Breville The Oracle BES980
BES980BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel), BES980BKS (Black Sesame), BES980BTR (Black Truffle) · See All
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Cant fault it
BES980BKS (Black Sesame)If you want a new hobby, this machine is NOT it. This is designed for those wanting as little input as possible which is exactly what I wanted. I did not want to learn to froth and dial in pressures and shot times and shot sizes etc. This machine comes out of the box with a preset set of conditions (that can be altered if you want) but mostly you only alter the grind size. This still takes between 3 to 7 shots to dial in the consistency of a 1:2 ratio (22g bean (preset) to 44g liquid) when in first use or with a new bean.
If you intend to buy
... Read morethis machine you should intend to use it every day or second day. Like with any machine with a lot of internal moving parts with water included, if left for to long unused it may eventually develop some problems. Just a general rule for electronics with water or pumps etc. Positives - * I switch it on and 4 minutes later, I have a coffee. Including, cleaning the portafilter, milk jug, wand and getting rid of coffee grinds. * Low maintenance really. Have stable water with no contaminants so it's never had an issue. * I'm no connoisseur, however in my opinion I have mine dialed in better than most cafe's I have been to. * Simple screen layout, no need for complicated touch screens and more buttons and options to get in the way. Grind, filter and froth, pour and clean. Done.Purchased for $1,857.99.
- Product is used: Several times a week
Amazing Machine!
BES980BKS (Black Sesame)This is a pretty amazing coffee machine for a domestic appliance. Some days it would churn out 10 or more coffees and is still going strong. You can get beautiful coffee out of these machines and the maintenance is very low.
Purchased in at Harvey Norman for $2,100.
- Product is used: Daily
Better made coffee than some cafes
BES980BKS (Black Sesame)Was purchased to replace Breville Barista BES870
Large water tank capacity with decent size filter. Water level is easy to read at the front
Automatic grinding dosing and tamping
Variable milk texturing with ability to extract espresso and texture milk at same time so coffee is fresh and creamy
We like our milk hot (69C) and milk temp can be set precisely so no thermometer is required
Quick and easy to use
Comprehensive instructions cover all the features and maintenance
Perfect coffee every time even better than what some coffee shops give you and cheaper to run
Purchased in .
- Product is used: Daily
Breville your coffee machine is outstanding!
BES980BTR (Black Truffle)Purchased our Breville The Oracle 26/9/23 have to admit it's our second purchase of this beauty but purchased the matt black one this time from Joyce Mayne for $2,300 it's such an outstanding coffee machine we wouldn't buy any other so easy to use, great frother, easy to clean, we have our coffee extra hot so you can control the temp to your liking, tampers down well for a good brew, water level indicator is in the front so easy to fill when low, the only gripe I will say is I wish it came with a bigger knock box just so no splatter goes on the bench when knocking. The matt black is so attractive sitting on the bench it's a centrepiece.
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Must have addition to your Kitchen
BES980BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel)If you are like me, i need a coffee to start my day and I got tired of paying $5 for a coffee at my local. This is not a cheap purchase, but the money spent upfront will see you break even in year 2 of use. Sooner if you have more than 1 coffee lover in the home. I have owned a Breville Oracle for 3 years and have never regretted the purchase. it's so easy to use and the display and functions are intuitive. All the thinking is done for you. The built in grinder can be calibrated according to how you like your grind. You only really need to keep
... Read more the machine supplied with coffee beans and follow the prompts when it's time for cleaning and descalling. Be sure to keep stock of filters and cleaning tablets. I would encourage you to go on You tube and watch the Breville "how to" guide on how to look after your machine.Purchased in at Myer for $3,200.
- Product is used: Daily
Impressive Machine, but will it stand the test of time?
BES980BKS (Black Sesame)The Breville top of the range model comes in two versions, The Oracle and The Oracle Touch, my model is The Oracle (BES980BKS).
