This $200 grinder is the capable workhorse that teaches you exactly why serious espresso people eventually spend four times as much. The jump between settings is the real problem: one notch pours a gusher, the next chokes your portafilter, and there's no middle ground for dialing in precisely. It handles dark roasts and milk drinks well for years, but light roast chasers will fight it from day one, and the motor bogs down on harder beans over time. Buy it if you're starting out and need something that works while you learn, skip it if you're already chasing single-origin precision or know you'll outgrow the limitations within a year.
Fellow's second swing at a pour-over grinder fixed the Gen 1's range problem and delivered what the light-roast crowd actually wanted: whisper-quiet operation, tea-like clarity with washed coffees, and a workflow so clean you'll forget what static cling feels like. The catch is narrow: medium-dark roasts taste dull and flat, the hopper forces you to grind in shifts for batch brewing, and a pattern of motor failures around ten months of daily use means longevity isn't guaranteed despite the premium price. If you brew single light-roast pourovers and prize clarity over versatility, this is the grinder to beat. If you want one tool for all roasts or need it to last five years without drama, look elsewhere.