So I ended up getting the Ode 1.0 after all. Hear me out: It was $143 on Amazon, with the same Fellow warranty and such. & Fellow has the 2.0 burrs available for $68 so with both things I am still only in it for $211. This compares unfavorably with the Turin/iTop/Xeoleo/generic Alibaba SD40 machine because those can be had for only $167 on Alibaba. It’s also more expensive than the other contender, the Solis Scala Zero, which came in at $100. I was going to go for the Opus maybe at $165 too, but then I kinda realized that I was buying the wrong kind of grinder for my brewing style.
Basically I want to brew light roast beans and bring out their flowery clear notes so I basically figure flat burrs are the way to go. Once I decided that I wanted flat burrs the Ode was the way to go. The 2 year warranty on the Fellow when registered on their site is also good, and I have had good experiences with their “VIP” customer service team. They also do longevity testing on their grinders, and it’s super easy to dial in when exhausted. I am a basic bitch essentially is why I got it. I won’t ever do espresso at home until I have the money to upgrade to a much better setup, and that would imply that I have the money to get a SK40 or DF64 for espresso anyway. I figure that because I am literally only doing filter coffee the Ode with 2.0 burrs will be good. I brewed my first cups with it, and it seems fine. I think the 2.0 burr will be a worthy upgrade when I can afford to do so next month. I also needed it quickly because partner needed grounds for their new Capresso drip machine. It seems like the most bog standard crappy plastic coffee machine, but they like the coffee it makes, so that’s a win, but it’s probably due to the new grinder.