Fellow Espresso Machine Review: This Is Something Special!

I’m not sure I can express quite how excited I am to be writing this Fellow espresso machine review. I mean, regular Coffeeness readers know how much I love this manufacturer’s products, but until now Fellow has shied away from the espresso machine game.

In my opinion, it was only a matter of time until the Oakland-based manufacturer released its own home espresso machine. And with the launch of the Espresso Series 1, Fellow has finally unveiled what I can only describe as its masterpiece.

As it happens, the Fellow Espresso Series 1 is finally available for purchase from the good folks at Seattle Coffee Gear. And they sent me one in Marine Blue to test out! Coming up, I’ll tell you all about this wonderful espresso machine and how it performed in the Coffeeness kitchen. Heck, I’ll even throw in a few tips and pointers for getting the best out of the Fellow Series 1.

Brand new machine

Fellow Espresso Series 1

There’s a lot to get excited about!

High-quality design & materials

Premium accessories

Great value

Tons of adjustable settings

Suitable for all skill levels

Unnecessary drink menu

CHECK PRICE

All specifications

Fellow Espresso Series 1
Manufacturer	Fellow
Model number	Series 1
Product category	Manual espresso machine
Housing material	Stainless steel
Color options	Black, Cherry Red, Malted Chocolate, Marine Blue
Milk frother	Steam wand
User interface	Text display with buttons
App
User profiles	Memo function only
Portafilter size	58 mm
Tamping	Manual
Removable water reservoir
Water reservoir capacity	67.6 fl oz / 2.0 l
Number of boilers	1
Pump pressure	15 bar
Maximum cup height	4.0 in / 10.2 cm
Grinder	N/A
Grind adjustment levels	N/A
Bean hopper capacity	N/A
Specialty drinks	1
Pre-infusion
Adjustable coffee temperature
Adjustable milk foam temperature
2-cup function	No
Hot water function
Hot milk function
Milk foam only option
Water filter
Power consumption	1700 W
Weight	21.7 lb / 9.8 kg
Dimensions	11.0 x 12.4 x 17.2 in 27.9 x 31.5 x 43.7 cm
Warranty	2 years
Notes	Included Accessories: User manual, 2 x filter baskets, shot splitter attachment, milk pitcher, tamper, cleaning supplies
Current price on Amazon	BUY NOW ON AMAZON
All specifications

Overview: Fellow Espresso Machine Review

Coffeeness Medium Roast Espresso

Well-balanced with chocolate & hazelnut notes

Freshly roasted in Brooklyn

Very low acidity

To the Coffeeness Shop

Fellow’s aim when dreaming up the Espresso Series 1 was to design the best home espresso machine possible – one that could deliver a high-end user experience without the premium price tag.

Now, that sounds great in theory, but boutique espresso machines offering the kind of features included with the Fellow espresso machine usually cost three times as much. Still, if any company could deliver the goods, it’d be Fellow. After all, this manufacturer is known for its iconic, affordable and performance-based coffee gear.

So, is the Fellow Espresso Series 1 all that? Well, now that I’ve put the machine through its paces I can tell you that it really does deliver. Sure, it isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty darn close. What’s more, I’d say that brands like Breville and DeLonghi might be feeling a little worried right now.

For the longest time, the Espresso Series 1 was only available for pre-release ordering on the Fellow website. If you were lucky enough to secure one, you will have paid $1,199.95 for the Black version. Now, though, you’ll pay $1,499.95 to buy the machine from Seattle Coffee Gear. As for the Cherry Red, Malted Chocolate and Marine Blue options, you’ll have to shell out a hundred bucks more.

While this espresso machine ain’t cheap, it offers incredibly good value for the money in my opinion. Especially given its sleek design and high-end components. Just for reference, the Breville Barista Touch Impress will set you back $1,429.99.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 First Impressions

If you’re already familiar with Fellow products, you won’t be surprised to hear that the packaging used for the Series 1 is completely gorgeous. As always, the manufacturer has paid attention to every detail, and the box is a work of art.

As for what’s in the box, the Fellow design team obviously went all out on the Espresso Series 1. And while we’re confronted by a very classic espresso machine aesthetic, the Espresso Series 1 is drenched in Fellow’s classy modern touches.

Sure, the machine is available in colors other than Black, which is rather unusual for the manufacturer. However, the Espresso Series 1 maintains Fellow’s iconic minimalist design language. The Fellow espresso machine looks good from every angle, thanks to a single piece of molded plastic wrapping the chassis. Plus, there’s a lovely exposed group head and a generous drip tray.

What’s more, Fellow has designed its own heating system for this machine, and has included premium features like pressure profiling and precision temperature control.

