Sage the Oracle Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, Bean to Cup Coffee Machine with Milk Frother, BES980BSS - Brushed Stainless Steel

Product Information

This is a good question, because they are not really bean to cup coffee machines, and they're not really traditional espresso machines either. In case you're not familiar with these terms, here's an explanation: Bean to cup coffee machines The Oracle also features an Over Pressure Valve. This commercial feature limits the maximum pressure throughout the extraction, helping to prevent bitter flavours in the shot. It also has true low pressure pre-infusion, which gradually increases the pressure to gently expand the grinds for an even extraction. If you want the convenience of bean to cup machines but the cup quality of traditional espresso machines but without the usual skill requirement, the Sage Oracle is a solution unlike almost any other.

Sage Oracle Touch Bean to Cup Coffee Machine in Black Sage Oracle Touch Bean to Cup Coffee Machine in Black

Although those handy wheels on the bottom go some way towards providing a workaround – you could wheel it to somewhere along the worktop where there’s more space – it isn’t an ideal solution. The Oracle works best with plenty of space above. What's the catch? The price and the potential maintenance cost outside of the warranty period (see below).If you don’t like the idea of struggling to turn a heavy coffee machine around every time you need to remove the water tank, then don’t worry, Sage isn’t keen on the idea either. Underneath the drip tray, a plastic dial allows you to deploy wheels under the machine. Turn the dial, and the wheels make it possible to easily spin the Oracle around without lifting it or dragging it across the countertop. Sage Oracle Touch review: Coffee quality

Sage by Heston Blumenthal the Oracle Touch review - TechRadar Sage by Heston Blumenthal the Oracle Touch review - TechRadar

For coffee shop-quality coffee without the queuing, consult Sage The Oracle coffee machine. Sage has worked with their coffee boffins late into many nights fuelled only by, you’ve guessed it – coffee, to come up with this commercial-quality machine. The Oracle coffee machine from Sage delivers café quality coffee in your own kitchen. In a world first, it automates several of the processes that are usually done manually to make it easy for you to achieve coffee perfection every time. With automatic grinding, dosing, tamping and milk frothing, the Oracle guarantees the best flavour from your coffee beans, and does all the thinking, so you don’t have to. When I say “almost fully automated”, it's automated where it really matters, which is dose, tamp, and milk texturing (you can steam manually but it does a brilliant job of texturing on auto). While bean to cup machines usually have a grinder with 5-10 grind adjustments, the Oracle has 45, all within the espresso range, which gives the ability to “dial in” which is something you can't really do with the usual 5-10 grind settings.

Speciality coffee at home...automatically.

If you want microfoam, though, for a really velvety flat white and the more modern “third wave” versions of cappuccino & latte, then this isn't something one-touch bean to cup machines will usually produce.

Sage the Oracle Touch espresso machine summary - BBC Good Food

This machine is big. As in 'bloody-hell-where-are-we-going-to-put-the-kettle-now?' big. Measuring a substantial 39.2cm in width, 37.3cm in depth and 45.4cm in height, the Oracle Touch is truly gargantuan and seriously heavy, too. Which leads us to a brilliant feature that has nothing to do with making coffee.

Perfect lattes, no skill required

More usually I would aim to try ratios of ~ 2, 2,5 and 3 and see what they produce, Often even with a new bean to try something in that range may come out with the grinder at it's previous setting. There is no need to be exact with them. The idea is to get a feel for how the taste changes, Once some one has done this a few times they will get an idea how much to shift the grinder setting, Whatever comes out I complete making the drink and taste it. Having to throw it away is unusual but happens at times. No harm of trying more ratios outside that range. The Oracle is a lot of money which it's worth to me for the convenience (with a price match rather than at full rrp), if you want to extract the very best rather than one of the most convenient espresso's then, for the same money and buying used, you could get a fantastic set up which would possibly last a lifetime (spend more on the grinder than the machine is the mantra and the Oracle ignores that).

Sage The Oracle™ Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine, Silver

The results from the Sage by Heston Blumenthal The Oracle are fantastic. Careful temperature control and the flexible grinder lead to perfect taste every single time. Long coffees are strong and rich by default, while the frother brings out a sweetness in the milk that wouldn’t be possible if doing it manually. After a month with the Oracle, though, we were sad to say goodbye to it. Yes, it has a touch screen so the legit Milano barista vibe you might get from having a Gaggia espresso maker on display is tainted a little. But, housed in stainless steel and aluminum, it still looks impressive. Like the kind of machine Heston Blumenthal might own. You’re comparing a traditional old-school single-boiler espresso machine with a state-of-the-art, super high-tech bean-to-cup machine, and there are pros and cons for both. What you’re referring to are some of the cons of going for a machine like this – vs a machine like that – it’s not a Sage issue. A benefit of the Touch over the standard oracle where milk texture is concerned, is that you can save the milk texture setting for each drink. So let's say you create your own perfect personalised flattie, with a custom milk temp and texture, the next time you select that drink it'll remember the milk temp and texture level.Its drinks are also far more intense and punchy than those delivered by most other machines we’ve tried in this class. It’s an automated machine that feels like it is made for real coffee enthusiasts – something of a rarity. With the original Oracle, this is more of a manual thing, by deciding on the shot volume, amount of milk, and milk temp & texture for the coffee you're about to make.