So what’s so great about BES980XL, and why is it so successful on the market? Why do people choose the Oracle over fully automatic machines?
The Oracle is a semi-automatic machine, so you will have to manage some of the brewing process yourself, but this is actually an advantage. Almost all of the brewing variables can be adjusted on the Oracle—temperature, pre-infusion pressure, shot volume, and grind size—which means extensive control to dial in your shot. For those who want precise control over the extraction process, this is the ideal machine. We will review these parameters in detail below.
Another reason is related to the way super-automatics are built. In a super-automatic, the coffee grounds need to be moved around from the grinding chamber into the brewing chamber. (as outlined by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook) While this makes it convenient for the barista, it is not so great for the machine, or the shot quality, as coffee grounds get spilled, and accumulate in hidden areas. This translates into moving small quantities of stale coffee into the coffee puck, and increased maintenance requirements.
The design of a super-automatic is inherently complex, with more moving pieces and mechanical transfer points. This is why super-automatics are less reliable and more prone to breaking compared to semi-automatic machines with integrated grinders. (as outlined by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook)
I will conclude my overview mentioning that the BES980XL is the result of years of iterative design and engineering improvements. The Dual Boiler BES920XL, and the BES900XL gave the Breville design team critical data on how to refine the Oracle to make it the optimal home-use espresso machine. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) But let’s take a look at the features, and see if this machine is worthy of the hype.
Breville Oracle Features
All the features of the Breville Oracle are designed to give the barista more control over the shot extraction and to improve the overall experience. If you are a barista that looks for the perfect shot, then this machine is a great option.
Pre-infusion
Oracle is equipped with a pre-infusion function to saturate the grounds with water and avoid channeling—a technique endorsed by espresso experts like Scott Rao for improving extraction uniformity. The default pre-brew settings are 60% of the normal pressure for 7 seconds, after which the machine starts to push water at full pressure. You can change the default settings, if you need to compensate for different roast levels, or different origins.
Oracle has Dual Boilers
This is one of the prosumer features of the Oracle. The dual boiler considerably raises the cost of the machine, but it allows the barista to steam milk and pull a shot simultaneously—a workflow advantage recognized by professional espresso training programs. (recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA))
The two stainless steel boilers are heated by separate elements and PID temperature controllers. This improves the brewing temperature precision to within ±1°F, a variable that is many times overlooked but critical for consistent extraction.
An espresso machine with two boilers also ensures temperature stability during brewing, eliminating the recovery lag inherent in single-boiler heat-exchanger designs.
Temperature Control and PID
One of the standout features of this machine is the triple heat system, a patented Breville technology that addresses a core challenge in espresso preparation: independent temperature control across multiple functions. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition)
The triple heat system uses separate heating elements for the brew head, the steam boiler, and the espresso brewing circuit. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) This ensures precise temperature control and makes the three components thermally independent of each other.
Each component requires a different operating temperature—espresso extraction typically demands 195-205°F, while steam generation requires higher temperatures—so controlling them separately improves temperature stability and precision. (According to the SCA Golden Cup standard, brewing water should be between 90°C and 96°C (195°F–205°F))
The BES980XL incorporates two PID controllers: one regulates the temperature in the brewing boiler, and the other controls the temperature in the group head. (According to the SCA Golden Cup standard, brewing water should be between 90°C and 96°C (195°F–205°F))
There are cheaper machines with a PID for the espresso boiler, so a single PID is nothing unusual. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) The design decision to add a second PID to the group head is exceptional, though.
Home baristas consistently struggle to bring the group head to the correct extraction temperature. (recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)) Common workarounds include pulling blank shots or leaving the machine on for extended warm-up periods. Breville solved this with an actively heated group head regulated by a dedicated PID controller.
The brewing temperature can be adjusted using the “shot temperature” function with a +/- 2°F precision. You can use this to compensate for the beans’ origin and roast level.
