Read this comment after skipping that micro-steps part, sipping from my filter coffee made using my ode. Yeah.. I'm happy too, no need to change anything.
bro I watched this video, decided to buy, got this thing in the mail today and here I am again watching it after a WHOLE DAY of FAILURE trying to pull an okay shot
I want to tell you how much I appreciate the quality content that you put out. There is so much thought and effort put into each of your videos. Thank you!
I feel like we (myself included) are over-complicating their adjustment mechanism. In practice, you should know if you need to make your current setting coarser or finer. Just adjust the inner ring in the direction you need to go to refine your shot. No math required.
The macroadjustment is giving me hard-core Breville Smart Grinder Pro vibes with the 10 internal adjustments. They drove me crazy. Im even more hopeful for the Encore ESP now.
@@LanceHedrick Could you do a grinder showdown later this year. Theres been a lot of new grinders showing up on the market and it would be great to see how you think they all stack up to each other at separate price points
As soon as I saw the burr set I raced down to the comments to see if people also thought this looked like a Breville knockoff. I wonder how the burrs differ seeing that they look and operate almost exactly the same.
@@LanceHedrickinformative and entertaining as always! I’d be interested to see what an actual espresso dial-in would look like in practice with the Opus (vs the ESP?). I wonder just how annoying the micro adjustments might get (or maybe not that bad?)
The 3D chess game to dial in espresso took me a few replays to understand, but I think that's fair given how fiddly it is. You did a great job explaining it in the amount of time taken!
Fellow is too cheap to make anything that can compete with the Niche. They don't have it in their heart to spend the money. If they did, Ode Gen2 would have been their best shot and they know it.
Lance, thank you for a really detailed video. I found this video after I had owned the OPUS for approximately 6 months. I am pleased with my decision and have had no issues with it. Some of the minor flaws you point out are not deal breakers for me, and I'm satisfied with my decision. (Price was a factor to me.) The adjustment system has been no issue after you become familiar with it. And possibly because my previous experiences were primarily with hand grinders. I had no specific explications or habits carrying over from previous models.
Hey Lance, just wanted to say, I love your new look. I love watching content creators kind of find themselves and I loved all your early stuff but now you really seem to have found your zone, and it's like you've grown into yourself, and you seem to be more comfortable with who you are now, which I love. PS I love the random singing and rhythmic tapping, as someone with ADHD I love the genuine feeling of your videos. I really look forward to what you do moving forward, you're an inspiration to all of us in this crazy coffee world. PPS I love your hair, you and I have incredibly similar curly hair, and I love mine longer as well, feels like a thick lions mane!
Thank you for the depth of explanation regarding the relationship between the macro and micro settings with special congrats on the impact of micro adjustments on macro readings. That is exceptionally worthwhile for prospective buyers to understand what to expect from the machine. Thanks
I went from the popular Cuisinart coffee grinder to this one. So far, I like it a lot. I'm not quite the coffee nerd you are, but I wanted to start making better coffee. I recently started roasting my own coffee beans. So, for me it was a perfect step and upgrade for me. My only disappointment was with the espresso cup being 54 and 58 mm. My machine is 51 mm so I have to rely on a funnel to get the coffee into the portafilter. Overall, a great economic grinder.
I've been looking for a good all purpose grinder for my beginner's setup and this video settled my internal debate. Kinda wish it was as nice built as the Ode, but I for one would take the cost reduction 100 times before that. Thanks for your thorough review, Lance.
I was in the same situation as you 2 months ago and bought the X Pro he used in the video. I think the X Pro is still the better choice because it feels more premium, its easier to use and gives great cups. Yeah the downside is that it's manual but I don't mind and the plus side is that I can take this with me when I travel instead of grinding before hand.
Lance helping the little opus to expel its retention, with the expression of a disappointed father as his robot child chokes on yet another coffee bean 🤖🫶🏻
I don’t make espresso, but I do have a 4 serving Bialetti Moka pot I enjoy. The single dose cup fits the grind basket perfectly. The opus is great for every type of coffee I enjoy. Performs beautifully for my pour overs, Moccamaster, and cold brew.
Thanks Lance. They lost me with the adjustment system and the plasticky materials, but I'm pretty sure there is a big market for this product out there. I´ll wait for the Encore ESP review.
Thanks for being able to release such early, same-day reviews. Great technical and entertaining content. I watch nearly all of your vids with my kids. Most of us enjoy them. 😂
Thanks for the great video, I think I'm going to get the grinder as I did do some maths and the adjustment seems pretty simple, if it works like I think. Wanted to share so people can either use it to make sense of their grinders, or tell me if I'm just missing something as to why there's 4 micro adjustment levels? Maybe there's some extreme use cases at the ends of the grind size spectrum like Turkish or infusion for desserts, but: I think Fellow could have the same 16m setting options across the grind range with just +1 and -1 "micro" adjustment": I think that if you choose a normal setting on the main dial (with the micro adjustment centred on 0) that is close to what you want, we will call this 'start'. Then to dial it in: 50m step finer = 1 full step down from start, Micro adjuster at 0 33m step finer = Leave at start, Micro adjuster to -1 step (33m finer) 16m step finer = 1 full step down, Micro adjuster to +1 step (33m coarser) Start 16m step coarser = 1 full step up from start, Micro adjuster to -1 step (33m finer) 33mm step coarser = Leave at start, Micro adjuster to +1 step (33m coarser) 50m step coarser = 1 full step up from start, Micro adjuster at 0
I feel like they should have put more focus on the espresso side because that budget category is so small. I have a hunch the Encore ESP might edge out the opus in that area, BUT I think it’s great to have a solid budget grinder like this to recommend to friends getting into coffee. V thorough review and I really liked the cutesy skit. Thx God bless
It fees like all of their R&D went into a powerhouse motor and then they had to fit 50 dollars worth of grinder around it. Feels like the VS3 is the way to go for 100 more in that budget espresso category
@@LanceHedrick sweeet! looking forward. I was planning to go for the df64s with the cast sweets or multipurpose. will see how the timemore one goes before i make my first flat burr purchase.
