Review · Singapore
Fellow Espresso Series 1 Review: Is It Worth It in Singapore
Fellow built its name on kettles and brew grinders, then went and made a full espresso machine. Here is what the Series 1 actually gets right, what it does not do, and whether it fits a Singapore kitchen better than the usual E61 crowd.
By the Di Pacci Team · Espresso specialists shipping DHL Express across Singapore
58mmCommercial portafilter size
15-barPump, calibrated to 9-bar extraction
2LTank capacity, tank-only design
3Finishes: black, sesame maple, cherry walnut
The short version
- The Series 1 uses a single boiler with a Boosted Boiler system, not true dual boiler, so read the specs carefully if simultaneous brew-and-steam was the deciding factor for you.
- It ships with a genuinely generous accessory kit: bottomless portafilter, two baskets, shot splitter, backflush disk, pitcher, tamper, descaling tablets and a water hardness strip are all included.
- PID temperature control, pre-infusion and a full colour LCD with an app that stores and shares shot profiles put it closer to a connected appliance than a traditional lever-and-gauge machine.
- It does not come with a grinder. Fellow's own Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 is not built for espresso, so pair it with something that actually grinds fine enough, like the Fellow Opus.
- At 9.84kg and a compact footprint, it is one of the easier machines to live with on an HDB or condo countertop, and tank-only fill means no plumbing fuss.
01
What the Series 1 actually is
Short answer: a single boiler machine with a Boosted Boiler system, PID control and pre-infusion, built around a commercial 58mm group and a companion app.
Fellow spent years making kettles, grinders and brewers before it built an espresso machine, and the Series 1 reads like a company trying to solve the fiddly parts of home espresso rather than chase spec sheet bragging rights. The headline feature is the Boosted Boiler system: a single 225ml boiler that uses a secondary heating stage to recover temperature faster between a shot and a steam pull, so you are not waiting around the way you would on a basic single boiler machine. It is not the same thing as a true dual boiler with two independent heating elements running at once, so if that distinction matters to you, know that going in rather than after unboxing.
What it does share with proper prosumer gear is a commercial-grade 58mm group head and portafilter, a vibratory pump rated to 15 bar and calibrated down to roughly 9 bar at the puck, PID temperature stability, and pre-infusion to wet the puck evenly before full pressure builds. Controls run through a full colour LCD with a navigation dial rather than analogue switches, and the companion app lets you create, save and share shot profiles, with automatic firmware updates over time.
02
Full specifications
Short answer: 58mm portafilter, 2L tank, 225ml single boiler, 1700W, 9.84kg, available in three finishes.
| Spec |
Detail |
| Boiler type |
Single boiler with Boosted Boiler system |
| Portafilter |
58mm, commercial size |
| Water tank |
2L, tank only, no plumbed option |
| Boiler capacity |
225ml |
| Pump |
Vibratory, 15-bar pump calibrated to around 9-bar extraction |
| Temperature control |
PID |
| Pre-infusion |
Yes |
| Display |
Full colour LCD with navigation dial |
| App |
iOS and Android, with automatic updates and saved shot profiles |
| Materials |
Stainless steel, brass and silicone body, with walnut or maple wood accents depending on finish |
| Power |
1700W, 220 to 240V |
| Dimensions |
279mm H x 438mm L x 315mm W |
| Weight |
9.84kg |
Current SGD pricing is shown on each product page, and the machine comes in three finishes: a black nitro black model, a sesame colourway with maple wood accents, and a cherry red version with walnut accents. All three share the same internals, so the choice really is just how it looks on your counter.
03
What is in the box
Short answer: more accessories than most machines in this bracket include as standard, so your first-week spend is mostly just beans.
One thing that stands out against other machines at a similar price is how complete the included kit is. You are not left hunting for a bottomless portafilter or a decent tamper in your first week.
- Fellow Espresso Series 1 machine
- 58mm bottomless portafilter
- Shot splitter attachment
- 18g single-wall double basket
- 18g pressurised double basket
- Backflush disk
- 10oz stainless steel pitcher
- Tamper
- Steam wand tip cleaner
- Descaler and backflush tablets
- Water hardness test strip
The pressurised basket is a nice inclusion for anyone still dialling in their technique, since it is more forgiving of an uneven grind while you learn, and you can switch to the single-wall basket once you are pulling consistent shots.
04
Who this machine suits
Short answer: best for someone upgrading from a pod machine or basic bean-to-cup who wants real control without learning a lever machine from scratch.
