Robot shot intro 😍

"Frankly, it wasn't a good beep" 6:20 - Petition to have James review the beeps of various domestic appliances. Not even just coffee ones, I simply want to see him walk around a Currys commenting on the beep of every machine they have.

Fantastic review! Thanks for the shoutout. I was quite excited to work on these burrs and am happy you enjoy them!

I have one. It’s my first electric coffee grinder. After buying an Aeropress for a camping trip, and then going down the rabbit hole of how to use it and finding James’ videos…, yeah now I own a coffee scale, a gooseneck kettle, an Ode gen2, and a never ending search for the next bag of delicious, single origin light roast coffee.

The Cinematography of the intro is just pure art!

The particle size analyzer results are fascinating to me. It’s one thing to taste, but to see some objective data correlated to experience is nice. Kudos to Nick and the team 👏 and great review!

Hey James, just want to say I your reviews put you a step ahead of other reviewers because of how much your focus on the users experience rather than just talking about the products functional upgrades or specifications. You do talk about the functional upgrades, but you also mention what does this mean for the user experience. Keep up the great work!

James really is the Sir David Attenborough of the coffee world, I could listen to him for hours and hours, and I do. Never did I think I'd find the subject of coffee so overwhelmingly interesting or humerous or learn so much, James, you are unique. I"m surprised however that no one seems to have knitted you a jumper and sent it in, I would but I can't knit so it would be foolish to try. Love your podcasts...

So now, I just need to see James review the Timemore 078 and 078s. I'm very excited to see what he'll think after Lance reviewed it with quite positive notes.

I purchased two of these, one for home and one for our small office team. No problems with stalling on the home one, but the one the office stalls regularly. The ionizer is very effective for about a month. After that, even after cleaning, it seems to not work as well. - Thank you for a great video, as always, James.

I love his reaction after that sip. He's editing the video, so it was obviously his choice to include that, but such a genuine response says a lot about the quality coming out of the grinder. At least in his estimation.

As an home barista with the filter-specific, Forte BG (for about a decade), it is nice to see the grinder industry *finally* start to pay more attention to filter-specific applications. Looking forward to seeing more competition to come!

It is just such a joy to watch a reviewer that has an attention to detail. You would think most reviewers would have attention to details, but it's sadly a very rare trait! Thank you James.

This is what I use. There are a couple notes: 1. After it's finished grinding, I push the button again for two reasons: To make sure it's actually finished all the beans (very rarely a few are left in the bin), and because that allows for it to dump a little more retention. Hitting the button a couple times plus using the knocker gets out a large amount of the retention. 2. I still need to clean it with the brush on the bottom outlet occasionally. 3. I also don't like the fins on the cup. I wish they had a finless version. I use the brush to clean the cup a lot. 4. Overall it's a very solid grinder and it works very well. 5. I use mine with Moccamaster and it's almost a perfect pairing. I have found the best grind setting to be "4" for medium roasts, which is a bit strange as it's far below the recommended.

I would like to see a review of the Opus as well. Maybe against the Ode 1 and 2 in terms of filter capability. But this, and it all started with the intro, was such a good video. I liked it a lot!

Looking forward to the Opus review, been eyeballing the Ode for awhile but the Opus seems like a game changer as long as you can get over the plastic build

James is back at the studio! Happy to see this old style reviews back again

A coffee grinder review intro has no business being this cinematographically intense.

To look back at the first video I've seen from you (How to French Press) and now this, I can't help but to feel the pride of a father, though I am quite a bit younger, albeit being way less sassy, to see where you are now and glad that I accompanied you along this way, I really love where this journey is going and you helped me a great deal! Thank you

Neat to see results validated with the particle analyzer data! The Gen 2 burrs were a BIG step up, and along with the ionizer moved the ODE from a grinder I needed used to recommend, to now being my go-to filter recommendation

That opening title shot. My goodness! Full marks for creativity and execution of it, because that can’t have been trivial to produce.

Bought an Ode 1 a couple months ago for full price, so that's cool. Anyway if your preference is for no fins in the cup, you can just tilt the cup the other way, where there are no fins.

Love to see more reviews again! They are awesome !

I've been on this channel long enough to see the second version of a product. Awesome!

On the loose cup lid. As an Ode 1 user, I do know that the tighter lid on the grounds cup is an equal annoyance there too. it often just doesn't want to go on right. So I think the low cost solution was to add some clearance. So there is no pleasing everyone.

I have an Ode 1 that I upgraded with the Gen 2 burrs and they are, indeed, fantastic. But you're right about the user experience as the little annoyances have been adding up.

