Breville

Breville The Oracle BES980

Answers and step-by-step fixes from the official Breville manual.

What does the display say?

• Hrd3: Set your water hardness. The machine needs to know how hard your water is so it can time the descale and filter alerts correctly.
• MANUAL: Steam lever is in manual position. The machine will not reach standby temperature while the steam lever is up.
• FILL TANK: Water tank is low. The machine has detected there is not enough water to make coffee or hot water.
• CLEAN ME!: Time to run the cleaning cycle. This appears after about 200 shots and means the shower screen and group head need cleaning.
• HEATING: Machine is warming up. This shows when the machine is heating to temperature or if the temperature has dropped too much during use.
• Lock Hopper: Bean hopper is not locked. The grind, dose and tamp function cannot run until the hopper is properly inserted and locked.
• Overheat Please Wait: Grinder needs to cool down. This shows if the grinder has been used too much in a row and needs a rest.
• Change Filter: Water filter needs replacing. The water filter in the tank has reached the end of its life based on your water hardness setting.
• ERR: A fault has occurred. The machine has detected a fault and cannot operate.

Common problems

No ground coffee comes out of the grinder

1. Are there beans in the hopper? Fill the bean hopper with fresh coffee beans.
2. Is the grinder or hopper blocked? Remove the bean hopper and check the burrs for a blockage, then replace parts and try again.

Espresso leaks around the portafilter

1. Is the portafilter locked in correctly? Rotate it to the right until the handle is past centre and securely locked.
2. Is there coffee stuck on the filter basket rim? Wipe excess coffee off the rim so the seal in the group head is tight.
3. Is the filter basket or portafilter wet? Dry both thoroughly before filling with coffee and locking them in.

Water won't flow from the group head

1. Has the machine reached operating temperature? Wait for it to finish heating. The POWER button stops flashing once it's ready.
2. Is the water tank empty? Fill the tank, then prime the system through the group head and hot water outlet.
3. Is the water tank fully pushed in and locked? Push the tank in fully and lock the latch closed.

No steam or hot water comes out

1. Is the machine on and up to temperature? Make sure it's plugged in and the POWER button is lit but not flashing.
2. Is the water tank empty? Fill the water tank.
3. Is the steam wand blocked? Clean the steam wand tip, it may be clogged with dried milk.

Step-by-step guides

Run the cleaning cycle

1. Insert the cleaning disc, then a cleaning tablet, into the filter basket
2. Lock the portafilter into the group head
3. Make sure the water tank is filled and the drip tray is empty
4. Press MENU and turn the dial until CLEAN CYCLE and PUSH are shown
5. Press the SELECT dial to start the cleaning cycle
6. Let the countdown timer on the LCD finish
7. Remove the portafilter and check the tablet has fully dissolved
8. Rinse the filter basket and portafilter thoroughly
9. Extract an espresso to season the machine and clear the cleaner

Descale the machine

1. Turn the machine off and let it cool for at least 1 hour if just used
2. Empty the drip tray and put it back in place
3. With the machine off, press and hold 1 CUP then POWER together for 3 seconds
4. Turn the SELECT dial to dESc and press to confirm
5. Slowly open the right valve with a flat head screwdriver to empty the boiler
6. Repeat on the left valve, then empty the drip tray
7. Empty the water tank and remove the water filter
8. Fill the tank with descale solution to the MAX line and lock it back in
9. Press 1 CUP and let the 20 minute countdown heat the solution
10. Empty the boilers, refill with clean water, flush again, then press POWER to exit descale mode

Clean the steam wand

1. Add one packet of steam wand cleaning powder into an empty milk jug
2. Add 1 cup (240ml) of hot water into the jug
3. Remove the steam tip and place it with the wand into the jug
4. Leave to soak for 20 minutes
5. Clean and rinse the tip, screw it back on, then run steam for 10 seconds
6. Allow to soak for 5 minutes
7. Activate steam several times to purge the wand, then rinse thoroughly
8. Wipe the steam wand dry with a clean cloth
9. Discard the solution and rinse the jug thoroughly