Seems like a fantastic entry level budget grinder. I’m surprised you didn’t compare it to the breville smart grinder but I’m curious how it’ll be vs the encore esp. thanks for the video!!
The dialing deep dive is giving me flashbacks to learning to use vernier calipers and micrometer screwgauges back in university, and honestly if they had presented it that way, it would probably be easier to use...
I think The Fellow Ode was probably what I'd recommend to folks who like coffee and want a capable home grinder that's easy to live with and doesn't come with some of the hassle associated with something like a hand grinder or a Lagom Mini. The MSRP of $300 was just a little steep for a lot of people though, so having a cheaper electric grinder from Fellow is really great. I was originally an Ode backer and was disappointed to realize the original stock burrs couldn't even grind fine enough for some V60s, and in general it wasn't as good as my hand grinder. I put it back in the box for about a year until I finally gave up waiting on updated burrs from Fellow and picked up SSP burrs. With SSP burrs it's been great, and I've since picked up a DF64 with SSP HU burrs (mainly for espresso), but I don't plan on moving on from my Ode. The changes that Fellow has made to the Ode have been really great to see.
I was super interested in this grinder and when Fellow gave me early access I was ready to pounce. I’m glad this review was available already. This would be a great grinder for someone, but not for me. I guess I’ll stick with my Sette 270 for now.
@@ShayneScherer for sure... When I start playing with it for espresso a little more it'll be pf direct... For now with pour over 36g light roast just fits in the Varia cup... Anymore than that and the ODE cup moves in.
Not sure what to get as an electric grinder. This is an interesting option. The more I use my 1zspesso hand grinder, the more I want to just make a base for it with a motor and not worry about getting another one.
I think it’s awesome that fellow made a grinder that capable for an affordable price, but honestly after hearing the dialing in process, there is no part of me that wants to deal with such a complicated procedure in the morning before I’ve had my coffee. I’m happy with my ode.
Lance a suggestion, may be create a Playlist for grinders, you got one for product reviews but it's a lengthy one. May be Lance's pick for espresso, or French press something g like that..
About burr movement vs burr gaps: With flat burrs they are the same. Say the burrs are touching, move the top burr 1mm up and the gap is also 1mm With conical burrs however the angle of the burrs is different from the settings movement (up or down). If the burrs are at a 45° angle (from the vertical axis) a movement of 1.41421mm would result in only 1mm difference in gap. The formula for this is: Gap = V / sin(angle) Where V=vertical movement angle = angle of burrs towards the vertical axis If the angle is 15° (wild guess) than 1mm of vertical movement will increase the gap by only 0.26mm
Correct! Burr gap isn't helpful as all, as the mathematics show, since you have to assume thay a) the measurements are traversable grinder to grinder (which they aren't) and b) perfect alignment to assume exactly same aperture across total gap area. Just nonsensical. Vertical movement is much more helpful. Thanks to orphan espresso for really leading the way with this.
I've had mine since the release and share the same feelings when it comes to the build. The plastic does not feel of high quality as the other Fellow products. I too have found scratches at the cup base and the coffee retention is not ideal. With all that said at the price and the other features I am very happy with my purchase. Happy to hear about the longevity of the grinder.
Thank you for the amazing review once again, Lance! One thing I’d like to point out regarding your choice of comparing the Opus to a handgrinder: I think you can’t disregard the fact that people might pick an electric grinder just because of the convenience. It’s unfair to compare an electric grinder only to a handgrinder of similar price point. In my opinion you should have included another electric grinder in the comparison. Other than that, wonderful work! This was a pleasure to watch.
I am SO GLAD you mentioned that they over-calibrate the grinder from the factory so that as the burrs wear you will still have usable espresso settings. I've been at 3-4 for espresso since I got mine and I though something was wrong.
You could also get granularity down to 1 micron by 3 micro steps 99 microns and 2 macro steps 100 microns. The offset would be 1 micron. You could do the adjustment 1 micron in either direction.
I came for a review to see how well this thing grinds and got a massive headache from the micro/macro explanation. I appreciate the amount of detail you put into this. But definitely too complicated for an average consumer that just wants a decent espresso grind from an affordable grinder
I see lots of people complain that the Opus can't do espresso. It absolutely can and does it very well. It's just people can't be bothered with the macro/micro adjustments. The Beanie app solved all of that. My only complaint is the erratic retention. Sometimes loads, sometimes hardly any. I've had as much as 4g when grinding a dark roast. Overall, great grinder but just needs a lot of tappy tappy from time to time.
14:0 It actually makes you wonder why they didn't go for two scales, the 41 macro steps on the body, the +6 and -6 micro adjustments on the hopper, that way the hopper can dial in the opposite direction, while the indication makes it clear what way is coarser and what way is finer.
Curious to see how you think it compares to the Varia VS3. I see it sitting back there on your counter top. Looking forward to that review. Great work as always!
Oh there’s static at least up north. It felt like I was beating up my Opus to get my measurements until I started hydrating the beans with a spray bottle. Now it’s hella consistent.