Happy I waited for this review. I love their design so much, but I wanted to see what improvements they did to it!

Thanks for the great review as always! Great to hear this gen2 is much better, makes it an easier option to consider.

I started watching this channel because I fell in love with the weirdness and snobbery but I keep watching because of the insane production quality and sort of "sane" and fair content. Tack!

“It just irks me and I don’t want to be irked” story of my life

It's such a joy to watch and listen to you. Your reviews are guiding my purchase of a better grinder. Watching from San Antonio, Texas; USA.

Recently sold my used Niche Zero, bought the Fellow Gen 2 with SSP burrs, kept the change, and I haven’t regretted it for a second.

Great video; your production and cinematography is always top tier. I’ve had my Ode Gen 2 for around 2 months, and I have no complaints so far. Coming from a Comandante MK3, it’s nice to have another option for grinding. I’ve gotta say thank you for all of your content in helping me discover and explore making coffee at home.

I'm in the UK and have had my Gen 2 for a couple of weeks. I paid £314 via a pre-order deal. Loving it so far. Agree in general with James' review. It's a step up from my previous grinder and I'm still experimenting with recipe. Bearing in mind the cost of everything has gone up since the Gen 1, I'm happy with what I got for the money.

I love your continuity in jumpers from your 2020 review to this 2023 review.

I got the Gen 2 grinder for Christmas last year and love it, only gripe is how much static there still is despite the anti-static tech. I have to manually bottle brush out the shoot every week AND use water spray for at least every other grind in addition to always needing to use the included brush clean out the grounds cup to get it all. Also enjoyed your book! Thanks for the review.

James hitting us with that MKBHD intro shoot - amazing cinematography!

Great video, now super interested in a review of their new grinder that-while having conical burrs-grinds for espresso and pour over. Might get it to have an all-in-one.

Your two critiques I picked up on so quickly. I've been thinking about dremeling off the fins in the cup. Also somehow removing the tabs in the lid to seat better. I feel so validated! Great vid

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said! I had the V1 and I found it very messy and additionally had difficulty getting the level of clarity I would expect. I was given the V2 and I find it all around pretty great to use and the coffee it produces is much better. I’m not sure if I would have paid the $345 but I’m glad I have one!

Been using my Ode 2 for about a month now. I've generally been very happy, but I 100% agree with your complaints about the dosing cup. I don't use the lid for it any more because it doesn't sit well, and ultimately the cup is large enough that it catches all the grinds without needing the lid to contain them. The fins are very finicky, and I normally have to either tap the cup or do a sort of twisting motion to get all the coffee out. I'd be very interested to see if a 3rd party could make a better design (as long as they keep the magnetic bottom!)

That sweet motion control intro 👌🎥

I own the Ode 2. I have been using it for 2 months. Went from Baratza Virtuoso to the Ode 2. Retention seems to be around 0.5g and I find static inside the dosing cup frustrating. Excellent design, quiet and easy to clean. Very happy.

I've been using an Ode 2 for about a month and I've been really enjoying it. I am very glad you commented on the weird fit between the dossing cup and its lid. It really bothered me when I first put it on. It just felt cheap considering the price of the grinder. For the fins I found doing a bit of a twist at the end gets all the coffee out, but I think if the angle was a bit steeper it might be less of an issue. Overall I've been loving the coffee I make using this grinder and the user experience has been great.

I have used the gen 1 for around 6 months now and i really like the fins in the dosing cup. it makes it easier to get the coffee into the brewer. i find it especially helpful when brewing an aeropress. i tried it a couple of times on the other side and on a few occasions i spilled a bit of the grounds because the cup is so wide. but yes, i have to do give it a little tap to get everything out but i do not mind that at all because it doesnt make a mess. but maybe i am just a bit clumsy

Been enjoying this grinder for about 3 months now with 1-2 cups a day. Coffees from roasters like The Barn, Standout and even more developed ones like the one I work with all have great clarity. Price wise I agree to a certain extent, however I will only really go as far as one filter grinder and one electric kettle. We decided to spend this much because I didn’t want an espresso machine. Most of my money goes towards roasted coffee and brewers. I will say, after watching this review and looking at the price, SSP Burrs might not be necessary. (Pro Tip: ask your shop owner to break even on a wholesale priced Ode 2. You might actually get one 😉)

I absolutely love your content and knowledge. And that intro ❤ What a masterpiece

Loving the cinematography lately. It seems like theres a deep passion for video here aswell as the coffee

Jesus this intro... I love when James shows his video making skills! Nicely done

the production value is amazing as always!