It is a semi-automatic, dual boiler with advanced features, such as auto tamping and auto texturing. It uses a café industry standard size group handle with 58mm baskets. Appearance wise, the machine looks impressive, but it is quite large, so you will need to check accessibility on where you will be placing it.
One thing I have found from past experiences, coffee machines can have a short life. They can have a high
... Read morefailure rate and for me personally, if you get two years (three, if you are really lucky) out of the machine, every day after is a bonus. I have had a number of coffee machines, mostly Breville. My Breville Barista Touch (BES880) has just failed, so this is its replacement. I had three Barista Touch machines, the first one lasted 3 months, the second 6 months and the third one, 3 years. The Good Guys gave excellent service in getting the first two machines replaced under the warranty period. I actually think, given the failure rate and the expense of these machines; they should come with a manufactures warranty of three years (Aldi $399 Coffee Machine with built-in grinder, has a 3-year warranty). Some people have reported a lot of their warranty time has been lost waiting for repairs. This time, I have paid a lot more than I intended to for a coffee machine, but given the discount specials and Breville bonus offers, I relented; but took out a five-year warranty. I also own a Breville Fresca Expresso (BES860), it has developed faults, such as I have to control the pour manually, and the programming of shots no longer works. But it has proved to be a great backup machine when the need arises.Purchased in at The Good Guys.
- Product is used: Daily
Worst customer service ever - broke after 6 months
BES980BTR (Black Truffle)Our $2500 machine broke after only 6 months. Breville took a week to send a courier out. Then it has taken over a week and "the problem" still hasn't been assessed or fixed. No offer of replacement. To say I am dissapointed is an understatement. This is a VERY expensive machine. Actually the most expensive thing in our kitchen including our fridge and dishwasher! I was previously telling everyone how great it was but after dealing with their after sales customer service I will not recommend this product.
Purchased in at David Jones Online Store for $2,500.
- Product is used: Daily
Very hit 'n miss with poor reliability & long wait times should it need repair
BES980BKS (Black Sesame)I've had this unit for 1.5 years, making 2-4 cups per day (working from home). I have a reasonable level of expertise in coffee. (i'm one of those who weigh my beens / extraction etc, use VST baskets, buy expensive beens etc)
Breville Oracle -
Pros
Semi automated been to cup: great for total beginner & fast, providing you don't have high expectations for your cup. (but its infinitely better than a pod expresso machine)
Steams Milk like a pro - can automatically make an excellent froth.
Cons
Overall reliability: I'm already on my second mach
Purchased in at The Good Guys.
- Product is used: Daily
Ripped off
BES980BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel)Breville customer service are saying there was an issue with my registration for promotion, now saying I've missed the cutoff date to register. The person I spoke to was very rude, she would ask a question then cut me off before I got to answer, she essentially told to to bad tuff luck. Ill be returning the product for a refund and buying another brand. Shame after buying one of the most expensive retail coffee machines this is the sales service we received.
Purchased in at JB Hi-Fi for $2,300.
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Dangerous Burn Risk - Steam Wand activates by itself
BES980BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel)The steam wand activates randomly (without pressing buttons) on the Oracle coffee machine spurting out 100 Degree steam. Sometimes when trying to use it, other times when it is just sitting there, turned on (is on a morning timer). This is dangerous and I have raised the issue with Breville but got a scripted response about warranty eligibility. They didn't seem to care that it might be a safety issue.
Purchased in at David Jones Retail Stores for $2,199.
- Product is used: Daily
Great while it works - beware the fail period!!
The Oracle BES980Out first Breville full automatic coffee machine lasted 2 years + 2 months before falling into repair. Machine was replaced under extended warranty repair with replacement clause. We then chose another Breville fully automatic machine and they work well, making very consistent coffee. But this one broke down after 2 years + 2 months and the cost if repair was ridiculous. Luckily we had another extended warranty only this time, they inserted a clause we didnt know which meant replacement was out of the question. Housewives beware these machines
... Read morefail in their 3rd year, just after the warranty expires and the cost of the repairs are sky high. The extended warranty left us out of pocket and little room to choose, so big no no to BREVILLE + HARVEY NORMAN + PRODUCT CARE..Buyer beware as they let you down if it costs them!! PS we were asked if we could hold this review while Breville would attempt mediation before positing, it seems they dont care so BIG FAIL for revile on all fronts. These machines do fail just after warrantyPurchased in at Harvey Norman for $2,704.
