# Oracale Tips



## Jinsin456 (Sep 12, 2017)

Hi guys,

After my last thread about my Oracle and subsequently having to get it replaced I figured I would start a positive thread.

Due to the issues I was having with mine I done a lot more research and got a lot of good advice so I thought it would be good for me to share some of the things I've learnt during this time and give an opportunity for everyone else to do so. Most of the things I've found have been somewhat described in the manual but not really fully explained so with a bit of trial and error I think I've managed to work them out and hopefully this thread will save anyone who's just bought one a bit of time.

Starting with the process in which I now make a coffee, this method I've found gives the most consistent results.

- Allow the machine to heat up fully after starting.

- Run a full empty shot through the portafilter into the cup to be used (I find this saves on water for preheating the cup and the portafilter and allows you to ensure that everything's clean)

- Purge steam wand (If using).

- Remove portafilter from the grouphead and thoroughly dry with a dry towel.

- Start steaming milk.

- Grind beans.

- While grinding run a shot for about 5 seconds to make sure everything's clean.

- Empty pre-heated cup (Very important







)

- Insert portafilter and lock.

- Insert cup and scales and pull the shot.

- Remove portafilter, knock puck into the knockbox and rinse using the double shot button (Find this useful as it saves water and makes sure you remember to run clean water through the group after every shot)

- Place portafilter back in grouphead, if making another I will run a full shot through into an empty cup again.

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Another tip I have found but couldn't find too much info about was the time vs flo setting on the machine for shot duration, this has made the single biggest difference in automating my shots.

This is changed in the main menu when the machine is off. It's a case of changing the shot volume from time to flo. You then must go into the menu when the machine is on and set the shot volume. I done this using scales for a 1:2 ratio (The Oracle doses ~22g so I aim for 44g out).

The issue I was having with using the time method is that the variation in shot time would differ and would cause me the have to watch the scales and try to stop the machine at the right point everytime whereas the flow method seems to adjust the time to suit. I'm usually within a few grams of the 44g target using this method and time varies from about 27 seconds to 32 but the machine will stop it perfectly every time.

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The top burr of the grinder can be changed. The factory default is set at 6 out of a possible 10. To change it manually you have to removed the silver handle and the burr will just turn.

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To clean the burr I have found a technique that works well for me.

- Remove hopper and clear any whole beans away from the top burr.

- Insert the grinder and flick the switch to actvate (You'll need to press the button on the back of the grinder with something small (Allan key fits perfect)

*Pressing the button on the back is probably not the recommended way to do this but it saves having to empty the hopper of beans and then re-install it to have to remove it again*

- Run the grinder until empty (Cover above the grinder hole with your hand or you'll get bean fragments everywhere. DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND NEAR THE BURRS.

- Vacuum everything (I use a cordless vacuum with the nozzle attachment. Vacuum the burrs throughly then clean everything wotht the supplied brushes and then vacuum again.

- Clean everything else as normal.

- I generally remove the shower screen every few days and give it a rinse.

Any other tips and tricks would be great to add to this thread.

Thanks


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## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

Thank you for this. I will take time out to go through it later.

Having taken the plunge to buy the Oracle two months ago I had great coffee initially but have found on changing beans more recently no amount of grinder adjustment gives a good or consistent result. Usually far to much liquid even on the lowest of grinds and the remnants in the portafilter are soaking. Your flow control solution might be just what I need.


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## Jinsin456 (Sep 12, 2017)

I'm tending to find now that I'm getting a consistent volume of coffee on the 'Flo setting' and the only thing that's differing is the time but the machine will stop early or let it pass the default 30 seconds so that I always end up with my 1:2 ratio +/- 2g.

Before I would either have to manually stop the machine or it would flow too slow and I would end up with the shot automatically stopping about 1:1 which I found wasn't pleasant. This annoyed me as it meant I would have had to set the timer to about 50 seconds and manually stop every shot. Flo setting seems to have cured this.


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## Jinsin456 (Sep 12, 2017)

Another totally random tip but a medium Keep Cup fits perfectly under the portafilter and is also the perfect travel vessel for a 2009 Ford Focus as it actually fits the cup holder.

Completely random I know but stuff I couldn't find when I was searching.


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