I'm looking to upgrade my grinder to something more suited to single serving and was heavily considering this one. This was a very helpful review, thank you for making them!

I was eagerly awaiting this one and James drops it at the perfect time for me to enjoy this review along with my morning long black

I love James' attention to detail. Internally, it's very easy to glaze over little things like the beeping of the first Ode, because it's something you can live with, but, in truth, it is annoying; it's also an easy feature for the manufacturers to exclude, so, in just putting up with it, you're also taking away the company's ability to improve their product, bring it closer to perfection. And we should at least strive for perfection. On the surface, this nitpicking seems pointless, but, in the bigger picture, it's so important. Also, on a tangent, my oven has this dumb feature, the light only goes on along with the mechanism that spins the spit roaster, a thing that I have never used and, probably, never will use. It also makes a very annoying mechanical noise, when it spins, and there is no way to have the light on in the oven without it, because the same button activates both, at the same time. I want to formally extend an invitation to James, to come over to my place, in Bucharest, to be annoyed in person by my oven. That's all

Holy smokes. That intro. We made it halfway through the intro, started it over so the rest of the family could come in and watch. Then you received a standing ovation from the family. Thank you for that moment.

Hats off to James for getting me to watch and enjoy a video about a grinder that can only be used for filter coffee when I hate filter coffee. Who doesn't like a grinder review that includes a particle size analysis?

I appreciate people who are passionate on topics like this.

DUDE THAT OPENING IS SO GREAT! we honestly need a breakdown of it.

I'd be interested in hearing about the Fellow Opus which is a bit cheaper. Might try upgrading my Wilfra

Excited to see the new review. Have had it about a week, and so far I'm a little torn. I've had maybe 1 or 2 decent cups, but I'm just getting very thick feeling astringent brews at regular ratios, even at around 5 on the dial. We'll see if it gets any better. The UX is very good, but have the same issues with the catch cup

Just got mine today. After doing some research I decided that this would be a good fit for me. Price dropped to $276 US so I pulled the trigger. Looking forward to doing a side by side with my $50 Amazon that I’ve been happy with so far.

Really looking forward to your review of the opus in the future! I am very wary of buying a grjnder from fellow after they released a grinder that couldn’t grind fine enough for the way in which 99% of their users were going to brew coffee, then sold them expensive burrs to fix the problem they released their grinder with!

The close-up of the RDT really made it click for me and I could tell there was a huge difference on the Ode 1, however the Ode 2 was hardly noticeable (for me, a simpel consumer). It seems those ionising openings really does quite well.

Currently on sale for $293 for labor day. Pulling the trigger on it now! Thanks James!

haven't even gotten past the first 30 seconds and gotta say, what a great gimble shot that was! so smooth, must have taken quite some time to choreograph everything just right.

I've had my Ode 2 for nearly 2 weeks now, and I'm having a great time with it! I also ended up in the same area, grind setting wise. I haven't really had issue with the fins in the dosing cup. I just give it a little tap on the bottom, and it all comes out. All in all I'm getting much nicer cups with this against my old Encore with M2 burrs

Got mine here in the UK from “Coffee Hit” for £375 as an upgrade on my ceramic hand grinder last week and as you can imagine it’s been a massive upgrade. Been having a lot of fun playing around with grind size and getting to know the flavours of coffee that much better. No issues with static (not doing water trick) or retention that is noticeable. Would agree on the pouring “fins” not being great, typically do a twist a few times to get everything out but that would be my only complaint. Obviously not cheap but feels like a premium experience to use and love the look of it on my table top, so £375 feels like getting value out of it, especially as I have no plans for espresso any time soon. Would be interested in what other options at this price are being hinted to at the end of the video here? Was turned off by the wilfa uniform due to the really long grind times

We got ours during Christmas sales with a 2 as the first number. :) It's our very first big kid grinder but I like that it doesn't make a mess, two months later and there is still no grind dust on the counter. We grind around a 4/5 for the v60 because light roasts are hard to come by here. Worth the money for us!

