If you’re on the hunt for a home espresso machine that’s equipped with the best high-tech semi-automatic features, then Breville machines are a must in your quest.
Known for their quality and versatility, Breville started its journey back in the 1930s and quickly became a leading manufacturer of ultra-innovative kitchen and home appliances. Today, Breville’s machines have garnered full trust and respect in the world of espresso, and for good reasons.
In the world of premium espresso machines, the Breville Oracle Touch and Barista Touch stand out as two exceptional options. These espresso machines from Breville offer coffee enthusiasts a chance to enjoy cafe-quality brews in the comfort of their homes.
In this comparative overview of Breville Oracle Touch VS. Barista Touch, we’ll delve into the key features, capabilities, and differences between the Breville Oracle Touch and the Barista Touch, helping you make an informed decision when choosing the perfect espresso machine for your home.
Breville Oracle Touch VS. Barista Touch: 6 Major Differences
Brewing Systems
The most important and distinguishing feature of the Oracle and Barista Touch is the brewing system.
The Oracle, being the more expensive option, comes with a dedicated steam boiler. This steam boiler has an integrated heat exchanger and thermal stabilizer. Another boiler is set aside for espresso brewing. It has a digital PID control to provide accurate water temperature for its drinks. And it doesn’t stop there either. Its group head has a PID-controlled embedded heating element to maintain thermal stability for each shot.
Although the Barista Touch has Breville’s PID control, it’s not a double boiler machine. Moreover, it doesn’t have an extra-heated element, such as the PID-controlled group head.
Heat-Up Times
The Breville Barista Touch does have an edge over the Oracle Touch—the regular heat-up time.
The Barista Touch has a single boiler, but it’s equipped with Breville’s Thermojet technology. That is, it only takes 3 seconds to heat up!
On the other hand, the Oracle Touch has two dedicated boilers. It forces the machine to heat up slowly—about 5 minutes. But once heated up, you can use those powerful boilers to brew coffee and steam milk simultaneously.
Grinders
The Oracle Touch outperforms and provides more in this regard. Its outstanding burr grinder gives you 45 grind settings to choose from. Additionally, with the Oracle Touch, you won’t have to tamp the ground, as it also does so by itself. On the other hand, the Barista Touch has 30 grind settings.
For both machines, Breville recommends starting at 14 and adjusting from there. Both machines’ dosing is all done by timer. So for a perfect dose of grounds, just adjust the time and size of your grind. Both models provide excellent ground consistency.
Auto Start Setting
The Oracle Touch is a programmable espresso machine when it comes to auto-start. You can set your Oracle Touch machine up to turn itself on and off at any set time. But it won’t brew coffee after starting itself. It’ll heat up the machine and be ready for you to use. Unfortunately, the Barista Touch option doesn’t come with this programmable function.
Milk Frothing
Both machines are capable of customizing the temperature and the milk foam amount. Since both machines are equipped with Breville’s 4 Keys Formula, both of them can produce microfoam; which is comparable to a professional standard. So, both machines are ideal for Latte Art enthusiasts!
But the difference lies between the Oracle Touch and Barista Touch in the level of customization. Even though this difference is small, it’s important enough for connoisseurs.
With the Barista Touch, you’ll have a range of 113°F to 167°F milk temperature with 8 foam levels. On the other hand, the Oracle Touch has a range of 104°F to 167°F milk temperature with 9 foam levels.
Sizes And Capacities
When it comes to these automated espresso makers, sizes really do matter. One must fit in your kitchen space, both literally and figuratively.
The Barista Touch espresso machine is the smaller and lighter one as its dimensions are 12.5 x 12.7 x 16 inches and weighs 27 lbs. The Oracle Touch on the other hand weighs 37 lbs. and also has a bigger dimension – 15.4 x 14.7 x 17.8 inches.
In terms of bean hopper capacity, the Oracle is slightly bigger – offering a 280-gram capacity as opposed to the 250-gram capacity of the Barista’s bean hopper. But the true triumph comes in the water capacity. The Oracle has a whopping 84.5 oz. reservoir whereas the Barista Touch offers 68 oz.
Their Similarities Are More Than You Think!
- Both of these models offer 8 different user profiles to save customized drink recipes
- They are fairly easy to maintain and clean, as both models come with self-cleaning cycles
- Both of these machines allow their users to adjust the milk temperature in 1°F increments
- Both the Oracle and Barista Touch have 5 recipes: Latte, Espresso, Americano/Long Black, Flat White, and Cappuccino
- Breville has provided its color touchscreen display for both of these models. Through this touch interface, you can do all the customizations and then save
- Breville’s exclusive PID technology ensures coffee extraction at an optimal water temperature. Therefore, you’ll get the right shot consistency from both of these espresso machines
- The Oracle Touch and the Barista Touch are both equipped with 15-bar Italian pump pressure. Additionally, both of these machines have low-temperature pre-infusion technology for premium brewing quality
- There’s a 2-year repair warranty with both of these stainless steel automatic espresso machines. Breville coffee machines are long-lasting anyway, but just in case any defective parts need to get repaired/replaced, Breville has got you covered on that as well
Overview Of The Breville Oracle Touch
The Oracle Touch is on par with most professional-grade super-automatic commercial espresso machines on the market today. It’s clear that Breville equipped the Oracle with all of its top-notch features.
