Homeroasters - Home Roasting Coffee Community » GRINDERS » GRINDERS
Who is here? 1 guest(s)
 Print Thread
Fellows Opus grinder
Mike_Mathis
Top  #1 Print Post
Posted on 08/06/2023 5:48 PM
I'm considering getting one of these. The reviews on Amazon are pretty good. (They meet my criteria of 4&5 stars=80% and 1 stars=<10%). It's actually rated 90% and 5% respectively. It is supposed to have anti-static tech built in even though some reviewers post pics of coffee going everywhere while others say it works great. I know at a price point of US $195 it has to be plastic, but some reviews say it scratches easily from the catch cup sliding on the base. I would hope to leave it out is why this matters. The consistency of the grind is supposed to be very good which I would believe is one of the main considerations when choosing a grinder. There seems to be a retention issue that kind of puts me off, but once again it is not a top-end grinder as far as cost.

Does anyone have one of these and what are your opinions on it?
Thanks in advance,
MM
 
HarryDog
Top  #2 Print Post
Posted on 08/07/2023 1:28 PM
Hello Mike, welcome, I don't have one but you can see that they are plastic and retain coffee. Some chaff in the hopper is also retained. I tried to find a video of a break down of the unit but no luck yet as I would like to see the internals. Burr looks to be a modified Breville.

One thing I see is adjustment for dialing in espresso would be beyond tedious, going two internal notches to go 16 microns forward then back one to get 33 microns? One macro step is 50 microns.

If you can find a shop that will make you some coffee so you can taste it would be the best thing to see if it's worth it for you!

Hard to find honest reviews or you-tube videos as they want the free stuff to keep making videos.

I would love to try a Turin SD40 and put a rubber pad on the lock mechanism and try it as a step-less grinder? I do see they have the SK40 at the same price now step-less. Would also like to try some cheap ghost burr grinders but in my country they are just too much, no longer cheap like in the US.
Edited by HarryDog on 08/07/2023 7:03 PM
 
Mike_Mathis
Top  #3 Print Post
Posted on 08/08/2023 4:40 PM
Thanks for the reply HarryDog. It seems the more I research, the more confused I get about what to get. I want to keep it somewhere in the US$200 range. I have been using a fairly old Capresso grinder for years and have been surprised that people are saying the grinder (grind quality, consistent size) can make a rather large difference in the taste quality of the cup. I'm sure I will eventually decide on one. A new acquaintance has recently bought a Fellows Opus and I should probably start at his house.
*Fresh Roast SR800 w/ext tube Phidgets & Artisan
*Kaffelogic Nano 7
*Skywalker V1 (heavily modded)
*2023 BC-2
 
HarryDog
Top  #4 Print Post
Posted on 08/08/2023 5:42 PM
For sure if you can get a taste of the coffee from the grinder you are looking at do it.
For sure quality/consistent grinds does help but the type of burr is the next level of taste as well.

I bought a DF64 some time ago and don't like the stock burrs, SSP burrs made much better coffee and now using the cast burrs. Static is terrible with these burrs so I just started using a spritz of water (RDT).

So right now in the US the sk40 sells for $199.00. I don't have one but it is built well.
You can see a video from Portakeeper on youtube. Note that people say good things about the 8 point conical breaker on the burr making a difference in clarity but getting a taste is always best and decide from there.
Edited by HarryDog on 08/09/2023 7:41 AM
 
randytsuch
Top  #5 Print Post
Posted on 08/09/2023 9:28 AM
Something new and pretty low cost to consider
https://www.home-...ml#p944824

Hopefully the guy that just bought one will have some comments soon.
 
Mike_Mathis
Top  #6 Print Post
Posted on 08/21/2023 7:36 PM
I bought the Opus. So far, so good.
*Fresh Roast SR800 w/ext tube Phidgets & Artisan
*Kaffelogic Nano 7
*Skywalker V1 (heavily modded)
*2023 BC-2
 
renatoa
Top  #7 Print Post
Posted on 08/22/2023 2:22 AM
Congrats, as far as I seen from the pictures and videos, it's a good balance price/features grinder.
In my preferences chart it is now on the place occupied so far by Sette.
 
Mike_Mathis
Top  #8 Print Post
Posted on 10/01/2023 7:44 PM
Well, in case anyone is interested, I have been using the Opus grinder for about two months, and here are my observations. I don't use it for espresso yet so I can't really comment on that aspect of its performance. It has a relatively powerful motor so I have no problem especially considering I roast my coffee light to light-medium. It does look worn at the base where the catch slides in (just like the earlier reviews stated). No biggie though because the lady who cooks the wonderful meals said no to leaving it out. As far as retention goes, I don't have an issue with that BUT ONLY because I use RDT. If not, it would be terrible. So the static free miracle claims are false. All in all, I am happy with the ease of performance in dialing a grind size. Very uniform. Also, it is very quiet as far as grinders go. Between it and the Baratza Encore, it's not even close. So, I'll be keeping it, at least for a little while. It kinda bugs me that Fellows wants to immediately sell me some upgraded burrs...........Why didn't they put the better ones in the first time?.........Never mind, I know the answer.
*Fresh Roast SR800 w/ext tube Phidgets & Artisan
*Kaffelogic Nano 7
*Skywalker V1 (heavily modded)
*2023 BC-2
 
renatoa
Top  #9 Print Post
Posted on 10/02/2023 12:44 AM
Imo, for brew static is desirable, not a thing to avoid.
It's a natural trap for chaff or fines, do you want them in your cup ? Care about half gram loss ?
There are designs specially intending to increase static effect by conducting the burrs output through a magnetized conduit, as in my Arco, very happy about this feature.
No idea about Opus, if static is intended, or a hazard, just saying...
 
Mike_Mathis
Top  #10 Print Post
Posted on 10/05/2023 9:29 AM
I find your take on static cling interesting as I never really thought about it from your perspective, at least not consciously. When I used an Infinity grinder for years, the static cling of the chaff to the walls of the catch was heavy. I would take my finger and swipe the walls carefully to dump the chaff from the coffee without giving it much thought, so I see your point. With that being said, when I roast I have a recently engineered homemade bean cooler that blows upward instead of pulling air from above. This causes a lot of chaff left on the roasted beans to fly away, so I don't have what I would call an excessive amount to deal with. Concerning the Opus, it is coffee bean fines that coat the catch and grind chamber if I don't use RDT(it really shows up bigtime on the black plastic). I guess the biggest issue concerning me is I am THAT GUY who takes his grinder out to the garage after I have used it for the last time for the evening and blows it clean with an air compressor. That is the OCD part of me coming out.
*Fresh Roast SR800 w/ext tube Phidgets & Artisan
*Kaffelogic Nano 7
*Skywalker V1 (heavily modded)
*2023 BC-2
 
Piotrkurak
Top  #11 Print Post
Posted on 10/05/2023 9:55 AM
Be careful using non filtered compressor air. Lots of micro sized stuff and fluids come out that taste really bad. I would use the spray air for keyboard cleaning or the bulk cans of NOX commercial gas for whipped cream, BUT being a dry process Ethiopian fancier, have learned to live with chaff.
 
Jump to Forum: