- Type
- Semi-automatic, 58 mm bottomless portafilter
- Boiler
- Boosted Boiler, three heating elements
- Pressure
- 15 bar pump, calibrated to 9 bar at the puck
Fellow
First lookFellow Espresso Series 1 first look
First look · published 2026-07-07
Fellow's first espresso machine, a 58 mm semi-automatic that brings programmable pressure profiling and digital temperature control down to a 1,500 dollar price. Its Boosted Boiler runs three heating elements to reach brew temperature in under two minutes, and the steam wand senses milk temperature and stops itself at your target.
First look
7.6/10
Provisional · specs-based
Fellow walked into espresso and skipped the timid entry model. Pressure profiling and tenth-of-a-degree temperature control usually start north of 2,500 dollars, so seeing them here at 1,500 with a two-minute warm-up is genuinely interesting. What gives us pause is the obvious stuff: this is Fellow's first espresso machine, the portafilter handle is plastic, and there is no grinder in the box, so the real outlay is closer to 1,800 once you add one. We rate the ambition and we want a few months of owner reports before we trust the mechanism. If you want a proven workhorse for half the money, a Breville Barista Pro still earns the cross-shop.
This is a first look based on the published specifications. We will update the score and verdict once enough owners report back.
- In the cup 8.5
- Value 7.0
- Ease of use 8.0
- Build & longevity 7.0
- Versatility 7.0
- Type
- Semi-automatic, 58 mm bottomless portafilter
- Boiler
- Boosted Boiler, three heating elements
- Pressure
- 15 bar pump, calibrated to 9 bar at the puck
- Pressure profiling
- Programmable, with controlled pre-infusion
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What works
- +Programmable pressure profiling and pre-infusion, which normally start well above this price
- +Digital temperature control holds to a tenth of a degree and it warms up in under two minutes
- +Temperature-sensing steam wand stops itself at your target, so milk texture is repeatable
The catch
- –At about 1,500 dollars it costs roughly double a Breville Barista Pro
- –No built-in grinder, so a good one is a separate spend on top
- –Fellow's first espresso machine, so there is no long-term reliability record yet
What owners say
Owner feedback is pending. This machine is new, so there is little real-world experience to summarise yet. We will add the consensus loves, gripes and longevity reports here as owners report back, and update the verdict and score then.
Watch
See it in action
Video: Seattle Coffee Gear. Embedded from YouTube.
Full specifications
| Type | Semi-automatic, 58 mm bottomless portafilter |
|---|---|
| Boiler | Boosted Boiler, three heating elements |
| Pressure | 15 bar pump, calibrated to 9 bar at the puck |
| Pressure profiling | Programmable, with controlled pre-infusion |
| Temperature control | Digital, holds to within 0.1 degree |
| Steam wand | Temperature-sensing, auto-stops at target milk temp |
| Heat-up time | Under 2 minutes |
| Water tank | 2.0 L, removable |
| Weight | 21.7 lb (9.8 kg) |
| Warranty | 2 years, extendable |
Who it's for
The Fellow Espresso Series 1 suits espresso enthusiasts, shot control, milk drinks.
About Fellow
Fellow is a San Francisco coffee-gear company founded in 2013, known for the Stagg kettle, the Ode and Opus grinders, and the Aiden brewer. The Espresso Series 1 is its first espresso machine.
Compare with
Breville Bambino Plus
A compact single-boiler espresso machine that uses Breville's fast ThermoJet heating system and an automatic steam wand to froth milk hands-free.
Breville Barista Pro
The step up from the Barista Express: the same all-in-one grind-and-brew format with a faster ThermoJet heating system and an LCD interface in place of analogue dials.
Ninja Luxe Café Premier
Ninja's 3-in-1 machine (ES601) makes espresso, drip and cold brew from one body, with a built-in conical burr grinder, a built-in dosing scale and a hands-free automatic milk frother.