Customer reviews from Fellow
Fellow - Espresso Series 1 Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine with up to 9 bars of pressure and custom roast profiles - Black
Average customer rating
4.6
(113 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 113 reviews
5 Stars
85
4 Stars
18
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
1
1 Star
5
92%of customers recommend this product.
(
89 out of
97)
Customer Reviews for Fellow - Espresso Series 1 Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine with up to 9 bars of pressure and custom roast profiles - Black
Customer Rating
5
Very versatile machine
on April 20, 2026
Posted by: Rubin C.
It has only been a 2 weeks so I can't say anything about the durability, but I am loving the ES1 so far. I am upgrading from a Breville Express and the difference is night and day when you can control the pressure. I am no espresso aficionado, so I don't care much about extraction. However, I have a certain taste profile I like when it comes to coffee and I know what parameters to tweak to get it. Because of that, my methods are not conventional and this machine allows me to do that at half the cost I originally probably had to pay. When experimenting, one of the most important things is that the shots are consistent and the machine is precise. Notice I didn't say accurate, because all the values the machine shows me can be false for all intents and purposes, but as long as they are consistent I can work with it. For example, 5 bars does not really need to be 5 bars, but as long as every time I pick 5 bars it gives me the same "5 bars" is what I am after. For that the ES1 did great both temperature and pressure wise.
That said this machine has its problems that will hopefully be fixed with firmware updates. The group flush for example is 3 seconds no matter how many seconds you set it to, and that is just not enough water to do anything.
Side note: this might void my warranty or something, but if you put a tea basket in this thing it can brew very tasty tea as well. My wife doesn't like coffee, but she likes tea and that really got her approval. Just thought that you guys should advertise that if this won't break the machine, since what I do is set the pressure to 3 bars on the profile for 60 seconds and then set it to 7 to release the tea with the tea basket set to release at 6 bars.
That said this machine has its problems that will hopefully be fixed with firmware updates. The group flush for example is 3 seconds no matter how many seconds you set it to, and that is just not enough water to do anything.
Side note: this might void my warranty or something, but if you put a tea basket in this thing it can brew very tasty tea as well. My wife doesn't like coffee, but she likes tea and that really got her approval. Just thought that you guys should advertise that if this won't break the machine, since what I do is set the pressure to 3 bars on the profile for 60 seconds and then set it to 7 to release the tea with the tea basket set to release at 6 bars.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
5
My early review
on March 1, 2026
Posted by: Bob
These are just my initial impressions as I've only unboxed yesterday. Visually it's impressive and the hands on feel is nice. The menu screen makes for lots of options and controllability. I misjudged the grind size on my first shot, it ran too fast (traditional 9 bar, medium roast) but I salvaged it my steaming some milk to make a cappacino. The steamer was a pleasure to use and my drink still was enjoyable. I'm looking forward to playing with all its adjustability options and to make use of the forthcoming app features.
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
5
Took a risk and it paid off!
on March 1, 2026
Posted by: lemonchicken
worth the wait. purchased 10 months ago and finally received it. this is unlocking several new worlds of espresso I've always wanted to try but really couldn't on my flat 9 bar double boiler machine. The steaming on this isn't quite up to the power that I'm used to but the machine can start steaming pretty much immediately after the shot is pulled. I'm not running a cafe at home, although I like to pretend I am. There's still some rough edges around the machine, like I'm beta testing since it's an early release. I'm ok with that, the team has been very open about the issues and what they're working on. Looking forward to having a machine that can keep getting better over time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
5
Espresso series 1 initial thoughts
on March 2, 2026
Posted by: TreyLo
I know the machine being brand new can be sketchy since there are no reviews but I’m so happy with its performance so far. It heats up so fast, very consistent, the shot feedback really helped me dial
In the espresso. I’ve never worked with an espresso machine before so this is all new to me and having the tips and guidance on the app have made it seamless to pull a great shot. Steaming milk is so easy too! It was a long wait but I was well worth it and I know all the plans they have for partnering with coffee brands will be fruitful.
In the espresso. I’ve never worked with an espresso machine before so this is all new to me and having the tips and guidance on the app have made it seamless to pull a great shot. Steaming milk is so easy too! It was a long wait but I was well worth it and I know all the plans they have for partnering with coffee brands will be fruitful.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
4
Good build despite few bugs out of box
on March 2, 2026
Posted by: Weinerd
Fit and finish look good. Group head and steam wand is robust. Auto steam temp is nice touch, autoclean steam wand is also nice. Pressure profiling is game changer.
Some bugs in the firmware- grouphead flush timer sometimes gets stuck only running 3 seconds even when set to longer durations. Volumetric calibration out of the box is way off and once calibrated vs desired shot time is accurate so long as your grind is consistent with the shot time you want to achieve. I wish you could set the shot stop parameter in the shot profile instead of a global setting.
Some bugs in the firmware- grouphead flush timer sometimes gets stuck only running 3 seconds even when set to longer durations. Volumetric calibration out of the box is way off and once calibrated vs desired shot time is accurate so long as your grind is consistent with the shot time you want to achieve. I wish you could set the shot stop parameter in the shot profile instead of a global setting.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
5
Overall great. Software and features will, hopefully, be updated frequently.
on March 2, 2026
Posted by: Espresso-oh
Everything except for the interface seem excellent. The interface is good but there is much room for improvement and I feel there will be frequent updates pushed out but, as is, it is very workable. And it makes great espresso!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
5
My dream machine
on March 3, 2026
Posted by: TK
This is my dream machine! Every bit of detail and thought went into the design of the Series 1. I’m a home barista enthusiast- and playing around with all of the settings to dial in the perfect shot is so fun. But the interface is so intuitive that anyone who just wants a latte or espresso can make one without having to understand the mechanics. If you can afford it, get it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow
Customer Rating
5
Game changer for me!
on March 3, 2026
Posted by: justin
Having more consistency with my brews, it is very easy to use. The things the brewer has automated vs my older machine are noticeable and help me be more streamlined and efficient with my coffee making routine.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Fellow