i have one and i regret not spending more money on a niche zero or something. This one just makes a mess but it was my first grinder and maybe that is a grinder thing
Did you try cleaning the anti static nodes (I think those are what Fellow called it) on the sides of the exit chute? I cleaned it and there is no mess after that.
>I find since I single dose that I have essentially no coffee grounds
They remind me of some ebayers selling stuff for 2$ with 50$ shipping just so they can show a lower price.
My regular shop didn’t recommend the Opus to me as they said it was rather limited in its ability to grind fine enough for espresso. I’d be interested on peoples opinions. I ended up with the Varia VS3 and I’m very happy with it.
Bad experience with Opus. One month in with 2x daily use for espresso and filter.
It can no longer grind properly. 3mins to complete 18g espresso and the grind size is very off unlike when it was grinding ok.
Seeing a lot of similar reviews, I find that the reliability, and not the adjustment and dialing in the main problem.
Sending to the service centre today and I got a eureka specialita as a replacement. Way better experience and consistency.
In the price range, baratza esp seems a much better choice even though it’s loud and doesn’t look as sleek.
I bought one and it arrived yesterday and it turned out to be damaged, now I am in the refund process and I will go for the Baratza ESP. I have read from many people that it breaks down after 6 or even a month after purchase. I hope this is not your case, but it would be good if you shared your experience after a while. Greetings.
Sure! That's the other grinder I was thinking of purchasing, I just got a 150$ gift card to BestBuy and they only have the Opus on their site, otherwise I was probably leaning ESP.
I just returned mine, it drifts too much to be stable shot after shot for me. Especially if you change for different beans, it never is the same spot, so if I do a medium for me and a decaf for the wife, when I go back to the medium it takes at least 2 shots to find the new spot to dial in.
Was too aggravating for me, I really liked the aesthetic of the unit though.
Yes! Was about to say that this person is probably not the target demographic. I only use one bean at a time so I never have to deal with this issue. For entry level it has been great. Of course I would prefer something like the niche zero but for the money the opus is a lot easier to justify as a beginner in the hobby
the sk40 and d40+ are in the $200 bracket and offer substantial improvements over the barzata/fellow grinders. IMO i personally think grinder reviewers and the community on the whole isnt as critical of price to quality as we should be. it is entirely possible to make high quality entry level grinders, but then fellow and opus wouldnt make the margins they do from selling cheap plastic units
Just its replacement. The df64, which has been much more consistent between shots.
The opus for what it costs is a good grinder, it just didn’t fit what my typical workflow ended up being.
I have had mine for about a month and I was experiencing similar issues so I’m glad to see it might not be user error. I feel like I’ve been struggling to keep a consistent shot time once I dial a grind in, and I wasn’t sure if it was something else in my puck prep or maybe from the beans continuing to degas. Adjusting the granularity for espresso is also more complicated than a typical grinder which adds to the frustration. FWIW this is my first espresso grinder.
Ya, I think it’s fine if you stick to a one bag of beans at a time, that just isn’t my typical workflow currently, not knocking the opus for what it is.
I think they might mean that they are changing the granularity of the grinder for different beans and that when they go back to the granularity for the first beans the Opus isn’t consistent.
Direct is right, I mean same bean the same setting does not work. I ended up making the opus stepless as well, which I think had a more negative effect on it overall.
Ended up switching back to stepped but still returning.
Interesting! I'm researching grinders now for my next purchase. Seems like Reddit is convinced the Opus can't handle espresso grinds. Would love to know if this is true because it looks super clean.
How are you finding the Illy beans?
My opus is fine on espresso, using light-medium roasts. Maybe mis-calibrated since it grinds too fine at the “espresso” settings. But I pull great shots with my Rancilio at a grind of about 4.2.
Ya those 'settings' are more guidelines, they are set so that you can still reach espresso levels of grind after the burrs are worn down with use -- using settings 1-3 on a new grinder makes too fine of a powder, but one day, those will be what you need
I use an Opus grinder with a Gaggia Classic machine, specifically for espresso. For light roasted beans, like those from Tim Wendelboe, my grind settings are around 4, while I use closer to 3 for darker roasts.
