The Breville Oracle Touch vs Barista Touch: The Oracle Touch is basically the Barista Touch but with more features and capabilities. So surely the latter takes the crown in this face-off.
Aside from shared features such as a built-in burr grinder, an intuitive touch screen, a 15-bar pump, and an automatic steam wand, the Breville Oracle Touch pulls ahead with up to 45 grind settings, an automatic grinding and tamping station, a double boiler system, and a roller-bearing system.
On the other hand, the Breville Barista Touch stands out with ThermoJet technology, requiring just 3 seconds to reach operational temperature. Also, it’s more compact and lighter and comes at a lower price tag.
Breville Oracle Touch Vs Barista Touch: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2023-12-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breville Oracle Touch Vs Barista Touch: Differences
The Breville Oracle Touch outperforms the Barista Touch with a score of 4-2. Now is the time to dig deeper into my comparison.
Coffee Flavour
Winner: Breville Oracle Touch
Built-in Grinder
We all know how important a high-quality integrated grinder on an espresso machine is. Beyond sparing you the time and expense of acquiring a separate grinder, it’s also a space-saver for your kitchen counter. Both of these Baristas have a stainless steel conical burr grinder, so it is off to a good start.
First of all, there’s no denying that the burr grinder completely outperforms its blade counterpart in terms of consistency. Instead of chopping the beans, it crushes them between two serrated plates (called burrs), resulting in super-even particle sizes and optimal extraction. Also, the conical shape does a great job of dampening noise during grinding, so your early-morning coffee ritual doesn’t become a wake-up call for the whole household.
I’ve worked with a lot of super-automatic machines with just 6–10 grind settings, but the Breville Oracle Touch vs Barista Touch take it up a notch with 45 and 30 different grind settings, respectively. Amazing! That’s a vast playground for micro-adjusting grind size to achieve the perfect espresso. Your chosen setting is conveniently displayed on the touch screen, so it is always in your sight.
One of the traits that puts the Barista Touch in the “semi-automatic” category is that it requires manual tamping. Like many other home baristas, I’ve had no problem with this, and I even love it, while the stainless steel tamper that comes with it isn’t too bad. It can be stored on-board by attaching to a slot on the machine via magnet.
Right, not everyone is interested in or wants to spend time on this task, not to mention that it’s a hard skill that takes practice. That’s why the automatic grinding and tamping station on the Oracle Touch is a game changer for so many people. Instead of rolling up your sleeves, manually tamping, and leaving a mess on your kitchen countertop, all you need to do is lock the portafilter to the grind station and shift it to the brew head, and the machine will take care of the rest seamlessly.
The Barista Touch uses a 54-mm stainless steel portafilter, which is smaller compared to the Oracle Touch’s 58-mm commercial portafilter. But you will get four filter baskets with your Barista Touch, including both single-wall and two-wall options for single and double shots, while the Oracle Touch only comes with two two-wall baskets. It’s a regrettable shortfall, as the single-wall basket (aka non-pressurized basket) is the perfect tool to make a perfect shot, although it requires very high technique regarding tamping and dosing.
Heating System
The Barista Touch has only one boiler, while the Oracle Touch is a double-boiler machine. Having two boilers allows you to froth milk while your espresso is being extracted. This is a significant time saver, especially if you’re making multiple drinks back-to-back. What’s more, each boiler maintains a stable temperature independently, ensuring that your espresso extraction and milk frothing are consistently performed at the ideal temperatures.
On the other hand, despite the fact that the Barista Touch can’t multi-task with its single boiler system, it can reach the proper temperature in a mere 3 seconds thanks to ThermoJet heating technology. That means it can actually froth milk and reach espresso temperature dramatically faster than most superautomatic machines.
It is a smart move to pull a blank shot (a shot without any coffee grounds in the portafilter) or two to pre-heat their portafilers to set the stage for optimal espresso extraction. Likewise, it’s beneficial to place your cups on the built-in cup warmer to prevent a rapid temperature drop, which can occur if a hot espresso comes into contact with a cold cup.
Brewing System
Pre-infusion, no doubt, is a super important part of the espresso brewing process, and luckily, it is available on most Breville machines, except the cheap Breville Cafe Roma machine. During this low-pressure step, the coffee grounds are gently moistened with hot water so that they bloom, which is vital to the development of flavor and aroma. This also helps prevent channeling, which is the uneven flow of water through coffee grounds, leading to uneven extraction.
