Product Review: Oracle Touch by Sage/Breville
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- I've said for a long time that an espresso machine at home is like taking on a new hobby. Sage/Breville prove that doesn't necessarily have to be true - great coffee quality and impressive ease...
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"Do you want a new hobby?" oh man, if you only knew then what 2020 would bring.
Nothing better than watching James' videos during quarantine, all while drinking coffee made with a $30 Aeropress...
Aged like wine certainly
2020 has brought me closer to my Oracle than any time since 2016 when I first bought the machine. So much so that my wife almost had me make a choice between her and the machine.
@@JudoChop1 Oracle is great, same 2016, awesome. I mean, who really wants to spend minutia time/details, even in lockdown. repeatability and convenience.
I became a espresso hobbyist in 2020. But I knew what I was getting into
I need to sleep why I am I watching videos of expensive espresso machines I'll never buy
Because espresso machines are cool? People sometimes watch videos about Ferraris because those cars are cool but most of them can not afford even the cheapest one.
Never say never
At some point you may just take the plunge and indulge yourself like I did. Glad I took the time to do the same thing as you did, and learn all I could ahead of time. Turns out this is a very nice machine. Does a great job. Has all the adjustment you could want if you take the time to learn how to use it.
I have an Uncle who did cabinet making for years. His work was amazing, and he was always two months behind schedule trying to keep up with demand for his services. I finally got the chance to visit his wood shop one day, and was expecting to see state of the art equipment like you would see on Bob Villa or the like. What I found was a sheet of heavy plywood with a regular hand held circular saw screwed to the bottom of the plywood on two saw horses, and it had a strip of hardwood clamped to the top for a fence. He had rigged similar tools for all the other functions like planers, shapers, sanders etc.. I thought he was pulling my leg when he showed me this stuff. His reply was simply this..... If you really have skills, you don't need all that fancy stuff. That is for the lazy craftsman, or the one who is trying to cover up his lack of skills. If you want to do it right, learn the fundamentals.
Same thing applies to every craft, skill or art. Learn the fundamentals.
gotta stay awake somehow
@@SeekerKnight Not sure if I liked your comment or your uncle's one more!.. Thank you for sharing.
I would definitely like to see a ‘Barista Express’ review!
This is the Barista Express, just with a touchscreen.
@@brettjc0483 this is false, the oracle touch has a 58mm portafilter, dual boiler, auto tamp, auto start, 84 oz water reservoir, and is larger than the barista express. Barista express has a 54mm portafilter, no auto tamp/auto start, single boiler, and 64oz resevoir. The BARISTA touch is basically the same as the barista express with a touch screen and auto steam wand.
Oracle touch MSRP: 2499 USD, barista touch MSRP: 999 USD, Barista Express MSRP: 699 USD
@@darkanima13 ok yeah nvm I was a dumbass and didn’t do my research lol. Thanks for explaining though.
@@brettjc0483 all good brother, the naming is pretty confusing to be fair, I would think Barista would be a higher line product than oracle ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You are one of the best reviewers I've seen, ever. No frills. No BS. Well structured, well-paced, clear-spoken, thoughtful. You know the most pragmatic points a savvy viewer needs to know, explaining things exceptionally clearly. You explain things as a range of potentials, and offer the contrasts to give the audience a sense of proportion to help them known where things are in the field at large, to get a better idea if the item is a fit, or if not what someone might rather want to steer toward. It really helps put things in perspective. Great job!
My grandmother, during comunism: Had to queue at the store for hours to be able to buy some low grade, pre ground coffee bulked out with chicory and almond shells and was super happy with it.
Me, today: Well, if the steam wand doesn't purge itself automatically, then I don't want it
Are we heading to a place similar to that 'enjoyed' by your grandmother? I wonder
My paleolithic hominin ancestors, many thousands of years ago: Acorns roast in fire. Me make food. I survive.
James Hoffman, today: This milk texture is frustratingly good.
I have this machine, since it became available. Technical support helped me with the grind. I use the same beans for a long time. It makes great expresso, and morning latte.
Lmfaooo is this ain’t true 🤣
Goddammit, you're so right! But. Communism sucks.