Turkish on an electric home grinder is a very unusual feature in itself! Hearing that it can do the full range from Turkish to French press, and at that price, I can't help thinking there must be a catch, but this is Fellow, not some fly-by-night company with no track record! This sounds too good to be true!
Howdy. I usually don’t comment or like on RUclips videos, but man watching this at 7am made me laugh and enjoy watching this video and learning about the two to make a decision! Thanks brother!
I’ve had this grinder for a couple months, and I feel like I got my money’s worth, but maybe should have splurged a bit more. I like that it’s small, and is capable of doing espresso (my main kick right now) through french press. I am wondering if mine is mis-calibrated, as it will choke most brewers if I go much lower than 4. My 14-year-old Jura superauto machine couldn’t handle anything lower than a 5, but I knew it wasn’t really designed to work with traditional espresso grind fineness. The low end of the “Prismo” range, 2-3, also made for some pretty difficult to press shots - I broke a mug. I got a new Breville Bambino+ to try to make better espresso, and it also can only manage a grind setting of 4-5. The grind output doesn’t feel espresso-fine. Oh well. I am getting much nicer shots with the new setup, and am getting it pretty consistent. If I don’t like the output, I make notes for the next shot and turn the “bad” one into a latte.
Not gonna lie, I've watched and rewatched reviews of the Opus from you and other people multiple times and this is the first time the internal adjustment mechanism fully clicked for me. I thought it was just like the Preciso or Vario's microadjustment lever where you make a macro adjustment first then use the microadjustment to dial in further. Instead this system is just... Inelegant for dialing in different brew methods or beans if you like to change things up on a regular basis.
I think Fellow just realized that there's are people who aren't as into coffee but do buy their grinders because it looks good and that grinders that do well for espresso are usually super expensive. I think this fits that intended market well. Think of the Opus as an experiment. If this does well enough for nerds like us to praise it, they might fine tune this product for it's Gen 2 / Pro version. I'll get this because my partner does know how to make her own latte with my setup but would rather not deal with hand grinding (and so do I lol).
Honestly at the price point, it seems like a great value for many who would’ve gotten one of the myriad of crappy electric grinders available under $200.
Seems that for the price, this will deterr a lot of people from buying a hand grinder for home use. Good job, Fellow. And thank you, fellow coffee nerd bro, Lance, for sharing your experience and assessments with us.
Thanks for your comprehensive review. I think they shot themselves in the foot with that adjustment mechanism. That being said, i really like the whole concept of focusing on what is really necessary. I don't really care about plastic cases, if the motor is strong and the burrs are well aligned. For 199$ new, this seems like a good alternative to handgrinders, i can see many people going for it. Still, the fine adjustment seems very cumbersome. I was waiting for the opus to decide, whether i want to get this or a used mazzer super jolly with 3d printed single dosing parts, currently using an 1zpresso JX. I think i will go with the super jolly, but i also like tinkering.
I've used the Mazzer SJ with 3d printed stuff, ended up selling it quick. There is still a fair amount of retention, but my main issue was with the grind size adjustment. Very small grind size changes were difficult to dial in.
Awesome review, these are so helpful being someone who's just starting to get into this. This price point is exactly what i was looking for and even though the dial seems to be a bit complex and its too bad that its not as heavy as the Ode, it makes sense for the $$ and will still likely still become my first electric grinder.
After getting the Ode+SSP MP combo right before the Ode Gen 2 was announced / Sculptor I was already feeling a bit silly, was hoping this wouldn’t make it worse and thankfully it hasn’t 😅
Exactly the same flaw as my Breville Barista Express which caused me to buy a Niche. The macro steps were too big and the micro steps were too hard to change. The opus is easier (on the BBE, you have to remove the collar burr and that little metal handle to change the micro steps), but still too hard to do before you've had your morning coffee. Hopeful that the Baratza response to this is great. Thanks for the awesome and honest content, Lance.
PS: Thanks for showing it running through 20g of beans. The timing is nice to see and it's a great opportunity to hear how the grinder actually sounds in use.
Competition at this price point: The Breville Smart Grinder Pro has a few more features, but looks worse and also doesn't have the durability/longevity this is promising. The Baratza Encore is a little cheaper, but looks very cheap, and the motor can't match. I think Fellow might have a winner here just on good looks (their usual forte)
Thanks for the review! It is amazing that you can get new single dose grinder that is fully capable of espresso at this pricepoint, it is great deal considering for how much you can get (sometimes heavily) used conical grinder like Iberital MC2 or similar which is not that great for single dosing. If I was at the start of my espresso journey, I would not think twice and get the Opus. Considering the grind time, build and the workflow, I will continue with the wait for Sculptor 78S - I cant wait for your review of the espresso version Lance!
Honestly i love it. Just needs a bellows mandatory and grind settings is a bit off-putting but something i can live with for mostly filter. I love that it can do turkish, surprised no one mentions that
I was eying this as an inexpensive (wife factor) alternative to my 1ZPresso K-Ultra when I wanted to speed up my workflow - especially w/ lighter-roasted coffees at espresso grinds. Grinding for espresso can either take awhile when grinding using the hand grinder in a tilted orientation for easier operation (less effort) or is a significant workout if grinding vertically for quicker results. Something tells me I'd be trading off flavor profiles and adjustment quirks at this pricepoint though.
Not sure I understand how this grinder makes sense within Fellow’s brand or line of products. But it looks like a great beginner grinder, especially for the money!
