The Breville The Oracle BES980 automates grinding, dosing, tamping and milk texturing while retaining adjustable espresso and milk settings. Its dual boilers are designed to let it extract espresso and steam milk at the same time. That makes it a plausible fit for people who want a streamlined espresso-and-milk routine without giving up all control—but its large footprint and premium US listed price are meaningful trade-offs. The available product information establishes features and specifications, not how good its drinks taste or how reliably it performs over time.
What this review covers
This is the original Breville The Oracle BES980, often listed in the United States as the BES980XL. It is not the Oracle Touch or the newer Oracle Dual Boiler and Oracle Jet models; similar names do not mean identical workflows or specifications. Breville describes the Oracle as having “automatic grinding, dosing, tamping and milk texturing” on its US product page. That is the manufacturer’s description, not an independent performance finding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How the BES980 works
Automated puck preparation
The machine combines an integrated conical-burr grinder with automatic dosing and tamping, then delivers the coffee through a 58mm portafilter. This reduces the number of preparation steps the user performs by hand. It does not mean every part of the workflow is hands-off: the machine also offers adjustable settings, and a buyer who wants to weigh, distribute and tamp each dose personally may prefer a more manual setup.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Espresso and milk workflow
Breville lists dual boilers, intended to support espresso extraction and milk steaming simultaneously. Milk texturing can be automated, with programmable temperature and texture settings, or performed manually. Espresso options include adjustable grind control, programmable shot temperature, volumetric or timed shot controls, and an Americano setting; hot water is also available. The BES980 instruction manual also describes low-pressure pre-infusion, PID temperature control, an over-pressure valve, a shot clock, automatic steam-wand purging when the wand is lowered, and auto-start and auto-off features.
#1 Best Overall
- PERSONALIZE WITH MY LATTE: Allows you to personalize and save your own recipes
- EASY TO CLEAN: Removable and dishwasher-safe parts for easy cleaning
These details describe the machine’s design and controls. They do not establish drink quality, consistency, speed or durability.
US specifications, price and included accessories
Breville’s US listings provide the following figures and inclusions for the BES980XL. Specifications and prices are regional listing details and may change; check the current listing before buying.
Rank #2
- 3 PRESETS, ENDLESS COMBINATIONS: Espresso, coffee or simply hot water, take your pick. Cappuccino lovers, top your coffee with silky smooth milk using our classic milk system.
- YOUR COFFEE IN ONE TOUCH, TAILORED TO YOU: Automatically grinds, tamps and brews at the push of a button with our intuitive display. Easily adjust the strength and volume of your beverage so it's just the way you like it every time.
- MILK FROTHING MADE EASY: With the classic milk frother, easily steam or froth milk and plant based alternatives. Add to your coffee for the perfect latte or cappuccino, or use for hot chocolate, tea or matcha!
- INVEST IN YOU: Love café-quality coffee? Bring it home with the No.1 Super Automatic Espresso Machine in the US and Canada Combined combined.* Skip the daily $6 coffee shop run, Philips pays for itself in about three months**
- POWERFUL FILTER AND EASY MAINTENANCE: Thanks to the AquaClean filter, by changing the filter after being prompted by the machine, you will not need to descale your machine for up to 5,000* cups, while enjoying clear and purified water.
| Item | US listing detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $2,199.95 on Breville’s US comparison page at the time of the cited listing; not a guaranteed current retailer price. |
| Warranty | Two years on the cited US comparison page. |
| Dimensions | 18 × 16 × 14.4 in (W × D × H). |
| Water tank | 84 oz. |
| Bean hopper | ½ lb. |
| Portafilter and baskets | 58mm stainless-steel portafilter and single-wall filter baskets. |
| Accessories listed | 16 oz milk jug, cleaning kit, water-hardness strip, water-filter holder and filter. |
The figures and included-item details above come from Breville’s US product listing and US comparison page. Included accessories and warranty terms should be confirmed for the specific regional model and purchase.
Australian listing is not a direct US comparison
CHOICE’s Australian BES980 listing reports AUD $2,749, dimensions of 45 × 41 × 38 cm (H × W × D), a 2.5 L tank and 17.1 kg weight. Those are Australian listing details, not interchangeable with the US measurements or price. CHOICE has a BES980 test listing, but its detailed results are member-only in the accessible extract, so no test score or outcome can be reported here. See CHOICE’s Australian listing for its regional context.
Rank #3
- 6 PRESETS, ENDLESS COMBINATIONS: Choose from espresso, coffee, iced coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato or simply hot water. Top your coffee with silky smooth milk using our proprietary milk system.
- YOUR COFFEE IN ONE TOUCH, TAILORED TO YOU: Automatically grinds, tamps and brews at the push of a button with our intuitive full color display. Easily adjust strength, volume, and milk level so it's just the way you like it, every time.