Thank you for this. Years later, still a valuable review. Nicely done, and now, of course, i watch a lot of your videos.
What I like about you and your reviews is that you are willing to reveal your biases and point of view, and understand that others may have valid differences with your experiences and perceptions. When I come to you, I never feel that you are trying to sell me something. Rather, I come away with a sense that you have helped me to understand what I am looking for and would want. Thank you James, for sharing your knowledge and passion with us.🙏🙂
Great, informative video! Good point about whether you want a hobby or not. I bought the Breville Barista Express and enjoy the granularity of control over the brewing steps. This machine you reviewed makes the process a bit too easy, but purposeful for those who want a good coffee drink with minimal fuss.
For anyone reading this, you can adjust the dose on any of the Oracle machines.
The machine judges when to begin the tamping process by using a sensor in the gearbox that will feel when the tamper fan is resisted by the ground coffee underneath it. By changing the height of the fan, this will tell the machine to stop grinding and begin tamping.
To do this, remove the tamper fan (it pulls down, just magnetic) then unscrew the metal fitting that the fan sticks to. It should not require tools to unscrew as it should just be finger tight.
Once removed, you will see a small grub screw in the side. Loosen that screw and now you can adjust the fitting by screwing the thread in or out. Usually, one full rotation in or out will equate to 1g dose change. The machine has a limit, usually only 3g or so each way. If you go too far, the machine may not engage the tamper or give an error.
great point to add! I did this a few months ago and was able to get down from 22g (default) to 20g consistently by extending the fan.
MrKulio but how do you lower the dosage down to 18g?
Madik Felhof you’re just hacking the machine to change the dose, it ain’t designed for you to do so. That’s what it makes it so disappointing for a flagship! All the lower end models allow dosage adjustments. There is a major difference between semi automatic and super automatic. It seems like the more money you invest in one of those machines, you loose half the control. For semi machines, you get to control everything, yes you could get frustrated in the end but there’s definitely a learning curve to it. I love to get behind the wheel to take myself to the destination I want and not forced to go sit in the back seat and have the driver take me where he or she wants. It the same thing for the automatic espresso makers.
@@3rd-Wave_Rebel hacking it to change the dose? Try telling that to the Breville engineers who wrote the service bulletin.
Madik Felhof it’s not all that user friendly. It’s like an Easter egg hidden somewhere in the software and you need to know your stuff to find it. Why can’t you just manually adjust the dosage through the the lcd interface like most models in the lineup do?
I think when it’s about coffee and quality there is no other RUclipsr I search for then this one. Strait to the point, explains every thing that really matters and no compromises with sponsors
I have had one of these machines for over two years and I believe it is the best coffee machine (For my requirements) that I have owned.
Before continuing: I would like to mention that I thought your review very fair and exactly “on point”.
I don’t know if this was the case with your review machine, but my machine came with two baskets for the portafilter (22g and 17g); I personally found the 17g filter a “game changer”.
Whilst I am by no means a coffee expert I enjoy a latte or cappuccino and just wanted a machine that could, consistently, produce a decent example.
I have had numerous bean to cup machines including a Jura Z5, Jura Z8, two Delonghi machines and a Miele (Possibly built by Jura?).
My personal opinion is that all the Sage “semi automatic” bean to cup machines have an essential component that is missing from current fully automatic bean to cup machines: A proper metal portafilter.
The “brew units”, in every fully automatic machine I have come across so far, are made of plastic and have a long (Variable length for coffee strength) narrow profile cylinder with a small diameter filter at one end.
Metal is a heat conductor whereas plastic is heat insulator.
So: The hydraulic and thermal characteristics of a traditional portafilter and a fully automatic bean to cup “brew unit” are very different, which I believe is the reason I find the latte and cappuccino produced by my Sage “Touch” much better than from previous machines I have owned.
In conclusion: I have seen numerous bad reviews of the Sage “Touch” and I believe this is mainly due to a combination of the machine looking more manual than automatic and the price; this attracts a customer that is more interested in, as you would say, a coffee making “hobby” as opposed to the customer, that this machine is actually aimed at: somebody that just wants a decent coffee, with minimal fuss.
