has already been said If you need to use a low fat milk the best one is Phisical I use it as my daily milk & steaming is easy using it KK
  • Thank you Mycuppa and others for helpful comments.  After a few more weeks of practice, things are looking up.  We received the first shipment of Porter Street beans, freshly roasted on the 8th of January, and received on the 9th of January.  I've since learned that around today (13th Jan) is the optimal time for the bean after roasting - never knew about how crucial that timing was.  The fresher beans certainly make a difference, I mean I knew they would - but I didn't know just HOW much.  So happy to report that things are looking a lot better on that front.  Today we had a rep from Breville come to give us the "White Glove" service which is a demo and Q&A about the machine.  This was invaluable and I learned some more ways to tweak the machine to perform better and pour better shots.  I'm no longer having the puck problem with it setting like concrete in the basket, and can get the milk to the nice white paint consistency.... as for latte art, well the rep did it beautifully... But me?  Well my hearts still just look like large bums.  :'(  But I remain optimistic that I'm getting better and better as the days go by... 
  • on 1515841294:
    Thank you Mycuppa and others for helpful comments.  After a few more weeks of practice, things are looking up.  We received the first shipment of Porter Street beans, freshly roasted on the 8th of January, and received on the 9th of January.  I've since learned that around today (13th Jan) is the optimal time for the bean after roasting - never knew about how crucial that timing was.  The fresher beans certainly make a difference, I mean I knew they would - but I didn't know just HOW much.  So happy to report that things are looking a lot better on that front.  Today we had a rep from Breville come to give us the "White Glove" service which is a demo and Q&A about the machine.  This was invaluable and I learned some more ways to tweak the machine to perform better and pour better shots.  I'm no longer having the puck problem with it setting like concrete in the basket, and can get the milk to the nice white paint consistency.... as for latte art, well the rep did it beautifully... But me?  Well my hearts still just look like large bums.  :'(  But I remain optimistic that I'm getting better and better as the days go by...
    Ah that's really awesome to hear :),  keep at it. And that's actually really great service that they come and help out and give tips. And that's right if the rep can do latte art on your very machine then it's definitely doable :). Yeah it took me a bit to figure that out, freshly roasted beans make heeeeaps of difference, and also resting times do too. It's an amazing journey, keep posting and learning and enjoy the ride :)
  • GREAT NEWS MF!  Don't sweat the bum-art.  My art looks like an ink-blot set for a Gynaecologist!
  • on 1515971386:
    GREAT NEWS MF!  Don't sweat the bum-art.  My art looks like an ink-blot set for a Gynaecologist!
    XDXDXD classic!!
  • on 1514615958:
    Hello everyone - this is my first post.  I have been following coffee forum and coffee snobs pages since before Christmas, and was debating whether or not to bite the bullet and buy the Oracle Touch - but was very apprehensive about shelling out the $$$.  I have had my trusty Rancilio Silvia/Rocky set up now since 2010, and while it has provided me with a fantastic learning experience into the world of manual espresso, and while I've loved the shots that Silvia provided, I could only ever pour two good coffees out of every five, and latte art was something that I was never able to master.  But ultimately I was just sick and tired of the clean up, the maintenance, the inconsistency, the messy bench top, grinds everywhere, having to refill the single boiler, waiting half an hour for the machine to reach temperature - you get the picture.  I only ever had the desire to use the machine on weekends because it was just too much work for this non-morning person.  So after scoring a deal at Harvey Norman for $2,750 along with $204 worth of beans, guess what was sitting under our Christmas tree five days ago?  A shiny new Oracle Touch, with all its bells and whistles.  Have to say, this is one GORGEOUS machine.  But after five days of practice, I am obviously still in the learning process, and I will be brutally honest with you all and admit I have NOT yet been able to get the same quality of shot and milk as I did on the Rancilio - whether this is to be expected or not I do not know, however like I said, it's still early days.  So here are my first impressions: PROS:  Auto switch on/off scheduling, easy-manoeuvre wheel, speedy heat up, consistent puck, next to no mess, beautiful intuitive touch screen with lovely graphics, customisable options, auto milk wand purge, adjustable grind/brew time/milk temperature/froth level.  The machine is a breeze to use, and so far my first impressions are excellent.  CONS:  Puck gets almost baked in the filter basket and won't tap out unless I chisel it out with a spoon, dose is non-adjustable, milk has to be filled up to a line on the wand which seems excessive and means you waste a LOT of milk, I can't seem to get the milk not to separate which gives me quite a watery cup with foam on top only.  These are things I hope to conquer in time, but I would really love to hear from any Touch users who have mastered these issues and can give me some tips on how to perfect my cups.  My honest opinion is that it while it doesn't (so far) give me the same quality of cup as with my Rancilio, the pay-offs in cleaning, time saving, ease of use, convenience, consistency, and customisable options well outweigh this.  I find I am now drinking a coffee from my home machine every weekday morning rather than a trip down to the local cafe before work, so that's a good thing and a money saving right there.  Plus my partner loves it too, and he never really got the hang of the Rancilio.  So I'm really looking forward to hearing the opinions of other users; what are your first impressions, has anything changed since you first bought your machine, and especially hoping for some advice regarding the puck issue and milk separating.  Thanks for listening!
    Hi MF - I'm new to this forum and wanted to reply since I also have an Oracle Touch. I consider myself to be a wannabe/early days enthusiast, but my husband is not, so the idea of having a machine that only I could use made me turn towards the Oracle Touch. I have had a similar experience with the pucks - only way I found to improve it is to knock it out right after pulling your shot. I had been leaving it in there and knocking it out before I made the next one but that was a bad idea apparently. Re: milk - I had the same issue so I bought a smaller milk container that required less milk to cover the line. That helps. I also found that the requirement to cover the line is actually not true. But either way, I'd recommend getting the smaller jug if you are making just one milk based drink at a time. Re: espresso. I find that the machine takes quite a bit of tweaking to dial it in for the particular bean. I have some beans that need a 31 grind, and some that need a 39 grind. I use beans that the local roaster actually gives me parameters for (1:2 ratio in 28 second at 198 degrees). With that info, all I have to tweak is the grind setting. Do you use a scale? That has been the biggest help for me. The machine consistently overdoses in my opinion - between 23/24g of dry coffee in the double portafilter. So keep that in mind when you are trying to dial it in. The overdosing also results in the tamped coffee touching the shower screen when you put it into the grouphead (and I think that helps the puck get so baked in there....). I read on another forum that you can try to get a smaller basket (like the VST 15g basket) and it fits in the Breville portafilter.
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