Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine

Published on July 17, 2023, 1:58 p.m.

The Breville Oracle Touch BES990BSS is Breville’s flagship super-automatic espresso machine, designed to deliver exceptional espresso-based drinks with minimal effort. This review will examine the key features of the Oracle Touch and assess how well it lives up to its promise of bringing cafe-quality coffee into the home.

Overview

The Oracle Touch combines Breville’s precision engineering with the latest automation technology. Constructed with brushed stainless steel and measuring 14.5” x 14.7” x 17.6”, this stylish machine houses both an espresso boiler and a steam boiler to enable pulling espresso and steaming milk simultaneously.

With the Oracle Touch’s gorgeous LCD touchscreen, you can simply select your desired drink like lattes, Americanos, and more. The integrated conical burr grinder will then dose and grind the ideal amount of beans from the hopper before tamping the grounds with calibrated pressure. The espresso boiler delivers water heated to the optimal temperature for extraction, while the low pressure pre-infusion and Over Pressure Valve ensure balanced flavor.

Breville’s Journey in Espresso Innovation

Breville, a renowned name in the kitchen appliance industry, has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation. The Oracle Touch BES990BSS represents the pinnacle of their espresso machine lineup, embodying years of research and technological advancement. Originating from a rich history of espresso excellence, Breville’s Oracle Touch is designed to cater to both the discerning home barista and the casual coffee lover, offering a blend of automation and customization that is unique in the market.

Key Features

Automatic grinding, dosing, tamping
Customizable drink recipes
PID temperature control
Low pressure pre-infusion for even extraction
Over Pressure Valve (OPV) for optimal pressure control
Integrated milk texturing system
LCD touchscreen interface
Stainless steel construction

Compatibility and Versatility

The Breville Oracle Touch excels in its ability to accommodate a wide range of coffee beans and grind sizes, ensuring that every cup is brewed to perfection. Whether you prefer a robust espresso or a milder Americano, the Oracle Touch’s adjustable settings allow for a customized brewing experience. This versatility extends to its ability to support different brewing methods, including an option for cold brew coffee, catering to the diverse preferences of coffee enthusiasts.

Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine

Design

With its sleek brushed stainless steel finish and commercial-style portafilter, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine brings an air of sophistication into the kitchen. The centered LCD touchscreen provides an intuitive user interface that is approachable yet high-tech. Backlit buttons and clean lines give it a modern yet timeless aesthetic. Its countertop footprint is substantial but justified given the extensive features.

Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine

Ease of Use

Between the detailed LCD menus and customizable drink profiles, the learning curve can be steep for new users. However, once programmed to your preferences, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine couldn’t be simpler to operate. At the touch of a button, it automatically grinds, doses, tamps, and brews espresso with no effort required. The milk texturing is automatic after a short priming process. While not the most intuitive at first, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine ultimately provides incredible ease of use.

Smart Features and Connectivity

In an era where convenience is paramount, the Breville Oracle Touch stands out with its smart features. Its compatibility with mobile applications allows users to control the machine remotely, adjusting settings or starting the brewing process from their smartphone. Voice command integration further enhances the user experience, offering a seamless and futuristic way to interact with the machine.

Precise PID Temperature Control

The Oracle Touch utilizes PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) technology to maintain precise water temperature throughout the brewing process. This ensures optimal extraction of coffee flavors and aromas, resulting in a balanced and delicious espresso.

Low Pressure Pre-Infusion

Before the high-pressure extraction, the Oracle Touch applies a low-pressure pre-infusion to the coffee grounds. This gently expands the grounds, allowing for even water distribution and a more uniform extraction.

Over Pressure Valve (OPV)

The Over Pressure Valve (OPV) is a commercial-grade feature that limits the maximum pressure during extraction, preventing bitter flavors in the espresso shot. It also helps to ensure consistent pressure throughout the brewing process.

Customizable Settings

The Oracle Touch allows users to customize various settings to suit their preferences, including grind size, coffee strength, milk temperature, and texture. Users can also save their favorite drink recipes for quick and easy access.

One-Touch Americano

The Oracle Touch features a dedicated Americano button that automatically dispenses hot water after the espresso shot, creating a perfect Americano with minimal effort.

Triple Heat System

The Oracle Touch boasts a triple heat system designed to optimize every stage of the coffee-making process. A dedicated steam boiler ensures consistent steam pressure for milk texturing, while a separate espresso boiler maintains precise water temperature for extraction. Additionally, a heated group head further stabilizes thermal conditions for optimal brewing.

Self-Cleaning Steam Wand

The automatic steam wand not only textures milk to perfection but also cleans itself after each use. This feature reduces the need for manual cleaning and ensures that the wand is always ready for the next latte.

Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine

Milk Frothing Ability

With its automatic steam wand, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine froths milk to create the silky, glossy microfoam required for latte art. The machine injects air into the milk while spinning to produce smooth, velvety foam. While results depend on the milk type, the steam wand consistently delivers high-quality froth for your morning cappuccinos.