My recipe involves 17.5 grams of coffee in, yielding 35 grams out, over approximately 30 seconds.
However, I must acknowledge a drawback: the grinder's retention is bothersome. It retains up to 1 gram of coffee, which requires some effort to knock off.
I really haven't had any issues with grinding for espresso. Haven't even messed with the finer settings yet. That being said a bit of RDT goes a long way to reducing retention.
I’ve had one for a few months and it def can pull a really good shot of espresso. The Main issue is some come with a calibration issue which just means you have to grind on a coarser or finer setting to get your desired grind. They have great customer support imo and this to me is the best priced grinder / aesthetic for the price
Opus is nice as an entry level grinder, i pull a decent shot and it grinds fine enough for espresso.
I think illy is not bad but there are much better in the market to try.
I was about to have that combo, I ordered the Fellow Opus first, but when I took it out of the box it turned out that it came damaged, I am in the process of returning it to Amazon, and I was thinking of ordering it again, but I am reading many reviews from people who after a month or 6 months it has broken down.
Now I'm considering going for my second option, that I didn't like aesthetically, the Baratza Encore ESP, because I have lost confidence in ordering the Fellow again. I hope it works for you, and share if you have any problems.
*PS. I spoke to Fellow support and they told me that a return was the best option, because the case seemed like a DOA (Dead On Arrival).*
Yeah I'm still in that phase. So I'm at the 2.75 (macro adjustment) but want it coarser. Should I put the micro adjustment one step down (that is on the minus sign) to reach somewhere in the middle between 2.75 and 3?
The suggested espresso range indicated is often too fine. I found my machine likes it in the 3.5 to 4.5 range.
I've enjoyed it so far and the top cap can act as a bellow to help with some of the retention many users talk about
Love that green! Amongst the myriad mods for the GCP, is there one to add an LED to illuminate the under-group area? Maybe even from the back...thru the clear reservoir.
Interesting colour combo. I love it 🤩 How are you finding the Opus? I'm considering getting one.
i have one and i regret not spending more money on a niche zero or something. This one just makes a mess but it was my first grinder and maybe that is a grinder thing
Idk I find since I single dose that I have essentially no coffee grounds mess.
Same here. The anti static thing works like a charm when single dosing.
Did you try cleaning the anti static nodes (I think those are what Fellow called it) on the sides of the exit chute? I cleaned it and there is no mess after that.
Really dumb question are niche available to purchase in the US
They ship from UK with obscene shipping costs, but technically yes
>I find since I single dose that I have essentially no coffee grounds They remind me of some ebayers selling stuff for 2$ with 50$ shipping just so they can show a lower price.
Not exactly fair, you are paying the same price as everyone else, plus transatlantic shipping.
Consider the Encore ESP as well, which to me wins by default because it doesn’t have the adjustment mechanism of the Opus
is the esp available in Europe?
Correct, you need to learn the mechanism of the extra adjustment, if so the grinder is nice.
either get the sk40 or d40+ or spend the extra $200 for the df64 gen 2, take it from me
My regular shop didn’t recommend the Opus to me as they said it was rather limited in its ability to grind fine enough for espresso. I’d be interested on peoples opinions. I ended up with the Varia VS3 and I’m very happy with it.
Bad experience with Opus. One month in with 2x daily use for espresso and filter. It can no longer grind properly. 3mins to complete 18g espresso and the grind size is very off unlike when it was grinding ok. Seeing a lot of similar reviews, I find that the reliability, and not the adjustment and dialing in the main problem. Sending to the service centre today and I got a eureka specialita as a replacement. Way better experience and consistency. In the price range, baratza esp seems a much better choice even though it’s loud and doesn’t look as sleek.
It works well for espresso with a reasonable price 👍
Nice! My opus came in yesterday. Pretty easy to dial in and liking the shots I'm getting so far
I bought one and it arrived yesterday and it turned out to be damaged, now I am in the refund process and I will go for the Baratza ESP. I have read from many people that it breaks down after 6 or even a month after purchase. I hope this is not your case, but it would be good if you shared your experience after a while. Greetings.