- Product is used: Daily
Poor product, expensive to repair and a long wait for repairs
The Oracle BES980Don’t buy this machine, great coffee for 12 months, then it sprang a leak ,1 month after the warranty ran out, $385 to repair a four week wait for parts and this is from the recommended repairer, I should have known as the ware house was full of broken oracles all waiting on parts, was told by the repairer that Breville are not very fair with warranties and I will need to pay, so $2300 becomes $2685 , which is the price of a quality coffee machine
Purchased in at Harvey norman for $2,300.
- Product is used: Daily
Find out how Breville The Oracle BES980 compares to other Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines
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Makes great coffee and kind of easy to use
BES980BTR (Black Truffle)Had a fully automatic Saeco for the last 10 years, that I loved, but after 35,000 cups it was time to upgrade. Not confident with grinding and tamping and temperatures and pressures and stuff, I didn’t want a manual machine. I have found the Oracle automatically sets everything except for grind coarseness and makes great coffee.
Only one adjustment suits me, and it is easy to get correct as the Oracle times the shot so if coffee is too coarse there is too much water used and if too fine not enough in the cup. I used scales when I first got
Purchased in at Bing Lee Online store for $1,899.
- Product is used: Daily
Good semi automatic espresso machine. Saves time.
BES980BKS (Black Sesame)This machine has been brewing our coffee for the last five months. It is an upgrade from our breville dual boiler. Breville let us top up to upgrade.
What we liked about this machine is that it saved us a lot of time. There is no need to tamp and we can leave the milk jug in the machine while it auto froths. That is about a minute per serving but it adds up over time.
Our previous dual boiler caused so much maintenance issues as well. While this oracle one has been performing perfectly since we got it.
Purchased in at The Good Guys for $1,999.
- Product is used: Daily
2nd machine failed and still waiting on the parts
BES980BTR (Black Truffle)We've now been waiting 12 weeks with our machine at the recommended repairer waiting on parts to arrive for our Breville Coffee Machine...and still have no idea of when we will see it and now looking unlikely for our family Christmas Day. The machine was only 14 months old. This product retails for over $2500 and to not have any replacement or compensation is an outrage. Being without a machine for this long is unacceptable Breville.
Purchased in at Harvey Norman for $2,311.
- Product is used: Several times a week
Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions about Breville The Oracle BES980
Why isn't water flowing from the group head?
A common problem is that the machine won’t pump water through the hot water function or group head. When this happens, it’s possible that the steam wand - which uses a different pump - is still working.
If this is the case, there may be a blockage in the water tube - coffee grounds could be blocking the tube leading to the hot water spout.
Here are a few potential causes and options.
Do a clear water backflush
This helps keep any residual coffee oils from blocking espresso paths. Insert the grey silicone cleaning disc (in the tool storage tray underneath the drip tray) into the filter basket and run a few shots of espresso without any coffee. This flushes clear water back through the espresso path. Do this 3-4 times. Breville recommends doing this after every coffee-making session.
The hot water solenoid has jammed
The solenoid valve controls the water that goes through the coffee machine and out the espresso discharger or hot water outlet. It has an over-pressure relief valve built into it - a safety mechanism to stop the water pressure getting too high if you have a fine coffee grind.
Sometimes, the solenoid valve can become sticky, wear out, or stop working.
You can fix it yourself if you have a new solenoid valve, after taking off the back and top plates off your machine by removing 4 Phillips heads screws from the front left and right of the machine, and two just above the water dispenser. Once at the exposed top of the machine, you’ll need to remove another 4 Phillips head screws and a cable tie on the old solenoid valve to replace it with the new one.