Good fit
The deliberate upgrader
You have been making do with a capsule machine or an automatic bean-to-cup and want a real 58mm setup with PID stability, without taking on a plumbed-in commercial machine.
Good fit
The app-comfortable home barista
You like the idea of saving a shot profile once you nail it and recalling it next time, rather than relying on memory and a dial you have to reset by feel.
Think twice
The simultaneous brewer
If you regularly need to pull a shot and steam milk for two drinks back to back with zero wait, a true dual boiler or heat exchanger machine will serve you better than the Boosted Boiler single boiler here.
Think twice
The plumbed-in household
Tank only means refilling a 2L tank by hand. If you want direct plumbing for a busy household, look at our La Marzocco Linea Mini guide instead.
05
Choosing a grinder pairing
Short answer: do not pair this with the Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2. It is a filter and pour-over grinder. Pair it with a grinder that is actually built to handle espresso-fine grinds, like the Opus.
This is the part people get wrong most often with any espresso machine that does not include a grinder in the box, Fellow's own included. Fellow makes two home grinders, and they are not interchangeable for this purpose.
If you would rather go with a dedicated espresso grinder outside the Fellow range, our Baratza Encore vs Encore ESP comparison covers a purpose-built espresso grinder at a similar price point to the Opus, with a narrower but more precise adjustment range for 58mm baskets specifically.
06
Pairing with Fellow brew gear
Short answer: if your household drinks both espresso and pour-over, the Stagg kettle and Duo Steeper round out a full Fellow setup without duplicating anything the Series 1 already does.
The Series 1 is an espresso machine, not a do-everything brewer, so if filter coffee is also part of your routine it is worth knowing what else is in the Fellow range on the Singapore store.
| Product |
What it is for |
| Stagg Pour Over Kettle |
Gooseneck kettle for pour-over, a separate ritual from espresso but useful on the same counter |
| Duo Steeper |
Immersion brewer for a cleaner cup than a French press on mornings you skip espresso entirely |
| Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 |
Dedicated filter and pour-over grinder, keep it separate from your espresso grinder |
Running two grinders, one for espresso and one for filter, sounds excessive until you have tried to share one grinder across both. The jump from espresso-fine to filter-coarse is large enough that most dual-use households end up happier keeping them apart.
07
The app and shot profiles
Short answer: the iOS and Android app lets you save a dialled-in shot as a profile, recall it later, and receive automatic firmware updates.
Once you have dialled in a bean, most machines make you remember the grind setting, dose and shot time by memory or a sticky note on the fridge. The Series 1's app lets you save that combination as a named profile and recall it the next time you open the same bag, which matters more than it sounds like once you are rotating through a few different beans across a Singapore humidity cycle. Profiles can also be shared, which is handy if more than one person in the household is pulling shots on the same machine and you want consistent results without retraining each other from scratch.
08
Fitting a Singapore kitchen
Short answer: at 438mm long and 9.84kg, it sits comfortably on a standard HDB or condo countertop without needing a dedicated plumbing point.
Singapore kitchens are rarely built with a full prosumer espresso setup in mind, so footprint and fill method matter as much as the specs sheet. The Series 1's 438mm length and 315mm width fit most standard counters without eating your entire prep space, and because it is tank-only rather than plumbed, you are not limited to installing it near an existing water line. The 2L tank is enough for a reasonable number of shots and milk steaming sessions between refills, but if your household goes through a lot of coffee in a day, factor in a quick top-up partway through.
At 1700W on a 220 to 240V supply, it runs fine on a standard Singapore power outlet without needing anything special, and the AU plug configuration matches what most Singapore kitchens are wired for via adaptor or local plug swap, which your retailer can confirm at the point of sale.
09
Water and descaling in Singapore
Short answer: Singapore tap water is generally soft, but a 225ml boiler still benefits from the included hardness strip and a regular descaling routine.
Every machine with an internal boiler is sensitive to scale buildup over time, and a smaller 225ml boiler like the Series 1's has less margin before scale starts affecting heat transfer and shot temperature. Fellow includes a water hardness test strip in the box specifically so you can check your tap water before deciding how often to descale, rather than guessing. Run the included descaling tablets through the machine on a regular schedule, and if you notice longer heat-up times or inconsistent steam pressure, treat that as an early sign it is overdue.
10
Common setup mistakes
Short answer: most first-week frustration comes from grinder mismatch, basket choice and skipping pre-infusion settings, not the machine itself.
-
Pairing it with the Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2. Covered above, but worth repeating since it is the single most common mismatch: the Ode Gen 2 is not built to grind fine enough for espresso.