Before conducting this Fellow espresso machine review, I was well aware of the user reports documenting potential issues with the Series 1. I’d heard about things like leaky hot water spouts and faulty 3-way solenoid valves along with quite a few other problems. However, it seems like Fellow has been addressing these bugs promptly.

During my review I was on the lookout, and did notice a weird, persistent buzzing sound after steaming milk. However, it went away after I pulled another shot and didn’t return.

Fellow Espresso Machine Features

Let’s continue this hands-on Fellow espresso machine review by checking out the many features to get excited about.

Size and Construction

I’m happy to report that the Fellow Espresso Series 1 feels extremely solid and well-made. Clocking in at 21.7 pounds (9.8 kilograms), the machine is no lightweight. Plus, there are rubber feet to keep the Series 1 in place as you’re working. Sure, I always appreciate stainless steel housing, but the plastic components here are very premium. I particularly appreciated the matte plastic backsplash seeing as it’s very easy to keep clean.

While the machine is wider than most, it’s still quite compact, rising to just 11 inches (30 centimeters) in height. Still, Fellow has made room for a 67.6-ounce (2-liter) water tank. What’s more, there’s a good-sized display and rotary dial located on the front of the machine.

I will say that the Fellow espresso machine’s depth might be a concern for those with smaller coffee stations. As it happens, the machine is over 20 inches (51 centimeters) deep with the portafilter attached. For comparison, the aforementioned Breville Barista Touch Impress is around 15 inches (38 centimeters) deep with the portafilter attached.

With all that said, the Fellow espresso machine is incredibly stylish, and it’s going to look great sitting on your kitchen counter.

User Interface & App

As you’d expect, the machine’s user interface is very well conceived. There are three piano-style keys up top for quick operation, as well as a circular screen and a chunky dial. As it happens, this is very similar to the controls on the Fellow Aiden, and this user interface is just as intuitive and easy to navigate.

There are a stunning amount of adjustable parameters here, including pressure, water temperature, flow rate and pre-infusion. What’s more, there’s a cool guide mode to help you achieve the perfect espresso in a hurry.

Of course, you can go really deep, designing your own pressure profiles and tweaking every aspect of your extraction. And while you can adjust settings via the user interface, the Fellow app is probably the easiest way to take care of this. Plus, you can save and even share your espresso profiles using the app.

Finally, the display gives a ton of information about your espresso shot’s progress, showing the time, brewing stage and even the pressure at the group head. Seriously, how cool is that!

Drink Menu

My only real criticism of the Fellow Espresso Series 1 is its specialty drink menu. Here, you’ll find a selection of drinks like latte, flat white and cappuccino. However, this all feels kind of superfluous, seeing as the machine simply tells you to pull a shot then steam milk. I already knew that’s what I had to do!

In my experience, it’s way easier to just bypass the drink menu and make a drink without having to press additional buttons. I mean, it’s not like the machine is helping out by steaming the milk for you. Besides, the specialty drink options simply make the menu more crowded than it needs to be.

Group Head

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 features a commercial-style exposed group head that’s shiny and beautiful. At first glance, this group head appears to be Fellow’s take on the iconic E61.

It’s stainless steel on the outside, with a brass core inside, as well as a dispersion block for improved flow and consistent extractions. Heck, there’s even a dedicated heating element in there for maintaining thermal stability. What can I say? Fellow has thought of everything!

Before I forget, I should mention the super cool hot water outlet, which is located directly below the group head. You can activate the hot water function via a dedicated piano key on the top of the machine, and adjust the temperature and volume using the dial. Oh, and I didn’t notice any water spout leaking issues.

Portafilter

I can’t tell you how happy I was to find a bottomless portafilter in the Fellow espresso machine box. Seriously, this is something you usually only see with the best prosumer espresso machines.

Sure, you can always buy a bottomless portafilter if your machine comes with the spouted version. However, this is one more example of Fellow deciding to cover all the bases with its first espresso machine. After all, every barista worth their salt knows that a bottomless portafilter helps maintain thermal stability seeing as there’s less surface area involved.

The included 58mm portafilter even has a classy wooden handle, which only adds to the beauty of this machine. Plus, it feels really nice to hold and has excellent weight distribution. Finally, you get both single wall and pressurized filter baskets too. 

Boosted Boiler

Fellow’s proprietary Boosted Boiler is the heart and soul of the Espresso Series 1. And given the machine’s reasonable asking price, this patented three-point heating system must be way more cost-effective than installing dual boilers.

To be honest, the Boosted Boiler shows just how much care and attention went into the design of the Espresso Series 1. It’s a remarkable achievement and it’s also a completely new way of approaching espresso machine design.

