Fellow Ode Gen 2

What it does well

Grind quality is the headline. Home Grounds praises "impeccable grind quality and consistency throughout the medium-fine to coarse grind range." It ranks the new burrs "among the best I've encountered at this price point."

The settings are better spread than on Gen 1. Home Grounds says the original "definitely skewed too coarse," while the new model "has a nice distribution." Fellow lists 11 numbered settings with 31 steps in total.

On static, Home Grounds says the Gen 2 "turns that completely around" from Gen 1. It calls it "one of the cleanest grinders I've worked with." Fellow credits anti-static technology and a built-in knocker that taps leftover grounds out of the chute.

It is quieter than most. Home Grounds measured 82 dB with a medium roast and called it "reasonably low-pitched" and "not unpleasant." Fellow says it is "engineered to reduce grind noise."

Where it falls short

Espresso is out. Fellow says so plainly, and Home Grounds confirmed it could not reach espresso fineness. Whole Latte Love gives the finest output as around 250–300 microns.

The catch cup holds on to grounds. Home Grounds says the cup's fins "tend to trap a few coffee grinds at the end." The knocker helps with the chute, not the cup.

Small annoyances remain. Home Grounds found the power cord "weirdly stiff." Whole Latte Love notes the load bin is not removable and is plastic.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it if all your coffee is brewed, not pulled. It suits a pour-over or drip routine where you weigh each dose and want low mess and low noise.

Skip it if there is any chance you will buy an espresso machine. The Baratza Encore ESP covers espresso and filter for less, with conical burrs. Skip it too if you want a hopper that holds a week of beans.

How it compares

The DF64 Gen 2 vs Fellow Ode Gen 2 comparison sets two 64 mm flat-burr single dosers side by side. The Ode is brew-only; the DF64 also reaches espresso.

The Baratza Encore vs Fellow Ode Gen 2 pair is conical against flat. The Encore is cheaper and hopper-fed; the Ode is single dose.

The Ode Gen 2 vs Wilfa Uniform pair sets two brew-only flat-burr grinders side by side. If you already own a Gen 1, the Ode Gen 1 vs Gen 2 comparison shows how far the new burrs move the dial.

Owning it

Home Grounds says Fellow recommends cleaning "every 60 cycles" for light and medium roasts, and more often for oily dark roasts. Our guide to cleaning a Fellow Ode walks through the Gen 2 burr removal.

Fellow's standard warranty is two years, with an option to extend. Fellow also sells a version with SSP brew burrs fitted. For the general process, see how to replace grinder burrs.

If dark roasts cling to the chute, see how to reduce grinder static. Use the settings chart on this page as your starting point for each brew method.