I have been waiting for your review of this grinder! I bought the Ode 2 when it was released. I had seen a number of reviews, yours included, of the Gen 1 Ode, and that dissuaded me from buying one. The static problem might have been annoying but not a dealbreaker. But not being able to grind fine enough for a pourover? I wasn’t about to spend $300 for a grinder, only to have to swap out the burrs. So when the Ode 2 was released, I jumped on it. The first one that I received early last November did not work; turns out the motor was installed backwards. So I returned it and Fellow sent me a replacement, which worked fine. I’ve been using it daily since then (well, now and then I use my hand grinder), and I love it. There is no discernible retention- like a nerd, I’ve weighed the ground coffee that comes out every time and it always equals the weight of the beans going in. There is no issue with static at all. RDT was a necessity with my old grinder, but I stopped doing it with the Ode. But most importantly, I’m able to get a perfect grind for pourovers. For grinding 15-20 g light/medium roast coffee for a V60, I’ve found that right on 4 or one click beyond is the sweet spot. I notice that James was grinding finer. I’m doing pourovers that taste wonderful with clarity, complexity, and sweetness. I think I may have been disappointed with the original Ode, but the Ode 2 was money well spent.

I bought the Gen 2, in part based on your prior review of Fellow and doing some research into other grinders. I prefer drip so espresso grinds were not an issue. While looking at the prices for quality grinders I didn't think the price was outrageous or necessarily bad, plus I wanted something that will do a great job and *last*. As a techie, the ionizer did pique my interest and, basically, sealed the deal when splitting hairs of what to get. Having used it daily, two or three times a day for a month, I have no big complaints. I do grind into the cup without the lid because...well...why even have it? I agree, it's the cup that is the one thing that could be tweaked a little better: make the cup taller, the lid snugger & the opening bigger (for those that need a tidy-looking lid), and remove the internal fins. I don't use those fins at all. Maybe put a corner in the cup body, so if you were to look down on the cup it would look like a raindrop. I don't have refined taste buds; they are rather blunt so I'm at the left end of the bell curve for tasting minutia (it sucks). So reviews of how well a grinder works, how consistent the grinds are, how simple/easy it is to use, and how it ultimately provides a flavorful cup o' joe are helpful for me when deciding what I should look for. But what this grinder does do for me is 1) provide a known very good grind for drip coffee and, most importantly, 2) allows me to finally grind my own beans! While I don't think the price is too high, I can rationalize the cost of the grinder by the markedly improved freshness and flavor I get for my coffee, knowing that the grinder will last and that I'll be able to get new burrs if necessary.

I’ve had this since the end of December and it’s worked great. Just calibrated and it was simple. The fins are needed in some capacity because this is designed to work with the Stagg brewer which has a narrow opening. Using the little cleaning brush has kept the anti static gimmick doing its job well too! I’d love to see a follow up where you give recommended grind settings and compare to their suggestions.

I was gifted the Ode 2 for Christmas and love it. It easy to use, reliable, and clean compared to my previous OXO grinder. My biggest gripe is the catcher too. The cap drives me crazy!

I've watched the intro 10 times before even letting the rest of the video play out! Great stuff!

i could never imagine designing a coffee product and not sending a prototype to james

I was considering a set of SSP burrs for my Ode 1, but I think I may now go with the gen 2 burrs instead. The static isn't too bad, in my opinion, and it is pretty easy to negate with a touch of water. Seeing as I got my Ode for $225, an $80 burr set seems like a wonderful upgrade. I was considering the Ode 2, but I didn't feel the price was justifiable. I would love to see your take on the Opus - is it a Jack-of-all-trades master-of-none, or does it really do a pretty good job? Maybe a comparison between the Ode and Opus at similar grind sizes...

Was thinking of selling my old ode and upgrading until I watched the part where you mentioned the price point. What you talk about the price point completely makes sense. I think I'll stick with my old ode for now. But I really like this grinder and really appreciate that Fellow has made some good changes to this grinder.

That slow motion was GLORIOUS. WOW. loved that shot.

That ionizer looks amazing. I hate the mess I make when forgetting to RDT

The Fellow Ode 2 looks brilliant in this. Somehow it has that cinematic vibe to it that draws you in instantly.

I see many people commenting on this that have far more experience with good electric grinders. So ill throw in my two cents from someone who has been using nice hand grinders for years. I am so happy with my purchase of the Ode 2. The small annoyances that you point out I only really notice now that you have highlighted them, however for someone used to hand grinders these small things are completely overshowed by my delight in how easy and intuitive this grinder is. It truly puts a smile on my face every time I use it. It makes a very pleasing sound when it grinds, the uniformity is unreal and my coffees taste profoundly better. I find myself trying new recipes daily and having fun experimenting now that I dont need to hand grind. I also love the aesthetic. It was slightly painful spending the money at first, but since the first day of using it I have completely forgot about the purchase price. Thanks for the review!

Well goodsir, you and Lance Hedrick have officially convinced me to finally pull the trigger on a good grinder. Ty for a great video as always. 🙌🏼

The thing about the 2 being at the ~$350 range is that puts it squarely in the "it might be reasonable to spend more to get a higher quality grinder that can also do espresso" range. I suppose the latter point really doesn't matter if you don't do home espresso, but I think the former stands.

