Which to buy · Every setting
Fellow Ode Gen 2 vs Rancilio Rocky
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The Ode Gen 2 is numbered 1–11; the Rocky is numbered 0–55.
Which to buy
Choose the
Ode Gen 2 if you…
- brew filter only — Fellow says the Ode is not intended for espresso
- single-dose, with an automatic stop when grinding is done
- want to buy new, with a 2-year warranty
Choose the
Rocky if you…
- pull espresso — Rancilio pitched it as the partner to its Silvia espresso machine
- want a 300 g hopper to grind from
- are buying used — Rancilio no longer lists it
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.
Rancilio no longer lists the Rocky (its page now returns 404) and sells the Stile as its home grinder, so you'd be buying the Rocky used.
Sources: Fellow — Ode Gen 2 · Rancilio Group — Rocky (archived Jan 2022) · Rancilio Group — Rocky SD specifications (archived May 2022) · Rancilio Group — Stile
| Ode Gen 2 | Rocky | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Fellow | Rancilio |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 1 – 11 | 0 – 55 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 5.9 numbers | 20 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 3.9 numbers | 23 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 34.4 on the Ode Gen 2 but 1.9 on the Rocky — 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.
| Ode Gen 2 | Rocky |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 9 |
| 3.1 | 14 |
| 4.2 | 18 |
| 5.2 | 22 |
| 7 | 26 |
| 7.2 | 29 |
| 8 | 32 |
| 8.2 | 36 |
| 9.1 | 39 |
| 9.2 | 42 |
| 10.1 | 45 |
| 10.2 | 48 |
| Rocky | Ode Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 1 |
| 9 | 2 |
| 14 | 3.1 |
| 18 | 4.2 |
| 22 | 5.2 |
| 26 | 7 |
| 29 | 7.2 |
| 32 | 8 |
| 36 | 8.2 |
| 39 | 9.1 |
| 42 | 9.2 |
| 45 | 10.1 |
| 48 | 10.2 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Ode Gen 2 | Rocky |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 1.2 | 8 |
| Moka pot | 3 | 13 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 4.2 | 18 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 6.2 | 24 |
| Siphon | 7 | 26 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 7.1 | 27 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 7.1 | 28 |
| Drip / batch brew | 7.2 | 29 |
| Cupping | 7 | 30 |
| Chemex | 8 | 32 |
| French press | 9 | 38 |
| Cold brew | 10 | 44 |
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.
Fellow Ode Gen 2
Rancilio Rocky
Dialing in the Ode Gen 2
A flat-burr brew grinder that deliberately does not attempt espresso, and is better for the focus. The Gen 2 burrs cut fines substantially versus the original, which is why its filter range sits in a narrower band than the number of settings suggests. The markings between whole numbers are real and worth using — most of the useful pour-over territory lives between two adjacent integers.
Dialing in the Rocky
A stepped espresso grinder that has been the budget recommendation for a very long time. The 55 steps across 50mm flat burrs are its limitation — for espresso you will sometimes want a setting between two of them and there is not one, and a single step can move a shot by seconds. Twenty of those steps cover espresso through filter, which is more resolution than the fine end usually gets at this price. Two things make it an espresso grinder in practice rather than a general one: changing setting means holding the locking lever while twisting the hopper, and it keeps a couple of grams in the chute, so every switch between espresso and pour over costs you both fiddling and coffee. Most owners pick one end and stay there.