Breville Barista Touch BES880 vs. Oracle Touch BES990 [Top 7 Differences] (2023)

Breville Espresso Machines Mar 09, 2023

In This Post...

Breville Barista Touch BES880 vs. Oracle Touch BES990 [Top 7 Differences] (1)

The Breville Oracle Touch has been a top pick for many at-home baristas for so many reasons. It is favored for its ease of use, making it a great choice for beginners, but also, it has room for you to grow your skills with its manual options. Now there’s an upgraded version of the Barista Express, and it’s called Barista Touch.

If you’ve seen the Breville Oracle Touch which we’ve written about in a previous post, then you know how the Touch system in Breville’s new espresso machines work. It allows you to automatically create barista-style coffee drinks, customize them to your taste and even save your creations under any name you want, all with the simple to use touch screen display.

But that’s not all, of course. So, let’s have a look at the specs of the Barista Touch vs Oracle Touch and see what makes them special.

Breville Barista Touch BES880 vs. Oracle Touch BES990 – Top Differences

Boilers

  • The Oracle Touch is a dual-boiler machine. This means you can extract espresso and heat and foam milk at the same time. You can also change the temperature of the boilers using the machine settings.
  • The Barista Touch is a single boiler, so you have to do each task one at a time. As for the boiler temperature, it is pre set and can’t be changed.

Milk Steaming and Temperature Sensing

Both of these models have automatic steaming and frothing, which is fantastic for getting great milk texture every time. All you have to do is select your desired texture level and milk temperature, and the steam wand will do the rest.

The steam wands also have auto purge so they’ll self clean after you are done with the steaming part. You’ll still have to wipe out the exterior of the wand, though.

Now, you must be wondering, how does the steam wand senses that milk has reached desired temperature. Here’s how:

Breville Barista Touch BES880 vs. Oracle Touch BES990 [Top 7 Differences] (8)

On the Oracle Touch, the sensor is located at the tip of the steam wand. You’ll noticed there’s what looks like a ring around the wand towards the bottom where it submerges in the jug, and that’s how it measures temperature.

The Barista Touch works differently. The sensor is located in the machine, next to the drip tray. So for the machine to sense the temperature correctly, the frothing jug has to sit on top of that sensor. You can’t hold the frothing jug up as it won’t register temperature that way.

Grinder

  • The Oracle Touch automatically grinders, tamps and polishes. So all you have to do is set your portafilter to the grinder’s cradle and lock it and it will do it all.
  • With the Barista Touch, you’ll have to place your portafilter in the grinder cradle and push to activate the grinding. You’ll also level off the grind and tamp it manually.

So both of these machines have auto grinding and dosing, but the Oracle Touch also has automatic tamping that perfectly levels and tamps your grinds.

On the Barista Touch, among the options on the screen is grind timer. Changing the timer means more or less grinds in your portafilter. This isn’t an option on the Oracle Touch, grind time and dose is factory-set.

Portafilter Size

  • 58mm on the Oracle Touch that holds 22 grams of coffee grounds.
  • 54mm on the Barista Touch that holds 18 grams of coffee grounds.

Auto Start Settings

  • The Oracle Touch can be programmed to automatically start and turn off at any set time. It won’t brew your coffee at the set time, but it will start, heat up and be ready for you to use at any time you need it to.
  • This option is not available on the Barista Touch.

Capacity

  • The Oracle Touch is a larger machine. It has a 84 oz water reservoir. The water reservoir can be filled from top of the machine using a filling slot on the top front part. But if you need to take out the tank for cleaning, it can be pulled from the back of the machine easily.
  • The Barista Touch has a 67 oz water reservoir capacity. The reservoir is removable so it can be easily cleaned or filled.

Dimensions

  • Barista Touch: 12.5″ x 13.25″ x 16”
  • Oracle Touch: (L) 16¼” x (D) 15″ x (H) 18″

Which One To Buy?

