Fellow - Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

I think the Timemore 078 is a good choice. I personally use an Ode Gen 2 alongside my ZP6. If I could go back in time and had a slightly higher budget, I'd get the 078. However, if you get a good deal on the Ode Gen 2, it's definitely also a good grinder. I use the stock burrs btw. I like it as a combo with the ZP6 because they can give you quite a different cup with the same coffee. For some coffees I actually prefer the Ode. I have had serious RSI issues due to my day job. Having an electric grinder helped me a lot! I have basically no pain now thanks to that. I'd definitely switch to an electric, I think it'll really help you

It's because the grinders launch a long time ago. If they launched recently, they would be completely ignored. I replaced a virtuoso with an ode v2. The ode is more expensive but it's close when it often goes on sale. The ode completely blows away the virtuoso. It was a used virtuoso but I don't think they upgraded the burrs since then which is kind of the problem. Baratza is great for support and repairability. If cup quality per dollar, isn't the number one priority it's a decent option.

By blended, I mean flavours are a bit more "together" whereas I always found the ZP6 was good at separating them out for them to be identified, which is great for a lot of coffees but some in my experience need them merged if that makes sense? Clarity is still very good on the Ode, it just presents in a different way I think . I'd say it has a sweeter profile compared to the ZP6, which I found much more acidity forward, but it could be that the Ode is a touch more forgiving with stuff like water chemistry. I'm working with clean but very soft tap water which is probably more acidity forward, adding a bit of TWW adds in that sweetness in the ZP6, but I haven't found it totally necessary on the Ode yet

Honestly Ode 2 is great, but the catch cup is a bit of a pain. That's really the only downside imo. Makes fantastic pour over. You could get a hand grinder as well and then you're really covered haha. ZP6 and K ultra are different flavor profiles but both fantastic

I loved my encore for 7 years of my coffee journey and just upgraded recently to an ode gen 2. I would go for the encore.

That's fair. From what I remember about briefly using a DF54, it was a nice grinder but the Ode 2 felt better to use. I also got my Ode 2 for $280 which probably made it seem like a much better value.

Baratza grinders don't die. Parts and instructions are available to inexpensively rebuild them. I had a Virtuoso for 15 years, and rebuilt it twice in that time. The plastic drive gear can get stripped, and once I replaced the motor and burr set with upgraded versions. I bought a Fellow Ode bc the Fellow is quieter and passed the baratza on to my son who has had it for 3 years. I like the Ode, but don't love that I can't repair it myself. I had some trouble and Fellows solution was to send me a rebuilt unit.

I went from a Knock, which is a decent £100 manual grinder, to the Ode 2. While the improvement in grind consistency was worthwhile (so few fines now!), the reduction in hassle and effort to grind was at least as much. Manual grinding isn't hard, but not having to do it is lovely.

Get an ode on sale and then buy an espresso focused hand grinder.

I just sold a moccamaster grinder to buy the ode for noise. I'm super impressed. https://www.reddit.com/r/pourover/s/zjKOzmTeJJ The Moccamaster would wake the neighbors. The Ode doesn't at all.

The Ode 2 and the K-Ultra are both safe choices - they produce well-balanced coffee and aren't especially difficult to dial in, and they're flattering to almost all coffees at all roast levels. I've owned and used both extensively and I think the K-Ultra gives somewhat better results, but the Ode 2 is close enough that if you'd rather have an electric grinder it's worth the trade-off.

My ODE 2 stopped working after 3 weeks. Customer service is very difficult to get a hold of. Do not recommend.

On my bar currently is a Fellow Ode, Baratza Vario, and a Timemore 064s. Had SSP cast in the 064 but probably swapping them to the Ode now. All that to say, I could have just one of any of these and be perfectly happy. Timemore is probably my favorite as far as quality and workflow, plus it can genuinely pull double duty. Ode is great but obviously you're not getting espresso there. Vario is an old design with clunky workflow but the burrs are great-in fact, the Mahlkonig X54 is essentially just an updated Vario. All these are great grinders.

I have a (kinda old) Baratza Virtuoso, Ode Gen2 and Timemore 064S. You can't grind for espresso with the Ode. The 064S is just a bit fiddly for espresso because the available range is compressed/coarse -- but I use mine every day. My Baratza experience is "emergency use only" but a friend is quite happy with the ESP (filter/drip).

I use a V60 and moved from a Comandante C40 to the Ode 2 and very happy with it.

Ode2 is generally considered a great grinder. I have one and am very happy with it

Personally I went with the K-Ultra over the ZP6 because I wanted more texture/flavor balance in my pourovers. As a fellow Robot owner, it's also convenient that the K-Ultra is a competent espresso grinder - I can take the Robot to friends' houses even if they don't have an espresso grinder, I can car camp with it, and I can pull shots when the power is out. As others have suggested, the Ode 2 is another option you might want to consider. I usually prefer pourovers on the K-Ultra, but sometimes I don't feel like hand grinding, and the Ode does a great job all around, and sometimes better depending on the coffee. (And to be clear, when I do prefer the K-Ultra, it's *preference* - someone else might prefer the Ode in the same situation.)

I had a Baratza Encore and recently upgraded to a Fellow Ode Gen2. Ode has great consistency and works great for my AeroPress around the 2.5 mark (1-10, 1 smallest). On course grind for cold brew the Ode has gotten jammed a few times, so I break out my old Encore for chunky grind duties.

