DREWCISION 2026: coffee grinder, part 1

I’m worried. Recently, I’ve gotten to a place with my home coffee setup where I’m no longer seeking excuses for going out and buying a barista-made latte. I was ready to write a bonafide hit piece on my new grinder, the Fellow Ode Gen 2. Now, I’m wondering if the grinder may be a big part of why I’m so happy.

Things I don’t love about the Ode

For the first week, I was ready to be very negative and grumpy about this grinder. The fit and finish is just not perfect. The lid on the catch cup is really, really bad. Chaotically bad. The hopper lid is not great either. It doesn’t click in place! It just sits there! That’s not ideal.

The grind button’s placement on the very bottom of the machine feels like an afterthought. It does! I don’t love that. The whole thing bends a little bit when you use the knocker to free any loose coffee. Finally, I don’t love the massive magnet meant to hold the catch cup in place. I like that the catch cup is magnetic, but I don’t like how large and silver that magnet is when the catch cup is displaced. It feels very unFellow-like, unlike the rest of the grinder. After a few days of usage, I hated how the rest of the grinder was just so Fellow-like. After some time with it, though, my feelings changed.

Starting to love the monster on my coffee station

It’s just so sleek. I hate that! At least, I thought I did. Before this, I used a Baratza Virtuoso+. I really valued the cafe-like design and grind time display on the model. I thought it was necessary. For awhile, I felt completely out of control of my brewing time with the Ode Gen 2. I didn’t like the auto-off function and worried it meant a few beans were getting left unground in the burr chamber. I missed the less prominent mechanic for changing the grind setting on my Baratza. I felt, as someone who doesn’t change their grind setting very often, that the large, central dial was a clumsy use of space.

Little did I know that I would start to fiddle with the grind setting constantly! Suddenly, with the Ode sitting on my counter, I started to alter the grind setting little by little. I got my Chemex and Kalita Wave out and started experimenting with them more. (This may have been new grinder excitement, but I am attributing some of this energy to the massive dial.) I felt I could be more seat-of-my-pants with my settings.

Since I got this grinder, I’ve been drinking all filter coffee. Every sip! Espresso has not touched my lips since. I no longer yearn for the crema and cholesterol produced by a portafilter. The Ode makes me feel like filter coffee is chic.

Fellow-like

When I started using the grinder, I was worried the Ode was just a bit too modern. I thought I needed all of the info the Baratza gave me, even at the cost of some visual cleanliness. Over time, I have come to think I may prefer the simplicity. I have owned Fellow products before, but this is the first of their mechanical items. Their pared down design language scared me, and now I feel that was unwarranted. The grinder works beautifully and gives me a very easy way to tune its capabilities to my needs. On top of that, it is just beautiful. I don’t think there’s a world in which I would display the Baratza as prominently in my house as I currently have the Ode.

I feel defeated in saying that the grinder feels elevated above a normal appliance and more into useable artwork like a Herman Miller chair. (Okay, that’s a stretch.) It’s beautiful. It ties my whole coffee setup together. Still, though, I’m not sure if I would buy it again.

A looming decision

I only bought this grinder because my Virtuoso+ broke down. It started to produce a grind size akin to a chunky gravel. I thought maintenance on the machine would be expensive, so I didn’t look into it. I bought the Fellow because it was the only nice grinder in stock at my local Crate and Barrel. I was excited to use something that was in the next price tier above my Baratza.

A few days after this, I discovered Baratza’s reputation for quick, fast repairs, and got a very reasonable quote on service. I sent the grinder in. So what do I do? Was all of this newfound excitement for filter coffee because something changed in my setup, or was it because of the attributes of the Ode Gen 2 specifically? Will it maintain if I get rid of the Ode and replace it with my repaired Virtuoso+? Will I forever yearn for the flat burrs of this matte black beauty?

I do not need two grinders, so one will have to go. It would certainly be more economical to keep the Baratza and let go of the Fellow, but would it result in more lattes purchased outside of the home? Would it reduce the amount of happiness I feel grinding beans everyday, and by how much? If I keep the Fellow, will I always wonder what could’ve been with the repaired Baratza? I just don’t know!

Stay tuned for Drewcision 2026: coffee grinder, part 2 in the coming weeks!