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Top Pros
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Reddit Reviews
captain_blenderUsed one for a while at an office setup. My $0.02: run. don't look back. Get the K6. As for the Rocky, I wrote about it a while ago: > It is a grinder of a bygone era; a miniature of antediluvian commercial/cafe grinders for home use. Hopper based, optional doser, tiny, fine-y burrs meant for dark, roasty beans rich in body and bitter as heartbreak. It is barely adjustable, with hilariously coarse steps meant for the pre-scientific alchemy of dosing by eye, tamping by feel, and pulling by luck. > > Also, some genius put the adjustment screw directly in the grind path. WTF. They really gave no shits about dialing in because after a while, you just can't. > > The inability to grind effectively for different (lighter) roast levels, the disregard for maintainability, the noise, the retention, the static, the noise -- all of these can be yours for an eye-watering $400-500. Yeah, you can do much better for your dollar these days. > > (no i am not bitter why do you ask) If you can stretch your budget: Fellow Opus 2 (not the original). I believe it's already released, for a raunchy $200 For a little less: Shardor 64mm -- somtimes on sale for ~$149. This is a proper 64mm grinder with decent stock burrs. It's a plastic-bodied copy of the venerable Mazzer Super Jolly, with a decently machined burr chamber, and a properly balanced chute/exit path (with an ionizer, no less). It punches way above its weight and you can upgrade to the plethora of cheap-n-cheerful 64mm burrs.
cyrilthewolfThe fellow opus 2 is pretty quiet. Better get you can dose up what you need - hit the button and flee the room for a second. I would suggest noise cancelling buds or headphones though they do work miracles
dataguy007I've been happy with Fellow Opus2. Grinds consistent and quiet and looks sleek so I think it's the best bang for the buck.
tuomalarWorks fine also for moka pot. I have moccamaster and Opus 2 and its great combo. I you want espresso, you also need new brewer so you will be just fine with opus 2
TWJunkmanFellow Opus 2 ($200). It’ll do the job for at least a good long while. I’d suggest avoiding the Baratza Encore grinders for now. They’re a little long in tooth for their price in terms of performance, reliability, and other issues, and there are not infrequent reports of problems with them. Grinders for home brewing are evolving rapidly at the present time. While the Opus 2 is a very new grinder, it is long anticipated, good changes have been made from the previous model, the price is right, and its performance is pretty good. That’ll give you time to figure out if you truly like and enjoy brewing your own espresso without breaking the bank. As your experience with brewing grows, I have the strong impression that you are or will become one us, and are therefore pretty likely to disappear down the rabbit hole. You’ll have plenty of time to figure out which equipment will do the best job for you, according to your own preferences (some important ones of which you’re probably unlikely to have developed or know about at the present time). This is just my own perspective based on the information you’ve given, and you’re getting a lot of good advice here. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your coffee journey!
315_JessieYou only have 1 choice out if these .. the opus is the only one that will grind fine enough for espresso The ode is for drip and pour over
AardvarkLanky3242I'd reccomended against the Fellow opus, I became so frustrated with the retention that I went to a hand grinder and haven't looked back
afrabizzioA little two-cents as someone who picked up an Opus a few months ago. Price was keeping me in that $200 range, so I was looking at the Opus, the Encore, and the DF54. Had an 1zpresso JX break and needed a replacement quickly that could multipurpose and was electric (was hoping to pick up a Flair for espresso at Christmas and was tired of years of hand grinding). I would say I’m on the higher end of intermediate rather than a beginner. I think the DF54 is, from the sounds of it, the best of those three grinders, but I’d read that there was some skepticism about customer support. I also wasn’t sure if I wanted to fall down the rabbit hole of changing out burr sets for espresso and filter. Lance Hedrick actually has a video on the Opus where he blind tastes coffees against the Encore and is surprised to find he prefers the coffee from the Opus. That was probably what swayed me toward the Opus. I’ve also been happy with Fellow products—Stagg, Prismo, Carter mug—and their stuff was on sale when I needed to put in an order. The retention is unfortunate but not deal breaking for me. I take it apart and clean it once a week (it seems to want to hold on to around .5g of coffee no matter what). As others have mentioned it definitely doesn’t feel as high end, but that’s okay with me. I brew pour over, aeropress, and, most days, steep and release with a Clever and I’ve been getting very enjoyable cups of coffee.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Entry-level espresso
Top pick
Multiple Brands - DF54 Series
Best for Light roast espresso
Top pick
Multiple Brands - DF54 Series
Best for Multiple brew methods
Top pick
Baratza - Encore ESP
Best for Pour-over clarity
Top pick
Fellow - Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 Series