Many thanks for your informative and entertaining videos.
I completely agree with your analysis of home espresso machines. In my case it has definitely become a hobby, but the reason it started this way in the first place is because there are no real cafes in my town. We have a Starbucks, but I would sooner go to a local dinner for coffee then that place. So after some real time thinking I got myself the machine and honestly can't say I regret it.
I am not even into coffee that much, but somehow I love your videos. You have a really good approach in your vidoes, and you know what you are talking about!
I really appreciate your reviews. I've had this machine for several months and love it. I like being able to fix a few variables and optimize on others. One thing I would add is that you do not have to brew for the full time set on the machine. You can manually stop the brew at any time. What I do is set the brew time for 30 seconds and manually stop the brew when I've hit my target brew ratio. If that happens in less than 25 seconds, I adjust the grid until I hit my brew ratio in 25-30 seconds.
They should include a scale in fact, that would be usefull.
I just discovered James last week (probably saw a video or two over the years but nothing I recall off hand). It is fascinating after watching his new videos to watch this older one and see the differences a few years make.
I bought my Oracle non touch, for my kids and wife to give to me for my birthday ;-), refurbished in Germany for 700€ from the official repair warranty as well. Besides a few scratches it looks and performs like new. Its the single best eff'in thing in the kitchen. Im not a coffee hobbyist, but I still get up an hour before everybody else in the morning to make coffee. Love the channel!
i wish i could take a coffee class of yours! 101 to pro level, that would be so much fun/very helpful. for now, I'll just making my way through all your vids--thank you!
I have the Sage Dual Boiler with a Sette and I really enjoy using it, I think Breville are doing great things for coffee in the home. I think they've placed themselves in the right space with their line up for enthusiastic amateur user and seasoned barista too.
I have and love my old school Oracle w/buttons and dials. Use it every day for 4 or 5 years now. If it broke today I'd have a new one delivered before the weeks end. Awesomeness on demand pays for itself in short order!!!!
James! Great channel - amount of knowledge just amazing! Really love your videos! Take care
Can't love your videos more. absolutely brilliant.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for everything. You, Gwylim and Matt Perger are for me the most important people in third wave coffee scene.
This is an old video, but I will share it all the same. You can actually control the ground coffee dose by adjusting the tamp fan height by removing the fan, unscrewing a small bold, and rotating the drive shaft's length. You can go between 17-22g or so.
Lower doses also result in a cleaner tamp, in my experience.
Brilliant review! The full range of initial questions are all answered.
awesome review love that you include the price alot of other ppl don't
Excellent review James. I have the Barista Express and I love it. It's what my budget allows for and even though many espresso enthusiasts find it lacking, I can pull a shot that beats anything I can get at Starbucks, Dunn Brothers, or Caribou Coffee. Good enough for me and at a reasonable price as well. Well done Breville!
I have a request for a future video. Would you please consider looking into the Decent Espresso machine? What I have seen on RUclips is very exciting and would love to hear what your thoughts are. Thanks!
You have a wonderful way with words. Very eloquent.
Breville BES920 (dual boiler with standalone grinder) - Owner for 7 years. Overall I am happy with the machine. It has had its faults but kinda understandable given it gets a regular workout and there is all that heat and pressure going on inside. So far I have replaced the plastic collet/surround that the porta filter fits into, the steam valve thinking it was faulty but it wasn't. The fault was a thermal fuse that has blown. Absolute bugger to get to and a solenoid that was chattering before extraction.
I have the Oracle and still going strong 3 years on, touch wood. I did have trouble when I first brought, the grinder would not display the value but Breville (Australia) replaced on the spot with a new machine. I was worried at our wedding as it got quiet a big workout but survived. I think your review summaries why we brought, it is expensive and there are cheaper models, but the variables it handles are the things beginners get wrong. It stills makes the coffee the same way a manual espresso machine does. I didn’t want another hobby. Part of the fun is having guests over getting them to try being barista for the night and the machine helps them make a good one. If anything it helps them want try and make a better coffee themselves which is a good thing. It is also great for hot chocolate, or warm milk for porridge. If I get 5 years out of it I would be happy.