2 electric and 2 hand grinders. Fellow Ode gen 2 for anything non-espresso, and Eureka Mignon Oro XL for espresso. Hand grinders 1zpresso JX pro and Comandante C40. The C40 was a gift from my parents for helping dad decide what to get for his new post-retirement coffee interest. I sometimes use hand grinder at home when making coffee just for me, to see how conical compares with flat burr of the Ode.

How would you compare the ZP6 to the Ode 2 + mp v1 (brew) burrs? I have currently the stock in the Ode and I generally like it, my only problem is that it's flavors are too "compressed". And I don't use it much because of that. I'm thinking of getting the brew burrs, but my fear is that it will be too similar to the ZP6 (which I don't mind hand grinding with, so getting the same but electronic is not an advantage for me).

I use an Ode 2 and love the small footprint on my countertop. The grinds are pretty consistent. This was an upgrade from my old Baratza.

If you long press the start button on the Ode 2, it won't auto stop.

Sounds like bad alignment. You shouldn't be having high fines production with those burrs. Even with the stock burrs I never had this problem with the Ode 2, and with the SSP burrs you should be getting way fewer than with stock.

The other recs you've gotten are good, but I want to clarify that the Fellow Ode 2 is not overkill. It's a pourover-focused grinder that doesn't do espresso and is one of the best electric options for single dose pourover at its price point. A hand grinder for the same $$$ will generally produce better results, but if you think he might not want to grind by hand, Ode 2 is a solid choice. Not sure what your time frame is but it goes on sale with some regularity, and Prime Day is upon us.

As someone who used the zero for pourovers for a year. Look into getting an ode 2 or similar. Will greatly improve your cup.

I have a hand grinder (KINGrinder P2) and an electric grinder (Fellow Ode Gen 2). Unlike most, I enjoy hand grinding. I like the sound of the grinder, the little mini upper body workouts too! 😆 Helps wake me up before the coffee does. 😊 Thing is, I bought the P2 to go along with my AeroPress as part of a travel kit (and to replace a blade grinder). The Ode 2 is a wonderful grinder for me as I mainly brew via immersion, and soon, pour over again. Some folks say you can do espresso with it even though you shouldn't according to Fellow. Point is, you'd be better off getting something like a DF54 and have a single grinder to do it all (community, correct me if I'm wrong). Anyway, those are what I use. Hope it's helpful to you.

It's a tough question but worth noting that not everyone thinks the ZP6 is an upgrade - it depends what you like in your coffee. You might end up liking the ZP6 more than the K-Ultra, or vice versa. For someone just starting out I think the K-Ultra is a much safer choice, as it produces coffee that's more in line with what most people expect coffee to taste like, it's very easy to dial in, and it does a good job with different roast levels. But you could get one, then get a ZP6 later, and decide you like it a lot more. No way to find out in matters of taste other than...to taste.

Ode 2 is very quiet. It has built in rapper that bangs out the grind... that's kinda loud and annoying but tapping with a palm gets it done too. It grinds 20 grams in about 5 seconds. Easy to have a conversation while it's grinding.

I would go for a hand grinder over Ode Gen 2 (just sold mine last week after not really using it for months). If you don't want to hand crank, consider a Femobook over the Ode (i have an A4Z), unless you absolutely want 64mm flat burrs.

Edit to add: as a gift, if the price difference is comfortably within budget, hands down go with the Ode 2. ------ I've stayed with Baratza for years because their service is great and the overall value is very high. That being said, I've heard some complaints about quality of the encore and typically recommend the virtuoso now. You're not alone...I've never bought the ode because reviews are mixed, and I don't know if less redditors recommend Baratza because they tend to hold up well (and require less help), or because these other grinders are better.

For drip I like my fellow ode gen 2 grinder a lot

I just bought the Ode 2 a month ago. No complaints whatsoever. For handgrinders I'm eyeing the K-Ultra or C40 for Christmas. I'm not a pro in any way, shape or form.

I've owned a 65 Casa and a gen 2 Ode. Workflow IMO goes towards the Casa. In the cup they're fairly similar, I think you'd get slightly more clarity to my taste from the Ode, but if you only have room for one grinder then the Ode cannot do espresso without shortening its lifespan.

I bought the Ode 2 during Amazon deal days and it's phenomenal. I would love to share a more detailed post down the line but I am absolutely impressed with the Ode 2. Design, speed, quietness, how solid it feels all impressed me up front. The taste is wildly different from the baratza virtuoso. It really highlights those "flavor" notes people read about much further than the Virtuoso ever did.

I have an Ode 2 and love it for pourover. It's below your budget, and there are other burr sets you can try if you want to experiment. I'm sure it's not perfect, but it's been a great grinder for me. It does have a small amount of retention, but nothing that would dissuade me from buying it again.

I've also done a ton of research and was also considering the 078. Like yourself, the 078's price tag wasn't justifiable. I did heavily consider taking out a second mortgage for it. So I got an ode 2.

I was just in your predicament and took delivery of an Ode 2 last week. That definitely gets a recommendation. ZP6 still has its place in my set up but if I want something more blended with more body and sweetness I'll be using the Ode