Fellow Opus 2 – a coffee grinder that finally fixed the first one

Confession: I judge coffee grinders by the mess they leave. Brown dust on the counter, grounds stuck to the cup, a little pile under the chute every single morning. The original Fellow Opus was pretty, but owners complained about exactly that, plus static and a fussy dial.

The Fellow Opus 2 is Fellow’s second try: an electric conical burr grinder for about 200 bucks that grinds for everything from espresso to cold brew. Bigger burrs, a stepless dial and less mess, on paper.

If I were buying one grinder for a coffee person this year, this would be on my shortlist.

What is the Fellow Opus 2?

Fellow is the San Francisco brand behind the Stagg kettle, and it started on Kickstarter in 2013. The Opus 2 replaces the original Opus as its all-rounder grinder, the one that has to do a morning espresso and a weekend French press without complaining.

What changed, according to Fellow:

• 48 mm stainless steel conical burrs, up from 40 mm on the first Opus
• A stepless side dial instead of fixed clicks, so you can make tiny adjustments
• Near-zero retention, helped by an internal impeller that pushes the last grounds out
• A built-in ionizer against static
• Two magnetic catch cups: a 100 g cup for brewed coffee and a 30 g espresso cup that fits 54 mm and 58 mm portafilters
• A grind guide under the lid and automatic shutoff when the beans are gone
• Tool-free burr access for cleaning

It weighs 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs) and is about 10.5 inches tall. Fellow says an espresso dose takes about 9 seconds.

How does it work?

It’s a single-dose grinder. You weigh your beans, pour them into the 100 g load bin, pick a setting with the dial and press the button. The Opus 2 grinds until the bin is empty and then stops on its own. The grounds land in the magnetic cup, or straight in your portafilter if you use the espresso cup.

The good and the not-so-good

What I like, on paper:

• One grinder for every brew method, including espresso. Early buyers on Amazon say they dialed in espresso without trouble and get a dose in under 10 seconds.
• The mess fixes seem real. Buyers who owned the first Opus say the new one is faster and leaves much less behind, and one says retention dropped to almost zero after a short break-in.
• A review at Balance Journal found it strongest for filter coffee: in a V60 test against a much pricier grinder, most tasters couldn’t reliably tell the cups apart.
• Eight colorways, from plain black to cherry red and marine blue with walnut.

What could be better:

• It’s still mostly plastic. One early buyer says the top lifts a little when you turn the dial and it feels cheap. Fellow told him that’s normal.
• Static is lower, not gone. Balance Journal still saw some with light roasts.
• Serious espresso people will want more. The same review says shot-to-shot consistency trails a dedicated espresso grinder, and an owner of a high-end espresso machine on Amazon agrees.
• The wood-accent versions cost 50 bucks extra on Fellow’s site.

Who is the Fellow Opus 2 for?

The home brewer who makes pour-over on Saturday, cold brew in summer and the odd cappuccino. Also a great gift for someone who still uses a blade grinder (you know who you are).

Skip it if you only drink espresso and own a fancy machine: a dedicated espresso grinder makes more sense. And if you want something cheaper for the road, a hand grinder plus a portable espresso machine like the OutIn Mino is a fun alternative.

Where can I buy the Fellow Opus 2?

Fellow sells the Opus 2 through its own Amazon store. The black version was about 200 bucks at the time of writing (October 2026). Fellow’s own shop listed several colors as backordered, with some shipping in November or December, so order early if it’s a holiday gift.

Need more ideas for the person who talks about beans a little too much? See our gifts for coffee lovers.