I love a good cup of coffee as much as the next person, but I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a java connoisseur. My at-home setup is relatively basic, with a drip machine that grinds and brews at the touch of a button. But if I were upgrading my coffee station, it’s likely that I’d settle on Breville’s new Oracle Jet, released Thursday.
The latest offering in the Australian brand’s Oracle line, which is now more than a decade old, the Jet is the first machine with the capability to make cold brew and cold espresso, ideal for the oppressive summer heat we’re experiencing in New York right now—or an espresso Martini at the end of the day. The brand sent Robb Report a machine to test out in our offices ahead of its official debut, allowing our writers and editors to brew to their heart’s content.
I set up the machine in a small conference room—which I’ve dubbed Café Robb—a process that took a fair amount of time, considering you have to put the component parts into place and then calibrate the water and the beans. The machine helpfully walks you through making your first cup of joe, and it features Barista Guidance to ensure you get a balanced shot of espresso every time. The touchscreen display, for example, will prompt you to decrease the grind size when switching to a cold espresso, if the drink you had made previously was better optimized with larger grounds.
You can easily refill the water tank through the top of the machine.
Breville
As someone who doesn’t regularly use an espresso machine, I’ve found the Jet to be rather intuitive. The grinding, dosing, and tamping all happen automatically; you just move the portafilter over to extract the espresso. For milk-based drinks, the automatic steam wand has specific settings for alternative milks like oat, almond, and soy, with different froth levels and temperatures too.
If I have any quibbles with the Oracle Jet, it’s mainly with the hot-water spout. It’s set a little farther back than you might realize, and you often have to move your cup back a smidge after the espresso’s been pulled. And while it starts out with a steady stream of water, it goes a little berserk toward the end. Wearing a white T-shirt one day, I was a little concerned that my americano might end up all over me as I stood in the splash zone. Best to step back a bit once the hot water starts flowing.
Even still, once you figure out the Jet’s quirks, it’s an easy-to-use machine that’ll let you whip up barista-approved drinks in just a few seconds. Café Robb has certainly been an improvement to our shared office kitchen.
