Fellow Ode Brew Grinder

While I couldn't compare the Ode Fellow directly to OE's Apex or Baratza's Vario, I am confident that it holds up against the two. The Apex will definitely make a better brew grind than the Ode+SSP, Prima even compares the Apex's quality to the EK43! However, it's still a manual grinder with quirks and issues of its own that will never be able to produce shots fine enough for espresso, Moka pot, or even some Aeropress recipes. When comparing the Ode to my experiences with the Vario, I'd give the Ode+SSP a definite edge if your focus is brewed coffee.

Fellow Ode grinder with SSP Unimodal burrs, Hario v60 (size 02), Bonavita temperature controlled kettle. Then some really good beans from boutique roasters. All of this assuming you’re looking for coffee, and you could also use an Aeropress + Nanofoamer for the occasional latte.

And I haven't used the Niche for filter doses larger than 20g (where I was between #40-#45 on the grind dial). It was for that reason that I switched to a Fellow Ode with SSP brew burrs for my pourovers and batch brews.

Fellow Ode can be had on discount for like $220. Haven't used it myself, but similar or better performance to the Encore and I personally prefer the look and form factor. Has a neat grind knocker and the collection bin is a little nicer. The burrs are flat as opposed to conical which have their own differences, but you can also upgrade to ssp flat burrs (I believe Fellow doesn't discourage this, either) which are sought after and normally not found in grinders of this price range.