Congratulations! As soon as you landed on this page you officially became a coffee geek. Because who else but coffee geeks like us want to find the best coffee scale for their morning brew.
But here’s the thing we ‘get’ that the average coffee drinker doesn’t: Accuracy is key for making great coffee!
By adding a scale to your brew station you’ll be eliminating the variable of weight and be rewarded with consistently delicious coffee. Below you’ll find a list of the best scales for coffee making.
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Best Coffee Scale Reviews 2018
Coffee Scale | Comments | Price |
|---|---|---|
Acaia Coffee Scale  | Enthusiast's Choice | $$$ |
Bonavita Coffee Scale  | Durable Tool | $$ |
Hario V60 Coffee Scale  | Best Budget Scale | $ |
#1. Acaia Coffee Scale
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size: | 5.3L x 5.5W x 2.2H inches |
Accuracy: | 0.1g Sensitivity & 20ms Response Time |
Power: | Usb-Rechargeable Lithium Battery |
Features: | App Integration, Bluetooth, Timer & Imperial Units |
The Acaia is a Kickstater backed coffee scale. Most coffee products that come through Kickstarter target the coffee enthusiast by adding extra features that conventional products lack. The Acaia is no exception. It’s main selling points are its scale sensitivity, speed and app integration.
Let’s start off with the dimensions and power source, the Acaia measures in at 6.3L x 6.3W x 1.30H inches and is charged via a micro-usb that lasts for 20-30 hours. The scale packs in a lot of features.
For example the Acaia blows the Hario above out of the water when it comes to scale sensitivity. This is because the Acaia shows a 0.1 gram progression regardless of the total weight. Whereas the Hario above only keeps a 0.1 gram accuracy for weight under 200 grams. It is also completely water and dust proof, which makes it suitable as an espresso scale, too. Oh and if you’re tired of reading in grams, you can switch to imperial units with the Acaia!
The Acaia also has a timer for brew tracking. The neat feature about the Acaia’s timer is that it not only auto-turns off after 5 minutes, but you can also disable the auto-turn-off function if the scale has weight on it. The built in micro-controller chip and 64K flash memory allows it to be lighting fast with a 20ms response time, provide true weight tracking, and offer extra functionality by communicating with the iPhone/android app.
Speaking of the app, the Acaia is the only coffee scale with a matching app ecosystem that allows you to track your brew process and collect geeky stats. It does this with its integrated bluetooth 4.0. The app allows you to track your bean to water ratio, visualize the pour over process, build a personalised “coffee stash” with tasting notes, and view a remote display and timer.
The Acaia is the best coffee scale for the coffee enthusiast that is a lover of statistics and industrial design. You can’t go any higher end.
#2. Bonavita Coffee Scale
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size: | 9L x 7.25W x 3.25H Inches |
Accuracy: | 0.1g Sensitivity & 1ms Response Time |
Power: | Power Adapter or 3 AAA Batteries |
Features: | Timer, Durable & Optional Stand |
The Bonavita coffee scale looks like it belongs in a science lab. Luckily its performance matches its appearance as coffee is half science half art after all.
Let’s first discuss the most important aspect – the scale. How does it compare to the cheaper Hario? Simply put, it matches all of it’s features and betters a lot more. For example the Bonavita scale measures in 0.1 gram increments all the way up to its limit capacity of 3kg (6.6 pounds – again, only metric units). It also has a 1 millisecond read time, which means near instant readings from the scale onto the digital display. So it’s faster and more accurate than the Hario.
It also has no auto-shut off function. For a coffee scale this is actually a good thing as you don’t want the scale to turn off mid-brew. But does this feature affect the battery life? Nope. As you can plug the scale into its power adapter and run it straight from the socket, but you can use batteries too. If you’re just relying on replaceable batteries the charge life is lacklustre with regular use, so I recommend having it plugged in if you can.
The measurements of the scale is 9L x 7.25W x 3.25H inches. The glass platform is big enough to accommodate your standard Chemex and pour over systems. The coffee scale is also water resistant, has a a rubber base to avoid slips and a metal shell. You can also buy an optional drip tray and lab stand to to create a compact brew station.
The Bonavita is the best coffee scale for espresso and pour over lovers that want a durable, reliable tool.
#3. Hario V60 Coffee Scale
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size: | 7.5L x 4.75W x 1.2H inches |
Accuracy: | Progressive Sensitivity |
Power: | 2 AAA Batteries |
Features: | Timer & Optional Stand |
Hario have become one of the market leaders in the pour over scene. Their latest creation, the Drip Coffee Scale, aims to perfectly merge their V60 dripper series with the precision of a digital coffee scale.
But what makes the Hario different from your normal everyday kitchen scale? On first inspection it does the same thing – it weighs stuff. However the V60 scale is built specifically with pour over coffee in mind.
First off its small footprint (7.5L x 4.75W x 1.2H inches) is the perfect size for their V60 dripper, but is also big enough to put your Chemex on top. The scale is battery powered and automatically shuts off after 5 minutes so you don’t have to worry about it turning off mid-brew. Although I would prefer to option of disabling the auto-off all together. It also comes with a built in digital timer. Most conventional electronic scales don’t have a timer built in, this means you can simultaneously eliminate the variable of time and weight when brewing coffee.
But the most important aspect of any scale is its sensitivity and accuracy. The scale has a progressive accuracy with a maximum limit of 2kg (4.4 pounds — the scale only uses metric units, it’s a japanese brand after all). Up to 200 grams it measures in 0.1 gram intervals, up to 500 grams it measures in 0.5 gram intervals, and up to 2000 grams it measures in 1 gram intervals.
Hario have also designed an optional acrylic pour over stand that you can place on the digital scale. This stand is sold separately, but if you combine it with the scale you can create a streamlined brew station. I’d recommend the Hario for the pour over fan that wants an minimalist and cost effect scale solution.
That rounds out the list for the best digital coffee scales. Don't forget, Accuracy isn’t the only benefit of using a coffee scale. A good digital coffee scale will also:
So go grab a good coffee scale and get brewing! If you have any questions or think another scale should make the list, comment below.
I just recently bought a Felicita Coffee Scale online maybe you should give it a try, it’s a pretty good product I thought it was going to be one of those cheap products that stopped working 2 weeks in, but 4 months later my scale still works just fine and i has a cool design. I would totally recommend it, we use it in my coffee shop every day.
If you are interested here is a Youtube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liqwgt5qLZY