Other Breville machines allow you to play around with pre-infusion duration, but that’s not an option with these Brevilles. If you ask me, that’s a minor shortfall, given that altering the pre-infusion duration can have a substantial impact on the final flavor profile of your espresso.
Both are also equipped with a 15-bar pump to ensure proper extraction of espresso, while a pressure of 9 bars is the gold standard. And at the end of the day, I loved that both could pull café-quality shots of espresso with lovely crema layers. You’ll need an expert’s tongue to differentiate between these drinks and ones made by a professional barista.
Milk Frothing System
Unlike the Barista Express or the Barista Pro, which have manual steam wands, they use automatic wands that act like Pannarellos. I mean, all you have to do is press several buttons and put the included stainless steel milk jug in its designated spot, and then these wands will take care of the frothing for you – no technical knowledge required. This is a boon for beginners, who might find the steep learning curve of manual milk steaming daunting or time-consuming.
I was initially skeptical about how well these auto-frothing wands would perform, but they quickly dispelled my doubts by adeptly producing both the fluffy froth for cappuccinos and the fine microfoam needed for latte art. Well, they may not replicate the finesse of a skilled barista, but at least they certainly outperform the Panarello wands found on more budget-friendly models.
Granted, these automatic wands don’t provide the same level of control that manual steam wands offer, but they do have advantages worth noting. First, you can choose the milk temperature (104–167°F on the Barista Touch or 110–170°F on the Barista Touch), and then these wands will automatically texture milk until the temperature sensors (see image below) indicate that your preset temperature has been achieved. Then, when you push them back to their original position, they will clean themselves with an automatic blast of steam.
As a bonus, advanced users or those who prefer to do the whole frothing process by hand have the option to use them as manual wands. Still, manually frothing with an automatic wand isn’t an ideal approach if you’re aiming for intricate latte art. For such ambitions, you’d be better off investing in the Barista Pro and dedicating the time to master its manual steam wand.
Design & Usability
Winner: Breville Oracle Touch
Dimensions, Footprint, & Weight
| Breville Oracle Touch | Breville Barista Touch | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 17.9 x 14.7 x 15.4 inches | 16.0 x 12.5 x 12.7 inches |
| Weight | 37 lbs | 26.8 lbs |
These machines really are beasts when it comes to weight, and you might feel like you need a gym session just to lift them. But once they sit on your kitchen countertop, they won’t take up too much space. Just remember, they are very tall, which makes it a bit tricky to refill the bean hoppers if they’re tucked under cabinets. Despite the fact that the Oracle Touch is considerably heavier, it has wheels, so you can easily roll it out or turn it around to reach its water tank. Enabling this wheel system could be less of a chore if it didn’t necessitate removing the entire drip tray.
Regarding the control panel, Breville has modernized these machines with user-friendly touch screens, keeping pace with the digital age and eliminating the clutter of numerous buttons. While I’m a traditionalist who prefers the tactile feel of buttons, I can’t deny that these touch screens make for an accessible and novice-friendly experience. Just swipe and touch, just like you’d do with your smartphone.
Pre-programmed Coffee Options
| Breville Oracle Touch | Breville Barista Touch |
|---|---|
| Espresso Americano Long Black Latte Flat White Cappuccino Hot Milk Hot Water | Espresso Americano Long Black Latte Flat White Cappuccino Hot Milk Hot Water |
Speaking of programmability, both offer a list of 8 one-touch drinks. While it’s a nice touch to have milk-based options, remember that the art of milk frothing and pouring is still a manual affair. So, if you fail to do it right, you’re essentially left with a blend of espresso and hot milk. They also allow you to customize a wide range of settings, including grind size, grind duration, extraction time, cup size (for an Americano), water temperature, and milk temperature and texture.
They both dispense hot water through a separate faucet for something like making an Americano or brewing tea. This is a good thing since the wands on many cheaper machines double as hot water spigots, which prevent milk residue or scum from entering the hot water and, ultimately, your tea. You can use pre-ground coffee with their two-wall filter baskets when you want to brew decaf or when you temporarily run out of whole coffee beans.