  • Like any other buying decision, it all starts with your budget. Since the Oracle Touch is more advanced and packs more features, naturally, it is more expensive than the Barista Touch.
  • Features wise, The Oracle Touch does everything for you. Grinding, leveling out any extra grind and tamping. Milk texturing is also done for you. Espresso extraction and milk foaming can be done at the same time, since it’s a dual boiler machine. So there’s no wait time.
  • If you don’t mind doing some of the work, like holding the portafilter to collect the grind and tamping manually, or the wait between extraction and milk foaming, then you’ll be happy with less expensive Barista Touch.
  • On the other hand, it’s important to keep in mind that the Oracle Touch is larger, while the Barista Touch has an overall smaller footprint. At 18” high, you’ll want to make sure you can fit the Oracle Touch under your cabinets, or have the space for it, before you buy it.
  • If automation is not your thing and you’d rather do everything manually, or semi-manually, then the Barista Express is definitely worth considering.

Related Comparisons

  • Breville Oracle vs Oracle Touch
  • Breville Oracle vs Oracle Touch vs Dual Boiler
  • Breville Oracle Touch vs Jura Z10
  • Breville Barista Pro vs. Touch vs Express
  • Breville Barista Touch vs Barista Touch Impress
  • Can Barista Touch Make Regular Coffee

Features of Breville Barista Touch BES880

The Breville Barista Touch BES880XL is an impressive coffee machine that will make barista-level coffee drinks in the comfort of your own home. With its color touch screen display, you can customize the temperature and texture of your coffee drink to perfection, as well as save up to 8 customized drinks under any name you choose. Thanks to a pre-infusion function, the water pressure is gradually increased to ensure even extraction of the coffee, so you get a delicious cup every time. The automatic steam wand also textures milk to your liking and there’s a built-in stainless steel burr grinder for added convenience. Plus, there’s a 3-second heat up time so your drink will be ready in no time. Cleaning is not an issue either, as the machine comes with an automatic purge function for the steam wand after use. All in all, this remarkable machine boasts features that are perfect for making barista-style drinks at home and it won’t take up too much counter space either.

Features of Breville Oracle Touch BES990

The Breville Oracle BES990 Touch espresso machine is a great choice if you want to make barista-level coffee right at home. This machine comes with all the features and accessories needed to make great coffee, including a built-in grinder with automatic dosing and tamping for easy use, as well as a colored touch display that makes programming simple.

For the perfect balance of espresso flavor and rich sweet milk, the Oracle Touch BES990 incorporates a fully automated steam wand for the perfect milk texture every time. The steam wand automatically textures milk according to your taste and desired temperature. To keep temperatures consistent, this espresso machine also features true low pressure pre-infusion along with PID (Precision Digital Temperature) Control technology that ensures optimal water temperature throughout each brew cycle.

In addition, the Oracle BES990 Touch has five pre-programmed favorites as well as eight customizable coffee settings so you can create drinks just how you like them. Plus, it offers one/two shots, hot water dispensing, adjustable grind control and programmable milk temperature and texture for maximum control over your beverage and a one-touch Americano/Long black option. The built-in grinder has 45 adjustable settings for complete control over the taste of your espresso.

With these features at your fingertips, you’ll be able to make barista-quality drinks from the comfort of your home every day.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts

Dee

Addicted to all things coffee. I keep up with espresso and coffee makers to bring all my knowledge to this blog.

Latest posts by Dee (see all)

  • What’s Inside Instant Cappuccino Mixes and The Better, Healthier Alternatives -
  • How Much Caffeine Does Instant Cappuccino Mix Contain? Here’s Your Guide -
  • Strongest Nescafe Instant Coffee – Top 3 Picks! -

FAQs

What is the difference between the Oracle Touch and barista Touch? ›

With the Barista Touch, you get 30 precision grind settings. Meanwhile, the Oracle Touch offers 45 precision grind settings. The more pricer Oracle Touch comes with a 58mm commercial grade portafilter, whilst the more affordable Barista Touch offers a 54mm portafilter.

What is the difference between the Breville Oracle and the touch? ›

The Oracle Touch has an LCD touchscreen display.