@@LanceHedrick yeah, they surely thought outside the box. A grinder that doesn’t jam, and can do espresso at $200 is pretty insane. They should sell a bunch of these!
This has been extremely helpful for me! I've been doing budget espresso at home for almost a year now, with a cheap hand grinder and a second-hand espresso machine. I've been really enjoying what I've been able to get out of my setup, but I've been keeping my eye on affordable grinders for a while now. I'm still on the fence about whether to buy now, or wait for gen 2, but it does look like that might be the grinder I've been waiting for. Thanks for the thorough and honest review!
I honestly loved the explanation of the macro micro adjustments - I kinda missed it on a bunch of other videos .. thanks for taking the time, and well said! the one analogy I would’ve loved to hear would’ve been the vernier lines on analog calipers - they work in exactly the same mind-twisting way I think 😶🌫️ also, what is that grinder on the far left .. it’s gorgeous
thank you lance, just got into espresso and my ode can't do it. So, i think this will be perfect for my aesthetic of my coffee bar and hopefully when opus 2 comes out they listen to ya!
I think I prefer my simple but very robust and easy to dial in, low retention flat burr grinder. I don’t trust plastic to hold grind settings consistently. I would be curious to see if the internal gears are also made of plastic.
Thanks for the review. Interesting that Fellow chose to provide a lower priced grinder with such complex grind settings to add versatility to the unit. Had the machine been built with more premium materials instead of plastic...it could be a Niche killer.
That with that retention, frustrating dial in and additional faff for additional dialing in after having to take the Hopper off... nah, not even with comparing as they will always be in different leagues. I do like the Aesthetics though! I wanted to love this or anything sub 500 (Eureka mingnon fan for years) but settled for the Niche Zero as a long term investment in the end 🤑 for the robust and most simple operation. Also, shocked and so happy with how quite it is! I really wish there was something that competed directly with the Niche Zero for its cleanliness, simpleness and lack of waste coupled with the high-quality fluffy output... and it's dead easy to disassemble and reassemble quickly to clean
I purchased this grinder.. its great. But I have a pretty cheap espresso machine that claims it has 15 bar.. but I find it cant pull shots on grounds smaller that the 3 setting on this OPUS grinder..
Don't forget to hit LIKE and, more importantly, SUBSCRIBE! Thanks for watching. See you in the comments!!!
If I had the original ode, are catch cups interchangeable with the opus?
Somewhere around the fifth minute of explanation of the micro-steps I decided that maybe I was cool just drinking filter coffee forever
Yea after the impromptu nap it caused, not complaining I needed the nap😂
Came here to say the same. The price is super tempting but hey. I think I still want the Ode 2.
made me very glad i have a stepless grinder
Read this comment after skipping that micro-steps part, sipping from my filter coffee made using my ode. Yeah.. I'm happy too, no need to change anything.
bro I watched this video, decided to buy, got this thing in the mail today and here I am again watching it after a WHOLE DAY of FAILURE trying to pull an okay shot
It's nice to see a person who was able to direct his ADHD in a useful direction
Great video, as always
hahaha thank you! I think it helps, for sure. Appreciate the kind words!
I want to tell you how much I appreciate the quality content that you put out. There is so much thought and effort put into each of your videos. Thank you!
thank you! It definitely takes a lot of time, but I take seriously money other people spend on equipment! Thanks for the kind words
I love that it goes all the way up to 11
But why not just make 10 the max number? 😂
@@pjpoirthese go to eleven
I feel like we (myself included) are over-complicating their adjustment mechanism. In practice, you should know if you need to make your current setting coarser or finer. Just adjust the inner ring in the direction you need to go to refine your shot. No math required.
The amount of effort, passion, humor, and ideas you put into all these videos. I absolutely love them.
The macroadjustment is giving me hard-core Breville Smart Grinder Pro vibes with the 10 internal adjustments. They drove me crazy. Im even more hopeful for the Encore ESP now.
I still think this is a great compromise for quality and price BUT I am excited about the ESP, as well. Review coming soon!
@@LanceHedrick Could you do a grinder showdown later this year. Theres been a lot of new grinders showing up on the market and it would be great to see how you think they all stack up to each other at separate price points
As soon as I saw the burr set I raced down to the comments to see if people also thought this looked like a Breville knockoff. I wonder how the burrs differ seeing that they look and operate almost exactly the same.
@@LanceHedrickinformative and entertaining as always! I’d be interested to see what an actual espresso dial-in would look like in practice with the Opus (vs the ESP?). I wonder just how annoying the micro adjustments might get (or maybe not that bad?)
I'm in the same situation haha
The 3D chess game to dial in espresso took me a few replays to understand, but I think that's fair given how fiddly it is. You did a great job explaining it in the amount of time taken!
Can't wait for Fellow's future premium version of this to compete with the Niche: the Magnum Opus
Bahahahaha!
Fellow is too cheap to make anything that can compete with the Niche. They don't have it in their heart to spend the money. If they did, Ode Gen2 would have been their best shot and they know it.
Lance, thank you for a really detailed video. I found this video after I had owned the OPUS for approximately 6 months. I am pleased with my decision and have had no issues with it. Some of the minor flaws you point out are not deal breakers for me, and I'm satisfied with my decision. (Price was a factor to me.) The adjustment system has been no issue after you become familiar with it. And possibly because my previous experiences were primarily with hand grinders. I had no specific explications or habits carrying over from previous models.
Hey Lance, just wanted to say, I love your new look.
I love watching content creators kind of find themselves and I loved all your early stuff but now you really seem to have found your zone, and it's like you've grown into yourself, and you seem to be more comfortable with who you are now, which I love.