I was scared of the commitment of an espresso machine. But I bit the bullet and bought a breville bambino plus and a baratza sette 270 grinder. I don’t get every setting in the world available to me, but I am consistently pouring shots tastier than my local shop. Which is great considering I can’t go into my local shop during the pandemic.
Dude I want the sette 270 also. You like your machine then? It works for ya?
@@sebastianvaldivieso9654 yeah have been pretty happy.
I have the Barista touch. It is very similar but a little more hands on. It may not pull the best shots in the world but I am used to paying $7 for a Starbucks or equivalent in my area. The latte’s I am making at home are absolutely kicking the crap out of anything I have had anywhere else. If there is something better out there I would like to taste it as I am in love with the Breville Barista Touch.
Great review James. I thought you would rip this thing to shreds but I think you have given this machine a very good and fair summary.
Yet another great video from James!
For coffee fans work a restricted budget, I'd really like to see a review of the Kmart espresso machine (only $99 in New Zealand).
So this is the new studio... Amazing! Great video by the way
Intrigued Already
Although I have watched quite a lot of James's other videos I came by this one on behalf of someone who was looking for a replacement for his broken Sage machine and wanted a bean to cup one. Although I'm sure he didn't want the high price of this I thought that it gave a good introduction to the process and confirmed what I had said that this is also sold as a Breville in other countries which my contact did not know being puzzled by the Breville reference to Sage part numbers.
However the point that I loved is the question "Do you want a new hobby?" - well that's what I have did in getting an ECM Classika 2 with PID and a Rocket Fausto grinder, oh and all the other paraphernalia that upgrades bring. Of course the other component in this process is the beans themselves and their roasting - wow that opens up a whole new hobby even if you are just buying them!
Great review. I would love one of these when we have our new kitchen so we have somewhere to put it.
perfect review. concise, honest, and entertaining.
Thank you so much for sharing that review!! That is really important, because to buy a sooo expensive machine and find out that it doesn’t worth what you have paid, it is really not fun at all!! 😉
Fantastic review!
I have this machine. I was also frustrated with the portion of grounded coffee it puts by default. Found out you can twist the valve right above the portafilter, to lower it as much as you want. I started with 22g and reduced it to 18g.
I WANTED this machine I had to make do with the Barista Touch which I HATE
I have adjusted screw to four visible threads and still get 20g
I did similar with mine. Now dose is perfect
@@Bronze_Winged_Pionus You can also buy a VST 15g basket, that will reduce the dose (although not to 15g, it still overfills)
@@casdavies thanks but I returned the machine for a refund.
Great review. I will look at more of your videos. Thanks man
Thank you for your honesty.
I was purchased this very machine for my 50th birthday.. 3 years later “Gino” is very much a part of the family. Your review is spot on. I’m very much the Sage target customer.. latte, cappuccino etc. One maybe two a day.. The machine has performed flawlessly and I wouldn’t hesitate in getting another. So.. one question. I’m completely at a loss how to do latte art. I’ve tried. So far I’ve had everything in my cup , including a sad looking Homer Simpson this morning.. but can I do a lovely leaf design? No…. Lol
Bought an Oracle without the touch. Thought it great, three years in maybe not so.
Had a few internal leaks caused by faulty O rings. I have had a Gaggia classic for 30 years and replaced anything that was needed with no problem.
It is not a machine for the DIY repair man!
Each time I send it back to the approved repair agent you don’t get change from £100 just for labour costs….recently bought Mignon Specialista 64 XL to give me a better chance of a consistent dose. The new grinder has revived my liking of the Oracle and is producing great consistent espressos. I still use the inbuilt grinder for my decaffs in the evening.
The quality of the body of the Oracle is very poor, mine is looking like it went a few rounds with Mike Tyson…..
Love your videos, keep up the good work.
The more you enjoy a great coffee the more of a hobby it becomes!
Oh this is fascinating listening to James in this older video and seeing how the audio editing and mic upgrade in his newer videos changes the quality of his voice.
Ok. Going to pull the trigger on this. Thanks James!
