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

Product Information

I first wrote my Sage Oracle review several years ago when Sage Appliances very kindly sent the Sage Oracle to me on loan for a couple of weeks. This post has been completely rewritten now that I know so much more about espresso machines and coffee in general. The Oracle has automatic grinding, dosing, tamping and milk texturing. You can extract espresso and texture milk simultaneously, enabling you to go from beans to latte in under a minute. Sage’s Oracle Touch takes the faff out of making barista-standard espressos. Granted, there is both considerable expense and a bit of work involved – you will need to move the portafilter from grinder to the group head and empty it afterwards – but everything else from the grinding and tamping to the final extraction and milk frothing process is fully automated. I gave Sage UK consumer support a call and asked whether there are any main component differences between the Oracle & Touch (i.e. boiler, grinder, etc).

Sage Oracle Touch review: Stunning espresso with less faff Sage Oracle Touch review: Stunning espresso with less faff

Get used to great coffee. And get used to getting through it. The Oracle Touch uses 22 grams of fresh ground coffee each time, creating a double shot as standard.

An old-school single boiler machine like the Rancilio Silvia, certainly is easier to repair, more standard parts, and less bits & bobs likely to go wonky over time – so definitely a benefit of going super old school is durability, less to go wrong, easier and cheaper to maintain. It’s basically a boiler, a group head, a pump & a solenoid valve, so not much to fail – and all fairly standard and relatively inexpensive parts if they do. It’s a similar decision when buying cars, you can go for a really high tec car which will almost drive itself (in fact, they’ll probably do this very soon) but I think we all realize that if we do that, unless we trade up every time the warranty ends, we’re facing potentially hefty maintenance and repair bills once it’s out of warranty. Is there any other machine on the market that offers the same cup quality and convenience? Not quite, but see my notes below on the Barista Express Impress.

Sage the Oracle Touch Automatic Espresso Machine, Bean to Cup Sage the Oracle Touch Automatic Espresso Machine, Bean to Cup

This is a brilliant machine capable of fantastic espresso and espresso-based coffees, paired with a decent grinder and in the hands of someone with some barista skills, See my review: He does, however, suggest that this machine does better in the 1:2.5 range. So might be better to adjust the grind to get more like 22g in to 55g out in 30 seconds rather than 40g out that you're currently getting. You certainly can, although the oracle is capable of very consistent great quality microfoam, you don't have to use it. You can use the steam wand as you would any other pro steam wand, the only main difference is that the steam wand isn't on a ball joint, so you don't have much flexibility over the jug position, and also the thermostat in the tip means you get a realtime temp on the screen as you're steaming, whether doing it manually or on auto. What Coffee Beans Can I Use With the Sage Oracle?There are some people who're purely bean to cup machine users – they just want to walk up to a machine, press a button, and walk away with their coffee, and they're not all that fussy about perfection. These are the people bean to cup machines are made for. You can adjust the steam temperature and the amount of foam you want in the milk. Then you position the milk jug under the wand and let the machine work its magic. There is a sensor in the tip of the wand that indicates when the desired temperature is reached so you can shut off the steam. Or you can take full manual control of the entire process. It’s up to you. Coffee Quality & Versatility – 4.5/5

SAGE the Oracle Touch SES990 Bean to Cup Coffee - Currys SAGE the Oracle Touch SES990 Bean to Cup Coffee - Currys

There are five factory pre-set coffees, which you can fully adjust, and 8 spaces for your own completely custom coffees.True to its name, the Oracle Touch does the majority of the leg-work. You’re left to fine tune aspects, and slot in the wand, stopping it from being a control-free bean-to-cup system. With the high dose of coffee and the minor faff of making each one, don’t be surprised if you find yourself savoring one great cup from this machine. It seems much less clinical than using a pod machine. But the interesting thing is that while I'm the same Kev, several years later I'm a very different person where espresso machines are concerned. With the touch on the other hand there's the additional step of telling the machine what drink you want each time by selecting it on the touch screen before it'll let you start grinding, and that's just one little step that I found unnecessary as the only person using the machine. The drip tray spans the width of the machine and slots home with a firm thunk and can handle a surprisingly large amount of water before the warning sign floats upwards and requests you empty it. Behind the tray, a small storage area allows you to store the supplied filter baskets and any small tools you might use regularly. Sage includes unpressurised single-wall baskets in both single and double-shot sizes.

Sage the Oracle Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, Bean to Cup

The oracle will give you great consistency jug after jug, which won't make learning to pour latte art any easier, but it'll make it less difficult in terms of removing texture consistency which is one of the biggest hurdles to learning to pour latte art. Next batch of fresh roasted beans. It's generally a good idea to rest them for a while.People use and swear by various times. I'd be inclined to say a few days is a good idea but past that try for yourself. New machine, have your beans. Get on with it if you like as they will age as you use them. With Sage grinders I would say the main problem new is the grinder settling down. Beans can be weighed in but initially less will come out. Eventually what comes out will be pretty close to what went in. Against that they are all easy to adjust finely where ever they crop up. Repeatably as well, The only one that isn't is a sub version of the Sage Grinder Pro that no one seems to sell. They should be able to get people close enough to what is needed. So if this is you, then you may be tempted by the huge price difference between the Barista Express Impress vs the Oracle, but just be aware that while the Impress does achieve the same end result where espresso is concerned (home barista cup quality without the usual skill requirement) it won't help you when it comes to texturing milk.Sage by Heston Blumenthal’s The Oracle gives you the feel of a manual espresso machine, while automating the functions that require a bit of expertise. To explain, we’ll take you through the process of making a cup of coffee.