Grinding · review
64 mm (2.52 in) flat burrs, near-zero retention and a footprint the size of a mug, built for filter and honest about not doing espresso. For pour-over it is the clearest grind you can buy at this price.
Where we land on it The clearest filter grind for the money, provided you never need espresso.
Most grinders under $400 try to cover espresso and filter, and end up mediocre at both. The Ode does the opposite: it refuses espresso entirely and spends the whole budget on doing filter properly.
The result is 64 mm (2.52 in) flat burrs — a commercial-scale burr set in a domestic body — and the grind quality shows in the cup rather than on paper. Flat burrs produce a narrower spread of particle sizes than conical, and in a pour-over that reads as separation: a washed Ethiopian tastes floral and citric rather than generically pleasant. That is the whole reason to buy this grinder.
The single-dose design supports it. You weigh in what you want to brew, grind it, and almost all of it comes out. There is no hopper full of stale beans and no gram of yesterday in today’s cup, which matters far more for filter than most people expect.
Two practical notes. Thirty-one steps sounds generous and is comfortable through the middle of the filter range, though it thins out towards the fine end. And like every flat-burr grinder it generates static with dry beans — one spray of water on the beans before grinding stops the clinging entirely and changes nothing else.
If you own an espresso machine, this is the wrong grinder, and Fellow is not pretending otherwise.
| Burr type | 64 mm (2.52 in) flat |
|---|---|
| Range | Filter only |
| Steps | 31 |
| Dosing | Single dose |
| Retention | Near zero |
No, and Fellow says so. The burr geometry and the adjustment range stop well short of espresso fineness. That is a deliberate choice rather than a limitation — designing for one range is how it gets the consistency it has.
Different jobs. The Encore ESP spans espresso and filter competently. The Ode does filter only, and does it better than the Encore does either. If you brew pour-over and nothing else, the Ode; if you own an espresso machine, the Encore.
Dampen the beans with a single spray of water before grinding — the Ross Droplet Technique. It stops grounds clinging to the chute and the catch cup, and makes no measurable difference to the brew. Almost every flat-burr grinder benefits.
8.7/ 10
The clearest filter grind for the money, provided you never need espresso.
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on October 30, 2026.
V60, Chemex, AeroPress and batch brewing, where clarity is the whole point.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for coffee equipment and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
40 mm (1.57 in) conical · 40 settings: 1–20 espresso, 21–40 filter
The cheapest electric grinder that genuinely does espresso and filter without being bad at both. Twenty fine steps reserved for espresso are the whole point — and Baratza will still sell you a burr set for it in ten years.
Best for: Anyone pairing a grinder with a Gaggia Classic, a Dedica upgrade, or a Barista Express they have outgrown.
39 mm (1.54 in) nitrogen-hardened burr · hand · filter & espresso
The hand grinder others are measured against, and priced accordingly. Grinds better than electric grinders at twice the money, and asks for your arm every single morning.
Best for: One or two exceptional cups a day, travel, and anyone who values the object.
55 mm (2.17 in) flat burr · stepless · near-zero retention
Stepless adjustment, 55 mm (2.17 in) flat burrs and almost nothing left in the chute — the three things that separate a serious espresso grinder from a good one. It is quiet enough to use at six in the morning without an argument.
Best for: A Gaggia Classic, Lelit or Rancilio owner who has stopped blaming their technique.
