Coffee is, after water, the most consumed drink in the world. In all the West, a breakfast or after-dinner in which he is not present is almost unthinkable. However, most people did not care about the quality of it.
Luckily, in recent years the one known as specialty coffee -A name somewhat snob to refer only to quality coffee well made – has experienced a boom. First in the restoration and, in recent years, at a domestic level.
It is the most demanding group of coffee fans that The Oracle Touch is aimed at, the top-of-the-range coffee maker Sage Appliances, the European subsidiary of the Australian group Breville that landed in Spain in the spring to lead what they call the “Third Wave of coffee”.
Although The Oracle Touch could be framed in what we know as super-automatic coffee machines –with the capacity to grind, infuse coffee and heat milk– its strength lies precisely in its manual character, which allows the drink to be personalized to the maximum, with characteristics that, until now, were reserved for coffee makers in bars.
Box contents and specifications
The first thing we have to keep in mind is that The Oracle Touch is a bulky coffee pot (39.2 x 37.3 x 45.4 cm), larger even than conventional super-automatic coffee makers. And it includes numerous accessories:
- A mini bucket to empty the coffee residues.
- 58mm stainless steel filter holder.
- Non-pressurized filters for 1 and 2 cups.
- 480 ml stainless steel milk jug.
- Spare parts for the vaporizer.
- Cleaning kit.
- Strip for water hardness test.
- Water filter with support.
The quality of materials It is obvious when you unpack the appliance. Unlike most coffee makers on the market, The Oracle Touch is made for the most part in stainless steel, which makes it weigh its own.
The big difference with conventional super-automatic coffee machines is that The Oracle Touch has separate grinding and extraction functions, as in professional coffee machines. To make a coffee, we must first insert the filter holder (with the one or two cup filter) into the integrated conical grinder, which automatically grinds, doses and presses 22 grams of coffee. Afterwards, we introduce the coffee already pressed into the group of the coffee maker, where the infusion is made.
One of the most advanced features of the appliance is its temperature control technology digital that, combined with two exclusive stainless steel heaters and a heated group, guarantees, according to the manufacturer, that the temperature is maintained in its optimal range. The coffee maker also has a pressure of initially low pre-infusion, gradually increasing to expand the grind little by little and achieve a uniform extraction.
They are apparently attractive features but, with our level of simple amateurs, we cannot understand what they are for. We have to use the coffee maker for a while to see if, really, we are facing a distinctive coffee.
specs
Coffee tank capacity | 280 g |
---|---|
Water tank capacity | 2.5 liters |
Dimensions | 39.2 x 37.3 x 45.4 cm |
Warranty | 2-year repair, replacement or refund guarantee |
Power | 2400 watts |
Voltage | 220–240 Volts |
Pressure | 15 bar |
Materials | Brushed stainless steel |
SAGE SES990 theOracle Touch, Espresso Machine, Cappuccinatore, 15 Bar, Stainless Steel
Commissioning and testing
The Oracle Touch installation is not complex. Once plugged in, your touch screen It shows us the steps to follow to make the first coffee among the five pre-programmed classic coffees (to which eight personalized preparations can be added); but it takes several days to get the most out of it, given its almost professional nature.
An example: the program to make a espresso It is configured, a priori, with a grinding of 30 points and 25 seconds of extraction, but this is a very coarse bean for many types of coffee, so in the first tests we are too long and with little body.
To achieve the desired coffee it is necessary adjust grinding and extraction, something that could be better explained in the manual of the device. We had to find out on our own how to adjust the machine to achieve a good espresso. This is achieved, although there is no exact science, if you get 30 milliliters of coffee in 25 seconds, which indicates that the grinder is at the sweet spot. To do this, with the Colombian coffee with which we have tested the machine, we have to adjust it to 15 grinding points: almost half of what the appliance manual recommends as a guideline.
Once these difficulties are solved in the start-up of the coffee machine, we are discovering the full potential of the machine. The grace of The Oracle Touch is precisely that it allows a level of customization unthinkable in most domestic coffee machines, with which you can obtain unbeatable results. However, it is not for everyone: to use this coffee maker well you have to entertain, testing different extraction and grinding times that, in addition, may vary if we change coffee.
The coffee maker, of course, does not forget the main companion of coffee: the milk. As explained from Sage, the steamer, powered by a specialized steam heater, automatically texturizes the milk to the preferred taste and temperature, creating a microfoam that enhances the flavor of the coffee. After use, in addition, it cleans itself (Something that takes the hassle out of using the steamer from other coffee makers).
The truth is that it is amazing to be able to become an authentic cappuccino or caffe latte that, if we use good coffee, nothing has to envy that of the most coffee shops hipster. Another function, which will enchant lovers of softer coffees – this is not the case – is the program to make American people: the coffee maker serves a double espresso and then fills the cup with hot water through a separate special conduit.
Conclusions
After several weeks trying The Oracle Touch – and drinking more coffee than we should, it must be said – we can only take our hats off to how well done it is machine. The learning curve is higher than in most coffeemakers, but once we get down to business with customizing the grind and extraction time, the results are unmatched by any other coffee maker we’ve tested.
If you are one of those who prefer to put a capsule and give it a button, this coffee maker is not for you. But if you have vocation of barista (and a good salary) this coffee maker is the best we’ve had to date.
SAGE SES990 theOracle Touch, Espresso Machine, Cappuccinatore, 15 Bar, Stainless Steel
Its main problem is its very high price, which does not fall below 2,500 euros: It costs five times more than conventional super-automatic coffee machines and we could spend more than two years drinking a specialty coffee every day in a coffee shop in hipsters.
Its main functions can also be found in other cheaper coffee makers from Sage itself And the end results are not so different from those offered by high-end super-automatic coffee makers (which cost less than half), something that certainly needs to be assessed before undertaking the investment that this coffee maker entails.
Now, regardless of the price, we cannot fault the coffee maker itself: it’s a cucumber.
Some of the links posted here are from affiliates. Despite this, none of the articles mentioned have been proposed either by the brands or by the stores, their introduction being a unique decision of the team of editors.
Directly to the Palate | Manual espresso machines: which one is better to buy? Tips and Recommendations
Directly to the Palate | How to make the best iced coffee: three infallible methods to refresh yourself without watering it down