-
Staying on the pressurised basket too long. It is forgiving while you learn, but it also masks grind and dose errors. Switch to the single-wall basket once your shots are consistent so you can actually diagnose problems.
-
Ignoring the water hardness strip. It takes thirty seconds and tells you exactly how often to descale rather than relying on a generic schedule that may not suit Singapore's water in your specific area.
-
Not updating the app. Automatic updates exist for a reason, since Fellow refines pre-infusion and PID behaviour over time through firmware.
-
Expecting true dual boiler speed. The Boosted Boiler system recovers quickly, but if you are coming from a dual boiler machine, budget a few extra seconds between shot and steam.
11
Maintenance checklist
Short answer: a weekly backflush, regular descaling based on your hardness test result, and a wipe of the steam wand after every milk drink.
- Backflush with the included disk and cleaning tablet weekly
- Wipe the steam wand immediately after steaming milk
- Check the water hardness strip result and set a descaling reminder accordingly
- Empty and rinse the drip tray every few days
- Keep the portafilter and baskets dry between uses to avoid residue buildup
- Store beans in an airtight container away from Singapore's humidity
12
Buying and delivery in Singapore
Short answer: available in three finishes, shipped DHL Express across Singapore, with current SGD pricing shown on the product page.
The Fellow Espresso Series 1 ships DHL Express across Singapore. All three finishes share identical internals, so pick based on your kitchen's palette rather than any performance difference. Current SGD pricing is shown on each product listing.
Espresso Machine
Fellow Espresso Series 1
Single boiler with Boosted Boiler system, 58mm commercial group, PID control, pre-infusion and app-based shot profiles, available in black, sesame maple and cherry walnut finishes.
Best for: an upgrade from pod or bean-to-cup machines that wants real control without a plumbed-in commercial setup.
View Fellow Espresso Series 1 →
13
How it compares to other machines
Short answer: it sits between manual lever machines and full E61 prosumer setups, trading some simultaneous-brew speed for app control and a far smaller footprint.
If you want the manual, tactile end of home espresso with no electronics at all, our Flair manual lever guide covers machines that need zero power and a lot more technique. If you are weighing a step up to a proper dual boiler or plumbed setup down the line, the La Marzocco Linea Mini guide is the next tier up. The Series 1 sits in between: more automated and app-driven than a lever machine, more compact and tank-based than a true dual boiler.
For the grinder side of the decision specifically, our Baratza Encore vs Encore ESP comparison walks through a dedicated espresso grinder option if you decide against the Fellow Opus.
Browse the full range in our home coffee machines collection, or see complementary grinders in our grinders collection.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Fellow Espresso Series 1 a dual boiler machine?
No. It uses a single 225ml boiler with a Boosted Boiler system that recovers temperature faster between brewing and steaming than a basic single boiler, but it is not a true independent dual boiler.
Does it come with a grinder?
No. You will need a separate grinder capable of espresso-fine settings, such as the Fellow Opus. Fellow's own Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 is built for filter and pour-over, not espresso.
Can I use the Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 for espresso on this machine?
Fellow's own product description for the Ode Gen 2 states its broader grind range works for every brew method except espresso, so it is not the right grinder for this machine.
What portafilter size does it use?
A commercial 58mm portafilter, which matches the standard size used across most prosumer and commercial espresso machines.
Is it plumbed or tank only?
Tank only, with a 2L capacity. There is no plumbed-in option on this model.
What colours are available in Singapore?
Three finishes: black with nitro black accents, sesame with maple wood accents, and cherry red with walnut accents. All three share identical internals.
Does it have pre-infusion?
Yes, the Series 1 includes pre-infusion to wet the coffee puck evenly before full brew pressure builds.
What is included in the box?
A 58mm bottomless portafilter, shot splitter, two baskets (single-wall and pressurised), backflush disk, 10oz steel pitcher, tamper, steam wand tip cleaner, descaling tablets and a water hardness test strip.
How does the companion app work?
It runs on iOS and Android, lets you create, save and share shot profiles, and receives automatic firmware updates over time.
How often should I descale it in Singapore?
Use the included water hardness test strip to check your specific tap water, then set a descaling schedule based on that result rather than a generic timeline.
Ready to see it in person
Browse current SGD pricing, finishes and stock on the Fellow Espresso Series 1 product page, or compare it against other home machines in our full range.
This guide provides general information for Singapore. Specifications, availability and pricing vary by model, so confirm on the current product listing.
