The Best Coffee Scales for Pour Over Brewing (digital scales)
If you are looking for a fool-proof way to get an exceptional cup of coffee, it’s time you invest in a coffee scale – because consistency is the secret ingredient to great effing coffee!
There are many different scales available in the craft coffee market, so today we will be looking at the best coffee scales in the industry.
HARIO Drip Scale
It doesn’t get any easier or more accurate when brewing coffee than it does with the Hario V60 drip scales. Thanks to precise measurement, your coffee will taste flawless. Everything about the Hario scale works for brewing amazing coffee.
Why Should I Use a Coffee Scale?
| IMAGE | PRODUCTS | DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Hario Drip Scale |
|
|
|
Acaia Pearl S Brewing Scale |
|
|
 |
CoastLine Digital Pro Pocket Scale |
|
|
 |
Ozeri Touch Digital Kitchen Scale |
|
|
 |
Etekcity Digital Stainless Kitchen Scale |
|
|
 |
Timemore Plus Coffee Scale |
|
According to Blue Bottle Coffee, the reason many coffee fanatics love to use a scale is that measuring out coffee by grams as opposed to “coffee scoops” is much more exact (1) (duh).
Using a kitchen scale can make a world of difference…. all inconsistency is put right to bed.
- Is it heaping, or level?
- Is a scoop of ground coffee and whole bean the same amount?
- How dense is your scoop today when compared to yesterday?
Weighing the coffee out by grams instead of going by volume takes all the questions out (2), and ensures that you will be using the same amount of grounds each time. This allows you to focus on other factors such as grind size, water temperature, and extraction time (3).
Read more about measuring coffee here, and why it’s so important to use a scale.
How to choose the best coffee scale
Although a coffee scale seems pretty basic in itself, there are a few features to ‘weigh’ when picking out a scale that will match your style. Consider the following 5 issues and your scale will weigh in nicely (see what I did there?).
If you’ve invested in a good coffee maker and grinder, a great coffee scale is the final piece of the puzzle.
Size
Scales range in size from about the size of an iPhone 6 to being the size of a magazine. The right size is important to consider because if your scale does not suit your lifestyle (e.g. you may tend to travel more than the average Joe), you’ll just end up neglecting it. If you’re a traveller you’ve likely got a travel coffee maker already (here’s our list) – so choosing a small scale to complement your minimal setup will be critical.
Style
Are you looking for something that just gets the job done, or are you looking for a statement piece to leave on the counter in your kitchen? Scales range in style from being more utilitarian and basic to looking like a piece of art!.
Precision
Any scale worth buying is accurate, but some won’t show measurements less than 1 gram. If you want to know that you have exactly 8.24 grams of coffee, pick a scale with more precision. To be honest, knowing this is not too important, as most of the time you’ll be measuring in full grams or ounces.
Battery Life
Scales that are not specially designed for coffee often have an auto-off feature to save battery life – this will drive you crazy, especially if you do pour over coffee.
If you’re an occasional home brewer, you can just skip this point, but if you brew coffee like there’s no tomorrow consider something that gets more mileage out of each battery, or get one that you can plug in so that you don’t have to worry about batteries at all!
Special Features
Some scales come with additional features, such as a built-in timer or no auto-off feature so that your scale doesn’t turn off mid-brew. Scales with touch sensitive controls ensure that you won’t get coffee grounds into the sides of your buttons.
These added features are not essential, but they are cool.
What Is The Best Way To Use A Coffee Scale?
How you use the scale depends on how you plan to brew, and which brewer you’re likely to use.
Using a Portable Brewer?
If you plan on using a brewer that you can set directly on the scale, such as a Melita or a Chemex set the brewer on the scale with the filter and tare it. Add ground coffee until you reach the desired grams of coffee, and then go ahead and brew like normal.
Making Espresso?
Tare the portafilter on the scale and then grind coffee directly into the filter like normal, checking the weight as you go. Smooth, tamp, and brew as usual.
Regular Coffee Maker?
Set just the filter on the scale, tare, add the desired amount of coffee, and then stick the whole filter with the coffee into your coffee maker like usual.
To get a better idea of how to use your scale, check out our video:
The 6 Best Scales For Coffee in 2023
We’ve come to the best part of shopping for a new coffee toy… Picking and buying one! Check these out and look at the pros and cons of each to see how well they tickle your fancy.
1. Hario Drip Scale (With A Timer) – Best Overall
Specifications
Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.7 x 1.1 inches
- Weight range: up to 2kg
- Increments: 0.1g
- Power: AAA batteries
- Timer: Yes
This scale bumps us up into the league of scales that are specifically designed for brewing coffee – in case the brand name didn’t give it away.
It’s slim, super precise and, in our opinion, it’s sexy as hell.
