Fellow Ode Overview

Fellow, most notably known for their design-forward coffee gear, has brought to fruition the perfect grinder for those who prefer the filter side of coffee. Initially backed by over 4,900 people on Kickstarter, the hype surrounding this grinder was apparent well before they hit shelves.

Fellow crafted Ode for those who want to achieve the best quality cup of coffee. They’re looking for results that are similar to what they might receive from their favorite third-wave shop, but it still needs to look beautiful on their countertop too. Enter the Fellow Ode, a grinder focused on the coarser range of coffee. While it’s not for espresso, the results for drip are impressive.

With 31 grind settings from a fine AeroPress consistency to the coarser end for cold brew or a french press, it’s a breeze to get your preferred brew method dialed in. Fellow also included a handy reference sheet under the hopper lid to give you a ballpark idea about where to get started.

Internally the Ode boasts massive, 64mm stainless steel flat burrs, which is nearly identical to what you might find inside of a large commercial grinder. Those hearty burrs will overall reduce your grind time and lessen the amount of heat and friction on the grounds, resulting in remarkable and delicious clarity inside the cup.

But unlike a commercial grinder, the Ode is wonderfully compact and exceptionally quiet with its sleek black insulated aluminum casing. Standing at 9.5 inches tall, it’s noticeably shorter than any other electric grinder we carry. Thanks to the built-in single dose hopper- it easily saves a few inches off the top. Fellow designed the Ode to be explicitly used for single dosing, which is why we don’t see a larger hopper here. 

Homebrewers have turned to single dosing to reduce waste and keep coffee fresher for longer. Storing coffee in a traditional hopper will expose your beans to air and light, which will speed up the aging process and affect the flavor of your coffee dramatically.

But what qualities make up an excellent single dosing grinder? Two words: grind retention.

We decided to put our Ode to the test. Starting with a clean grinder, we ground 80g of coffee until the grinder stopped on its own. From there, we hit the grounds knocker a few times to clear the chute and opened up the burr chamber. We swept out all of the loose grounds between the burrs and chute and collected the loose particles for our results. We found around 1g of retention each time, which for a home coffee grinder is excellent.

What’s apparent with the Ode is that every design detail is intentional and specific for the home brewer who wants the best filter coffee every morning. The Ode captures the essence of form and function in one sleek, compact package. With 31 grind settings, commercial-grade burrs, and excellent single dosing abilities, the Ode stands out amongst the competition.