Fellow · Conical burrOpus 2
Fellow's second-generation all-purpose conical grinder, now with bigger 48mm burrs, a stepless dial, and a genuinely quick espresso grind. Built to be the one grinder in the house that covers everyone's cup.
The short version
This is Fellow fixing the original Opus's homework: bigger burrs, a stepless dial instead of the fussy dual-ring system, and a shot that grinds in about 9 seconds instead of a minute and a half.
Accept that it is still a plastic-bodied, single-dose-capacity grinder chasing a do-everything brief, not a dedicated espresso weapon for someone chasing SSP-level clarity.
Why people buy it
- Big jump from 40mm to 48mm conical burrs meaningfully speeds up espresso grinding (about 9 seconds a shot vs over 90 on the original)
- Stepless adjustment replaces the original's confusing dual-ring micro-adjust system
Why they don’t
- Still an all-plastic housing and catch cup, so it will not feel or wear like Fellow's metal-bodied Ode line
The full tally
- Big jump from 40mm to 48mm conical burrs meaningfully speeds up espresso grinding (about 9 seconds a shot vs over 90 on the original)
- Stepless adjustment replaces the original's confusing dual-ring micro-adjust system
- Genuinely covers the full range from espresso to cold brew with one grinder and one grind guide
- Two dedicated catch cups (brew and espresso, the latter fitting 54mm and 58mm portafilters) plus a strong anti-static ionizer keep workflow clean
- Still an all-plastic housing and catch cup, so it will not feel or wear like Fellow's metal-bodied Ode line
- 110g hopper is sized for single-dose or daily-bag use, not a always-full bean hopper for a busy household
- A do-it-all conical will not match a dedicated single-dose flat-burr grinder's clarity or consistency ceiling for serious espresso dialing
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — well regarded.
Delivers consistent espresso grinds and near-silent operation at an accessible price point, but the conical burr plateau and proprietary build limit long-term tinkering and ceiling — community consensus is "good for learning, expect to replace it within 3-5 years."
Value
price-to-performance the community respects
Reliability
shows up every morning, year after year
Beginner fit
kind to first-timers
All 9 community measures
price-to-performance the community respects
shows up every morning, year after year
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
kind to first-timers
years before you outgrow or replace it
how far the cup can go, per dollar
speed and simplicity, day to day
Worth knowing before you buy — Most owners say "get it, use it for a year or two, then upgrade to a burr grinder with real adjustability and parts ecosystem" — it is less a destination and more a confident on-ramp.
Known weak points — Macro/micro adjustment rings reported finicky and prone to drift; conical burr wear accelerates with high-volume use — no widely documented catastrophic failures but longevity concerns noted.
The measurements
Scored 0–5 on the same rubric as everything on file — the words matter more than the numbers.
The measurements
0–5, one rubric- Espresso
- dialed3.5
- Versatility
- flexible4
- Built to last
- fair2.5
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Lower half for espresso suitability
- a higher ceiling than 47 of the 154 grinders we’ve measured
- A value pick at this level
- 91% of grinders this capable cost more
- Lower half for build
- sturdier than 7% of the field, by the community’s own record
Every dot is a grinder measured on the same rubric. See the whole market
Living with it
The part spec sheets skip: counter space, upkeep, and what owners learn later.
The honest note — Owners who get serious about straight espresso typically outgrow the Opus 2 toward a dedicated single-dose flat-burr grinder (DF64-class or higher) for more consistent fines and a true stepless espresso-only workflow; filter-only households sometimes move sideways to Fellow's own Ode Gen 2 instead.
The full spec sheet
- Class
- Entry espresso-capable
- Burrs
- 48mm conical
- Drive
- Electric
- Adjustment
- Stepless
- Clarity lean
- Syrup & body
- Espresso suitability
- 3.5/5
- Brew versatility
- 4/5
- Retention
- ~0.7 g
- Single dosing
- Yes
- Hopper
- 110 g
- Maintenance
- 1.5/5
- Noise
- 2.5/5
- Build longevity
- 2.5/5
- Dimensions
- 12.9 × 21 × 26.8 cm
Before it arrives
What completes this grinder — the faded pieces can wait.
Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Dosing cup — Pairs with single-dose grinding — grind into the cup, swirl, and transfer to the portafilter cleanly.
- Grinder cleaning kit — Brushes and grinder tablets keep retention and stale grounds in check.
Feed it right
Week one is dial-in — and stale beans will lose it.
Coffee more than a few weeks past roast won’t extract predictably, and a new grinder gets blamed for it. These burrs pull syrup — naturals and classic medium roasts play straight into their character.
Pick your coffee — any of these dials in beautifully here:
Highland Elixir - Papua New Guinean Sigri PlantationSCA 86Medium-dark · Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands · WashedBright Citrus · Caramel SweetnessSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$22.43 · roasted to order
Lavabloom - Indonesian Sumatra MandhelingMedium-dark · Mount Leuser, Sumatra · Wet Hulled (Giling Basah)Dark Earth · Bittersweet ChocolateSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$19.02 · roasted to order
Etherea - Ethiopian YirgacheffeSCA 88Medium roast · NaturalJasmine · BergamotSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$24.16 · roasted to orderWhole bean coffee, with the roast date on each bag.
Prefer regular deliveries? RoastPlan is RoastAroma’s coffee subscription. Choose your coffees and their available options, then set deliveries every 1–6 weeks.
One-time RoastAroma orders are roasted to order in Ajax, Ontario and ship Canada-wide. We’re the roastery behind this database — measuring the machines is how we make sure the coffee gets a fair shot.
On film
How it runs on camera, from around the community.
Common questions
Can the Fellow Opus 2 grind for espresso?
Yes. It is built to handle the full range from espresso to cold brew, includes a dedicated espresso dosing cup that fits 54mm and 58mm portafilters, and uses 48mm conical burrs engineered for a fine, consistent espresso grind.
How is the Opus 2 different from the original Opus?
The Opus 2 steps up to larger 48mm conical burrs (from 40mm), grinds an espresso shot in about 9 seconds versus over 90 seconds on the original, replaces the fiddly dual-ring adjustment with a single stepless dial, and adds an upgraded ionizer plus two dedicated catch cups.
Does the Opus 2 work for pour-over and cold brew too?
Yes, it is positioned as a one-grinder-for-everything machine covering espresso, pour-over, drip, AeroPress, French press, and cold brew, with a printed grind guide on the hopper lid as a starting reference.
Worth comparing
Turin / MiiCoffee
DF54
A 54mm flat-burr single-dose electric grinder that brings near-zero retention, stepless adjustment, and a plasma ionizer to a price bracket that previously offered only conical burrs — distributed under multiple private labels including Turin, MiiCoffee, and others.
US$229–249
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