Both the Breville Oracle vs Barista Touch are designed to help you make a perfect cup of Joe with minimal effort. And overall, the former is clearly the better one.
The Breville Oracle is designed to bridge the gap between a semi-automatic machine and a super-automatic. Yes, it automates almost every step, from grinding and tamping to frothing milk, and you’ll be surprised at how much free time you get.
The Breville Barista Touch, on the other hand, needs more intervention from you, but it is equipped with a thermoJet fast-heating system and a list of several one-touch coffee specialties.
Breville Oracle Vs Barista Touch: Specs & Features Comparison Chart
Last update on 2024-11-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breville Oracle Vs Barista Touch: Differences
The Oracle won against the Barista Touch with a score of 6-4. Discover what sets them apart in my detailed comparison!
Coffee Flavor & Brewing System
Winner: Breville Oracle
Built-in Grinder
Both have a built-in grinder that is specially calibrated for espresso. The convenience of having an espresso machine and grinder combined into one sleek package is a significant advantage, especially for those who value space-saving in their kitchen.
The Barista Touch stands out with its impressive range of 30 grind settings, allowing for a high degree of customization. More impressive is the Breville Oracle, which has 45 different grind settings. Adjusting the grind size is as simple as turning the dial located on the side of the machine.
One very, very important tip I want you to remember with both machines is always to change the grind settings only when the grinder is running. This prevents any damage to the mechanism and ensures consistent grind quality.
Dosing & Tamping
Tamping is one of the major differences between these Brevilles. The Oracle automates the tamping (as well as grinding and dosing), while the Barista Touch requires manual tamping.
Seasoned baristas might scoff at the idea of so much automation, arguing that it takes away the art and control from the process. But trust me, not everyone has the time or desire to engage in the detailed, manual process of making espresso. The automation that devices like the Oracle provide is priceless for many.
At the price point of the Barista Touch, one might jokingly expect something extravagant, like a gold-coated tamper! But jokes aside, the quality of its tamper is no joke. It’s even magnetically attached to the machine when not used for storage.
The Breville Oracle uses a 58-millimeter portafilter, while the Barista Touch comes with a 54-millimeter one. Both work and feel solid, but I just want to mention that the 58-mm size is generally preferred in the professional barista community. The larger surface area allows for a more even water distribution through the coffee grounds, potentially leading to a more balanced extraction.
With the Breville Oracle, you only get both single-wall filter baskets, while the Breville Oracle has both single- and dual-wall baskets to cater to a wider range of users, from beginners to more experienced baristas. It’s particularly beneficial for those still honing their tamping and grinding skills, as the dual-wall baskets can be more forgiving.
Heating System
The Barista Touch is a single-boiler machine that has limitations due to its inability to multitask. If you’re using the steam wand first, for instance, you need to steam your milk and then purge the wand before you can start brewing a shot.
The Breville Oracle, on the other hand, features a dual boiler system, eliminating the waiting time between brewing and steaming. With this one, you can simultaneously pull your espresso shot and steam your milk, which is a huge plus in terms of efficiency and convenience.
But compared to the Barista Touch with a thermojet heater, the Oracle makes you wait longer to pull the first shot of the day. To give you an idea, the Oracle will take around half an hour to heat up sufficiently, while the Barista Touch only takes three seconds to heat up.
Brewing System
As someone who’s spent a good amount of time exploring and reviewing espresso machines, I’m wise enough to know that pre-infusion plays a crucial role in how the espresso shots taste.
It’s a relief to see that both the Oracle and Barista Touch are equipped with the pre-infusion function, but with the Breville Oracle, you get the flexibility to adjust the pressure and duration of the pre-infusion, whereas the Barista Touch doesn’t offer the same adjustability for pre-infusion settings.
So for those who enjoy the subtleties of the brewing process and the ability to customize their coffee to their exact preferences, the Oracle’s adjustable pre-infusion settings are a major boon.
Design & Convenience
Winner: Breville Oracle
Dimensions & User Interface
| Breville Oracle | Breville Barista Touch | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 17.8 x 14.7 x 16.1 inches | 16 x 12.5 x 12.7 inches |
| Weight | 36 lbs | 26.8 lbs |
The Oracle, with its impressive array of features, is quite substantial in size, making it potentially challenging to fit into every kitchen. It’s significantly larger than the Barista Touch, but the designers at Breville have cleverly addressed this potential issue by equipping it with a nifty roller-bearing system. It allows you to swivel this machine easily, making it more manageable to access the water tank at the back.
Operating the Oracle is straightforward, with three LCD screens and surrounding buttons. On the other hand, the Barista Touch is the first machine in its line to be equipped with an upgraded touchscreen display. Not all home baristas may prioritize a touchscreen interface, but I personally believe it makes a noticeable difference.
