Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

[NoNameNoNumber]

From cold between 3-4 minutes. Usually warm by the time, I've got the milk and PF ready. The grinder is the same as the smart grinder pro which is a decent entry point. There's always scope to use a separate grinder but you're still netting a dual boiler for the same footprint and generally cheaper than a dual boiler.

I'd personally hold fire until the 15/20% voucher drops and check in daily. They regularly drop between 5-£600. Some machines drop even lower. The auction style ones missing parts yield even better deals:

Will add a warning: Please learn the basic maintenance required, especially changing the O-rings on dual boilers. On the older machines, they need servicing and they can cause a lot of grief.

I’ve bought an Oracle Touch for £550.
I’ll buy some descaler and a new filter. Anything else you’d recommend or should I just chuck some coffee in?

 

[GTanny]

Will add a warning: Please learn the basic maintenance required, especially changing the O-rings on dual boilers. On the older machines, they need servicing and they can cause a lot of grief.

I'll add +1 to this, I had the non touch oracle for a few years and it was a fantastic machine until it wasn't, anything but basic parts are a huge pain to get hold of from sage, I ended up importing some bits from Australia for much less than I could find in the uk.

I don't think they are inherently bad machines or have any large reliability issues, I just made the mistake of buying a used machine that I'm pretty sure had never seen any sort of maintenance in it's lifetime.

I still miss the simplicity of the oracle, never made a bad drink and the auto milk steaming made things so simple.

 

[jpaul]

yes you can't get warm in 4 minutes ...3kw kettle takes ~3mins to boild litre of water , my bezerra brass boiler has 1.5L capacity & 1.3Kw element,
read label whilst making steamed hot chocolate.

 

[DarkShadow]

I’ve bought an Oracle Touch for £550.
I’ll buy some descaler and a new filter. Anything else you’d recommend or should I just chuck some coffee in?

Congrats! Just chuck some coffee in. First remove the tamp fan and adjusting the height of this, ideally unscrew all they way then about 2 turns is a good starting place to get to 18-19g dose.

I also recommend checking the service menu, to check the shot counter and any existing errors. Just stay on top of maintenance and you'll be gold, wealth of info here: https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/breville-dual-boiler-mods-and-maintenance-t61421.html

I'll add +1 to this, I had the non touch oracle for a few years and it was a fantastic machine until it wasn't, anything but basic parts are a huge pain to get hold of from sage, I ended up importing some bits from Australia for much less than I could find in the uk.

I don't think they are inherently bad machines or have any large reliability issues, I just made the mistake of buying a used machine that I'm pretty sure had never seen any sort of maintenance in it's lifetime.

I still miss the simplicity of the oracle, never made a bad drink and the auto milk steaming made things so simple.

Out of interest what did you have to get from Aus? I've been able to source all parts within the UK. But you're right, they're appliances and not machine. However, that said, my spare machine is on almost 6,000 shots which makes it a little miracle.

the bottom of the portafilter and even the head can't be up to temp in that time unless there is a discrete electric, or thermo syphon there ?
my bezerra hx machine is a good 15mins ... and with two heat-ups / 4 doubles a day is taking nearly 1unit of electricity a day, when I had monitored it a while back
(was considering additional boiler insulation following starmers mantra)

e: bought some of the waitrose colombian today - on offer - roast date showed start of Nov - tastes fine and had to tighten grind significantly

I'm talking about the Oracle here. The boiler fill is small and up to temp in minutes.

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

Brilliant info thank you.
The baskets will take 22g right?
Given it isn’t a new machine, could you share with me some shot settings to get me going? I understand the basic 18g in to 36g out in 25-30seconds but the options regarding temps/ preinfusion etc is a whole new world with endless opportunity for rubbish coffee given my limited barista skill set.

 

[DarkShadow]

Brilliant info thank you.
The baskets will take 22g right?
Given it isn’t a new machine, could you share with me some shot settings to get me going? I understand the basic 18g in to 36g out in 25-30seconds but the options regarding temps/ preinfusion etc is a whole new world with endless opportunity for rubbish coffee given my limited barista skill set.

Yes 22g will be fine. Stock settings will serve you fine, 6 seconds to pre-inf and 93 degrees is default. Just shoot some coffee and enjoy! The workflow is impeccable for speed of serving drinks. On the Non-touch oracle you can go into the service menu and alter the steam to 140degs which is a welcome addition but I don't believe this is possible on the touch.

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

Deleted- talking nonsense

 

[GTanny]

Out of interest what did you have to get from Aus? I've been able to source all parts within the UK. But you're right, they're appliances and not machine. However, that said, my spare machine is on almost 6,000 shots which makes it a little miracle.

It was one of the circuit boards for temperature control, i needed to replace that and the thermal fuse on the main boiler as it wouldn't get up to temperature.

Once I got that sorted and gave it a good clean it was a fantastic machine and so much easier when making more than a couple of drinks at once than the Rancillio Silvia I replaced it with is

 

[DarkShadow]

It was one of the circuit boards for temperature control, i needed to replace that and the thermal fuse on the main boiler as it wouldn't get up to temperature.