The Breville Oracle coffee machine has a standard LCD screen that shows all the settings you currently have selected. This lets you see the grind, dose, extraction time/volume, and milk settings.

What is the difference between Breville Barista and Touch? ›

The Barista Pro has minimal, very simple, physical buttons and switches to control brewing. Single shot, double shot, grind, steam, hot water. Very straight forward. The Barista Touch on the other hand, controls every aspect of the process through the touch screen.

What is the best grind size for Breville Oracle Touch? ›

We recommend starting with a grind size of 20 and adjusting it as you become more familiar with your machine. To adjust the grind size, turn the grind dial on the side of the machine. For a coarser grind, turn the dial counterclockwise; for a finer grind, turn the dial clockwise.

Is the barista Oracle worth it? ›

It is a great investment as we're using it each day and making great coffee drinks. If you're planning to drink mostly espresso shots, we would recommend a different machine for consistency because it could be very frustrating with Breville Oracle Touch.

What barista machine does Starbucks use? ›

Starbucks has been using the Mastrena machine since 2008, and the company has worked closely with Thermoplan to customize the machine to their specific needs. The Mastrena machine is used in most Starbucks stores worldwide and is a key part of their coffee-making process.

What drinks can the Breville Oracle Touch make? ›

Turning on the Breville Oracle Touch is like walking into your local java joint in that you're greeted with a menu of drinks. Simply swipe the screen, then tap your choice of an espresso shot, Americano, latte, flat white, long black, or cappuccino.

Can you make hot chocolate with Breville Oracle Touch? ›

Making espresso shots, lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, and even hot chocolate couldn't be any simpler or more intuitive thanks to Breville's user-friendly design.

What drink options does Breville Oracle have? ›

With automation at every stage, simply swipe, and select for espresso, long black, latte, flat white or cappuccino.

What coffee bean is best for Breville Touch? ›

Arabica is known for its amazing quality and aroma. Therefore, Breville recommends that coffee enthusiasts choose this coffee type. Conversely, Robusta is known for its bitter and harsh taste. So, it is best to go for Arabica beans.

Can you make regular coffee with Breville Barista Touch? ›

Using your Barista Touch™, you can enjoy fresh, third wave specialty coffee from the comfort of your own home. First, swipe the touchscreen and select 'Americano. ' Your first step toward making a delicious Americano is to grind the coffee beans. Next, tamp and trim the grounds for the perfect dose.

Does the Breville Barista Touch have dual boilers? ›

Automatic: Automated brewing and steaming make espresso even easier. Single Boiler: A single boiler handles both brewing and steaming. Double Boiler: Dedicated brew and steam boilers allow for increased consistency.

What is the best grind size for Breville Barista? ›

Set the grind size to 5 — this is the number Breville recommends.

What size basket is Breville Oracle? ›

Professional 58 mm stainless steel portafilter holds a 22g dose. Full bodied coffee with rich and complex flavours is created using the ideal dose of 22g of freshly ground beans delivered by a professional style 58mm stainless steel portafilter.

What temperature should I brew Breville Oracle Touch? ›

First Shots Oracle Touch

We set the brew boiler temperature to 200F, and set the default steam temperature to 148F.

Can you make regular coffee with Breville Oracle? ›

Does the Breville Oracle make regular coffee? This coffee machine can prepare regular coffee. It has an integrated coffee grinder and a PID temperature control system that allows the coffee maker to prepare Americano and other coffee drinks with consistency in taste and temperature.

What is best to order in barista? ›

HOT CLASSICS
  • Espresso.
  • Affogato.
  • Conpanna.
  • Café Americano.
  • Cappuccino.
  • Café Latte.
  • Café Mocha.
  • Hot Chocolate.

What makes the best barista? ›

A good barista should always strive to be efficient in everything she does. That means not wasting time, avoiding mistakes, and doing high-quality work. Efficiency doesn't mean she should be rushed. A barista who looks like she's hurrying between tasks can become an unnecessary distraction for your customers.

