Breville BES990BSS The Oracle Touch Coffee Machine

I've had this for just over a month now and I couldn't be happier with it. I was looking for a bean to cup machine and my intention was to purchase a fully automatic model which ruled Sage out. However after an excellent in store demo and a tasting I was sold. I also parted with more cash than I planned to! As other reviews mention the dialling in feature is the one that takes a little getting used to. I did waste a bit of coffee in the first few days trying to get the extraction right but after a week or so I almost feel like a barista! There's lots of videos on YouTube which are really helpful. The auto frothing of the milk also helps deliver real top cafe quality cappuccino/lattes. So much so that I'll skip collecting a coffee when I'm out as I can do so much ... MoreI've had this for just over a month now and I couldn't be happier with it. I was looking for a bean to cup machine and my intention was to purchase a fully automatic model which ruled Sage out. However after an excellent in store demo and a tasting I was sold. I also parted with more cash than I planned to! As other reviews mention the dialling in feature is the one that takes a little getting used to. I did waste a bit of coffee in the first few days trying to get the extraction right but after a week or so I almost feel like a barista! There's lots of videos on YouTube which are really helpful. The auto frothing of the milk also helps deliver real top cafe quality cappuccino/lattes. So much so that I'll skip collecting a coffee when I'm out as I can do so much better at home. The build quality of the machine is superb. Cleaning is easy and everything feels really intuitive. It has this really nifty little button under the drip tray which when you turn it sets down some wheels so you can glide the machine around and get to the back if you need to remove the water tank. This is only for cleaning purposes as there is a touch sensitive flap at the front which enables you to top up the water easily. The machine is quite heavy and large. I wouldn't be able to tuck it under a kitchen wall cupboard (see photo for scale) so you need to be mindful of this. However, it looks extremely stylish and is a big hit with my friends when they pop around for coffee. Due to the price this is a considered purchase but I'm glad I chose it.

Great machine, great espresso, easy to use; however, the bean hopper broke easily after only 4 months of having the machine. Breville does not have the part readily available for shipping. Didn't think this would be something that would need to be replaced so soon; however, I find myself waiting over a month and a half for a replacement. The plastic edges that lock the pins in place chipped off and went into the grinder. This caused HOURS of trying to unjam the grinder - TWICE did I have to figure out how to unjam what seemed to be an increasingly impossible task. Thankfully I have an awl and tweasers which saved me. Otherwise, I honestly don't know what options would be available - ship it back?! There was only so much customer service could do for me remotely. I ... MoreGreat machine, great espresso, easy to use; however, the bean hopper broke easily after only 4 months of having the machine. Breville does not have the part readily available for shipping. Didn't think this would be something that would need to be replaced so soon; however, I find myself waiting over a month and a half for a replacement. The plastic edges that lock the pins in place chipped off and went into the grinder. This caused HOURS of trying to unjam the grinder - TWICE did I have to figure out how to unjam what seemed to be an increasingly impossible task. Thankfully I have an awl and tweasers which saved me. Otherwise, I honestly don't know what options would be available - ship it back?! There was only so much customer service could do for me remotely. I will probably need to replace my grinder at some point given all of the tools I've jammed in there to get the tiny plastic pieces of the bean hopper out. Recommendation for Breville: -- Please make the bean hopper higher quality. Please. Recommendation for users: -- I've placed blue painters tape on the broken edges of the bean hopper while waiting for the new one to arrive. I will likely tape those fresh edges to ensure they have some added protection as well. Seems to be doing ok and not chipping into the grinder any further. Plus if it does happen to chip, the blue tape should make it easier to identify the pieces in the grinder. Hopefully I can just avoid this issue altogether. -- If you are a first time Breville user, consider purchasing a bean hopper when making your initial purchase of the machine to save yourself time and frustration on waiting for the part to arrive. Also, I feel like I am under utilizing my machine as a first time espresso machine/Breville owner. Would appreciate if Breville automatically included classes on how to make the different drinks and even create your own. You can do this for purchase which I intend to do at a $50 charge. I simply hope I get what I need out of it to fully utilize my machine. While there are drawbacks to any machine, I give this 4 stars as it really is quite simple to use. Even though I don't necessarily know what I'm doing, it produces tasty espresso that keeps me caffeinated.

After 8 years our Breville Infuser died. It was a sad day. But we had such a great experience with that machine that we knew another Breville would replace it. After many nights reading reviews and watching YouTube vids, we were convinced to get the Oracle Touch. After a few so-so coffees while dialing in the right grind and temp settings, every coffee since has been perfection. The machine wakes up every morning by itself, ready to make our flatties. We’re currently on a keto diet, so we use a mixture of heavy cream and water instead of milk, but using the touch screen interface we created a perfect recipe for that and gave it a custom icon so that we can make the perfect cup every time. Our kids use it to make hot chocolates, with perfect foam. Using this machine ... MoreAfter 8 years our Breville Infuser died. It was a sad day. But we had such a great experience with that machine that we knew another Breville would replace it. After many nights reading reviews and watching YouTube vids, we were convinced to get the Oracle Touch. After a few so-so coffees while dialing in the right grind and temp settings, every coffee since has been perfection. The machine wakes up every morning by itself, ready to make our flatties. We’re currently on a keto diet, so we use a mixture of heavy cream and water instead of milk, but using the touch screen interface we created a perfect recipe for that and gave it a custom icon so that we can make the perfect cup every time. Our kids use it to make hot chocolates, with perfect foam. Using this machine is a joy. It gives the exact same result (with the same beans) every time, and makes a really great cup. I was sceptical that the automatic steamer would do as good a job as a manual wand, but it is great. Another bonus of how easy this machine is to use is that our 9yr old daughter is now perfectly capable of making a fantastic cuppa and bringing it to us in bed on a lazy Saturday :) Highly recommend this machine!