Breville Oracle Jet vs original Oracle: what has changed?

Oracle Jet vs Oracle at a glance

Head to head

The better result in each row is marked, based on my testing and the manufacturer specs. Rows where the machines are level have no winner.

Keep in mind that the tally is not my verdict. Some rows matter far more than others, and which ones matter depends on what you drink.

Design, size and build

Both are big, stainless steel machines, but the Oracle Jet is the easier one to live with on a counter.

The Breville Oracle Jet measures about 14.5 inches wide, 15 inches deep and 16.7 inches tall, and weighs about 27 lb. The original Breville Oracle is about 16.1 inches wide, 14.7 inches deep and 17.8 inches tall, at about 35 lb.

That 8 lb difference is real. The Oracle has a roller wheel underneath, and lifting it to clean behind was a two-person job, so I dropped the wheel and rolled it instead.

The Oracle Jet is narrower, shorter and about 8 lb lighter than the original.

The Oracle also has a heated cup plate on top and fills from a front door, so I topped it up with a jug without moving it. Its tank also comes out from the rear.

Both have a 58 mm portafilter✕PortafilterThe handle with a metal basket that holds the ground coffee. You lock it into the machine, and hot water is pushed through the coffee in it., the same size cafés use, and both feel built to last.

Weight

Measured on a bathroom scale. Both are heavy, but one is much easier to move.

Our tip: Measure the gap under your wall cabinets before you buy the Oracle, because at about 17.8 inches tall it doesn’t fit under many standard cabinets.

Heating: ThermoJet vs dual boiler

This is the biggest change between the two, and it shapes everything about how they feel each morning.

The original Oracle has two stainless steel boilers, one for brewing and one for steam, both controlled by a PID✕PID controllerA smart temperature controller that constantly adjusts the heater to hold the water at an exact temperature, instead of switching on and off around it.. It brews and steams at the same time, which is why two cappuccinos back to back took about 90 seconds.

The downside is the warm-up. From cold, the Oracle took about 5 minutes to be ready, so I set its auto-start for 6:45 each morning.

The Oracle Jet uses a ThermoJet✕ThermoJetBreville’s fast heater. Instead of keeping a boiler of water hot, it heats water on its way through, so the machine is ready in seconds. heater of about 1,300 W, plus a small heater for the group head. The heater itself is ready in about 3 seconds.

The catch is the portafilter. Straight after switch-on, my espresso scored only 5.0 out of 10, because the metal was still cold.

Oracle Jet espresso taste score by warm-up stage, out of 10.

Three hot water flushes took about 30 seconds and fixed nearly all of it. From power on to my first sip of espresso, the Jet took about 1.5 minutes.

Grinder, dose and tamping

Both machines do the hard part for you. They grind straight into the portafilter, then an automatic arm distributes and tamps the coffee, finishing with a polish.

The Oracle Jet uses burrs designed by Baratza with 45 settings on a stepless dial. My settings landed at 15 to 18 for light roasts, 20 to 23 for medium and 25 to 28 for dark.

The original Oracle uses hardened stainless steel conical burrs✕Conical burrsTwo cone-shaped grinding parts, one inside the other. Beans are crushed between them, and the gap between the burrs sets how fine the coffee is. on a stepped dial.

The Jet’s default dose was about 22 grams, and I calibrated it down to 18 to 19 grams. Aiming for 17.5 grams, most doses landed between 17.5 and 18 grams.

Oracle Jet dose with a 17.5-gram target, from my scale.

The dose dropped as the hopper emptied, and the final polish failed about once every 20 shots. Keeping the hopper at least half full fixed most of the drift.

Both use a short low-pressure pre-infusion✕Pre-infusionA short soak of the ground coffee before full pressure starts, so the water flows through the puck evenly. before full pressure. On the Oracle, it defaults to 3 seconds, then 9 bar.

Our tip: Keep the Oracle Jet’s hopper at least half full, because its dose drops by about a gram as the beans run low.

Espresso quality

Both are excellent, and the scores are almost level: 9.0 for the Oracle Jet and 8.9 for the Oracle.

On the Jet, I aimed for a shot time of 27 to 32 seconds, with a flow of 1.7 to 2.0 ml per second. By week three, 86% of my shots landed in that window.

On the Oracle, I aimed for a double of about 2 ounces in 25 to 30 seconds, and 93% of shots hit it in week three. It was the most consistent first shot of the morning I have seen at home.

The original Oracle pulled the most consistent first shot of the morning I have seen at home.

Share of shots in the target window

Percentage of my logged doubles that landed in each machine’s target time window.