Here’s the skinny: The first step is a flow-through heater, which rapidly preheats water before it enters the boiler. According to the manufacturer, this creates complete thermal stability, as well as a super-quick heat up time of under two minutes. Finally, there’s the aforementioned group head heater, which further aids in maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the machine.

In practice, the Espresso Series 1 does heat up quickly, and I noticed that the portafilter was nice and warm after only a couple of minutes. This makes the machine’s technology far superior to Breville’s ThermoJet system. Still, I found that the machine was only really stable after at least 10 minutes. Before that, my shots were rather inconsistent. Then again, 10 minutes isn’t long to wait, especially given the fact that a machine like the Rocket Appartamento requires around 30 minutes to heat up.

PID Temperature Control

As you might expect, the Fellow espresso machine is equipped with a digital PID controller. Not only does this keep the temperature stable, it allows you to accurately adjust your brewing temperature in one-degree increments.

Steam Wand

The manual steam wand is ball-joint mounted on top of the machine. Its shape and position reminds me of commercial machines like the La Marzocco Strada, so I wonder if Fellow did this as a kind of homage to the classics.

Either way, what really counts is that the steaming power is up to snuff. The Fellow Espresso Series 1 definitely packs a punch in this department and I was able to create some beautifully silky milk foam.

Before testing the Fellow espresso machine, I thought the Assisted Steaming function was going to be some kind of automatic frother. However, it’s essentially a temperature sensor on the steam wand tip.

While this is cool, it’s completely unnecessary in my opinion. After all, you can easily judge the temperature of your milk by feel. Then again, I’m not a complete control freak who has to know that my milk reaches a precisely set temperature every time. Incidentally, I will say that the automatic purging function is awesome, although you should still wipe off the wand with a damp cloth after each use.

Drip Tray & Water Tank

The Fellow Series 1 has a relatively huge drip tray, which is a real bonus in terms of workflow. And during the testing phase of my Fellow espresso machine review, I don’t think I needed to empty the thing at all. That said, you should always empty the drip tray at the end of each day’s use.

Another great thing about the drip tray is the amount of headroom you’ve got. This means you can easily fit a coffee scale under your espresso glass if you want to weigh your shot as it’s brewing. Naturally, I used the Fellow Tally Pro scale during my review.

As for the water tank, it’s accessed via a popup lid on top of the machine and has a generous 67.6-ounce (2-liter) capacity. I particularly appreciated the built-in handle, which makes it easy to remove the reservoir. However, I would have liked to have seen some kind of external water level indicator. Then again, this is a small complaint, and the machine will let you know when it’s running low on water.

Fellow Accessories

I’ve already mentioned some of the included accessories in this Fellow espresso machine review. Still, it’s worth pointing out that the manufacturer has really gone to town when it comes to setting you up.

The Espresso Series 1 comes with a bunch of premium gear – no plastic tamper or missing milk jug here! Of course, you will need to get hold of the best burr coffee grinder you can afford. Then again, the manufacturer is counting on you buying the very affordable Fellow Opus!

Here’s what’s included with the Fellow Espresso Series 1:

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 Initial Setup

I’m happy to be able to tell you that getting started with the Fellow Series 1 is a piece of cake. Seriously, I hardly even glanced at the user manual seeing as setup is so straightforward. Besides, there really isn’t much in there. If you have any questions or concerns, you’re better off consulting the vast knowledge base on the Fellow website.

First things first, add cold, filtered water to the reservoir then plug in the machine. The series 1 will then guide you through the setup process, asking you a few questions along the way. I really liked how the machine asks for your current elevation and water hardness, adjusting itself accordingly.

Once all that is taken care of, the machine will spend a couple of minutes heating up. And while the process is a little noisy, it’s not too bad. Incidentally, I’d recommend waiting an extra 10 minutes in order for the group head and portafilter to come up to the correct temperature for brewing. Sure, the boosted boiler and group head heater are great, but you’ll get more consistent results once the portafilter is nice and toasty.

Espresso Preparation

I’d say that the Fellow espresso machine will appeal to a broad range of users, and that is its super power. In my opinion, the machine fills a glaring gap in the market; it’ll satisfy those looking for a great value machine that’s easy to use as well as experts who want to dive really deep.

As I mentioned earlier, the user interface is incredibly intuitive, so making espresso with this machine is easy for inexperienced home baristas. I was particularly impressed by the range of preset recipes, which include options for roast profiles as well as those for different espresso styles. Of course, you can adjust and save any parameter within a preset recipe, but the Fellow Series 1 is intended as a plug-and-play device.

At this point, I should remind you that you’ll need a suitable espresso grinder if you want to get the best out of the Fellow espresso machine. Oh, and I’d highly recommend picking up a coffee scale if you don’t already own one. After all, you’ll need to be able to weigh your dose if you want to achieve repeatable results.

