Which to buy · Every setting
Baratza Vario+ vs Fellow Opus
Conical against flat — the Opus's scale curves where the other runs straight. The Opus is numbered 1–11; the Vario+ is numbered 1–130.
Which to buy
Choose the
Vario+ if you…
- want 54 mm flat burrs — ceramic on the black model, steel on the white
- pull espresso — a portafilter holder and three timer presets come with it
- swap beans often — the 300 g hopper has a shut-off
Choose the
Opus if you…
- want 40 mm conical burrs
- want a timed auto-stop at 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds
- want anti-static and a magnetic catch cup
Shop links are affiliate links: BrewMark earns a commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you. The verdicts were written without regard to it.
Fellow now sells the Opus 2 in place of the original. The settings on this page are for the original Opus.
Sources: Fellow — Opus (archived) · Fellow — Opus gear guide · Fellow — Opus page today · Baratza — Vario+ · Baratza — Vario+ manual
| Vario+ | Opus | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Baratza | Fellow |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 1 – 130 | 1 – 11 |
| Burrs | Flat | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 48.5 numbers | 5.7 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 53.3 numbers | 3.9 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 6 sits at grind index 0 on the Vario+ but 34.2 on the Opus — far enough apart to change the cup.
Converting a setting
If a recipe quotes a setting for one of these grinders, read across for the equivalent on the other. Rows are spaced evenly by grind size, not by dial number — on a conical burr those are not the same thing.
| Vario+ | Opus |
|---|---|
| 2P | 1.2 |
| 2R | 1.2 |
| 2V | 2 |
| 4M | 3.2 |
| 5P | 5.3 |
| 6S | 7.1 |
| 7S | 8 |
| 8S | 8.2 |
| 9T | 8.3 |
| 10N | 9.1 |
| 10Q | 9.3 |
| 10S | 10.2 |
| 10V | 11 |
| Opus | Vario+ |
|---|---|
| 1.2 | 2P |
| 2 | 2V |
| 3.2 | 4M |
| 5.3 | 5P |
| 7.1 | 6S |
| 8 | 7S |
| 8.2 | 8S |
| 8.3 | 9T |
| 9.1 | 10N |
| 9.3 | 10Q |
| 10.2 | 10S |
| 11 | 10V |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Vario+ | Opus |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 2Q | 1.2 |
| Moka pot | 2S | 1.3 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 4M | 3.2 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 6M | 6.3 |
| Siphon | 6T | 7.2 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 7L | 7.3 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 7P | 8 |
| Drip / batch brew | 7S | 8 |
| Cupping | 7V | 8 |
| Chemex | 8S | 8.2 |
| French press | 10M | 9 |
| Cold brew | 10R | 10 |
The shape of each dial
Where the connectors bunch, that grinder’s dial is compressed and single steps count for more. Comparing the two shapes tells you which gives finer control, and where.
Baratza Vario+
Fellow Opus
Dialing in the Vario+
Two-stage adjustment: a macro lever in steps and a micro slider between them. That means a given "setting" is really a pair, and quoting one number without the other loses information — worth remembering when comparing notes with other Vario owners.
Dialing in the Opus
Marketed as all-purpose, and it genuinely does cover more range than the Ode, but the espresso end is workable rather than good — expect to chase it. Where it earns its place is the coarse end: cold brew and French press come out notably even. If you bought the Opus mainly for espresso, dial it as a brew grinder first and judge it there.