Espresso Series 1

I love my new Series 1 espresso machine. This is my 4th espresso machine since my first purchase in 2006 of a Rancilio Silvia. Once I got the hang of the machine, I dialed in my favorite beans from Applied Arts House Blend: Crosshatch (Medium-Dark Roast). It nails the pull every time that I like a 1:2:5 ratio.

I have been drinking espresso for years but always relied on coffee shops. This is my first serious home espresso setup and the Fellow Espresso Series 1 changed that immediately. First shot — pulled a decent espresso on day two after a short learning curve. The pressure profiling and precision temperature control make a real difference compared to budget machines I tried before. You can actually feel that the machine is doing something intelligent not just forcing hot water through coffee. Design — Fellow's aesthetic is unmistakable. Clean minimal solid on the counter. The included accessories are premium — no cheap plastic tamper in the box which sets the tone. Learning curve — moderate. Dialing in grind size and dose took a few sessions but the machine is forgiving enough that even early shots were drinkable. Once dialed in consistency is excellent shot to shot. What surprised me — how much difference a proper machine makes. I finally understand what espresso is supposed to taste like — complex sweet with real crema. Not the bitter burnt stuff from a cheap machine. Worth it? — at $1199 it is a serious investment but for someone who wants real café-quality espresso at home without spending $3000 on a prosumer machine yes. Rating: 9/10 — exceptional value for the feature set. My first real espresso and I am not going back.

I have been drinking espresso for years but always relied on coffee shops. This is my first serious home espresso setup and the Fellow Espresso Series 1 changed that immediately. First shot — pulled a decent espresso on day two after a short learning curve. The pressure profiling and precision temperature control make a real difference compared to budget machines I tried before. You can actually feel that the machine is doing something intelligent, not just forcing hot water through coffee. Design — Fellow's aesthetic is unmistakable. Clean, minimal, solid on the counter. The included accessories are premium — no cheap plastic tamper in the box, which sets the tone. Learning curve — moderate. Dialing in grind size and dose took a few sessions, but the machine is forgiving enough that even early shots were drinkable. Once dialed in, consistency is excellent shot to shot. What surprised me — how much difference a proper machine makes. I finally understand what espresso is supposed to taste like — complex, sweet, with real crema. Not the bitter burnt stuff from a cheap machine. Worth it? — at $1,199 it is a serious investment, but for someone who wants real café-quality espresso at home without spending $3,000 on a prosumer machine, yes. Rating: 9/10 — exceptional value for the feature set. My first real espresso and I am not going back.

I finally received the unit after 1 year of waiting. I have only made about 20 espresso shots, but I can tell Espresso Series 1 is a very capable machine. There is no other machine that is as capable at this price point. You can set up shot profiles with your preference. The best part is the 2min heat up time. It is ready to use in a few min after turning on. The steam wand is awesome because it has a temp sensor and automatically stops when milk reaches 61C degree. It automatically purges water out after steaming. The quality of the wand is very good. Every shot is consistent, and it shows you a graph (time & pressure). I don't have any complaint so far. I have used other machines made in 2000s, and I can see how technology has advanced over the years. This and Cafelat Robot are now my two favorite espresso machines. Longevity (and after-service repair from Fellow) is another topic, and time will tell us.

I finally received the unit after 1 year of waiting. I have only made about 20 espresso shots but I can tell Espresso Series 1 is a very capable machine. There is no other machine that is as capable at this price point. You can set up shot profiles with your preference. The best part is the 2min heat up time. It is ready to use in a few min after turning on. The steam wand is awesome because it has a temp sensor and automatically stops when milk reaches 61C degree. It automatically purges water out after steaming. The quality of the wand is very good. Every shot is consistent and it shows you a graph (time & pressure). I don't have any complaint so far. I have used other machines made in 2000s and I can see how technology has advanced over the years. This and Cafelat Robot are now my two favorite espresso machines. Longevity (and after-service repair from Fellow) is another topic and time will tell us.