Speaking of, I experienced wildly inconsistent results at first, and after a little crisis searching came upon Fellow’s instructions for calibrating the machine. Turns out, the Series 1 uses volumetric dosing based on water flow when it’s brewing, but this is fairly inaccurate. Without going into too much detail, you can increase the machine’s accuracy by following the calibration steps. Trust me, it doesn’t take long, and you’ll be really glad you did it.

How Does Espresso from the Fellow Series 1 Taste?

Coffeeness Medium Roast Espresso

Well-balanced with chocolate & hazelnut notes

Freshly roasted in Brooklyn

Very low acidity

To the Coffeeness Shop

I had a great time playing with the Fellow Espresso Series 1, but it took some time to properly dial in my shots. Then again, you now know the two keys to success with this machine: let it heat for 10 minutes, and go through the calibration process. Once that’s done, your shots will be super consistent.

During my testing, I mainly stuck to the espresso presets, tinkering with parameters here and there. To be honest, this is the best way to start experimenting with adjustable settings. Seeing as I was using my Coffeeness Espresso Blend, I chose the “Medium Roast” espresso profile. This is a standard 1:2 brew ratio, with the machine suggesting a dose of 18 grams. I ended up increasing the dose to 20 grams. And once I’d dialed in my grind size I was pulling beautiful 40-gram shots with extraction times of around 30 seconds.

In terms of taste, my espresso was everything I could hope for: sweet, syrupy and bursting with notes of chocolate and nuts. I also loved its full, rounded body and long, long finish.

When I experimented with the “Classic 9 Bar” profile, I was a little underwhelmed by the resulting shot. It lacked the nuanced complexity of the previous shots, and didn’t quite hit the mark. Still, I had a feeling that this profile would be ideal for milk-based drinks. And when I used it to make a delicious latte, my suspicions were confirmed – the espresso blended beautifully with the steamed milk, creating a rich and delicious taste experience.

Fellow Espresso Machine Cleaning

If you want to keep your Fellow espresso machine in good working order, you’ll need to get into the habit of cleaning the thing on a regular basis. I won’t bore you with all the details here, suffice to say you should scrub the dispersion screen and portafilter basket at the end of each day’s use. And make sure to wipe off the steam wand with a damp cloth every time you use it.

On a weekly basis, I’d recommend cleaning the drip tray and water tank, as well as removing the dispersion screen and soaking it for a few minutes. And you’ll also need to backflush and descale the Series 1 on a fairly regular basis. Don’t worry, I’ll leave it to the user manual to explain the dirty details!

Fellow Espresso Machine Specifications

Verdict: Fellow Espresso Machine Review

Brand new machine

Fellow Espresso Series 1

There’s a lot to get excited about!

High-quality design & materials

Premium accessories

Great value

Tons of adjustable settings

Suitable for all skill levels

Unnecessary drink menu

CHECK PRICE

All specifications

Fellow Espresso Series 1
Manufacturer	Fellow
Model number	Series 1
Product category	Manual espresso machine
Housing material	Stainless steel
Color options	Black, Cherry Red, Malted Chocolate, Marine Blue
Milk frother	Steam wand
User interface	Text display with buttons
App
User profiles	Memo function only
Portafilter size	58 mm
Tamping	Manual
Removable water reservoir
Water reservoir capacity	67.6 fl oz / 2.0 l
Number of boilers	1
Pump pressure	15 bar
Maximum cup height	4.0 in / 10.2 cm
Grinder	N/A
Grind adjustment levels	N/A
Bean hopper capacity	N/A
Specialty drinks	1
Pre-infusion
Adjustable coffee temperature
Adjustable milk foam temperature
2-cup function	No
Hot water function
Hot milk function
Milk foam only option
Water filter
Power consumption	1700 W
Weight	21.7 lb / 9.8 kg
Dimensions	11.0 x 12.4 x 17.2 in 27.9 x 31.5 x 43.7 cm
Warranty	2 years
Notes	Included Accessories: User manual, 2 x filter baskets, shot splitter attachment, milk pitcher, tamper, cleaning supplies
Current price on Amazon	BUY NOW ON AMAZON
All specifications

That’s it for my Fellow espresso machine review. After using the Fellow Espresso Series 1, I can confidently say that this beauty will change the home espresso landscape. I mean, Fellow obviously decided to rock the boat a little by releasing such a sophisticated machine at this price point. And it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the big brands respond.

In my opinion, Fellow has really hit a home run with this espresso machine. Sure, it isn’t quite perfect, but it’s pretty close. What’s more, the manufacturer keeps rolling out firmware updates in an effort to further improve the Series 1. It’s this kind of dedication that sets Fellow apart from the competition. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!