Breville Oracle Owners Thread BES980XL

[Brollond]

Been doing some research into faulty BES980 units and I think I might know the answer from my findings.

I don't think it's a legislation change as such, but more addressing a high 'servicing' fault for them. I think you'll find the heater element has been failing early from machines sitting at idle (while cycling the heater to keep them hot).

So the fix from Breville is to reduce the idle time, not make a better part! :/

I'm not sure about the internals of the BES980, but I would assume it shares common components with BES920 and earlier model BES900

I think the 3 way solenoid valve that is screwed to the back side of the group head is overheating and causing these early failures, I noticed the coil on mine has a temperature rating of 80 degrees. Would be interesting to test the actual temperature during extended operation!

First solution appears to have been the addition of a gasket to help insulate the solenoid valve presumably (original BES900 has no gasket just 2 small white discs around ports at the bottom. Second solution is reduced standby time to 20 minutes, but ultimately it can still be overheated if you operate the coffee machine continuously.

Would be good to have a solution that lasts much longer than warrantee period, has anyone found a way to extend the life of the 3 way solenoid?

[milka]

Hi all,

Have had my Breville Oracle for nearly 12 months after coming from a Jura Micro ENA 9. Been really enjoying the quality out of the machine after realising it needs pretty fresh beans to work properly. That point alone has put me in contact with some roasters in my local area (Bayside in Melbourne, AUS), so win win!

Late last week my Oracle developed an interesting issue. All of the beans I've previously used in the machine have had a grind dial setting of between 20 and 23, with good results. All of a sudden I had a grind take ages (with beans I'd used many times before), and it produced a puck that was so compacted no water could flow through. Bit of trial and error later I found that all of a sudden the required grind dial setting to produce a viable shot was up at 36!!!

Has anyone encountered anything like this before?

[level380]

Is anyone aware of an apparent 'legislation change' which means Breville will reduce the maximum on-time from 3hrs to just 20 minutes?

Been doing some research into faulty BES980 units and I think I might know the answer from my findings.

I don't think it's a legislation change as such, but more addressing a high 'servicing' fault for them. I think you'll find the heater element has been failing early from machines sitting at idle (while cycling the heater to keep them hot).

So the fix from Breville is to reduce the idle time, not make a better part! :/

[Janno]

I could use some help please...

My Breville Oracle (fully automatic) was purchased a couple of months ago from the Good Guys in Australia. You'll notice from my lack of correct terminology that I am completely new to this style of coffee making. The very first cup I've made was the best. From then on I've never been able to get the infusion time right (a wait of 7 seconds) despite changing the grind. Also is the shot time supposed to stop automatically? I've had it run consistently for 76 seconds but now shut it off at around 30-35 seconds. Basically I find the coffee a little watery and the milk doesn't seem to be as rich or thick as restaurant coffees. Are you supposed to wipe the residue left around the inside of the grinder after each cup? I'm only using the single cup function. I'd really appreciate someone's help with this. I've made quite a few cups of coffee for visitors and no one has commented, either negatively or positively. I had thought that this machine would be a very special addition to my new kitchen and I'm feeling rather disappointed at the moment. Thanks. Jan

[Crema_Lad]

Milk starts to burn between 73-75°C, even if you like it hot I wouldn't go over 70.

Agreed! I like a hotter coffee than the recommended 65c and normally aim for 70c. It's pretty hot to drink!
Much higher and the milk loses its sweetness and texture somewhat.