Before starting this review, let it be known that I love the Fellow products. They seem to represent a balance of industrial design and function, that always makes their products a thing of beauty.
What is it?
The Duo (or Duo Coffee Steeper as they call it) is an all in one brewer and pourer. Coffee grinds and water go in the top, you steep the coffee for a time, then turn the top, and the brewed coffee rushes down into the bottom part of the Duo, ready to be poured. With the grinds still left at the top.
Does it make good coffee?
The style of coffee it produces is something between a pour over and a French press / plunger. We would say the quality of the coffee it produces is impressive. While it does not have the fully complexity of brew of say a Chemex, the convenience factor of its use, makes it a very enjoyable brew. The coffee also stays hot for a reasonable amount of time too.
What do you need?
We as always recommend a scale. The instructions in the unit seems to imply a high ratio of dose that the standard 60g coffee to 1000g water. We were getting great brews at that ratio. So we used 36g coffee dose and 600g water (about a 528g yield).
So we recommend:
- A scale, with a timer.
- A good burr grinder (the coffee worked better with a very coarse grind).
- Some good coffee.
- Hot water (pour temp of around 90C seemed to work best).
Our Brew
We tried a Burundi, a Colombian and a specialty blend. We used 36g coffee, ground on the coarsest grind. Then added 600g water  to the grinds, waited 4 mins. Then let the coffee drain through (to do this you just turn the top so it allows the liquid through). Then you pour a cuppa.
What We Like
- Elegant design.
- Easy to use.
- Easy to clean.
- Makes great coffee, easily.
What We’re not so Fond of
- It is quite heavy to pour coffee from.
- It is a little expensive, but we think it is worth it.
Summary
We want one, it was super to have it around, and we loved it.
Video of our brewing