PS I love the random singing and rhythmic tapping, as someone with ADHD I love the genuine feeling of your videos.
I really look forward to what you do moving forward, you're an inspiration to all of us in this crazy coffee world.
PPS I love your hair, you and I have incredibly similar curly hair, and I love mine longer as well, feels like a thick lions mane!
I just graduated from grade 4 maths. Thank you, Lance! I need to stay ahead of my son and find your videos very educational. ❤
Thank you for the depth of explanation regarding the relationship between the macro and micro settings with special congrats on the impact of micro adjustments on macro readings. That is exceptionally worthwhile for prospective buyers to understand what to expect from the machine. Thanks
I went from the popular Cuisinart coffee grinder to this one. So far, I like it a lot. I'm not quite the coffee nerd you are, but I wanted to start making better coffee. I recently started roasting my own coffee beans. So, for me it was a perfect step and upgrade for me. My only disappointment was with the espresso cup being 54 and 58 mm. My machine is 51 mm so I have to rely on a funnel to get the coffee into the portafilter. Overall, a great economic grinder.
I've been looking for a good all purpose grinder for my beginner's setup and this video settled my internal debate. Kinda wish it was as nice built as the Ode, but I for one would take the cost reduction 100 times before that. Thanks for your thorough review, Lance.
I was in the same situation as you 2 months ago and bought the X Pro he used in the video. I think the X Pro is still the better choice because it feels more premium, its easier to use and gives great cups. Yeah the downside is that it's manual but I don't mind and the plus side is that I can take this with me when I travel instead of grinding before hand.
that opening skit was SUCH a good summary! 😂
Lance helping the little opus to expel its retention, with the expression of a disappointed father as his robot child chokes on yet another coffee bean 🤖🫶🏻
I don’t make espresso, but I do have a 4 serving Bialetti Moka pot I enjoy. The single dose cup fits the grind basket perfectly. The opus is great for every type of coffee I enjoy. Performs beautifully for my pour overs, Moccamaster, and cold brew.
Thanks Lance. They lost me with the adjustment system and the plasticky materials, but I'm pretty sure there is a big market for this product out there. I´ll wait for the Encore ESP review.
Thanks for being able to release such early, same-day reviews. Great technical and entertaining content. I watch nearly all of your vids with my kids. Most of us enjoy them. 😂
Thanks for the great video, I think I'm going to get the grinder as I did do some maths and the adjustment seems pretty simple, if it works like I think. Wanted to share so people can either use it to make sense of their grinders, or tell me if I'm just missing something as to why there's 4 micro adjustment levels? Maybe there's some extreme use cases at the ends of the grind size spectrum like Turkish or infusion for desserts, but:
I think Fellow could have the same 16m setting options across the grind range with just +1 and -1 "micro" adjustment":
I think that if you choose a normal setting on the main dial (with the micro adjustment centred on 0) that is close to what you want, we will call this 'start'.
Then to dial it in:
50m step finer = 1 full step down from start, Micro adjuster at 0
33m step finer = Leave at start, Micro adjuster to -1 step (33m finer)
16m step finer = 1 full step down, Micro adjuster to +1 step (33m coarser)
Start
16m step coarser = 1 full step up from start, Micro adjuster to -1 step (33m finer)
33mm step coarser = Leave at start, Micro adjuster to +1 step (33m coarser)
50m step coarser = 1 full step up from start, Micro adjuster at 0
I feel like they should have put more focus on the espresso side because that budget category is so small. I have a hunch the Encore ESP might edge out the opus in that area, BUT I think it’s great to have a solid budget grinder like this to recommend to friends getting into coffee. V thorough review and I really liked the cutesy skit. Thx God bless
I wanted to love this so much... Ended up going for the Niche Zero after saving and shopping for 3 years. The grind is SOOOO FLUFFFY and smooth
It fees like all of their R&D went into a powerhouse motor and then they had to fit 50 dollars worth of grinder around it. Feels like the VS3 is the way to go for 100 more in that budget espresso category
Masses want cheap. They delivered on the cheap part
was hoping for that timemore follow up review hahaha. the opus feels like a really nice gift to someone who is starting out with coffee
I'm waiting on them to ship the units! They said they'd send me 064S and 078S. They said they wouldn't ship me 064 Turbo. But soon!
@@LanceHedrick sweeet! looking forward. I was planning to go for the df64s with the cast sweets or multipurpose. will see how the timemore one goes before i make my first flat burr purchase.
definitely! I'm waiting eagerly!
The macro/micro step thing is ridiculous.
@@LanceHedrick waiting in the review of the 078S as well, can't wait!!!
Seems like a fantastic entry level budget grinder. I’m surprised you didn’t compare it to the breville smart grinder but I’m curious how it’ll be vs the encore esp. thanks for the video!!
The dialing deep dive is giving me flashbacks to learning to use vernier calipers and micrometer screwgauges back in university, and honestly if they had presented it that way, it would probably be easier to use...
I think The Fellow Ode was probably what I'd recommend to folks who like coffee and want a capable home grinder that's easy to live with and doesn't come with some of the hassle associated with something like a hand grinder or a Lagom Mini. The MSRP of $300 was just a little steep for a lot of people though, so having a cheaper electric grinder from Fellow is really great. I was originally an Ode backer and was disappointed to realize the original stock burrs couldn't even grind fine enough for some V60s, and in general it wasn't as good as my hand grinder. I put it back in the box for about a year until I finally gave up waiting on updated burrs from Fellow and picked up SSP burrs. With SSP burrs it's been great, and I've since picked up a DF64 with SSP HU burrs (mainly for espresso), but I don't plan on moving on from my Ode. The changes that Fellow has made to the Ode have been really great to see.
it is a straightforward mathematical equation it just depends on the conical angle (bur gap change) =cos(Included bur angle/2)*(vertical Bur movement)
I was super interested in this grinder and when Fellow gave me early access I was ready to pounce. I’m glad this review was available already. This would be a great grinder for someone, but not for me. I guess I’ll stick with my Sette 270 for now.