This has strong "parent trying to convince their child that a dog is a ton of work and maybe they should consider getting a fish" vibes 😅
On the contrary this machine is very easy to use and save a lot of trouble though. The only bad thing for me about it is it’s too expensive
Just referring to the vibes I got as a person who wanted a dog growing up and has two dogs now. I get tremendous value and joy from my dogs, but I was also fully aware of the effort required to take care of them and train them to be model citizens. Getting a fish would be like using a Keurig. You get out what you put in, and the high investment/high reward isn't for everyone. I was trying to draw a parallel to how James did a brilliant job differentiating those audiences.
Lang Zhi agree. The price point is way too expensive. I might as well go with saeco/Jura and save some money
@not_a_bug_but_a_feature I think Kim is referring to the hassle that comes with espresso machines in general.
But, yeah. That IS the point of this machine. You must be pretty loaded to be in a position to buy this machine, but there you go.
@@lawlini1979
Or you save up money to get something you enjoy (people regularly buy phones/tablets that come close or exceed this price point)
as a man who has nothing but time I have so many hobbies, and skills that go with them, and I would say that coffee is one of those hobbies.
Hi. Really nice review. Have you tried Sage Bambino Plus? Would be great to hear your opinion about that machine. Thanks.
James I love your reviews. And your talking speed is perfect for speeding it up 1.5 times ;-p
James One thing that is worth mentioning is that you can switch it to the volumetric mode in the settings at least on the non-touch model that I have. Otherwise, I'm personally still using time based mode.
Great info Video . Professional executed
Great review. Fantastic way of presenting.
While viewing, my wife overheard your comments on not having an espresso machine at home and the “hobby” aspect for those that do. She laughed. Her Nespresso machine sits beside my pre Mil Pavoni Europiccola and Olympia Cremona 67, both with aftermarket tweaks, etc. so we both enjoyed your comments. But….over the holidays, we visited with my wife’s sister and brother-in-law. He, recently a Krups devotee, just bought a Breville Barista Pro, one of the little brothers to the Breville here in your discussion. After I got over the fact that I could not control pressure, temp, speed of the rotation of the Earth while pulling shots, I started to realize how convenient this was for a decent espresso. Not the best ever, but certainly consistently decent. Perfect for him. Probably for me to if I were to admit it. Thanks for the presentation.
Thank you. Thinking about this one.
I am somewhat a gear geek and I have been seeing this machine pop up every were on the web. I got to play with one at a store for a bit. I loved it. More control is better but like you said not the goal for this machine.
Thank you James!
Thank-you. A very fair assessment.
I have had the OT for 5 months now and it is just fantastic....
Hi there - this is an old video, but felt moved to add my experience here. I'm on my second Oracle machine and fourth Breville/Sage machine. These things are great initially, but in my experience, after a year or so, they develop problems internally. With my latest Oracle, the auto steaming only worked for a month or so (so I just use it manually and have since a month after I got it) and now, just like the last one, I can hear hissing internally and the machine's surface is getting hot. These things are just not designed to deliver even just a few drinks per day over a period of more than a year or so. I've taken them to the Breville-designated workshop for repair (always under warranty, 'cause here in Australia we have great consumer protection that ignores manufacturer warranty durations). Every time I do, the machine comes back and it's never the same. Lower pressure, other faults emerging. Just never the same. Once the internally-escaping steam caused the grinder to report that it was overheating and stop working. Once the machine just starting endlessly tripping the breaker in the kitchen. Once the repair guy told me that I should never wind the grind up tighter than about half way on the adjustment because "the pump just can't handle it". He then adjusted the grind in some way such that I could never get a satisfactory grind again fine enough to stop the flow enough, no matter what I did. So every year or so, I'm faced with this invidious choice - go through the pointless repair exercise again, give away the machine (last time to our cleaner), because I can't sell them in good conscience and buy another one, knowing that I'll get a year out of it, or spend much more and get a machine that will actually endure. I know that if I do, I'll pay a lot more for a machine and grinder, it will take up more space and I will have to do more work. So, I usually just bite the bullet and buy another one. The features are great, they are great for a year or so, but then the key pressurised components will fail, in my experience. If you take it for repair it will not help and will just result in more frustration. It seems that the internals are just not up to delivering pressurised water and steam for as long as you would think would be reasonable. Yes, of course I descaled, backflushed, changed the filters and cleaned religiously. Our water is very soft and high quality here in Sydney, anyway. So, perhaps a Linea Mini and a Ceado this time, or maybe I'll roll the dice again on an Oracle...