Firstly I want say great video, and very helpful and deciding on a grinder. But I also wanted to say it would be great to see you revisit the Wilfa Uniform and see how it stacks up today against some of the newer filter focused grinders and any tips on potential upgrades one can make or the wilfa can make.

After previously watching your video about various grinders I had decided to go with the Fellow Ode. As I was looking for one to purchase I was pleasantly surprised to find they had released the Gen 2. After a bit of research I decided it was worth the price point since I wanted to buy the SSP burrs anyhow. My wife and I have enjoyed the Ode Gen 2 so much, without the annoyances that were on Gen 1. It makes really great coffee.

We got very lucky in that we had one of the Ode 1s, and it broke while just barely still under warranty, and when we put in a support ticket they just sent us an Ode 2 to replace it. How cool is that? They earned some loyalty there, for sure. We love it, we've had no issues with our preferred light to medium roasts. We immediately noticed the static issue being more or less resolved and we no longer mist our beans when we put them through. Part of me has always had a (probably unfounded) concern that even a little moisture might gum up the works in there over time in a way that dry beans wouldn't. The static issue was just so bad that it was causing worse issues, so we had to. The increased hopper size is great. I know you don't like cold brew but it's a staple for us. We also do v60 whenever we have time, but being able to grab a delicious cup from the fridge with just a kettle of water is great, and the hopper size (and grind cup size) makes it a lot less obnoxious to do large batches of beans. Speaking of the cup size, combined with the static issue being resolved, we don't really use the plastic lid anymore. With the Ode 1, if you didn't have the lid on, grinds would go *everywhere* because of the smaller cup size and the static. With the Ode 2 that's just not a concern. You get a little bit coming out here and there but not so much that you feel like you have to clean up every single time you use it. The improved burrs go without saying. Great improvement. Overall very impressed.

when MKBHD got himself a robot arm, THIS was the kind of intro I was looking forward to when he made a big deal about what it could do. Very, very nice intro. Top notch.

omg the takes on the grinder and the v60, just insane!! were they made by a robot arm or an amazing camera person?? incredible!

Love this type of videos. Great review.

Thanks for the Video James and I hope you have a Great Day as well.

When you watch James Hoffmann religiously even though you don't drink coffee, you know he's just that good

The early comments seem like a lot people watched this video for the production quality over a new grinder review/comparison. That blows my mind because the actual information James puts out is way more interesting then how he films/edits.

Yes! The weird-fitting lid on the cup is my main (maybe only?) complaint about my Ode 2.

I bought this. I’ve had it for several months now, and I agree completely with every single thing said in this review. Same experience with the dosing cup, same slight cringe about the price, same tasty coffee and even independently arrived at the same grind size for light roasted specialty coffee. I’m very glad I bought it. This is my first electric grinder and I’m comparing it with the Timemore T2 hand grinder (IRRC the model name).

I've never clicked on a KZfaq notification so quickly

Got a Ode 1 with the V2 burrs a few weeks before this was announced, and don't really regret my decision. Found a discount even steeper than what Fellow was offering it for, and adding on the V2 burrs have made it a very complete grinder to me.

I agree with the comments you made about the dosing cup, lid and fins completely! Mine did jam once which was odd as I always start the grinder and then pour in beans. I got scared but I was able to free it up easily and move on. I have noticed that after a few weeks of daily use1-2x/day, the ionizer needs a thorough brushing off or it stops working well.

I have an Ode Gen 1 with Gen 2 burrs. Love the burrs. Great job, Nick & Lance! At first I was jealous of the workflow improvements on the Gen 2 and considered an upgrade. But I've found what works best for me is to not use RDT but instead to touch the catch cup as it grinds. Because of no RDT, the coffee is less likely to get stuck in the hopper. And keeping a finger on the catch cup seems to reduce static out of the grinder. There is still a lot of static in the cup but it looks like mostly chaff that gets stuck to the sides. And keeping some of the chaff out of my brew is a bonus for me.

Uuuuu, someone got the robot arm :D

So, the fins in the cup are only on one side. Couldn't you just pour from the other side? You might have to be more careful of spillage, but still, problem solved.

Love these review videos from you! 🙏🏻

Very slick intro, you had me with the picture of the boxy contraption so I just had to know what it was, 'The Fellow Ode 2'....what in the world is that? To my surprise it's James Hoffmann and another interesting coffee video. Now, off to watch the full review.