- LATTEGO PROPRIETARY MILK SYSTEM: Frothed. Foamed. Your milk, your way, automatically. LatteGo is the fastest to clean milk system ever: 3 parts, no internal tubes or hidden compartments. Dishwasher safe or can be rinsed clean in 10 seconds.
- INVEST IN YOU: Love café-quality coffee? Bring it home with the No.1 Super Automatic Espresso Machine in the US and Canada combined.* Skip the daily $6 coffee shop run, Philips pays for itself in about 6.5 months.**
- POWERFUL FILTER AND EASY MAINTENANCE: Thanks to the AquaClean filter, by changing the filter after being prompted by the machine, you will not need to descale your machine for up to 5,000* cups, while enjoying clear and purified water.
Who the Oracle BES980 may suit
A good candidate if you want fewer manual preparation steps
The BES980 is most plausibly suited to someone who uses fresh beans and regularly makes espresso-and-milk drinks, but would rather not handle every puck-preparation step manually. Automatic grinding, dosing and tamping reduce that work, while adjustable shot and milk settings provide more involvement than a wholly preset workflow. This is a fit assessment based on the listed features, not a claim that it outperforms another machine.
Think twice if space, price or hands-on control matters most
Its listed US dimensions require a substantial counter footprint, and Breville’s cited US comparison listing places it in a premium price bracket. It is less compelling if the counter is tight, the budget is constrained, or personally weighing and tamping every dose is part of the appeal. A separate grinder and manual espresso machine would offer a different workflow, but the available sources do not support a specific model-to-model comparison.
Rank #4
- #1 Super Automatic Espresso Maker in the US*, *Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service, Unit Share, Jan. 2025 - Dec. 2025.
- 50+ ONE-TOUCH RECIPES. 50+ Hot & Cold Recipes including Espresso, Cappuccino, Latte, Iced Cappuccino, Iced Latte, Cold Brew and more at the touch of a button.
- BUILT-IN GRINDER. The built-in grinder delivers a precise, consistent dose of freshly ground coffee for all your favorite espresso beverages including lattes, cappuccinos, cold brew, iced lattes. With 13 grind settings, explore your favorite bean varieties and prepare them for optimal extraction.
- HOT & COLD FOAM TECHNOLOGY. Two LatteCrema Systems with Hot and Cold Foam Technology. The LatteCrema Hot System textures milk or your favorite milk alternatives to perfection for your favorite classic espresso beverages: Latte, Cappuccino, etc. The LatteCrema Cool System delivers velvety milk cold.
- COLD EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY. Enjoy cold brew in under 3 minutes with De’Longhi’s Cold Extraction Technology. This proprietary technology utilizes precisely measured water flow and pressure rates, along with specific extraction temperatures to create a delicious Cold Brew coffee in less than 3 minutes.
What the available evidence can—and cannot—tell you
Breville’s product information and manual establish the BES980’s stated functions, controls and design features. They do not establish espresso taste, shot consistency, milk texture quality, operating noise, repair rates, long-term reliability or lifespan. CHOICE confirms a test listing exists, but the detailed results are not available in the cited extract. Treat any performance verdict on those points as unverified unless you consult an accessible test report or other evidence that directly measures them.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Maintenance and optional accessories
The listed US package includes a cleaning kit and water filter, and the manual covers operation and cleaning. For replacement filters or cleaning supplies, match the product to the exact BES980 regional model and check the current manual rather than assuming accessories are interchangeable across Oracle variants. The integrated grinder is intended for coffee beans.
Best Value
- 20 PRESETS, ENDLESS COMBINATIONS: Hot drinks like espresso, coffee, lattes, and cappuccinos, to iced coffee, or simply hot water, take your pick. Top your coffee with silky smooth milk with our proprietary milk system.
- YOUR COFFEE IN ONE TOUCH, TAILORED TO YOU: Automatically grinds, tamps and brews at the push of a buttonon the intuitive color display. Adjust strength, volume and milk preferences and save up to 4 profiles to return to your favorites each time.
- LATTEGO PROPRIETARY MILK SYSTEM: Frothed. Foamed. Your milk, your way, automatically. LatteGo is the fastest to clean milk system ever: 3 parts, no internal tubes or hidden compartments. Dishwasher safe or can be rinsed clean in 10 seconds.
- FAST & QUIET BREWING: Ready when you are. Ready-to-brew in 3 seconds with QuickStart. Prepare your coffee in peace thanks to SilentBrew’s sound shielding and quiet grinding, certified by Quiet Mark. 40% quieter than earlier models.
- INVEST IN YOU: Love café-quality coffee? Bring it home with the No.1* Super Automatic Espresso Machine in Canada and the US combined.* Skip the daily $6 coffee shop run, Philips pays for itself in about 6.5 months.
Whole Latte Love lists the Breville BES058NP bottomless portafilter as compatible with the 980XL. It is an optional practice or diagnostic accessory, not a listed requirement; verify fit and current availability before purchase. See Whole Latte Love’s BES058NP listing.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