I looked at Sage dual boiler when I got my own set up. It was quite a bit cheaper than what I eventually bought, but I was suspicious that they had to put Heston Blumenthal's name all over it in order to sell it here, and further research confirmed users experiences re reliability. Sage is a Chinese made machine. It's a mass manufactured kitchen appliance, not a hand finished Italian work of genius. Many Sage owners I've chatted with are very happy with the quality of the brew, but it's hit and miss how long you will get out of one. It's the Dirty Harry of Espresso - "Do you feel lucky, punk?"
@@Radio4ManLeics Being an amateur economist, I think these machines are a classic case of information assymetry with consumer products. It's quite expensive (in research costs) for a consumer to work out what the internal quality of a machine like this is, and very difficult to then make a decision to trade off features for longevity. I'm still agonising over this months later. I was in a shop with my credit card in my hand ready to buy a La Marzocco GS/3 and a Ceado E37S. Both were in stock on the store's website - but in reality the GS/3 was not available and still won't be for another month or so here in Australia. They've also bumped the price up by $1,000 even though our exchange rate has improved! So back home to my Oracle, hissing louder and for longer each day, with visible scale on the case join on the right hand side where the steam is escaping. I'm hoping that all of my problems will remain so very First World in these troubled times!
@@andrewcampbell4087 As another Sydneysider, at least from the prices I've seen, the Marzocco & Ceado are a very significant jump in cost. Perhaps 4 times the Oracle? I'm also researching, so do you mind going into your thinking? Did you figure you needed to jump several tiers to get adequate longevity? Had enough bad experiences to jump, say, a relatively cheap Gaggia + Sette?
@@thankfullynonumbers Yes, actually 5 times the Oracle! But you'd have a beautiful piece of industrial design in your kitchen. I think if I went to a practical, high-quality, reasonably-priced machine like a Gaggia I'd miss the double boiler, but also the ergonomics of the Breville - they are so very easy to use. In fact, since my last post I've now bought another Breville BES-980. The previous one finally broke down just before Christmas, and I was looking at a month to repair. So, I bought another one, which was delivered next day from Appliances Online, put the old one in for repair, got it back in mid-Jan and sold it on ebay (fully disclosing that it had a problem and had been repaired under warranty). So now I'm right for another 12-18 months before I go through this again! I think to beat the great-but-short-lived Brevilles you really do have to jump several tiers. It would take a really special machine and grinder to make it worth the hassle, extra space, extra cost and extra labour in cleaning. Of course, tens of thousands of people are perfectly happy with their Gaggia or any of many e61 machines and swear by them. I've also heard that a few people make do with pod machines, too :) Each to their own, but it may mean kissing some frogs to find the right machine. It's not until you've used them for a while that you really grok them, to coin a term from Robert A. Heinlein.
Oh - I've also started using the BWT Bestmax filter jug to replace the calciium ions with magnesium ions in the water before putting it in the machine. Working very well so far - hoping this will improve the longevity somehow.
i have this machine and love it. i just found out that indeed you CAN set the amount of grind out on this machine. in the tamp fan, if you twist it clockwise about ten times it will come out and then with your supplied allen key you have to loosen it and twist the sensor out a bit (so it stops earlier) and tighten the allen again and twist it back on and bam, the machine will now grind less. i think its time to do a second video on this and let you play with that and see how you truly feel about about this one
Breville does an outstanding job of making products convenient for the customers. He is totally right about the whole expresso home experience. It’s initially fun but when you make one or two for you and maybe spouse, day after day and dialing in and tamping sometimes gets frustrating then you have to clean up the mess. It can get old quick.
Exactly. I just sent my Barista Pro back. I tried it for a week, and like you say, it was fun at first, but in the end it was way too much faffing around all for the sake of a cup of coffee; way too many variables to take into account to get a consistently decent shot. I can get much better and more consistent coffees with my £40 moka pot than I could with that thing.
