About this video

• Video Title: Sage Oracle Jet Review – Between Espresso Machine and Super-Automatic?
• Channel: Kaffeemacher English
• Speakers: None explicitly named in the transcript.
• Duration: 16:11

Overview

This video reviews the Sage Oracle Jet espresso machine, highlighting its features, intended audience, and performance. It aims to help viewers understand if this machine is the right fit for them by detailing its integrated grinder, automated tamping, temperature control, frothing capabilities, and energy efficiency, while also pointing out its limitations.

Key takeaways

• Target Audience: The Sage Oracle Jet is designed for beginners entering the world of espresso making, particularly those transitioning from fully automatic machines or filter coffee, and who want a simplified process.
• Automated Features: The machine integrates a grinder that doses directly into the portafilter and an automatic tamping system, which handles crucial steps for the user.
• Grinder Performance: While the grinder offers good particle distribution, its grind size display lacks precision, and it's difficult to clean beyond the upper section. It also has a significant coffee retention (3.3g) and a minimum grind output of around 20g, limiting flexibility for smaller brews.
• Espresso Machine Performance: The machine heats up quickly (around 3 minutes) due to its thick film heater. However, its temperature stability is a significant weakness, with a slow rise to the target temperature and limitations for lighter roasts.
• Frothing Capabilities: It offers both automatic and manual steam modes. The manual mode allows for better control and higher quality milk foam, while the auto steam mode is consistent but struggles to reach ideal temperatures for creamy textures without over-frothing.
• Energy Efficiency: The machine is highly energy-efficient, consuming very little power per brewing cycle.
• Cold Brew Functionality: It can be used to brew cold brew style drinks, offering an experimental avenue for users, though the flavor profile will differ from traditional cold brew due to shorter contact times.

The primary limitations of the integrated grinder in the Sage Oracle Jet are:

• Grind size display: It doesn't accurately reflect the grind setting in sync with the adjustment wheel, leading to a loss of precision and control.
• Lack of tactile feedback: When adjusting the grind, there's no direct feedback, making it difficult to dial in the size accurately.
• Difficult to clean: Access for cleaning is limited to the top section; deeper parts of the grinder are inaccessible.
• Coffee retention: There is a retention of 3.3g of old coffee grounds, which can affect the freshness of subsequent brews.
• Minimum grind output: The grinder cannot handle less than 20g of coffee, limiting brewing flexibility for recipes requiring less coffee.
• Dosing control: It grinds based on a fill level sensor rather than a time setting, consistently producing around 22g of coffee, which can be too much for some recipes and difficult to adjust without disassembling parts of the grinder.

The Sage Oracle Jet's temperature control performance is a significant weakness. Ideally, espresso machines should reach the target temperature rapidly and consistently. However, this machine takes approximately 15-18 seconds after pressing the button to reach the set temperature (e.g., 93°C), with the first few seconds of water release being disregarded in measurements. It takes about half of the total brew time for the temperature to stabilize. This slow temperature ramp-up means the machine approaches the coffee too slowly, which doesn't align with ideal programming or adjustment.

Due to these temperature limitations, the machine is less suitable for a wide variety of coffees, particularly lighter roasts that are fruity and complex. The video strongly recommends opting for medium to darker roasts and more intense roasts, such as the specific examples given: "compadre," "apas," "henrique," and "mummy." These types of roasts are more temperature-stable and can handle the machine's lower temperature output without issues. Attempting to brew lighter roasts with this setup is not advised.

Here's a breakdown of the pros and cons for the auto steam versus manual steam modes on the Sage Oracle Jet:

Auto Steam Mode:

• Pros:
  • Consistent Quality: Reliably delivers a good foam every single time, without fail.
  • Ease of Use for Beginners: Helpful for those new to espresso machines who haven't yet mastered milk frothing, allowing them to focus on latte art design.
  • Simple Latte Art Potential: Enables users to create basic latte art patterns.
• Cons:
  • Temperature Limitation: Struggles to consistently reach the ideal temperature (below 60°C) for a creamy, velvety texture. It tends to froth longer, leading to foam that becomes drier.
  • Compromised Texture: Doesn't fully achieve the desired creamy, velvety texture.

Manual Steam Mode:

• Pros:
  • Precise Control: Allows the user to define the temperature, angle, and position of the jug, leading to more control over the frothing process.
  • Higher Quality Foam: Enables the achievement of consistently high-quality milk foam with the desired creamy, velvety texture.
  • Customization: Offers greater customization as needed for optimal results.
• Cons:
  • Requires Skill: Demands more user skill and practice to achieve good results consistently.
  • Learning Curve: May require users to learn how to froth milk properly if they are not already experienced.