Love to see how it compares to the Varia I feel those are 2 grinders that seem to be a great value for the price.
I am still working on a varia review!
@@LanceHedrick busy dude! Either way appreciate everything you do to get us educated in a fun way! Thank you!
@@LanceHedrick I may have to admit to using the catch cup from the ODE for the Varia VS3 sometimes... Works nicely 😉
@@IntlGeorge the varia catch cup is a bit dinky. I just grind directly into my PF resting it below the chute lol
@@ShayneScherer for sure... When I start playing with it for espresso a little more it'll be pf direct... For now with pour over 36g light roast just fits in the Varia cup... Anymore than that and the ODE cup moves in.
oh my god that adjustment! 😮😮
Not sure what to get as an electric grinder. This is an interesting option. The more I use my 1zspesso hand grinder, the more I want to just make a base for it with a motor and not worry about getting another one.
I’m pausing at 0:59 to comment and say that that intro was incredibly emotional and cinematic
thank you, Ethan! Means a lot
I'm glad I'm not the only one who freely mixes up "EZPresso" and "One-Z-Presso" when saying it out loud, despite knowing the correct pronunciation.
I think it’s awesome that fellow made a grinder that capable for an affordable price, but honestly after hearing the dialing in process, there is no part of me that wants to deal with such a complicated procedure in the morning before I’ve had my coffee. I’m happy with my ode.
I've seen similar comments as your's a few times. I would have thought you dial it in once and you're done?
The fact that im enthralled by cinematography and acting in the cutesy skit speaks volumes for your content
Lance a suggestion, may be create a Playlist for grinders, you got one for product reviews but it's a lengthy one. May be Lance's pick for espresso, or French press something g like that..
great idea! Will do this now.
man that intro was giving me goosebumps until AD at 1:22 lol… i guess this is what youtube premium is for
AD at 1:22? well. That sucks! So sorry!
Was scared i'd somewhat regret buying a DF83 but after watching this I'm very happy with my pickup.
DF83 is fantastic. You'll much prefer that, no doubt. This is great, but great for $195.
This product feels like it was developed in a meeting room. "Okay we make sure it doesn't cannibalize Ode, and our target user is everyone"
What a brilliantly done review Lance.
thank you so much!
Was worried my choice of sd40 was a mistake, but after seeing this I am happy
About burr movement vs burr gaps:
With flat burrs they are the same.
Say the burrs are touching, move the top burr 1mm up and the gap is also 1mm
With conical burrs however the angle of the burrs is different from the settings movement (up or down).
If the burrs are at a 45° angle (from the vertical axis) a movement of 1.41421mm would result in only 1mm difference in gap.
The formula for this is:
Gap = V / sin(angle)
Where
V=vertical movement
angle = angle of burrs towards the vertical axis
If the angle is 15° (wild guess) than 1mm of vertical movement will increase the gap by only 0.26mm
Correct! Burr gap isn't helpful as all, as the mathematics show, since you have to assume thay a) the measurements are traversable grinder to grinder (which they aren't) and b) perfect alignment to assume exactly same aperture across total gap area. Just nonsensical. Vertical movement is much more helpful. Thanks to orphan espresso for really leading the way with this.
@@LanceHedrick Hi,
I didn’t expect much response 4 days after the video was published, let alone from the creator himself.😁
Thanks!
I've had mine since the release and share the same feelings when it comes to the build. The plastic does not feel of high quality as the other Fellow products. I too have found scratches at the cup base and the coffee retention is not ideal. With all that said at the price and the other features I am very happy with my purchase. Happy to hear about the longevity of the grinder.
Really appreciate you running it through a whole grind cycle for time and to hear it without any background noise/music
Thank you for the amazing review once again, Lance! One thing I’d like to point out regarding your choice of comparing the Opus to a handgrinder: I think you can’t disregard the fact that people might pick an electric grinder just because of the convenience. It’s unfair to compare an electric grinder only to a handgrinder of similar price point. In my opinion you should have included another electric grinder in the comparison.
Other than that, wonderful work! This was a pleasure to watch.
Yeah but x Pro feels and handlers way more premium and as a counter point: it's portable so taking it on trips and longer vacations is much easier :)
I am SO GLAD you mentioned that they over-calibrate the grinder from the factory so that as the burrs wear you will still have usable espresso settings. I've been at 3-4 for espresso since I got mine and I though something was wrong.
You could also get granularity down to 1 micron by 3 micro steps 99 microns and 2 macro steps 100 microns. The offset would be 1 micron. You could do the adjustment 1 micron in either direction.
I came for a review to see how well this thing grinds and got a massive headache from the micro/macro explanation. I appreciate the amount of detail you put into this. But definitely too complicated for an average consumer that just wants a decent espresso grind from an affordable grinder
I see lots of people complain that the Opus can't do espresso. It absolutely can and does it very well. It's just people can't be bothered with the macro/micro adjustments. The Beanie app solved all of that.
My only complaint is the erratic retention. Sometimes loads, sometimes hardly any. I've had as much as 4g when grinding a dark roast.