@@R.W.S. even an automatic machine like these are too much of a pain?
Having owned this machines little brother,the ordinary Barrista Touch, for over a year now, I’m still a big fan. My machine has produced hundreds of great drinks and is still going strong. There is a learning curve initially that must be overcome but once you have it dialed in it produces consistent shots and textured milk and can make a variety of tasty beverages.
Does the single boiler have enough pressure to texture 2 cappuccinos ? I heard the steam cuts out after a minute or less?
Definitely one of the best home espresso machines. We used to use Nespresso pods for at home coffee, and our last one was a Breviile with the smart steam wand (what they now call “MiLQ” 😂). So when we decided that the waste of the pods was too much and we wanted to upgrade, we looked at their range with the smart steam wand. We went top of range, with the Oracle Touch (list price nearly $5,000 NZD, but picked up in a promotion for $3,400). This was in 2018, and I have to say, owning this during the COVID lockdowns made up for not being able to visit barista coffee shops. We use it probably 3-4 times every day, and it’s been so reliable.
Had one for about 6 months now and find it excellent. well done Sage.
I have the more analog dual boiler system from Sage and honestly its smooth as when combined with a good quality grinder, and fresh beans.
I have the Breville dual boiler and i love it. I got it half price though i was quite lucky there.
Where did you get it and how did you get it half price?
Yes do tell! How??
@@rvissues1556 haha! i was dating someone who worked in a shop with a hefty staff discount!
Great review.
My thoughts exactly (00 :59 -1:15 ). But my mind is on Lapavoni Europiccola, because i love the hobby. The complicated process makes my cup special each time. Even with pour over and french press and others. I switch from one to another. It's fun.😊
Angela Buenafe I have the Europiccola too! It’s an amazing little device and I love it so much, although I am looking to a Linea mini or something of that sort.
I know this is an old video but I rewatched it as i have had the original oracle (no touch screen) for 3 years now and I absolutely love it.
I noticed you mentioned that the touch can only be programmed using time, the version I have also uses volumetrics. I’ve used it to great effect over the years as it does compensate if the grind is slightly out. (At least you always get same amount in the cup, an acceptance of not wanting / having time for a new hobby! Did they not keep that option when they moved to touch screen?
Enjoy your videos, thank you. But, I was surprised you didn’t actually use the machine and make a cup during the review.
The non-touch version of the oracle is an option for people want more control. Same unit but offers much more customization
That was a great piece of insight - "Do you want a new hobby?". I´ll keep that saved
Thank you, great review ..
“It won’t give you enough granularity on the coffee making process” 😂. I know they are not your favourites, but I couldn’t help thinking about Nespresso when you talked about convenience at home. Could you do an elimination taste test with pods, like you did with instant coffee some time ago?
Done! 😁
Great review, thanks!
I have the breville/sage. The infuser and it takes all of 3-4minutes to make a superb cappuccino
I love that Oracle... and it was the machine i was talking about!!!
This Breville brand is also sold under the Sage name here in Iceland
good video james. ive got an oracle touch myself and got it as i was struggling to stand long enough to barista one due to health. this machine once set up, and it takes a little work to get it right, just does a grand job; even the milk is pretty good. now i will say that you can better it manually but heck, this is much more civilsed and tbh you probably get a better 'regular' flat white set under your own name. you can set a few like that if youve others who regularly imbibe.
Very informative review. I would really be interested to see if this model is actually better than the previous Oracle and in what ways.
Great, honest and thorough review.
I agree with everything james said about paying someone else to make espresso except where I live, greater Toronto area, Canada, it’s impossible to find a coffee bar that pulls consistently good shots no matter who is behind the bar.
reminds me of dialing in a piston lever espresso machine !