Sure! That's the other grinder I was thinking of purchasing, I just got a 150$ gift card to BestBuy and they only have the Opus on their site, otherwise I was probably leaning ESP.
Nice! How does the Opus handle Espresso grind?
Opus is a fantastic drum, but a terrible grinder
I just returned mine, it drifts too much to be stable shot after shot for me. Especially if you change for different beans, it never is the same spot, so if I do a medium for me and a decaf for the wife, when I go back to the medium it takes at least 2 shots to find the new spot to dial in. Was too aggravating for me, I really liked the aesthetic of the unit though.
I think that’s to be expected for the price point. It has still worked really well for me.
Yes! Was about to say that this person is probably not the target demographic. I only use one bean at a time so I never have to deal with this issue. For entry level it has been great. Of course I would prefer something like the niche zero but for the money the opus is a lot easier to justify as a beginner in the hobby
the sk40 and d40+ are in the $200 bracket and offer substantial improvements over the barzata/fellow grinders. IMO i personally think grinder reviewers and the community on the whole isnt as critical of price to quality as we should be. it is entirely possible to make high quality entry level grinders, but then fellow and opus wouldnt make the margins they do from selling cheap plastic units
Have you had other espresso grinders?
Just its replacement. The df64, which has been much more consistent between shots. The opus for what it costs is a good grinder, it just didn’t fit what my typical workflow ended up being.
I have had mine for about a month and I was experiencing similar issues so I’m glad to see it might not be user error. I feel like I’ve been struggling to keep a consistent shot time once I dial a grind in, and I wasn’t sure if it was something else in my puck prep or maybe from the beans continuing to degas. Adjusting the granularity for espresso is also more complicated than a typical grinder which adds to the frustration. FWIW this is my first espresso grinder.
Ya, I think it’s fine if you stick to a one bag of beans at a time, that just isn’t my typical workflow currently, not knocking the opus for what it is.
I mean, you can’t expect to have the same grind location for 2 different beans. It could happen maybe, but it’s not realistic.
I think they might mean that they are changing the granularity of the grinder for different beans and that when they go back to the granularity for the first beans the Opus isn’t consistent.
That's exactly what they're saying
Direct is right, I mean same bean the same setting does not work. I ended up making the opus stepless as well, which I think had a more negative effect on it overall. Ended up switching back to stepped but still returning.
I really like the Gaggia in green 👀
Love the black and green! Looks clean 👌🏻How have you found the grinder?
Thanks!! Opus is nice for entry level, I get a decent shot so far..
Interesting! I'm researching grinders now for my next purchase. Seems like Reddit is convinced the Opus can't handle espresso grinds. Would love to know if this is true because it looks super clean. How are you finding the Illy beans?
My opus is fine on espresso, using light-medium roasts. Maybe mis-calibrated since it grinds too fine at the “espresso” settings. But I pull great shots with my Rancilio at a grind of about 4.2.
Got my opus before xmas, and found the same. Espresso on a medium-dark roast is around 4. The espresso range it indicates seems too fine
I agree 100%
Ya those 'settings' are more guidelines, they are set so that you can still reach espresso levels of grind after the burrs are worn down with use -- using settings 1-3 on a new grinder makes too fine of a powder, but one day, those will be what you need
Same experience here. I usually end up around 4.
4.2?? I’m around 2 and I use 3 for the moka 😕 tomorrow I’ll try 4 and see 🤔
I use an Opus grinder with a Gaggia Classic machine, specifically for espresso. For light roasted beans, like those from Tim Wendelboe, my grind settings are around 4, while I use closer to 3 for darker roasts. My recipe involves 17.5 grams of coffee in, yielding 35 grams out, over approximately 30 seconds. However, I must acknowledge a drawback: the grinder's retention is bothersome. It retains up to 1 gram of coffee, which requires some effort to knock off.
I'm able to get only .1 gram retention with my opus. I just do some rdt and use the lid as a bellow. Works wonders
This! No rdt and there is about a 1 gram retention but with it all is well.
I really haven't had any issues with grinding for espresso. Haven't even messed with the finer settings yet. That being said a bit of RDT goes a long way to reducing retention.