You can also adjust the steam boiler temperature. Because steam temperature control is less sensitive than espresso extraction, there is no need for PID. This is controlled by a thermistor.
Dual Pumps for Consistent Pressure
The machine has two pumps, one dedicated to the steam circuit and one for pulling espresso shots. This dual pump system delivers consistent 9-bar pressure when extracting espresso.
More importantly, the dual pump configuration means you can steam milk and pull shots simultaneously without pressure loss.
Milk frothing requires 260 °F, whereas espresso brewing requires 190 to 196 °F—the temperature range recommended by the Specialty Coffee Association for optimal extraction. Going from 190 °F to 260 °F takes some time, so having two boilers cuts down the time between steaming and brewing. However, many machines with two boilers are still limited to a single operation at a time, because they use one pump only. Breville fixes this by incorporating a second pump that is used for milk steaming only.
Cup Warmer
As most machines in its class, the Oracle’s cup warmer has its own dedicated heating element. This means that it doesn’t rely on the heat from the boilers. This translates to temperature stability, and use of the cup warmer independent of the boiler use. Nothing out of the ordinary here, but still worth mentioning.
Advanced Automated Milk Frother
I only use the steam wand on my machine for friends and family. I like my espresso neat, but I prepare lattes and cappuccinos for my family. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) I love to show off my latte art skills and make beautiful drinks. I get to practice my skills so I maintain my technique.
The beauty with the BES980XL is that you don’t need any barista training to steam milk. (recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)) The automatic milk frothing will do it for you. Just place the steam wand in the milk jug and start the milk frother.
The steam wand is an interesting take on the panarello wand design. There is a small disadvantage with the Oracle’s steam wand. Traditional manual milk texturing is not possible, if that’s what you are after. (a technique Lance Hedrick and Chris Baca both emphasize for quality microfoam)
The steam wand has a temperature probe that measures the milk’s temperature, preventing scalding above the recommended 150-155°F range for optimal microfoam texture.
If you want, a manual mode milk texturing is available, which gives you more direct control over the frothing process.
Auto Grind, Dose and Tamp
The Oracle can grind, dose and tamp for you to your exact specifications, if you want to. (as outlined by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook) You just lock the portafilter in the grind outlet and the Oracle will execute the complete workflow automatically.
Built-In Grinder
Oracle’s grinder is probably one of the best built-in grinders in the industry. (as outlined by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook) This is a precision conical burr grinder with 45 grind settings, allowing fine-tuned particle size control. You can grind directly into your portafilter, for convenience.
You can adjust the dose during the tweaking phase in order to perfect your shots. The grinder is equipped with an integrated tamping system that works similarly to calibrated tampers but delivers superior consistency. The tamping system will level the grinds and tamp them for you for perfect consistency. This will ensure an even ground distribution and it will prevent channelling, a common extraction flaw identified by espresso experts like Scott Rao. What’s great about the automatic tamper is that you can adjust the force applied to the coffee grounds—typically 15-30 lbs of pressure—giving you another variable to tweak your shots.
The bean hopper on the Oracle holds up to 8oz of whole bean coffee. The hopper can be completely removed and features a bean stopper, allowing you to take it off even when there are still beans inside.
Removable Bean Hopper
The bean hopper holds up to 8oz (approximately 227g) and can be removed for cleaning. Also, if you need to change the coffee beans from the hopper, you can simply detach the hopper and dump the beans out—particularly useful when switching between single-origin and blend profiles. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition)
Automatic Tamping
You can also use the automatic tamping feature, which ensures consistent 30 lbs of pressure every time. (tamping pressure and levelness, fundamentals highlighted in SCA barista-certification material) Unless you are a trained barista, this is very convenient. Yeah, you could probably use a calibrated tamper, but you still have to buy it separately. Check my page about perfect tamping for technique details.
Coffee Dose
The coffee dose on the Breville Oracle is fixed at the factory setting, as it should be for consistency. There is no option to change the amount of grounds used through the interface. However, playing with some of the shot settings you can increase the dose by a gram. Check the video below, if you are interested in this workaround.
