Fellow Aiden Vs Xbloom Studio | Battle of Auto Drippers

I got my hand on both the Fellow Aiden and The Xbloom Studio. I used each of them for months and have formed a lot of opions on them both. Both the Aiden and Xbloom have their success and falls, but the one thing for sure is that have and automatic dripper is a game change for the home coffee bar.

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[SodalityCoffee]

Nathan this is great! We just got our channel up and going. Thanks a lot fot the shout out! - Cheers

[saschafirst]

Wow! I didnt see such a sharp video on youtube for a long time

[berkayersoy]

Great chill but in depth review, thanks for the video!

[propertwb]

Great video and I agree with your ending comments about appreciating the coffee and its origins.

[Mrsp]

I've been working with Aiden for over a month now. My impression so far is that it is a better batch brewer than a single serving brewer. Granted, many of the cups I've made were scheduled 8-9 hours before, so freshly ground coffee is not as fresh, but what I've been able to taste from my own pour overs to what I taste by Aiden is noticeably better. I've also fiddled with the settings and while I appreciate the presets that came with the coffees from the roasters (early adopter coffees that were sent), I find my own settings more suitable for my tastes...at least for single servings. I'm a bit puzzled by the difference in grams of coffee needed when doing a guided brew versus a scheduled brew even though the volume of coffee is the same for both. The interesting thing is that Aiden "standardizes" the coffee making process so that the variability from person to person when brewing coffee is taken out. Arguably, this takes away from the "art" of coffee making, but it does allow for greater accessibility of great coffee, particularly if recipes can be shared.

I agree that the water after brewing on the showerhead is a bit annoying. I don't think there's too much that can be done about that since the brew chamber is supposed to be sealed for greater heat retention. I keep a microfiber cloth nearby so that when I open the chamber, I can wipe the showerhead down. For my single serves, I also wipe down underneath and the sides. I like the modern aesthetic of Fellow, but those corners are sharp!

What's also nice about the Aiden compared to their Stagg brewers is that I can use the #2 Melita natural filters. If you've brewed with Fellow's bleached filters, there's a stronger paper taste than what I taste in natural filters. Unfortunately, there is no prerinse, unless you want to go to the trouble of wetting the filter in the basket before brewing.

[BrianBull]

I got to say that "Ready" button on the Aiden I could look at freaking all day.... Its stunning.

[gear]

it seems on value, it's unquestionably the xbloom. scale, kettle, and grinder? i want to replace my ode, stagg....xbloom just seems more versatile too. may i ask if the aiden tastes more like a moccamaster? it seems more of that style....does it drip very slow? immersion like? aiden controls temp but it's marginal benefits compared to a moccamaster if you already have one?

[Slaughtertter]

How do you feel about the coffee beds on the aiden. I feel like 20-30% of the coffee ends up in a ring around the top of the filterpaper every time. It feels like they should have added something to resolve that some vibrations or something during draw down/between pours.

[scottgeiger]

Great review! Do you think the XBloom can grind fine enough to pull a good shot of espresso?

[gilbertrios]

Does the xbloom have programmable timer capability because that's something I like on the Fellow. And I like that you can make up to 10 cups at one time.

[iuanders]

Xbloom is more advance than Fellow (and it can use grinder / scale / water independently). That means you have individual grinder with ionizer / digital scales / brewer

[Tony-hwcv]

I have an Aiden and my biggest issue is that after you brew coffee the brew chamber has that silicone seal that doesn’t allow it to dry out. I’m afraid of mold or bad smells after a while even though I rinse immediately every time. So I always leave the lid open so that it air drys, which obviously doesn’t look good on the counter either

[BenBarista]

Isn’t there already a Xbloom channel on Discord where people freely share their recipes ?

[taejaskudva]

I backed the original x Bloom so got it for a reasonable (from my point of privilege) price. I don't have a ton of FOMO, but is that new studio version substantially better?

[ericwhittington]

Love my Aiden. Makes a wonderful cup of coffee

[thePowerPlant]

Well done! My money is going towards the Aiden. I think it would be prudent to wait for the second generation, but as it is the Aiden is the best choice for me. Reason 1) the bigger volume of brewing; 2) the height is better for my space; 3) I already own other Fellow products and design continuity is appealing.

[BtrlthnNvr]

Hey there! Thanks for the reviews. Pure taste h2h one cup brews who wins….?

[RickyChao]

Thanks for the video! I’d been looking for a comparison video for awhile. I’m a big fan of fellow and own a gen 2 ode. I use a Japanese open v20 everyday. But I just started trying out Xbloom on their flex program and so far I like it even though I haven’t been able to dial it in and get the same flavor as my v60. Haven’t had a chance to try Aiden yet. For me I love bright open juicy flavor in coffee. Do u have any recommendations on which one I should go with. I would have gone with Aiden in a heartbeat but the size is what’s keeping me make the decision. Tumbler for me is useless because I only brew one cup.

[larrywong]

Does anyone know the
customisable Coffee Water Ratio ranges for the Fellow Aiden. Are those Ratio's ranges same for Batch vs Single Pour..

[ChrisMag]

I bought the Aiden to replace a Bonavita machine for batch brewing. I’ve never been a pour over guy.

I really like it. The result is better than the Bonavita or French press. I love the single cub option, and have stopped using my Moka pot also.

I like how short the Aiden machine is also. Fits nicely under my cupboards. With taller machines, I felt like I needed to slide the machine around often. The removable tank makes this easy, and is large enough that I only need to fill it every few days.

I don’t find the condensation on the lid to be an issue. I don’t open it until it has cooled and likely, some of the moisture has dripped down.

The carafe is well balanced and easy to clean. If I had a criticism, it’s that it’s not well insulated. However, I don’t brew for all-day drinking. I tend to either brew single cups or batches for company, so the coffee doesn’t sit around.