Overall, great grinder but just needs a lot of tappy tappy from time to time.
14:0 It actually makes you wonder why they didn't go for two scales, the 41 macro steps on the body, the +6 and -6 micro adjustments on the hopper, that way the hopper can dial in the opposite direction, while the indication makes it clear what way is coarser and what way is finer.
Curious to see how you think it compares to the Varia VS3. I see it sitting back there on your counter top. Looking forward to that review. Great work as always!
Oh there’s static at least up north. It felt like I was beating up my Opus to get my measurements until I started hydrating the beans with a spray bottle. Now it’s hella consistent.
That feel when you you realize you will never have the swag of a Lance Hedrick..
(Love the intro)
ha! Just gotta act silly, but with like unearned confidence lol
That Badalamenti-esque tune in the skit/intro is *chef's kiss*
Turkish on an electric home grinder is a very unusual feature in itself! Hearing that it can do the full range from Turkish to French press, and at that price, I can't help thinking there must be a catch, but this is Fellow, not some fly-by-night company with no track record! This sounds too good to be true!
I'd add a one way flapper valve to the top of the lid so it only blows air when pushing down and doesn't suck the grinds back up when you lift it
This is the best grinder in the world. Well Designed.
Howdy. I usually don’t comment or like on RUclips videos, but man watching this at 7am made me laugh and enjoy watching this video and learning about the two to make a decision! Thanks brother!
This is a detail and clear review, great for beginner coffee lovers!
I’ve had this grinder for a couple months, and I feel like I got my money’s worth, but maybe should have splurged a bit more. I like that it’s small, and is capable of doing espresso (my main kick right now) through french press. I am wondering if mine is mis-calibrated, as it will choke most brewers if I go much lower than 4. My 14-year-old Jura superauto machine couldn’t handle anything lower than a 5, but I knew it wasn’t really designed to work with traditional espresso grind fineness. The low end of the “Prismo” range, 2-3, also made for some pretty difficult to press shots - I broke a mug. I got a new Breville Bambino+ to try to make better espresso, and it also can only manage a grind setting of 4-5. The grind output doesn’t feel espresso-fine.
Oh well. I am getting much nicer shots with the new setup, and am getting it pretty consistent. If I don’t like the output, I make notes for the next shot and turn the “bad” one into a latte.
Not gonna lie, I've watched and rewatched reviews of the Opus from you and other people multiple times and this is the first time the internal adjustment mechanism fully clicked for me. I thought it was just like the Preciso or Vario's microadjustment lever where you make a macro adjustment first then use the microadjustment to dial in further. Instead this system is just... Inelegant for dialing in different brew methods or beans if you like to change things up on a regular basis.
I literally screamed when I saw this first ting opening the RUclips’s 😁🤩😭😎
haha! I love the enthusiasm. Thanks for watching!
23:05
Ironically i have a 1zpresso of some form and was looking at this as a sort of motorized alternative, so, i exist as a example
I think for easily espresso adjustment use, for big step adjust could be done by outside ring and micro adjust use inner ring for pulling shot.
I think Fellow just realized that there's are people who aren't as into coffee but do buy their grinders because it looks good and that grinders that do well for espresso are usually super expensive. I think this fits that intended market well. Think of the Opus as an experiment. If this does well enough for nerds like us to praise it, they might fine tune this product for it's Gen 2 / Pro version.
I'll get this because my partner does know how to make her own latte with my setup but would rather not deal with hand grinding (and so do I lol).
I hope there is a Gen 2! Some quirks to work through, as mentioned here, but I am EXCITED at the entry level pricing for an all round grinder
Oddly enough, that was a really good description of that wacky dial.
Honestly at the price point, it seems like a great value for many who would’ve gotten one of the myriad of crappy electric grinders available under $200.
absolutely! Stay tuned for the unveiling of the Baratza Encore ESP- a worthy competitor at 199
Seems that for the price, this will deterr a lot of people from buying a hand grinder for home use.
Good job, Fellow.
And thank you, fellow coffee nerd bro, Lance, for sharing your experience and assessments with us.
Thanks for your comprehensive review. I think they shot themselves in the foot with that adjustment mechanism. That being said, i really like the whole concept of focusing on what is really necessary. I don't really care about plastic cases, if the motor is strong and the burrs are well aligned. For 199$ new, this seems like a good alternative to handgrinders, i can see many people going for it. Still, the fine adjustment seems very cumbersome. I was waiting for the opus to decide, whether i want to get this or a used mazzer super jolly with 3d printed single dosing parts, currently using an 1zpresso JX. I think i will go with the super jolly, but i also like tinkering.
I’m kinda with you. I’m okay with the plastic as long as its sturdy. The difficulty in adjustment is what matters to me.
I've used the Mazzer SJ with 3d printed stuff, ended up selling it quick. There is still a fair amount of retention, but my main issue was with the grind size adjustment. Very small grind size changes were difficult to dial in.
Awesome review, these are so helpful being someone who's just starting to get into this. This price point is exactly what i was looking for and even though the dial seems to be a bit complex and its too bad that its not as heavy as the Ode, it makes sense for the $$ and will still likely still become my first electric grinder.
The review I’ve been waiting for! Thank you again for all your work & willingness to share
I'm on my way home after the shift and adjustment system makes my brain overload😂😂
I felt prepared for this math lesson since I am an elementary school teacher. :D
After getting the Ode+SSP MP combo right before the Ode Gen 2 was announced / Sculptor I was already feeling a bit silly, was hoping this wouldn’t make it worse and thankfully it hasn’t 😅
Haha where was that thing when I started my coffee journey. Now it‘s too late 😂😿
Thanks Lance! I was really interested in what Fellow was going to do, since I do love their products. I think I'm going to pass on this one though.