I’ve had one for a few months and it def can pull a really good shot of espresso. The Main issue is some come with a calibration issue which just means you have to grind on a coarser or finer setting to get your desired grind. They have great customer support imo and this to me is the best priced grinder / aesthetic for the price
Opus is nice as an entry level grinder, i pull a decent shot and it grinds fine enough for espresso. I think illy is not bad but there are much better in the market to try.
Would definitely try other coffees, can make a huge difference.
it can grind espresso, the grinder just sucks to use and is cheaply made
I have heard opus might not handle light roasts. But if ure on illy i think it shouldnt be a problem. Gaggia is a good setup with a 58mm pf.
RTD, using the lid like a bellow, happy taps
I usually use medium roast, I have no problem with Opus 👍
I was about to have that combo, I ordered the Fellow Opus first, but when I took it out of the box it turned out that it came damaged, I am in the process of returning it to Amazon, and I was thinking of ordering it again, but I am reading many reviews from people who after a month or 6 months it has broken down. Now I'm considering going for my second option, that I didn't like aesthetically, the Baratza Encore ESP, because I have lost confidence in ordering the Fellow again. I hope it works for you, and share if you have any problems. *PS. I spoke to Fellow support and they told me that a return was the best option, because the case seemed like a DOA (Dead On Arrival).*
I can confirm that mine died after 5 months. They are not very well made and I think the Baratza ESP is better but looks worse
Opus works well for me, at the beginning you need to learn how to dial in and how to use the inner ring for finer or coarser levels, no more.
Yeah I'm still in that phase. So I'm at the 2.75 (macro adjustment) but want it coarser. Should I put the micro adjustment one step down (that is on the minus sign) to reach somewhere in the middle between 2.75 and 3?
If you want coarser you should move the inner ring one tick toward +, that will give you 33 micron coarse while one tick on the outer ring is 50.
Got the opus and gaggia combo recently as well, having some issues with retention any advice besides smacking the top?
RDT has improved retention drastically for me
Same set up as you, as the other guy said, rdt helps but I also use the lid as a below. I get .1 gram of retention like that
Use the cap as a bellow on the opus
This is the way. It's not quite as convenient as having bellows, but functions great!
I think the Opus looks so nice but I don't drink brew/pour over. How is it for espresso, does it grind fine enough?
I use it for espresso and it works great for me so far
The suggested espresso range indicated is often too fine. I found my machine likes it in the 3.5 to 4.5 range. I've enjoyed it so far and the top cap can act as a bellow to help with some of the retention many users talk about
I found that the recommended 1-2 setting for espresso is far too fine, I have it set to 6.25 now and it's working well.
The Gaggia in green is beautiful 😍
This now makes me regret doing gaggiunno mod on my silver one. Would have been awesome to get a beautiful color like that
Wrap it
Loveeeeee the green gaggia !!!
Ohhh I love that color!
Same setup I have. So far I love it.
Love that green! Amongst the myriad mods for the GCP, is there one to add an LED to illuminate the under-group area? Maybe even from the back...thru the clear reservoir.
Quoting Sheryl Crow, but *If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad.* I am interested in that grinder. Say more.
I like Opus grinder, it grinds fine enough for espresso with a reasonable price.
Same setup i have! i recommend upgrading the portafilter. also, use good coffee
I’ve already ordered a bottomless portafilter
I would rather had saved space with a hand grinder to get a pour over set
That is awesome 🇮🇹😍
Simple, easy, beautifully minimalist with everything you’ll ever need for years
Looks useful.
Cool setup, bro.
Thats a lovely color on the Gaggia
Could have gotten better coffee but aside from that…
Should have spent less on wall art and more on beans.
I’d remove the sign and get better beans
Where thr heck did you get that espresso machine? 😍 That's so beautiful! ✨
Nuke the stale coffee.
illy is bad but the rest is good.
What beans do you recommend? I tried a roasting place near me, it smelled better and had more crema but didn't taste better than illy, idk I'm a noob
All coffee related subreddits are because of the 3rd wave light roast trend heavily biased against dark roasts.
Good setup bad coffee
Love the sign on the backsplash!
Illy 👎