The Oracle’s medium-roast double scored 8.6 for sweetness, 9.0 for body, 8.8 for crema✕CremaThe golden, foamy layer on top of a fresh espresso. It forms when pressure pushes oils and gases out of the coffee. and 9.2 for consistency.

The Jet’s edge showed with light roasts. At default settings they scored only 4.5, then 6.5 with a finer grind and 8.8 with a finer grind and higher temperature.

The Jet’s screen recommends a grind for each roast, but for light roasts it was too coarse every time. Going finer and raising the brew temperature took my light roast from 4.5 to 8.8 out of 10. For medium and dark beans, the suggestions were a good starting point.

Our tip: Purge one dose after any big grind change on either machine, because the first grounds out still belong to the old setting.

Milk drinks

This is where the two machines split most clearly. Both have an automatic steam wand with a temperature sensor, and you can also steam by hand on both.

The original Oracle’s automatic milk was the better of the two by a wide margin. You set temperature and texture, put the jug under the wand and walk away.

At the middle texture, the milk was smooth enough to pour latte art. A flat white took under 90 seconds from start to sip, and I settled on these settings.

The Oracle Jet’s automatic milk made coarse, bubbly foam. I ran it more than 50 times at different settings, and it was fine for a cappuccino but poor for anything silky.

My ratings out of 10 for the Oracle Jet’s automatic milk.

Steaming by hand on the Jet was a different story. Its manual steam was superb, and stopping at about 140 to 145°F gave me glossy microfoam✕MicrofoamMilk foam with bubbles so small you can barely see them. It feels silky and glossy, which is what a good flat white or latte needs. for flat whites in about 30 extra seconds.

That temperature band matters. Research from the University of Camerino found the best-distributed bubbles in milk steamed to around 60°C, or 140°F.

Steamed by hand, the Oracle Jet’s wand made glossy microfoam for flat whites.

On the Oracle, I also tapped and swirled the milk before pouring, which brought back a smooth, glossy surface. Cold whole milk worked best on both, and barista oat milk was the best plant option.

Our tip: Tap and swirl the jug before you pour on either machine, because it breaks big bubbles and brings back a glossy surface.

Cold espresso and cold brew

This is the Oracle Jet’s party trick, and the original Oracle has nothing like it.

The Jet’s cold espresso pumps water at about 122°F and takes about a minute. Poured over ice, it was ready in about 1.7 minutes from power on.

Its cold brew✕Cold brewCoffee brewed with cool water instead of hot. It tastes smoother and less bitter. Done by hand, it usually steeps for 12 hours or more. took under three minutes, or about 3.5 minutes from power on to first sip. Traditional cold brew steeps for 12 hours or more.

On the Oracle, iced coffee means pulling a hot double and pouring it over a full glass of ice, which waters it down more.

Oracle Jet times from power on to first sip, from my stopwatch.

Our tip: Use the Oracle Jet’s cold espresso rather than pouring a hot shot over ice, because it chills faster and dilutes less.

Americano and hot water

Both have a separate hot water spout for americanos and tea. The Jet’s measured about 194°F.

On the Oracle, I saved one americano slot for a small cup, with about 4 ounces of water, and one for a mug, with about 8. A long black, with water poured first, used 4 to 6 ounces.

The Jet’s coffee crema made about 150 ml or more, a long, mild cup with crema on top.

Pouring hot water over espresso rather than pushing it through the puck avoids the bitter, drying notes of over-extraction.

Controls and daily speed

The Oracle Jet uses a touchscreen with 20+ custom drinks. It is clear, but I sometimes missed physical controls with wet hands.

The original Oracle uses physical buttons and dials, and I found them quicker to use. It has no saved user profiles, though, which was my top wish.

In daily speed, the Oracle wins once it is warm. Brewing an espresso and steaming two milk drinks overlapped, so both drinks were ready in about 40 seconds of active time.

The Jet is faster from cold, but steaming by hand added time to every milk drink.

Our tip: Set the original Oracle’s auto-start for about 15 minutes before you usually want coffee, so the 5-minute heat-up never keeps you waiting.

Cleaning and upkeep

Neither machine has a removable brew group like a super-automatic. You knock out the puck, rinse the basket and wipe the steam wand after each milk drink.

On the Oracle, I ran a one-cup flush without the portafilter each day, dried and washed the basket and emptied the drip tray. The menu ran a backflush✕BackflushA cleaning cycle where a blind basket with no holes stops water flowing out, so the machine pushes water and cleaner back through the group head to clear coffee oils. with a cleaning tablet when prompted.

