In February 2023, we introduced Opus, a powerful all-purpose grinder that changes the brew game. Designed to grind everything from true espresso to the coarsest cold brew, Opus features a high-torque motor and 6-blade burr set to produce outstanding grind consistency and flavor with 41+ precision settings. It really is the full package—all at an unparalleled value.
So how did we get here? When designing the Opus Conical Burr Grinder, the team had to find the perfect balance of burr geometry, motor speed, torque, and grinding time that could produce a granular grind for espresso and coarse grind for cold brew—without stalling.
Let’s turn back the clock to early 2020 when development first began. Hear all about the stressful, exhilarating process straight from one of our main creators: Andrew H., Fellow’s Senior Product Design Engineer.
Q: How did you start? What was your process like?
After compiling research and assessing the marketing and product requirements, we started to lay out the consumer’s needs and product features. Next we developed the look and feel, followed by mechanical architecture and design. From there it was prototype, prototype, prototype!
Q: What were some of the big challenges you faced?
The biggest challenge was designing a drivetrain (mechanical design with motor) and finding a burr set that would achieve our goals of grinding espresso—no matter the roast level or bean type—while also being cost effective.
When I started at Fellow, there had already been a partial prototype made with the original drivetrain and grinding architecture that was with the manufacturer for additional examination and testing. Initially, we designed all other subsystems around that and then ended up building another prototype that would actually grind. And that one failed in like 12 grind cycles (the gears straight up melted!). I was left with the feeling of “what the hell just happened?”
We started digging into that failure—materials, processes, coffee type, you name it—what the differences were between it and the original proto. We figured out that even though the original prototype was operational, it was RIGHT on the verge of shredding through its gears.
So that was a frustrating oversight, made possible by a comedy of errors and incomplete information handoffs, that cost us several months of scheduling. After 6+ months of development, we had to be honest with ourselves and all agreed to start over.
Another challenge was in creating intuitive grind settings that still allowed for precision espresso adjustments. We tested a bunch of burrs that either couldn't grind fine enough, or had a big risk of crashing into each other, which for conical burrs pretty much ruins them instantly.
Finally, we found a supplier that had the quality standards we were searching for and helped us tweak the burr blade geometry to achieve that perfect espresso consistency. While I don't remember how many shots I tried to pull (at least 100) before finally getting one that met our target, I DO remember the sweet satisfaction of success when it finally happened. That was the day I finally believed this product would see the light of day.
Q: Any hiccups?
Plenty… Probably our biggest one was restarting drivetrain design after the initial look and feel had already been defined. Once we realized the first iteration wasn’t good enough, it triggered a series of complicated redesigns.
Another fun hiccup to mention is that right AFTER we kicked off tooling, we found out our load bin had a high risk for failure of safety certification testing because the safety switch wasn’t quite up to the requirements defined in the standard.
Actually, with compliance, there are many gray areas! We needed to be safe, rather than make tooling, fail the test, and lose more development time down the road. So, we put a hold on manufacturing the components for the switch area, and did a 2-week sprint to redesign the switch mechanism. Then we had to test, validate, and roll it back into the overall assembly.
And, if that wasn’t enough, there were also electrical component shortages due to supply chain challenges, COVID outbreaks that caused factory shutdowns, etc.
Q: How many prototypes did you make?
A LOT. Guessing we made over 50 prototypes of either parts, subsystems, or the full grinder when all was said and done.
Q: What do you love about Opus?
Not only is it immensely powerful, but you also don't have to wait a full minute to grind for an espresso shot and the coffee tastes great.Â
Whether you’re jazzed about pulling a smooth 9-bar shot (that’s espresso) or a light-roast lover looking for caramel peach notes, this grinder isn’t messing around. For more info on features, head to the Opus product page.
