I wouldn’t call myself a coffee snob by any means, but I certainly do enjoy a good cup. I’m really into pour overs especially — I think it’s the best way to extract the most flavor from whatever kind of beans you’re working with, whether they’re cheap or the good stuff. But it wasn’t until recently I learned that the method of brewing only does so much. While I knew pre-ground bags of coffee would taste worse than coffee you ground in-store, I wasn’t sure it was worth it to invest in a grinder at home. It turns out, if you’re not grinding your beans at home, day of, you’re missing out on tons of oils and flavors. But I, like you perhaps, didn’t want the sore thumb of a coffee grinder taking up counter space or to have to grind coffee every single morning. Who does? Well, after trying out Fellow’s new Ode grinder, I can say definitively, I was wrong.
Here’s how I tested it out. I bought two identical bags of coffee, same roast date, same everything. I went to the market and used their Burr grinder for one (is that allowed?), grinding the entire bag at once. I then used the Ode coffee grinder for the other, grinding one serving at a time. I used my Ratio Coffee Maker to make carafes of pour overs with each over the course of a week. While initially the flavors were close to identical, as the week went on, the market ground coffee tasted more and more stale, while the Ode ground coffee remained fresh, flavorful, and full of oils I hadn’t realized I was missing out on before. In short, grinding your coffee at home is the best way to get bang for your buck on coffee beans.
The Ode grinder is a beauty to behold. It has a sleek matte black outer, and the design itself is paired well with the function. The grind catcher magnetically aligns, the dial lists numbers going from a finer to a coarser grind, and the lid in the bean filler has suggested numbers for different styles of brews. It’s shockingly quiet (it doesn’t wake up my girlfriend fast asleep in the other room) and it automatically turns off once every bean has been ground. I could get into the types of burrs it has (64mm flat) or the fact that a smart speed PID motor exposes every bean to the exact same force and grind quality, but why bother—all you have to do with this bad boy is sit back, relax, and enjoy perfectly-ground beans every single morning.
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Not only is the Ode Grinder one of the most beautiful things I own, it has improved my morning coffee substantially. I’m also a grinder convert: everyone who is serious about coffee should have a coffee grinder in their home, and it should be this one, too.
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