Breville Just Released Its Most Versatile Espresso Machine Ever

Breville’s Oracle Jet is a surprising and compelling addition to the brand’s ballooning line of espresso machines. And after details about the machine initially emerged earlier this year, it’s now finally available for sale in the U.S.

The Oracle Jet boasts a few new coffee-making tricks that are firsts for Breville while also taking the best of everything from Breville’s other machines.

Most of the high-end components of the Oracle line are included, in addition to a few cutting-edge features introduced in newer, cheaper machines like the Barista Touch Impress, which we reviewed just last year. 

Here’s everything you need to know about it. 

It’s the First Breville Espresso Machine to Make Cold Espresso and Cold Brew

Breville

At the highest level, the machine’s most significant distinguishing feature from other Breville espresso makers is the ability to make cold brew and cold espresso drinks.

Cold brew-capable espresso machines aren’t technically new, though the ability is a first for Breville’s popular espresso machine lineup. We’ve seen the feature crop up over the past few years in premium super auto espresso machines, like Jura’s Z10, as well as the more budget-friendly De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso.

Coffee purists also rightfully point out that using the term cold brew with these machines is a clumsy, if not deliberately misleading description.

That’s because traditional cold brew requires a slow extraction process involving suspending coffee grinds in cold water for lengthy periods. Some believe 8 hours is enough, but most experts recommend at least 24. 

By contrast, the Breville Oracle Jet’s cold brew extraction process takes just under 3 minutes. Other machines with similar capabilities are equally quick.

Compared to pulling a traditional espresso shot, cold espresso shots and cold brew are made by running lower-temperature water at lower pressure for longer periods over the grinds. Users still need to add ice for a truly chilled drink.

The biggest fear with this kind of extraction shortcut is creating extremely bitter and acidic-tasting coffee. But according to at least one online coffee expert with early access to the machine, the Breville Jet’s take on cold brew is surprisingly tasty.

Other experts tasting cold brew offerings from other espresso machines have also found that these this technique can taste good too, although it’s not quite the same thing as a cold brew you’d buy in a coffee shop.

It’s the First in the Oracle Line to Switch to ThermoJet Heating

Breville

The Oracle Jet doesn’t feature a traditional dual / bouble boiler heating system, unlike the other Breville espresso machines in the Oracle line.

Instead, it relies on Breville’s newer ThermoJet heating system, which the company previously introduced in machines like the Barista Touch and Pro.

ThermoJet works by only heating water as it’s pumped into the brew head, steam wand, or hot water spout. Besides being far more energy efficient than older heating technologies, ThermoJet tech allows equipped machines to heat lightning fast, usually in under 3 seconds.

But it also has a few notable downsides compared to more traditional double boiler designs that owners of other Breville Oracle machines might value.

The Oracle Jet can’t brew coffee and steam milk simultaneously. It also presents a few challenges for espresso purists obsessively focused on rigorous temperature consistency.

The on-demand heating system doesn’t warm up the machine’s portafilter. This can negatively impact the espresso extraction process since a cold portafilter will lower the temperatures of the water as it hits the grinds.

Switching back and forth between steaming and brewing can also cause swings in water temperature. This is why Breville’s brewing software and instruction videos prompt purging water out of the machine when switching between functions. It’s a way to prevent overheated water from steaming impacting the extraction of a follow-up espresso shot.

A New Screen, Steam Arm, Integrated Baratza Grinder and Wi-Fi

Breville

How touch screens will age as components in espresso machines will always be a concern, but there’s no denying the ability to swipe and touch to select drinks or tweak settings is very user-friendly. 

Based on hands-on videos, the Breville Oracle Jet’s 5-inch HD screen looks to have a better resolution and refresh rate for smoother scrolling interactions than other Oracle Touch models. It also offers both dark and light UI modes.

The Oracle Jet likewise is the first in the Oracle lineup to feature Breville’s Auto MilQ steam wand, which senses temperature at the tip and can adjust to temps between 104°F to 167°F. It also offers settings optimized for milk as well as soy, almond, and oat milk alternatives.

Surprisingly, this is also the first Breville espresso machine to feature integrated Wi-Fi, although its inclusion remains somewhat of a mystery.

Breville’s press release states it allows for “future integrated technology upgrades without any disruption to the end user.” This likely means delivering over-the-air software updates or tweaks.

Making Things Easy Remains the Focus

While the Breville Oracle Jet’s new bells and whistles are the lead talking point here, like other members of the Oracle line, as well as more affordable Impress editions, the Jet is designed to be fast and extremely easy to use.

A fully integrated Baratza European Precision Burr grinder with a 340g/12oz bean hopper offers 45 settings to match roasts and brew styles. Grinds are also automatically dosed and tamped to eliminate mess while creating precisely controlled pucks.

Breville

The Breville Oracle Jet also features a new water tank design, which at first glance looks more challenging to access and refill than other Breville machines.However, the machine also features a fast fill water flap at positioned at the top that allows users to refill the water tank from the from without needing to pull out the tank itself.

When you add it all up, the Breville Jet appears to offer casual coffee enthusiasts tons of coffee-making versatility in an easy-to-use package, granted they can afford its premium price.

Breville

Breville Oracle Jet Espresso Machine

Specs

Dimensions	16.7” (h) x 15” (w) x 14.5” (d)
Materials	Brushed Stainless Steel
Capacity	340g bean hopper | 2.3L water tank / 12oz bean hopper / 77 fl.oz water tank
Weight	27.6 lbs
Drink Settings	Flat White, Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso, Americano, Babyccino, Hot Chocolate, Tea, Cold Brew, Cold Espresso

• $2,000 at Breville

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