Short answer: The Fellow Opus is the low, narrow single-dose pick for a small kitchen that brews several styles of coffee, but Fellow has discontinued the original, so check the current Fellow Opus 2 and confirm its size before ordering. The Baratza Encore ESP is the better compact choice when espresso is the main job and front-to-back depth is tight.
Start with usable space, not body width
The Fellow Opus is the best default for a small kitchen that makes several styles of coffee. The Baratza Encore ESP is the better compact choice when espresso is the main job. Neither is simply “smaller”: Opus is lower, while Encore ESP is shallower (the two are about the same width).
Quick picks: the Baratza Encore ESP if espresso is the main job and front-to-back depth is tight. For the low-profile, mixed-method route, note that Fellow has discontinued the original Opus described here; the Opus 2 is the current model, with 48 mm burrs and stepless adjustment, so confirm its size and settings before ordering.
| Grinder | Published dimensions | Best space advantage | Workflow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fellow Opus (original) | 210 × 129 × 268 mm (8.3 × 5.1 × 10.6 in) | Lower body under cabinets | Weighed single doses; espresso through cold brew |
| Baratza Encore ESP | 13 × 15 × 34 cm (5.1 × 5.9 × 13.4 in) | Shallower footprint, same width as the Opus | Hopper or dosing cup; espresso-focused lower range |
Published dimensions do not include the hand space needed to remove a lid, pour beans, or lift a hopper. That access zone is often the real constraint beneath wall cabinets.
Fellow Opus: the low-profile mixed-method pick
The specs in this section are for the original Opus, which Fellow has discontinued. The Opus 2 is the current model and the one Amazon sells new. Fellow says it moves to 48 mm burrs (from 40 mm) and replaces the original’s two-ring adjustment with one stepless dial, so check Fellow’s Opus 2 page for its dimensions before you count on the same fit.
Opus keeps its height to about 10.6 inches and uses a 110 g load bin rather than a large traditional hopper. It is well suited to a kitchen where beans are weighed for one brew at a time and the grinder must sit below a shelf.
Its 40 mm conical burrs and broad range cover espresso, pour-over, electric brewers, French press, AeroPress, and cold brew. The catch is adjustment: the visible outer ring works with an inner ring for finer changes. That is useful once learned, but less obvious than a single numbered collar.
Buy Opus when counter height, single-dosing, and switching methods matter together. Skip it if several people expect to press a timer and dose from a full hopper.
Check the current Opus dimensions, capacity, and adjustment system at Fellow .
Baratza Encore ESP: the shallow espresso-first pick
The Encore ESP occupies less front-to-back space and is just over five inches wide, which helps beside an espresso machine. Its body is taller, however, and the hopper still needs loading and removal clearance.
The adjustment scheme is the deciding advantage. Baratza concentrates settings 1-20 in the espresso range, then uses 21-40 for filter and coarse brewing. A dosing cup and 58 mm adapter are included, so the portafilter workflow does not depend on a separate accessory purchase.
Buy it when espresso is the priority and a shallow footprint matters more than low height. Skip it if the only available spot cannot provide clear access above the hopper.
Check Baratza’s current Encore ESP specifications and box contents .
Why three older picks no longer lead this guide
The OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder and Capresso Infinity Plus are reasonable brewed-coffee upgrades, but they are not premium small-kitchen answers for an espresso buyer. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro offers useful timed dosing, yet its taller body and control panel solve a different problem than minimizing visual and physical counter load.
Those grinders may still fit a drip-first kitchen or a household that values hopper dosing. They do not improve this shortlist by pretending all five products meet the same compact-use case.
Measure this before ordering
- Body space: mark the published width and depth with tape.
- Access space: leave room to lift the lid and pour beans without pulling the grinder forward.
- Working space: allow a clear path for a dosing cup, portafilter, or grounds bin.
- Outlet space: check the plug and cord route so the grinder does not sit several inches off the wall.
- Noise timing: in a studio or shared home, decide whether early grinding is acceptable before buying any electric model.
If price matters more than size or espresso range, use the budget grinder guide . If espresso is the actual goal, compare these grinders with the current entry-level espresso-machine shortlist .
Verdict
Choose the Fellow Opus for the lowest body and the cleanest single-dose, mixed-method routine. Choose the Baratza Encore ESP for a shallower footprint and a more intuitive espresso-first adjustment range. Measure both the appliance and the access zone; otherwise the smaller grinder can still be the one that does not fit.