This review is all about honesty, thank you for sharing. I am happy to see you point out all the honest selling features so I got one based on your review. Now I wanna share honest experience to point out what you missed. The machine is very noisy when grinding like it amplifies the sound not muffle the sound. The pressure is poor no matter what the specifications claim the proof is in the end result and the end result is no cream on top of a short black and I did use fresh coffee looking st the used by date and packaging date. No matter what I tried in settings and a very expensive tests I did in wasting lots of coffee beans I couldn’t get that cream on top I love and can get from a cheap unit. Finally the flavours, it doesn’t taste good. I want that coffee flavour and this machine failed to deliver. For those that don’t know what I am talking about I recommend you get a unit, try it for a month and return it because you will not like it. Also one more honest review about milk frothing, it is poor at max froth setting. It doesn’t do a good job. I love your opinion and review but I now know you only talk about how good a piece of equipment is and everything you say about is honest but you do suppress the issues and not mention them. I know cause I got this machine based on you lovely review.
Sounds like the grinder is grinding too coarse and when you go finer the machine chokes.
I want this machine!
I’d be curious to see you do a breakdown of steaming milk vs just heating and frothing it (i.e., through agitating hot milk), which still seems to be the preferred domestic option.
Much thanks for the review!
I do worry, that the electronics in that box might go clunk one day, making the machine unfixable for me, vs their previous version using mechanical controls...
I guess it would be more to the point to ask what machine I'd be best off with in a location with no possibility of factory service - only my passable plumbing and electric expertise.
Could you please do a review of the Barista Express? You're the man, thank you.
Haha thinking about the same purchase!
@@1234Cheesus Some of our friends bought us one for a wedding present! I just now need to know how to use it!
I would love to know how this model compares to the Express
I’ve had a barista express for about 2-3 years now, can honestly say I’m drinking some of the best espresso I’ve ever had with it. It’s most definitely a learning curve to use with dialling in the right amount of coffee/grind size/pour ratio etc. To start with I would personally try double basket single walled. 20g of the freshest coffee you can get your hands on ground on setting number 2 tamp with a reasonable amount of force and weigh your shot as you pull and you should be extracting between 36-40g of espresso. Taste what you have and then alter different factors to your taste, your shot should pour slow like warm honey and look somewhat reminiscent of Guinness coming out of a draft pump
Really enjoy your reviews! I was curious what you thought about this machine, before I invested. Thanks
Great video. I have the past model which had buttons rather than a touch screen. It’s exactly the same inside but £600 less. Worth noting.
hi Leigh. I had the oracle touch and contacted sage (if your in the u.k) and they offered to upgrade my oracle to a touch, came with 2 years warranty and i even won a meal at hestons pub. I cant fault sage, theyve been brilliant to me.
Great! I am planning to buy one for home - next to my Nespresso
Would be good to see a deep dive into bean-to-cup machines and comparisons of models video: de longhi specialista, all the different sage variations etc
Great video!
Interesting product; I just bought their smart grinder pro and am quite happy with it. I spent quite a while looking (in Australia) and couldn’t find anything that had flat burrs in my price range. Having said that I’m not unhappy with it for a first grinder especially as I managed to pick it up half price.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on it James even though I’ve already bought it.
Would love to see a duo temp review 😊
Your videos are great! Very good reviews and I thank you! I have a Breville Touch and have had it for several years now. I have mixed feelings about it. I am not sure it is grinding quite properly and perhaps the grind is too fine and I cannot get it coarse enough..even though I have played with the burr settings and thoroughly cleaned the grinder. The dispensing of ground coffee is sometimes too high in the portafilter and so it needs some muscle to get the portafilter to fit properly in the grouphead....with a resulting overspill of liquid around the silicone seal (which I have recently replaced with no good effect). The tamping leaves an imprint of the tamper in the coffee in the portafilter with a couple of very high spots matching the tamp fans final position, so I ultimately have to gently tamp it flat before inserting it in the grouphead. These are all frustrating things that I never had to deal with with my old traditional espresso machine. It is however convenient to have everything in one machine and it does take up less space on the counter. I guess there are compromises with everything!
James you are now the trusted expert on espresso in my community😀. Quick question what do you think of the La Spaziale Luca A53 (Vivaldi 2 mini) as compared with the Sage? Or would you go Rocket Appartamento/Profitec Pro 500? Sorry for the off piste questions.
You have really stepped up your editing game! Not that this video is bad, just that your newer videos are that much better.
I dont have the touchcreen one, but I love it. I dont dial in my shots lol i just brew a latte and go. This machine is a legend.