If this sounds tricky, you can also send the machine into Breville for assessment and a repair.
Broken water pump
If the issue is caused by a broken water pump, then sending your machine into Breville for a repair or replacement may be the only solution.
Inadequate temperature
In other cases, the water might not flow because the machine isn’t reaching the right temperature.
What do I do if my machine isn’t heating up to the right temperature?
Sometimes the Breville Oracle heats up to a certain temperature then stops, never reaching the desired temperature. In the experience of reviewers, this can often happen after descaling (though not always). Here are a few reasons that this can happen, and some possible solutions to try out.
Air lock
Sometimes pressure can build up in the boilers, which is also known as an air lock. Some air will need to be removed from the boilers. To do this, turn the machine off, let it cool down for an hour, then open both boiler valves, by looking at the lower right of the machine, where a small rubber plug covers two indents with screws inside.
Turn the machine on, and while it’s running open the left valve by turning the screw on the left - all the way to the left, using a flathead screwdriver. This should drain water from one boiler into the drip tray. Once no more water is coming out, turn the screw all the way to the right again. Repeat this process with the screw on the right.
Incomplete descaling
If you recently commenced a descaling session but it was interrupted, Breville suggests doing another descale (without inserting the descaler cleaning product).
Reset the machine to the original factory settings.
You can do this by following the instructions to ‘Reset Default Settings’ in the Breville Oracle BES980 user manual.
Other reasons
Breville and reviewers suggest making sure the steam wand level is in a neutral vertical position (not pointed upwards) and the water tank is locked in completely. Breville also says that a recent change to soft water could cause inadequate heating, in which case you can try spring water instead.
<FAQ> <Question>
Why don't I get enough coffee, especially from the first shot?
<AcceptedAnswer> Breville states that it should take around 25-30 seconds to get 60mL of espresso, including crema. This amount means your machine is using the optimum range of pressure during the extraction.However, getting less coffee than you should from your first pour is a common problem. The coffee should start coming out of the machine in around 7-8 seconds, and if it takes longer than this, you’re probably getting less coffee than you should.
This can sometimes happen if your grind size is too fine. You can adjust the grind size by 3 numbers to make it more coarse - at least for the first shot. As the group head heats up, any successive shots may naturally be thicker, even with a lower grind size.
Try a coarser grind if your espresso is too bitter as well, as it may be over extracted. Also make sure you’re using beans 4-10 days after roasting, to get the best possible flavour.
If you’re getting too much coffee, change the grind size to make it finer.
If adjusting the grind size isn’t helping, you can send the machine into Breville to check that the circuit board, air pump and solenoids are working correctly. Or you may prefer to request a Breville representative from the White Glove Service to come to your home and teach you how to get the maximum use of your coffee machine. </AcceptedAnswer> </Question> <Question>
Why isn't my milk texturing properly?
<AcceptedAnswer> When milk automatically textures, it uses a combination of air and steam to both heat and stretch the milk to give it a thick volume and creamy texture. If your milk isn’t thick and shiny (and doesn’t look something like white paint or chrome) it may not be texturing properly.Here are some possible reasons and what to do about them.
The steam wand tip is clogged
The steam wand tip has tiny holes in it. While the steam wand will auto-purge after each use, if the wand tip isn’t manually cleaned (and even if it is, sometimes) it can become blocked. To clear out these holes you can use the wand cleaning tool, in the tool storage tray behind the drip tray. Insert the needle into the 5 holes, taking care not to damage the o-rings.
You can give it a more thorough clean by unscrewing the wand tip off once it’s cooled down, and soaking it in a glass of hot water, or with a sachet of Breville’s cleaning powder dissolved in the glass.
Breville recommends manually cleaning the steam wand in addition to auto-purge after every use.
Damaged o-rings
If one or both of the o-rings in the steam wand are damaged, it can result in hot milk, with no texture. Two spares are provided by Breville, or you can order new ones and replace the existing o-rings, to see if this works.