Once I got that sorted and gave it a good clean it was a fantastic machine and so much easier when making more than a couple of drinks at once than the Rancillio Silvia I replaced it with is

Ah the TRIAC, luckily - I've not encountered that issue yet but they used to be really expensive. Luckily, I believe coffee classics now stock them between £20-30 iirc.

Agreed on the workflow speed. I've not had a chance to shoot much spro's on the new machine

 

[iron_monkey]

redber have a 25% off code valid till sunday. Ive just grabbed some Monsoon Malabar coffee that was mentioned earlier as it sounded interesting.

code is: FRESHROAST25

Monsoon Malabar coffee is grown in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, South India, at altitudes of 1,100 to 1,200 metres. The beans undergo the unique "monsooning" process, where they are exposed to the moisture-laden winds of the monsoon season for several months. This exposure causes the beans to swell, lose their acidity, and develop a pale gold colour, resulting in a smooth, mellow, and earthy flavour. The beans are dry-processed, giving them a distinctive profile.

• Region: South India - Karnataka, Western Ghats
• Altitude: 1,100 - 1,200 m.a.s.l
• Variety: Kents, S.795, Catimor, Selection 9
• Harvest Period: October - February
• Processing Method: Dry Processed, Monsooned

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

Do I need to be using Sage descaler? Or will any of them do?
Just looking on Redber at some decent sounding coffees and I ought to order some descaled too for free shipping.

Same with the steam wand cleaner. Any recommendations?

 

[Hedge]

Do I need to be using Sage descaler? Or will any of them do?
Just looking on Redber at some decent sounding coffees and I ought to order some descaled too for free shipping.

Same with the steam wand cleaner. Any recommendations?

I just use citric acid bought from amazon.

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

yes you can't get warm in 4 minutes ...3kw kettle takes ~3mins to boild litre of water , my bezerra brass boiler has 1.5L capacity & 1.3Kw element,
read label whilst making steamed hot chocolate.

Tested this just now… in under 4 minutes from stone cold (last used at 6:15 am) the group head is hot and the boiler is at 93*C ready to roll.

 

[jpaul]

Tested this just now… in under 4 minutes from stone cold (last used at 6:15 am) the group head is hot and the boiler is at 93*C ready to roll.

ooi - after my comment I had subsequently read this review - someone suggested pulling some hot water through pf to warm it and cup (which I do anyway with HX)
and also objective results using a scace ... but using auto-timer solves any issues.

Learning to love the Breville Oracle

After exhaustive research, and recently purchasing then returning a dual boiler, E61 machine due to workmanship issues, I ended up making the transition from a traditional Hx machine (Isomac Tea), to the Breville Oracle. Thought I'd share because I'm sure there are others out there traumatizing...

www.home-barista.com

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

Idoodirect- the eBay store I bought my oracle from have just sent me a 10% off code. Valid until the 19th November.

SAGEDOUBLEDIP10

 

[Craterloads]

Idoodirect- the eBay store I bought my oracle from have just sent me a 10% off code. Valid until the 19th November.

SAGEDOUBLEDIP10

took the plunge, went with the bambino plus which came out to £152.79 with the stacking codes and i had £20 nectar vouchers. Really tough deciding between the bambino and the multiple barista machines though!

And a DF54 grinder from sigma coffee, free shipping and £12 off at checkout with new registration code.


Hopefully i can shift my Jura to cover most of the costs.

Any recommendations on reasonably priced fresh beans by the kg? I usually just buy off amazon like £9 for a KG

edit: ordered off redber as above, code still active. Christmas blend & UGANDA RWENZORI KISINGA NATURAL

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

Brilliant stuff.

Enjoy!

 

[jpaul]

yes that's a good flexible choice with bambino plus ( the updated duo temp pro I've always liked)

 

[Craterloads]

both machines turned up, ordered new basket as only came with the pressurised baskets.

Just wanted to ask what weight ratio should I be aiming at.

2-1 18g in and 36 out in about 25–35 seconds

Also timing the shot, do you time from as soon as you press the brew button or as soon as espresso starts passing through?

 

[Wavywavylonggrass]

both machines turned up, ordered new basket as only came with the pressurised baskets.

Just wanted to ask what weight ratio should I be aiming at.

2-1 18g in and 36 out in about 25–35 seconds

Also timing the shot, do you time from as soon as you press the brew button or as soon as espresso starts passing through?

Often seen much debate around this.

I think those ratios are probably a good starting point, but I gather it's more about setting a baseline so you can then try longer/shorter times or larger/smaller yields, to see what works for you. Not that I've worked it out yet, it's been over 4 years and I still struggle to even tell sour from bitter...

Same on the timing. I personally start the timer and shot together. But I think it's a bit like weighing food raw vs cooked, as long as you do it the same each time you get a baseline to work from.

There's a brew guide on the Espresso subreddit which is pretty good - https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/wiki/guides/brewing-basics/