Spout & Cup Clearance
| Breville Oracle Touch | Breville Barista Touch | |
|---|---|---|
| Spout Type | Dualz | Dual |
| Cup Clearance | 4 inches | 4 inches |
The space below their portafilters is unadjustable and isn’t very spacious, but they can still accommodate a variety of cup sizes, including my cherished travel mug. If you want to use large insulated mugs, you can make more room by taking out their drip trays.
Water Reservoir & Bean Hopper
| Breville Oracle Touch | Breville Barista Touch | |
|---|---|---|
| Water Reservoir | 2.5 liter | 2 liter |
| Bean Hopper | 0.24 liter | 0.24 liter |
These Breville espresso machines come with large, rear-positioned water reservoirs. I mean, you won’t have to fill them very often during the day. But if you do, you can fill the Oracle Touch conveniently from the top of the machine. As previously noted, it has a wheel system, so you can easily access and remove its water container, all without breaking a sweat.
You also have the option of using the included water filter. This is highly recommended since Impurities present in the water can mar the taste of your espresso and facilitate the rapid build-up of limescale in the machine, ultimately risking its longevity. Of course, you can bypass this if you use pre-filtered or bottled water or can live with regularly descaling the machine.
Their conical bean hoppers have a capacity of up to 8 ounces of coffee beans. The best part is that both have an airtight lid to preserve the freshness and aroma of the coffee beans over an extended period.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Winner: Tie
Let’s start with the brew group. I always consider it a mold heaven, as it is where residual coffee grounds and moisture can accumulate, potentially creating an environment conducive to mold growth and affecting the quality of your espresso. Cleaning this part is a breeze – all it takes is putting a blind basket into the portafilter, inserting it into the brew group, and letting the machine run. It’s as if the machine is indulging in a thorough “oral rinse.” You can also use the included brushes to deep clean the portafilter spouts.
Another important but easy task is descaling these machines. They will prompt you when to initiate the descaling cycle or change the water filter. You will need to use the Breville descaler and follow all the instructions to get the job done. This cycle can take up to 60 minutes, but you can step away and enjoy a Netflix flick as your machine self-cleans.
After each preparation of a milky drink, just push their wands back to their original position, and they will automatically clean themselves by flushing steam. All that’s left for you to do is give them a quick wipe-down, and they’re ready for their next frothing mission.
In addition, you also need to empty the drip tray and the used coffee grounds container when they are full. A lovely “empty me” indicator will float through the grill to tell you when you need to drain the drip tray. You can also easily remove the inner burr and use the included tools to thoroughly clean it.
Utilities & Other Features
Winner: Tie
Auto Off
These Breville machines are designed with an eco-conscious automatic “auto-off” feature that kicks in after 30 minutes. It is a useful feature, for sure, but it would be more versatile if users could customize the time period.
User Profile
These machines don’t actually have a user profile function, but they allow you to add up to 8 additional custom coffee drinks. You can even name each drink and select an icon from several pre-loaded cute icons.
Quick Rundown Of Breville Oracle Touch
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted.Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
- The Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine with automation at every stage with touch screen operation to simply swipe and select for espresso, long black, latte, flat white or cappuccino and enjoy third wave specialty coffee at home.
- Dose Control: The integrated conical burr grinder automatically grinds, doses and tamps 18-22 grams of coffee, similar to the commercial espresso machine in your favorite cafe.
- Espresso Machine with precise water temperature: Achieve balanced tasting espresso with the Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine complete with a digital temperature control (PID) technology, which ensures the temperature is kept at its optimum range
- Optimal Water Pressure: The Over Pressure Valve (OPV) is a commercial feature included in the Oracle Touch. This limits the maximum pressure throughout the extraction, helping prevent bitter flavors in the coffee shot. It also has true low pressure pre-infusion, which gradually increases the pressure to gently expand the grinds for an even extraction.
Last update on 2023-12-01 / 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
Last update on 2023-12-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References:
- Breville Oracle Touch: www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes990.html
- Breville Barista Touch: www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes880.html
I’m Floyd J. Alcock, an experienced barista with a deep love for coffee. I curate personalized coffee experiences, guiding customers through diverse flavor profiles and suggesting ideal brewing methods. My extensive knowledge of espresso machines enables me to recommend the best equipment to match specific needs and budgets. Sharing my expertise and passion with coffee enthusiasts brings immense satisfaction. I look forward to continuing my journey of coffee discovery with every customer I serve, fostering connections over a shared love for this magical beverage.