Shot Length
The beverage size can be adjusted in two ways on the Oracle: (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition)
- by adjusting the extraction time (the default method)
- by adjusting the volume of water pushed through the coffee puck
One standout feature of the Oracle is the programmable shot volume. You can set the machine to dispense your desired water volume. This allows you to pull ristrettos (15-20 ml), lungos (50-60 ml), or standard espresso shots (25-30 ml). (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) You still have to adjust the grind setting for these variations, since this is not a super automatic, but you don’t need a scale to measure your output.
You can set the desired volume and then program that as a preferred beverage for easy selection. Programming the shot allows you to save all the variables—dose, grind, temperature, and volume—into a beverage slot. (as outlined by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook) Once you’ve dialed in your shot, you can save that profile, and the machine will replicate that shot consistently. You can have the perfect espresso shot every morning.
If you prefer not to pull shots by volume, which can result in over-extraction, you can program the shot duration instead. This approach prevents extractions from exceeding 30 seconds, aligning with SCA espresso timing guidelines.
Time your Espresso – Shot Clock
This seems like a useless feature, but it is very handy, if you have it. You can know exactly how long your shot poured without a separate timer. When you dial in your espresso the shot timer is a very helpful feature for tracking extraction time. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition)
Changing the beans, using a different filter basket, or pulling a lungo, or a ristretto, requires dialing in your shot. The integrated shot clock helps you time it perfectly, ensuring consistent 25-30 second extraction windows for standard espresso. (extraction science research published in Journal of Food Science)
The Breville Oracle Is NOT a Super Automatic
If you think that the Oracle is a super-automatic, this is not true. You will need to do some of the operations manually. This design was intentional by Breville’s engineering team.
The Breville team created the Oracle for the espresso enthusiast who values control over full automation. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) While convenience was on their list, it was not their main goal. The goal was to make a robust machine, and to allow the barista to tweak as many extraction variables as possible—grind size, dose, tamp pressure, temperature, and pre-infusion time. Here are some of the advantages of the BES980.
A super automatic performs grinding, tamping and brewing in the same place. (as outlined by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook) The chute for transferring the grounds from the grinder runs right beside the brewing unit. This design can lead to getting stale coffee in the brewing unit from residual grounds. This also means more moving pieces and complexity lowers reliability over time.
Dialing in your shot with super automatic espresso machine is very complicated. While super-automatics in this range have various options to adjust the extraction, the process is complicated and most of the times machine owners just settle for average results. Pulling the perfect espresso shot at home is not complicated if you have the right equipment and if you have a thorough knowledge of how to tweak your coffee technique to improve the results to your preference.
Where To Buy the Breville Oracle?
There are a few places where you can buy this online. If in doubt – Amazon is the safest option for reliable shipping and buyer protection, but there are specialized online coffee equipment retailers that stock it, and we do recommend you check them as well. The advantage is that you can get detailed product specifications and expert guidance from them during the purchase and after-sale support.
Further Down the Rabbit Hole
Ok, there is a lot more to learn and to explore if you are serious about your espresso. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) For instance you can buy a naked portafilter (also called a bottomless portafilter), so that you know exactly how well you pull your shots and diagnose channeling or uneven extraction.
If you want to connect with fellow Oracle owners, ask technical questions, or exchange ideas, this forum dedicated to Oracle BES980XL is the place for that. Or you can ask on reddit for more general questions. (the SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition) Most of the time it’s the barista’s technique and not the machine that determines espresso quality.
Conclusion
The Breville BES980XL Oracle is the result of refining and improving on previous machines such as the Dual Boiler BES920XL, and the BES900XL. The engineering team took the experience from its predecessors to make the Oracle one of the most capable espresso machines for home use. Is the Oracle worth the price and hype? If you have the budget, it is. It improves your daily espresso workflow, and it allows you