What coffee machine does Dunkin Donuts use? ›

They use a Swiss-made commercial espresso machine called the Schaerer Ambiente that is a superautomatic that does most of the work for you.

What machine does Starbucks use to heat food? ›

Well the brand of oven is called Turbo Chef, and the model is a Sota. It is actually built for fast food…

What app do Starbucks employees use? ›

For Current Starbucks Partners

App: Download the LifeWorks mobile app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. In the app, select Log in and enter starbucks or sbux, then you'll be redirected to sign in with your partner credentials.

Why is my Breville Oracle Touch not frothing milk? ›

Milk not texturing

If your steam wand will not texture milk, or you notice a decrease in foam volume, the steam wand is most likely blocked. To rectify this, you simply need to clean the steam wand.

Why is my coffee bitter breville oracle? ›

Over extraction

Brew ratio is all about getting the balance between the amount of ground coffee and the amount of water used correct. Not enough water results in sour, under-extracted coffee, and too much water results in bitter, over-extracted coffee.

Does Starbucks use Breville? ›

Since they purchase their espresso machines from Mastrena, there's no actual 'Starbucks espresso machine' available for home use. While other cafes may use Breville or Nuova Simonelli, the Mastrena line-up was explicitly created for the Starbucks corporation.

Does Breville Oracle auto tamp? ›

automatically. The Oracle has automatic grinding, dosing, tamping and milk texturing.

Can you manually froth the milk on a Breville Oracle? ›

The Oracle froths milk for Lattes and cappuccinos too. Now, you can do it manually as you would on any semi-automatic machine... Or, the Oracle can do the frothing for you.

Why not use distilled water in Breville? ›

The quality of the water you use is an integral ingredient in achieving a delicious cup of third wave coffee. Please do not use distilled water, or water with a low mineral content or no minerals at all as fluorides and other minerals are essential for developing a full-bodied coffee flavor.

What coffee is best using Breville? ›

Let's now talk about coffee beans for a few minutes before we dive in a talk about our top 10 best espresso bean for Breville.
  • Kicking Horse 454 Coffee.
  • Sumptown Hair Bender Coffee.
  • Volcanica Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee.
  • Coffee Beans Direct Italian Roast Coffee.
  • Lavazza Super Crema Espresso Coffee.

How often do you need to clean a Breville Oracle? ›

As a general rule, if you're making between two and five cups of coffee a day, you need to clean most parts once a week. Some, however, such as the grinder and water tank, will only need to be cleaned once every two or three weeks.

Why is my Breville Barista Touch not grinding enough beans? ›

The most likely reason your grinder isn't grinding is that it's clogged up or jammed. First, check that the hopper's chute isn't blocked — sometimes, a stuck coffee bean or two can get wedged there and prevent the rest of the beans from flowing from the hopper into the grinding chamber.

How to get free coffee beans from Breville? ›

Please provide us with your personal information. Tick here to create a Breville account and qualify to receive a free bag of coffee beans. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and to receive newsletter and marketing updates. If you wish to unsubscribe, you can do that at any time.

Can I use regular coffee beans in my Breville espresso machine? ›

You'll be happy to know regular pre ground coffee can be used for an espresso machine, provided it has the right fine grind. Many coffee drinkers also prefer to use dark roasted coffee due to its stronger flavor.

What is the best grind setting for barista touch? ›

We recommend you start with a grind level 14 and adjust to your tastes from there. To do so, adjust the grind dial on the side of your machine. Move the dial closer to coarse for a less intense flavor, and rotate it toward fine for a richer flavor.

Why is dual boiler espresso machine better? ›

With a heat exchange or dual boiler machine you can brew and steam at the same time. Not only does that save you time but it makes a better milk-based drink as your espresso or milk froth doesn't fall apart while waiting for that temperature change.

Can you make cold foam with Breville Barista Touch? ›

In addition, the Breville Milk Café not only enables you to make hot frothed milk, but you can froth cold milk too. This opens the way to making a wonderful range of cold coffee drinks in the summer.