Mine stopped working after owning it for 5 months. Used exclusively for espresso. Customer service is slow to respond.
Exactly the same flaw as my Breville Barista Express which caused me to buy a Niche. The macro steps were too big and the micro steps were too hard to change. The opus is easier (on the BBE, you have to remove the collar burr and that little metal handle to change the micro steps), but still too hard to do before you've had your morning coffee.
Hopeful that the Baratza response to this is great. Thanks for the awesome and honest content, Lance.
PS: Thanks for showing it running through 20g of beans. The timing is nice to see and it's a great opportunity to hear how the grinder actually sounds in use.
Competition at this price point:
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro has a few more features, but looks worse and also doesn't have the durability/longevity this is promising.
The Baratza Encore is a little cheaper, but looks very cheap, and the motor can't match.
I think Fellow might have a winner here just on good looks (their usual forte)
Second grinder review in a row that comes out earlier than everybody else! Way to go, Lance!
I am very happy to have seen this review just before my planned upgrade date! It’s either this or the J Max
Thoughts anyone?
Thanks for the review! It is amazing that you can get new single dose grinder that is fully capable of espresso at this pricepoint, it is great deal considering for how much you can get (sometimes heavily) used conical grinder like Iberital MC2 or similar which is not that great for single dosing.
If I was at the start of my espresso journey, I would not think twice and get the Opus.
Considering the grind time, build and the workflow, I will continue with the wait for Sculptor 78S - I cant wait for your review of the espresso version Lance!
Honestly i love it. Just needs a bellows mandatory and grind settings is a bit off-putting but something i can live with for mostly filter. I love that it can do turkish, surprised no one mentions that
Seems the machines are all over the place with calibration! Some say they can't pull a shot at the finest setting.
I was eying this as an inexpensive (wife factor) alternative to my 1ZPresso K-Ultra when I wanted to speed up my workflow - especially w/ lighter-roasted coffees at espresso grinds. Grinding for espresso can either take awhile when grinding using the hand grinder in a tilted orientation for easier operation (less effort) or is a significant workout if grinding vertically for quicker results. Something tells me I'd be trading off flavor profiles and adjustment quirks at this pricepoint though.
Not sure I understand how this grinder makes sense within Fellow’s brand or line of products.
But it looks like a great beginner grinder, especially for the money!
It doesn't really make sense BUT that makes me respect them. Departing from their normal to provide something at a reasonable cost.
@@LanceHedrick yeah, they surely thought outside the box.
A grinder that doesn’t jam, and can do espresso at $200 is pretty insane. They should sell a bunch of these!
For sure! And grinding green beans? Jesus.
This has been extremely helpful for me!
I've been doing budget espresso at home for almost a year now, with a cheap hand grinder and a second-hand espresso machine. I've been really enjoying what I've been able to get out of my setup, but I've been keeping my eye on affordable grinders for a while now.
I'm still on the fence about whether to buy now, or wait for gen 2, but it does look like that might be the grinder I've been waiting for.
Thanks for the thorough and honest review!
Awesome review! I got super nervous initially as I heard about the Opus the week I received my Ode gen2 and thought I wasted my money 😂
not at all! If looking at both options, Ode Gen 2 is my choice.
whew an entire week ahead of my embargo date 🥲
Much Love
I'm three mins into the video but you can have a like just for the cutesy skit 🤣
Lance : it's not me it's you... 💔
Fellow Ode : cries in light roast 😭
I got mine, but I use for pour over coffee, fine to me, at least lot better than my old 40 bucks grinder.
Thank you Lance.
thank you!
I honestly loved the explanation of the macro micro adjustments - I kinda missed it on a bunch of other videos .. thanks for taking the time, and well said!
the one analogy I would’ve loved to hear would’ve been the vernier lines on analog calipers - they work in exactly the same mind-twisting way
I think 😶🌫️
also, what is that grinder on the far left .. it’s gorgeous
thank you lance, just got into espresso and my ode can't do it. So, i think this will be perfect for my aesthetic of my coffee bar and hopefully when opus 2 comes out they listen to ya!
I think I prefer my simple but very robust and easy to dial in, low retention flat burr grinder.
I don’t trust plastic to hold grind settings consistently.
I would be curious to see if the internal gears are also made of plastic.
Great vid, would love to see a comparison against the lagom mini, vario VS3, etc
Thanks for the review. Interesting that Fellow chose to provide a lower priced grinder with such complex grind settings to add versatility to the unit. Had the machine been built with more premium materials instead of plastic...it could be a Niche killer.
That with that retention, frustrating dial in and additional faff for additional dialing in after having to take the Hopper off... nah, not even with comparing as they will always be in different leagues. I do like the Aesthetics though! I wanted to love this or anything sub 500 (Eureka mingnon fan for years) but settled for the Niche Zero as a long term investment in the end 🤑 for the robust and most simple operation. Also, shocked and so happy with how quite it is! I really wish there was something that competed directly with the Niche Zero for its cleanliness, simpleness and lack of waste coupled with the high-quality fluffy output... and it's dead easy to disassemble and reassemble quickly to clean
I purchased this grinder.. its great. But I have a pretty cheap espresso machine that claims it has 15 bar.. but I find it cant pull shots on grounds smaller that the 3 setting on this OPUS grinder..