On the Jet, the drip tray filled fast, so I emptied it and refilled the tank daily. I also brushed the grinder’s spinner weekly, and each grind purge used about 3 grams of coffee.

The Oracle Jet’s drip tray filled quickly, so I emptied it every day.

My estimate of hands-on time per day, not counting automatic rinses.

Our tip: Top up the Oracle Jet’s tank every morning, because one tank lasted two of us only about a day and a half.

Noise and power

Neither machine is loud. The Oracle Jet’s grinder makes a soft whirr rather than a sharp burst, and the original Oracle’s grind and pump were similarly calm.

The Jet’s power draw tells an interesting story. It sits at 4 to 5 watts on standby and about 27 watts idle, then jumps to about 1,300 watts for a hot espresso.

Oracle Jet power draw I measured with a plug-in meter.

The Oracle is rated at 1,800 watts and keeps two boilers hot while it is on. Its auto-off, adjustable from 1 to 8 hours, keeps that in check.

Water, beans and supplies

Water use is the Jet’s weak spot. One 2.3-liter tank gave me about 20 espressos, 14 flat whites or 9 cold brews, and it lasted two of us about a day and a half.

The Oracle’s 2.5-liter tank gave about 30 espressos, 22 flat whites or 12 americanos, and lasted about three days for two people.

Rough maths from my testing. Your numbers depend on cup size.

For water, I aimed for about 50 to 150 ppm of dissolved minerals. With very hard tap water, a mix of about 80% distilled and 20% filtered tap worked well, but pure distilled water alone is not a good idea.

The Jet’s hopper holds about 12 ounces of beans, and the Oracle’s about half a pound. Medium roasts were the easiest on both, and the spent pucks go straight into the compost.

The original Oracle’s bigger tank lasted about three days for two people.

Should Oracle owners upgrade?

If you already own the original Oracle, this is the question that matters. My honest answer is: only if you want cold coffee or a faster start.

The espresso is barely better on the Jet, 9.0 against 8.9 in my scoring. Your shots will not suddenly taste different, and the Oracle’s first shot of the morning was actually the more consistent of the two.

The milk goes the other way. If you rely on the Oracle’s automatic wand for flat whites and lattes, the Jet’s automatic milk will feel like a step back, and you will end up steaming by hand.

What you do gain is time and flexibility. The Jet is ready in about 1.5 minutes instead of 5, it makes cold espresso and cold brew, its 45 grind settings handle light roasts better and it is 8 lb lighter to move.

For a first-time buyer, the decision is simpler. Decide whether you want hands-free milk or the best espresso and cold coffee, and the right Oracle follows.

Our tip: If you upgrade from the Oracle, keep your milk jug and practice manual steaming on the Jet for a week, because its hand steaming is excellent once you get the feel.

Real-life scenarios

Specs only go so far. These are the situations where one machine clearly pulled ahead during my testing.

For espresso lovers who like cold coffee too, the Oracle Jet is the newer machine to buy.

My scorecard

These are my own scores out of 10 from my single reviews of each machine.

Breville Oracle Jet

Breville Oracle

Overall, I rate the Oracle 8.6 and the Oracle Jet 8.4. The Jet makes the better espresso and does cold coffee, and the Oracle is the better all-rounder for milk drinks.

Which one should you buy?

It comes down to one question: do you want the machine to do the milk for you? If yes, the original Oracle still does it best. If you are happy to steam by hand, the Oracle Jet is the better espresso machine. Still weighing other options? I rank every model I’ve tested in my guide to the best Breville espresso machines.

For more detail, read my Breville Oracle Jet review and Breville Oracle review, or see my Breville espresso machine comparison.

For espresso and cold coffee, the Oracle Jet is the more modern machine.

Oracle Jet vs Oracle specifications

From manufacturer specifications and my own testing.

How I tested and compared them

I used each machine as my everyday espresso maker for four weeks, logging every double shot, and made espresso, americanos, long blacks, cappuccinos, flat whites and lattes on both, plus cold espresso and cold brew on the Oracle Jet.

I weighed doses and yields, timed shots and drinks with a stopwatch, measured milk, water and brew temperatures with a probe thermometer and measured the Jet’s power draw with a plug-in meter.

I tested light, medium and dark roasts across the grind range, ran more than 50 automatic milk cycles on the Jet, steamed by hand on both, ran every cleaning routine and compared my notes with Breville’s specifications and owner documentation.

• Coffee: dose, crema, body and consistency.
• Milk: foam texture, temperature and drink range.
• Workflow: controls, menus and daily routine.
• Ownership: noise, cleaning, water care and footprint.