Water Reservoir & Bean Hopper
| Breville Oracle | Breville Barista Touch | |
|---|---|---|
| Water Reservoir | 2.5 liter | 2 liter |
| Bean Hopper | 0.28 kilogram | 0.23 kilogram |
The Oracle has a bigger water tank and bean feeder, meaning fewer refilling times. And unlike the Barista Touch, which requires you to completely disassemble the water tank for refilling, the Oracle features a slot on the top of the machine for this purpose. It’s a small detail, but it significantly enhances the ease of use.
Pre-programmed Coffee Options & Programmability
Winner: Breville Barista Touch
| Breville Oracle | Breville Barista Touch |
|---|---|
| Espresso Americano Hot Water | Espresso Latte Flat White Cappuccino Americano Hot Chocolate TeaMilk |
The Barista Touch is one of the few Breville machines with as many one-touch drink recipes. However, at the end of the day, you’re still going to have to pour the drink by hand, just like with the Oracle. That said, having a cappuccino or flat white on the menu is fantastic, but if you can’t do the job correctly, it will be just a mix of espresso and hot milk.
Both allow you to change some aspects of the process, including the shot length, brewing temperature, and the temperature and texture of milk foam. The thing is that you aren’t able to adjust the dose on the Oracle, like with the Barista Touch.
Other Features
Winner: Tie
Auto On/Off
The Barista Touch automatically switches off after half an hour, while the Oracle allows you to decide when it should be turned on or off automatically. In other words, the latter gives you more control in this aspect.
User Profiles
The Barista Touch offers the capacity to save up to eight custom drinks on the home screen. In a typical home setting, having 8 custom slots is usually more than sufficient. It ensures that everyone in the household can have their preferred coffee style and settings saved, reducing the hassle of manual adjustments every time someone wants to brew a coffee. But in a workplace with, say, twenty coffee drinkers, having only eight custom slots might not be as accommodating.
Breville Oracle Vs Barista Touch: Similarities
Milk Frothing System
The auto-frothing wand is indeed one of their most impressive features. Their wands are so well-designed that it raises the question of whether manual milk steaming could become a thing of the past. All you need to do is place the wand in the milk pitcher, pull a lever, and the machine will take care of the rest.
What I find particularly impressive is the level of customization available. You can adjust the milk’s temperature and choose the texture of the foam. Both have a sensor to continuously monitor the milk foam and stop the entire frothing process when it has reached the desired temperature. And to top it all off, the wand even cleans itself with a self-purging function after use, which is incredibly convenient.
There is a manual override mode for those who prefer to steam milk themselves. But the wand’s movement is somewhat limited, only moving up and down rather than rotating 360 degrees, which can be a bit awkward if you’re used to a traditional steam wand like the one on the Barista Pro.
Water Filter
Both accept a water filter (included as part of the purchase). The filter helps remove impurities and minerals from the water that can affect the flavor of the espresso. This is especially important in areas with hard water, where the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium can impact the brewing process and the longevity of the machine.
Built-in Cup Warmer
Both come equipped with a built-in cup warmer, which is a welcome feature. When espresso is poured into a pre-warmed cup, it helps maintain the coffee’s temperature, ensuring that your drink stays hot for longer. This is especially important for those who take their time to enjoy their coffee, as it prevents the drink from cooling down too quickly.
Quick Rundown Of Breville Oracle
- AUTOMATIC MICROFOAM MILK TEXTURING: Self-cleaning steam wand, powered by a dedicated boiler, automatically textures milk to your liking and delivers barista quality microfoam that enhances flavour and is essential for creating latte art at home
- PRECISE ESPRESSO EXTRACTION: Dual stainless steel boilers and heated group head controlled by digital temperature control (PID) delivers water at precisely the right temperature, ensuring optimal espresso extraction
- OPTIMAL WATER PRESSURE: The Over Pressure Valve limits the maximum pump pressure throughout extraction, helping prevent bitter flavours; Low pressure pre infusion gradually increases water pressure to gently expand grinds for an even extraction
- SHOT CONTROL AND LCD DISPLAY: Choose between one shot, two shots or manual control on the LCD display to control how much espresso ends up in your cup to make the perfect coffee/espresso every time
Last update on 2024-11-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Breville Barista Touch
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use.Tamping : Manual removable magnetic tamper. Grind Settings : 30 precision grind settings. Integrated Burr Grinder : Hardened steel conical burrs.
Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Breville Oracle: https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes980.html
- Breville Barista Touch: https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes880.html
Felix Hendricks is a skilled barista with over 12 years of experience. He excels in crafting coffee and has a strong foundation in coffee machine mechanics. Felix holds a Coffee Machine Maintenance Certification from the Coffee Equipment Technical Institute, showcasing his ability to diagnose and repair coffee machines. He’s also worked as a quality control specialist, selecting premium coffee beans for optimal flavor. Felix has a diverse work history, including stints at renowned coffee spots like Café Euphoria & Starbucks. His expertise in both brewing and machine maintenance makes him a respected figure in the coffee industry.