Using cow milk alternatives
The Oracle machines were designed to be used with full-cream cow’s milk. Sometimes using a milk alternative (or even skim milk, etc.) can sometimes result in thin, untextured milk. Try experimenting with different brands and types of milk to find the right type of milk to texture using the machine.
Another error
Try a factory reset to change all of the machine’s settings back to their default/ original setting. </AcceptedAnswer>
Manual texturing
While this is a little more time consuming, manual milk texturing is also an option.
Latest Consumer Questions
Hiya - my machine has started to ask me to “change filter” but nothing in the manual talks about which filter - could it be the water filter? I don’t remember putting one in as we have rain water so don’t get limescale …. Thanks!
Hi, filter change keeps coming on and i have replaced filter?
Get an answer from our members and Breville representatives
Details
Breville The Oracle uses a fully-integrated conical burr that grinds, doses and tamps 22 grams of coffee inside the portafilter for you. After adding the beans to the hopper, you just need to move the portafilter to the right, then release it slowly back to the centre again. You can also select whether you want to make 1 cup or 2 cups.
Features
- In terms of capacity, Breville the Oracle allows you to place 280g worth of beans into the bean hopper at a time, and 2.5 litres into the water tank.
- Designed with dual boilers, one for the espresso shot and one dedicated to steaming.
- Water is brought to the precise temperature for coffee flavour extraction, due to digital temperature control in the heated group head and boilers.
- A powerful 15-bar pump pressure allows for maximum flavour extraction, and thick crema on top of your coffee.
- The boilers, portafilter and milk jug are constructed from stainless steel, and the machine has a brushed stainless steel exterior, for both a resilient and stylish finish.
- Designed with the following settings: Adjustable grind control, programmable milk temperature and texture, option for a single or double shot, long black, and hot water.
- Comes with the following inside the box: A mini grinds bin, conical burr, portafilter, 1 cup and 2 cup single wall filter baskets, 16oz milk jug, steam wand spare parts, cleaning kit, water filter, water filter holder and water hardness test strip.
Points of praise
Plenty of reviewers reported that Breville The Oracle makes a delicious and consistently satisfying cafe-quality coffee. Once you get the hang of using it, it’s easy and a pleasure to use. A high number of reviewers felt no need to visit the cafe anymore.
The White Glove Service that Breville offers was widely appreciated by reviewers. With this service, a Breville representative visits your house and demonstrates how to get the best use out of your new coffee machine.
Points to consider
Finding the right setting on the grinding dial can often require a bit of trial and error at first, but once you get this right for the coarseness of the beans you are using there’s no issues.
Secondly, some reviewers, including those giving positive reviews, reported that the machine doesn’t always work the way it’s meant to. However, reviewers who had minimal issues in this regard stated that this machine does require regular maintenance and regular cleaning, especially when it comes to cleaning or replacing certain parts of the machine (like changing the filter regularly). If you do this diligently, this helps a lot.
| Category | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (RRP) | $2,799 | $2,799 | $2,799 |
| Pump Pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Input Power | 2,400 W | 2,400 W | 2,400 W |
| Dishwasher Safe Parts | No | No | No |
| Water Tank Capacity | 2.5 L | 2.5 L | 2.5 L |
| Dimensions | 409 x 453 x 373 mm | 409 x 453 x 373 mm | 409 x 453 x 373 mm |
| Features | Display Panel | Display Panel | Display Panel |
| Milk Frother | Steam Wand | Steam Wand | Steam Wand |
| Bean Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder |
| Coffee Bean Capacity | 280 g | 280 g | 280 g |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 2 year(s) | 2 year(s) | 2 year(s) |
| Colour / Finish | Stainless Steel | Black | Black Truffle |
Prices
Breville the Oracle® Black Sesame Espresso Machine BES980BKS
$1,799- $2,298
- $2,298
Breville The Oracle Coffee Machine - Stainless Steel
$2,599- $2,599
Extra Information
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