Two of the Sage machines we sell make cold coffee straight from the touchscreen: the Barista Touch Impress in its Cold Extraction version, and the Oracle Jet. Both brew cold brew in under 3 minutes. Cold espresso with crema takes just under 2 minutes on the Touch Impress and just over 1 minute on the Oracle Jet, according to Sage.
This guide explains what Sage's Cold Extraction does, how it differs from cold brew that steeps overnight, which of the two machines suits you, and which coffee to put in the hopper.
In short
- Cold brew is a smooth, mellow coffee to drink on its own or over ice. Cold espresso is a short, crema-topped shot for iced drinks.
- Among the Sage machines we sell, only the Barista Touch Impress (Cold Extraction) and the Oracle Jet have both as presets.
- Pick the Touch Impress if you like to tamp with a lever; pick the Oracle Jet if you want the machine to grind, dose and tamp for you.
- For cold brew from the bean hopper, choose our Seasonal Blend: more expressive, fruitier and livelier. Our Houseblend is the alternative, especially with milk.
What Sage's Cold Extraction does
Sage brews these drinks at a lower temperature than a hot espresso. In Sage's words, extracting at lower temperatures reduces acidic notes and gives a light, smooth flavor profile. The ThermoJet heating system, a metal-ceramic heating circuit on a thin stainless steel plate, reaches the set temperature in seconds, which is what makes a cold program on a hot espresso machine possible.
Sage does not publish the exact temperature, pressure or recipe of its cold programs. The preset handles that. What you control is the coffee, the grind and what you pour it over.
How is this different from classic cold brew? Classic cold brew steeps coarse coffee in cold water for hours, often a full day, as Sage itself points out. The Sage version is ready in minutes and comes out of the portafilter. Both aim for a smooth, low-acid cup, but they are not the same drink, so taste both before you decide which you prefer. Our cold brew recipe shows the slow way.
Cold brew or cold espresso?
Sage describes cold brew as smooth and mellow, to enjoy on its own, and cold espresso as a full-flavored, crema-topped espresso without the heavy tones. In practice:
- Cold brew is the longer drink. Pour it over ice, or top it up with cold milk or an oat drink.
- Cold espresso is the base for iced drinks: an iced latte, or a short glass over ice. It is also the quicker of the two.
Barista Touch Impress or Oracle Jet?
Both machines heat with ThermoJet, both have Auto MilQ (40 to 75 °C in 8 texture levels, with settings for dairy, soy, almond and oat) and both have the two cold presets. The difference is in how much of the espresso work you do yourself.
| Barista Touch Impress (Cold Extraction) | Oracle Jet | |
|---|---|---|
| Cold brew | Under 3 minutes | Under 3 minutes |
| Cold espresso | Just under 2 minutes | Just over 1 minute |
| Tamping | Assisted, with the Impress lever | Automatic |
| Grind settings | 30 | 45 |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | 58 mm, 18 to 22 g |
| Presets | 8 café drinks, plus up to 8 of your own | Café drinks including cold brew and cold espresso |
| Size (W x D x H, Sage) | 36 x 34 x 41.5 cm | 42.2 x 36 x 37.8 cm |
The Touch Impress is the narrower machine and keeps you involved: you grind into the portafilter and pull the lever to tamp. The Oracle Jet grinds, doses and tamps a 22 g dose into its 58 mm portafilter by itself, and lets you set the group head temperature in 1 °C steps. If you buy the Touch Impress, make sure it is the Cold Extraction version: the first Barista Touch Impress did not have the cold presets. More detail in our Barista Touch Impress review and our Oracle Jet review.
Making it at home, step by step
- Fresh beans in the hopper. Sage itself says freshly roasted beans make both drinks better.
- Fresh water in the tank, with the water filter in place.
- Choose Cold Brew or Cold Espresso on the touchscreen.
- Prepare the puck. On the Touch Impress, grind into the portafilter and pull the Impress lever. On the Oracle Jet, the machine grinds, doses and tamps.
- Brew into an empty glass first and taste it before you add ice. Then you know what the coffee tastes like, and you can judge how much ice and milk it needs.
- Change one thing at a time. If the cup tastes thin, try a finer grind next time; if it tastes harsh, a coarser one. Change the grind or the coffee, not both at once.
Which coffee for cold drinks?
Cold brew and cold espresso run through the machine's bean hopper. We recommend our Seasonal Blend: more expressive, fruitier and livelier, with more of an espresso-bar feel, which makes it ideal for cold brew. Sage says the lower temperature reduces acidic notes, which is why a fruity blend is worth trying cold.
Prefer something rounder, or do you mostly drink your cold coffee with milk? Then our Houseblend is the alternative: a sweet espresso blend with a full body, low acidity and notes of dark chocolate and cacao nibs. Those chocolate notes come through cold milk well.
For a cold coffee in the evening, our Colombia Sugar Cane Specialty Decaf has a full body, low acidity and notes of brown sugar and chocolate.
Cleaning after cold drinks
A cold program uses the same group head, portafilter and grinder as a hot espresso, so the same routine applies. On the Oracle Jet, Sage recommends a clear water backflush after each coffee session. Both machines tell you on screen when the cleaning cycle and descaling are due. Our Sage cleaning and descaling guide has the steps per model.
Learn it at OR Academy
With both machines, a place in a Home Barista Workshop at OR Academy is included when you buy them from OR Coffee, as stated on their product pages. It is a group session on espresso and milk, and the right place to ask how to adjust the grind for your cold drinks. Pick the date and location in the workshop calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Is this real cold brew?
It is Sage's take on it: brewed cold and fast, instead of steeped for hours. The taste is smooth and low in acidity, but it is a different drink from cold brew that steeps overnight. We have not yet tasted both side by side for this guide.
Can my Barista Express, Barista Pro or Oracle Dual Boiler make cold brew?
Sage does not list cold brew or cold espresso for those models. You can still make iced drinks with them by pulling a hot espresso over ice, or make classic cold brew in a jug with the recipe linked above.
Which machine is quicker?
For cold brew they are the same: under 3 minutes. For cold espresso, the Oracle Jet is faster, at just over 1 minute against just under 2 for the Touch Impress.
Do I need different beans for cold drinks?
No. Use the same fresh espresso beans; choose by taste. Chocolate and low acidity work best with milk, fruit and sweetness without.
Should I brew straight onto ice?
Sage's user guides do not say. Brewing into an empty glass first lets you taste the coffee before you dilute it, which makes adjusting easier.
See the Sage Barista Touch Impress – Cold Extraction and the Sage Oracle Jet in our shop.
How we wrote this guide
The times and features come from Sage's product pages for the Barista Touch Impress with Cold Extraction (BES882) and the Oracle Jet (BES985), Sage's Oracle Jet landing page, Sage's Cold Brew Extraction page, Sage's European user guides for the SES882 and SES985, and our own product pages, all checked on 22 October 2026. The cold brew and cold espresso times are Sage's figures; we have not timed them ourselves yet. The coffee descriptions come from the OR Coffee product pages of each coffee.
- Sage: Barista Touch Impress with Cold Extraction (BES882)
- Sage: the Oracle Jet (BES985)
- Sage: Oracle Jet landing page
- Sage: Cold Brew Extraction
- Sage: Barista Touch Impress user guide (SES882, EU)
- Sage: Oracle Jet user guide (SES985, EU)
More Sage: our reviews of the Oracle Dual Boiler and the Dynamic Duo.
Toon – OR Coffee. Toon runs OR Academy, where he teaches barista courses on Sage machines.