Essentially, it is designed for those who want a hands-free espresso brewing experience. Add to that, speed, power, and superior customization—the hefty price tag is not just for the brand. Its hands-free brewing style is perfect for espresso beginners or for those who have very little patience for brewing. Either way, the Oracle will give you barista-quality shots every time. Additionally, its intuitive color touch screen walks the user through the brewing, cleaning, and maintenance processes in no time.
The dual boiler system and mega-sized water tank will let you brew espresso and steam milk simultaneously without having to worry about refilling. Even the group head has a PID-controlled heating system to foolproof your espresso shot. All you have to do is open up the bean hopper and put in some fresh beans. Once you select a drink, the machine doses, grinds, and tamps automatically to deliver an effortless cup of coffee.
On the side of cons, it lacks a ThermoJet heating system, meaning that the water takes longer to heat up. On to the automatic steam wand, which is convenient but tends to splatter. And weighing in at 37.3 lbs., the Oracle Touch is a heavy machine with a large footprint, making it unsuitable for kitchens with limited countertop space.
Overview Of The Breville Barista Touch
The Barista Touch has all the bells and whistles of a modern semi-automatic espresso machine. It also has Breville’s quintessential sleek and stylish design that’s perfect for everyone. Between the Oracle and the Barista, the latter is lighter, smaller, and more affordable.
But the tradeoff is that you wouldn’t get a few more high-end features that are found in the Oracle Touch. Still, this can be the perfect machine for homes and office environments—especially for those who’re looking for a simple, versatile, and easy-to-use machine.
Its built-in color touchscreen guides through the brewing process, recipes, controls, and settings with customizable drink profiles. Its automatic grinding and dosage technology produces excellent results for each cup. Its grinder has 30 distinct grinding settings. The Barista Touch also includes an automatic steam wand that has a built-in thermometer. Just like the Oracle, you can choose to manually control the steaming process as well. You’ll have café-house quality microfoam for your delectable recipes with the Barista Touch. Another big attribute of this model is that it has a quick 3-second heat-up time, all thanks to its ThermoJet heating system.
Even though the Barista Touch is an automatic machine, it requires manual tamping (but it’s not a huge issue). It doesn’t have a front-accessible water tank, as some users may find this inconvenient. Moreover, it’s a single boiler machine, meaning you can’t brew and steam simultaneously.
FAQs
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What type of water filter does Barista Touch use?
With this model, the Barista Touch uses a more expensive brand of water filter called Claro Swiss Filters.
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Should I use vinegar-based cleaning solutions for Breville machines?
Do not use vinegar-based cleaning solutions or vinegar itself to clean any Breville machine. Over time, the vinegar will deteriorate its internals, particularly those made of silicone or rubber.
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What’s the difference between 110 volts and 220 volts?
110 volts is the standard voltage for American households. For many parts of Asia and Australia, the standard household voltage is 220 volts.
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How should I clean the Oracle Touch’s milk steamer?
Wipe the exterior of the steam wand with a soft, damp piece of cloth. The steam wand should be purged regularly. You can also use the Breville cleaning tools (provided with the machine) to ensure that the steam holes are kept open and unclogged from time to time.
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Should I be able to make hot cocoa by pouring cocoa mix and milk into the Oracle Touch’s frother?
It is not recommended to pour anything with the milk when using the frothing function of this Breville machine. Added items (especially in powdered form) will cause clogging of the steam wand and damage the machine permanently.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you want utter convenience, automation, and high brewing capacity from your espresso machine, then the Breville Oracle Touch without the shadow of a doubt will tick all the boxes. But if you like a super smart and fast machine for your family, the Breville Barista Touch should be an ideal espresso machine for you. And don’t forget, it’s also the lighter, smaller, and cheaper option between the two.
From the features and technical aspects, the Breville Oracle Touch is clearly the better machine. It’s the more premium and high-end model from the Breville lineup. If you like to set up custom drinks and let the machine do all the heavy lifting, the Barista Touch is a fantastic choice. Plus you get to tamp your own grounds with their excellent tamper and trimmer. If you’re heavily invested in getting all the supreme features with high output capability, then the Oracle Touch is hands-down the ideal one for you!