Convenient Water Reservoir

The Oracle Touch features a front-filling water reservoir with a generous 2.5-liter capacity. This design eliminates the need to remove the reservoir for refilling, making it more convenient to use and maintain.

Customizable Presets and User Profiles

The Oracle Touch allows users to create and save up to 8 personalized coffee settings. These presets can be customized to adjust grind size, coffee strength, milk temperature, and texture, ensuring that your favorite drinks are always perfectly tailored to your taste.

Cleaning and Maintenance

While automatic, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine requires frequent cleaning cycles to keep components like the steam wand tip free of milk buildup. Thankfully, backflushing the group head and running the “Clean Me” cycle are simple one-touch processes. Overall the machine is lower maintenance than traditional espresso machines.

Noise Level

The vibration pump used in the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine is quite loud, producing up to 80 decibels of noise. The grinder also contributes to the noise level when dosing coffee. This makes the machine too disruptive for settings where a quiet environment is desired.

Build Quality and Durability

Constructed with an unwavering attention to detail, the Breville Oracle Touch is a testament to durability and high-quality craftsmanship. Its robust stainless steel components not only contribute to a sleek aesthetic but also ensure longevity, standing up to the rigors of daily use while maintaining peak performance.

Ideal Usage Scenarios

The Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine is perfect for:

Coffee enthusiasts who want to recreate café-quality espresso drinks at home
Busy households that want the convenience of one-touch specialty coffee
Those who love lattes, cappuccinos, and other milk-based espresso drinks
Anyone seeking convenience without compromising quality

With its minimal effort and delicious results, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine streamlines crafting espresso drinks for rushed mornings, weekday breakfasts, and weekend brunches alike. It’s sure to be a hit at dinner parties when guests request made-to-order cappuccinos or vanilla lattes. The Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine brings the excitement of a café right into your own kitchen.

Detailed User Feedback Analysis

With over 400 customer reviews, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine has earned an average rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, indicating generally positive but mixed feedback from owners.

Looking closer at the reviews, complimentary owners describe the Oracle Touch as a “game changer” for at-home espresso thanks to its simplified workflow and café-quality results. Many highlight the convenience of the automatic tamping and milk texturing, which deliver consistent espresso and velvety microfoam with no effort. Enthusiasts praise the machine’s ability to produce “gorgeous crema” and espresso with rich, complex flavors when dialed in properly. Customers also appreciate the commercial-grade stainless steel construction and intuitive touchscreen programming.

However, a common complaint is the noise level, with some users remarking the “vibration pump is damn noisy” at up to 80 decibels. Many note frustration with inconsistent grind sizes produced by the integrated burr grinder, especially as the machine warms up. This impacts extraction and requires constant re-calibration. Some dislike the unintuitive touchscreen interface and steep learning curve. While satisfied owners say the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine makes lattes “better than Starbucks,” others warn new users to expect a “learning period” to master the machine’s many advanced features.

Overall, the majority of critical reviews stem from grind inconsistency and noise levels rather than issues with the actual espresso or milk frothing performance when settings are properly dialed in. Owners seeking the pinnacle of home espresso convenience are willing to overlook these downsides. Yet first-time buyers should be prepared for the machine’s initially steep learning curve. With the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine’s hefty price tag, customers expect hassle-free perfection out of the box. When results are inconsistent, frustrations understandably ensue. However, owners emphasize that with practice and the right grind adjustments, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine ultimately delivers unparalleled convenience and quality for at-home baristas.

Pros

Automated grinding, tamping, milk texturing
Easy to use touchscreen interface
Excellent espresso and milk drink quality
PID temperature control for precision
Customizable drink settings
Over Pressure Valve mimics commercial machines
Rapid steaming from dedicated boiler
Minimal cleanup

Cons

Very expensive
Requires regular descaling
Milk carafe doesn’t hold much
Noisy

Value Analysis

At around $2,800 the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine commands a premium price, but its space-age automation and commercial-grade components make it an incredible value for serious coffee lovers. With the ability to deliver everything from basic espresso to specialty milk drinks on demand, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine effectively combines an espresso machine and automatic milk frother into one appliance. While the price is steep, there’s no easier way to enjoy café quality espresso and latte art at home. For those who are willing to invest, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine is a game-changing product.

Conclusion

With smart technology that automates complex techniques, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine makes it remarkably easy to achieve third-wave quality coffee drinks at home. For those seeking a high-end super-automatic espresso machine that delivers professional results with push-button convenience, the Breville BES990BSS Oracle Touch Espresso Machine is an excellent choice.

Final Thoughts

Embodying the harmony of advanced technology and user-centric design, the Breville Oracle Touch BES990BSS is more than just an espresso machine; it’s a gateway to a world of exquisite coffee experiences. Its array of customizable features, coupled with its ease of use, makes it a compelling choice for anyone looking to elevate their coffee ritual. Whether for a bustling household or a dynamic office environment, the Oracle Touch promises to be a standout addition, inviting users to explore the art of coffee-making in its most refined form.