Espresso Series 1: the Fellow espresso machine with programmable pressure
Three heating elements, pressure you can programme and a steam wand that stops at the temperature you choose: the Espresso Series 1 is Fellow's first espresso machine.
What it is
The Espresso Series 1 is the first espresso machine from Fellow, the San Francisco brand known for its kettles, grinders and carafes. It is a compact machine with a 58 mm portafilter, measuring 438 × 315 × 279 mm and weighing 9.8 kg (21.7 lb). A dial, a small round screen and three buttons on the front control its three functions: pulling an espresso, steaming milk and dispensing hot water.
The brand aims it as much at beginners as at those refining their recipes. According to the brand, default settings designed to guide the first coffee then leave room for finer control: guided recipes on screen for classic drinks, and a manual mode for adjusting the main variables directly.
The range comes in several colours: Black, Malted Chocolate + Maple, Cherry Red + Walnut, Woodland + Walnut, Sesame + Maple and Marine Blue + Walnut, as well as a limited edition, BIGFACE x Fellow. The grinder is sold separately.
Why it exists
Fellow has been building its range around home coffee since 2013. It lacked an espresso machine: Engadget pointed this out when the Espresso Series 1 launched in April 2025, calling it the new crown jewel of the range. Its chief executive, Jake Miller, told the journalist he had wanted a machine that baristas would enjoy using.
According to Engadget, the machine lets you adjust temperature, pressure, extraction time and steam, and allows you to create or download profiles for specific coffees. The brand sums up the idea this way: clear guidance at the start, then a stable base for repeating your best results.
What matters
Heating in three stages. According to the brand, its patented system, called Boosted Boiler, combines three independent heating elements: a flow-through heater that preheats the water before the boiler, a boiler that limits temperature swings when you switch from coffee to steam, and a heater for the group head. The machine is ready to pull a shot in two minutes or less.
A heated group head. The professional-style group head has a brass core, a built-in heating element and a block that spreads the water. The brand explains that this stabilises the temperature where the water meets the coffee puck and makes extraction more consistent from one cup to the next.
Pressure you can programme. The pump is rated at 15 bar and calibrated to reach 9 bar at extraction. You programme the pressure as the shot unfolds, with a controlled pre-infusion. According to the brand, these variations improve extraction, bring out more sweetness and clarity in the cup, and are more forgiving of small flaws in how the puck is prepared.
A steam wand that measures. It swivels, reads the temperature of the milk, stops by itself at the target value, purges itself after use and can be adjusted for the type of milk.
Feedback on every shot. According to the brand, the built-in analysis detects a shot that has run too fast or too slowly and suggests a grind adjustment for the next one.
Day to day
The 2.0 L water tank lifts out from the top, so you can fill and rinse it at the sink; a sensor signals the minimum level. The removable drip tray has a maximum-fill marker. On top, a rubber mat holds the espresso cups, and the cleaning tools slide away underneath. The 3 ft cord (about 91 cm) tucks into the body. Engadget also notes that the rear shell is formed from a single sheet of metal with rounded corners, so that the back is as polished as the front.
Three buttons start a coffee, steam or hot water in one press, using the last settings you used, without going through a menu. The rest is set with the dial or in the app, available on iOS and Android, which is used to create, edit and share profiles, and receives updates.
The box contains a 58 mm bottomless portafilter, a tamper, a 10 oz stainless steel milk jug, two 18 g baskets (one single-walled, one pressurised), a steam wand cleaner, a coffee distributor, a backflush disc, a water hardness strip and descaling and backflush tablets. The portafilter and tamper handles are plastic, walnut or maple, depending on the colour.
Technical specifications
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Espresso machine with a 58 mm portafilter |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 438 × 315 × 279 mm |
| Weight | 9.8 kg (21.7 lb) |
| Water tank | 2.0 L, removable, minimum-level sensor |
| Pump | 15 bar, calibrated up to 9 bar at extraction |
| Heat-up time | Two minutes or less |
| Heating | Three elements: flow-through heater, boiler, group head |
| Power supply (American version) | 110–120 V, 60 Hz, 1,500 W, 15 A |
| Cord | 3 feet (about 91 cm), built-in storage |
| Controls | Dial, round screen, three shortcut buttons |
| App | iOS and Android |
| Materials | Stainless steel, brass, silicone, food-grade plastic; walnut or maple depending on the colour |
| Grinder | Sold separately |
What the brand says
Fellow presents the Espresso Series 1 as a machine that is approachable from the first coffee, whose precision removes a good part of the variability that makes espresso fragile. It adds that, over time, this confidence turns into control: a base for refining your recipes, repeating your best results and exploring espresso further.
The brand states that the components are free of BPA and PFAS, and that the portafilter and baskets are made of food-grade stainless steel. Finally, to get off to a good start, it recommends an interactive step-by-step guide and a recorded introductory course.
Why it caught our eye
We spotted it for its balance between two audiences: a round screen and guided recipes for the first coffee, and programmable pressure for those who want to fine-tune. We also like the care in the design, the body made from a single sheet of metal, the walnut or maple of the portafilter handle, and the way Fellow has thought through the worktop around the machine.
Exactly the kind of brand we’d love to come across on O!deal one day.
SourcesFellow (new tab) · Fellow (à propos) (new tab) · Engadget (new tab)
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Espresso Series 1 come with a grinder?
- No, the grinder is sold separately. The machine comes with a 58 mm bottomless portafilter, a tamper, two 18 g baskets (one single-walled, one pressurised) and a stainless steel milk jug.
- What power supply does it need?
- The specifications published by the brand are those of the American version: 110 to 120 V, 60 Hz, 1,500 W, with a 3 ft cord, about 91 cm.
- How long does the machine take to heat up?
- According to the brand, it is ready to pull a shot in two minutes or less, thanks to three independent heating elements.
- Do you need the app to set it up?
- No. A dial and a round screen give access to the settings; the app, on iOS and Android, is used to create, edit and share espresso profiles.
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