What is better than the Breville dual boiler? ›

Machine vs.

Because the Pro 300 is a proper prosumer-level machine, you can expect better longevity, reliability, and overall craftsmanship than the Breville Dual Boiler. For what it's worth, Pro 300's parts are German engineered and the machine itself is hand-assembled in Milan, Italy.

What is the best grind number for espresso? ›

The best grind size for espresso is fine. A fine 1/32 size coffee grind will help avoid a sour taste or bitter flavor, over-extraction, or under-extraction.

What size grind is best for home espresso machine? ›

Grind for an Espresso Machine or Stovetop Espresso Maker – Fine Grind. For stovetop espresso makers, use a fine coffee grind. A fine grind will be similar in size and feel to that of sugar. It should also be slightly coarser than a grind used for a regular espresso maker.

How important is grind size for espresso? ›

Espresso, for example, is made with finely ground coffee. This is because it's typically extracted in 20 to 30 seconds under high pressure. Because of the shorter brewing time, the fine grind size allows for more of the coffee's solubles to be extracted.

What is the most common espresso basket size? ›

The most common basket diameter is 58 mm and is usually the standard size used in commercial and higher-end domestic/prosumer espresso machines. Very occasionally you will encounter 53 mm diameter baskets, and rarer again, the 57 mm basket.

What size is the Oracle Touch basket? ›

Professional 58 mm stainless steel portafilter holds a 22g dose. Full bodied coffee with rich and complex flavours is created using the ideal dose of 22g of freshly ground beans delivered by a professional style 58mm stainless steel portafilter.

What bar pressure is Breville Oracle? ›

An opulent, creamy and caramel coloured espresso starts with low pressure pre-infusions, followed by a high pressure (9 bar) extraction process delivered via our 15 bar Italian pump.

Can you make coffee with Breville Oracle Touch? ›

You'll feel like a professional barista when you create the perfect cup of Americano directly from your own home. To brew an Americano with your top-of-the-line Oracle® Touch, select 'Americano' from the Drinks menu. At the brew stage, you can select from three different volumes—small, medium, and large.

What is the difference between Oracle Touch single and double basket? ›

A "double" basket is currently sized for 16-18 grams of ground coffee. It used to be 14 grams but has since expanded. The single basket is intended to hold 7-10 grams of ground coffee, and a triple basket, around 20-22 grams.

Can you make regular coffee in Breville Oracle Touch? ›

Does the Breville Oracle make regular coffee? This coffee machine can prepare regular coffee. It has an integrated coffee grinder and a PID temperature control system that allows the coffee maker to prepare Americano and other coffee drinks with consistency in taste and temperature.

What is Oracle and what are its different editions? ›

Oracle is a product from Oracle corporation that provides a relational database management system. RDBMS supports any kind of data model. It has different product editions, including Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition, Express Edition, and Personal Edition.

Why are VST baskets better? ›

VST portafilter baskets are designed to have a precise volume when properly packed with coffee grounds, you'll buy baskets with specific dose sizes. The holes at the bottom are precision made and when you buy one, it will come with a hole size distribution graph and quality assurance data.

Are Ridgeless baskets better? ›

Ridged baskets have a tendency to accumulate old coffee grinds in the ridge area even after knocking out pucks. Your choice of whether you use ridged or ridgeless filter baskets has no impact on the quality of your espresso.

Why did my Breville Oracle Touch stop grinding? ›

The most likely reason your grinder isn't grinding is that it's clogged up or jammed. First, check that the hopper's chute isn't blocked — sometimes, a stuck coffee bean or two can get wedged there and prevent the rest of the beans from flowing from the hopper into the grinding chamber.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Velia Krajcik

Last Updated: 05/09/2023

Views: 6527

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Velia Krajcik

Birthday: 1996-07-27

Address: 520 Balistreri Mount, South Armand, OR 60528

Phone: +466880739437

Job: Future Retail Associate

Hobby: Polo, Scouting, Worldbuilding, Cosplaying, Photography, Rowing, Nordic skating

Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.