After all, it’s made by Hario and it’s made for craft coffee, so it’s no surprise that its a crowd pleaser around these parts.
The Hario scale benefits you with a few of those special features we mentioned earlier such as an Auto-Off feature that doesn’t kick in till after five minutes, touch-sensitive buttons, and a built-in timer. One of the coolest things about this bad boy is that when the timer is activated, the Auto-Off feature doesn’t kick in at all until you turn it off yourself, which puts you in control. Read our full review of the Hario Drip Scale.
Check out the Hario scale in action:
2. CoastLine Digital Pro Pocket Scale – Best Value for Money
Specifications
Dimensions: 4 x 5 x 0.75 inches
- Weight range: up to 2kg
- Increments: 0.1g
- Power: AAA batteries
- Timer: No
Going home to see family doesn’t mean you have to stop brewing excellent coffee. This scale is the smallest of the lot; being the size of an iPhone (a little wider) you can take it with you anywhere; even in your pocket!
It’s made out of easy to clean stainless steel and has a bright backlit display. You even get a couple of fancy plastic trays to use for measuring, if you want to go down that route. This scale is super basic, so if you are looking for something that you can take everywhere that will get the job done, this is the scale for you.
3. Ozeri Touch Professional Digital Kitchen Scale – Budget Pick
Specifications
Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
- Weight range: 1g – 5.7kg
- Increments: 1g
- Power: Lithium batteries
- Timer: No
If you’re looking for something that has a little more style than the CoastLine Pocket Scalebut but is still small enough to slide into a drawer, then this bad boy may just be the one. The Ozeri scale is an excellent option if you’re wanting style and practicality in one since it’s about the size of an iPad coming in a sleek design.
It’s a great all-rounder: its classy reflective black color makes it easy on the eye, the tempered glass construction makes it super durable, and the touch sensitive buttons make it easy to clean.
4. Etekcity Digital Multifunction Stainless Kitchen Scale – Most Lightweight
Specifications
Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
- Weight range: 1g – 5kg
- Increments: 1g
- Power: AAA batteries
- Timer: No
Keeping up with the stylish trend, the Etekcity scale features a bright purple backlit display and stainless steel construction that makes it durable and easy to clean. This is another scale that can hide away when necessary since it’s roughly the size of the iPad mini.
The great thing about this scale is that it takes AAA batteries, which you most likely have on hand. The biggest issue with this scale is that it’s not super precise. To get a weight reading, you need to start at around 2 grams, which is frustrating if you are someone who is looking for a super precise measurement.
5. Acaia Pearl Brewing Scale – Best Smart Scale
Specifications
Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.6 x 2.6 inches
- Weight range: 0.1g – 2kg
- Increments: 0.1g
- Power: Rechargeable lithium battery. USB.
- Timer: Yes
The Acaia Pearl Brewing Scale is widely regarded as the best coffee scale on the market. For such a small package, the Pearl is a perfect square of 6.13 inches, there is a lot here to love. Everything about this product is high-end. Each Acaia Pearl is hand-built and calibrated, and features laboratory-grade scale technology. There is a reason this scale is lauded by world champion brewers and are found in artisan coffee shops all over the world.
This little scale look fantastic, enjoying touch-sensitive buttons and a clean and minimalist design. It also offers incredible accuracy, able to measure in both ounces and grams, and can display measurements to 0.1 of a gram. It’ll even pick up the effect evaporation will have on the weight of your brew.
The Pearl also comes with Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can connect it to mobile apps that offer a variety of extra features. These include recording your brew recipes, walking you through complicated brew processes, and auto-ratioing your bean/water measurements.
Unfortunately, just like everything else about the Pearl, the scale also has a high-end price tag that massively dwarfs anything else we’ve looked at here. The other thing worth noting about the Pearl is that it isn’t waterproof and is vulnerable to spilling. Click here to read our full review of the Acaia Pearl Brewing Scale.
6. Timemore Plus Coffee Scale – Best Timer Function
Specifications
Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
- Weight range: 0.5g – 2kg
- Increments: 0.1g
- Power: Rechargeable lithium battery. USB-C
- Timer: Yes
The Timemore Black Mirror could have just as easily been our pick for best value, with a whole bunch of features at less than half the price of the Acaia.
As you’d expect from a good scale, the Timemore features precise measurement down to 0.1g, with an upgraded refresh rate compared to the previous model. Included is a silicone mat to protect the scale from heat during brewing, as well as providing a non-slip surface. Rather than an LCD screen there’s a simple backlit display, which makes it easier to read, even on sunny days.
What we particularly like is the autotimer option. Once it’s switched on, the timer will automatically start once the scale registers 0.5g or more, and will stop when there’s no further increase in weight. It’s a useful feature that lets you keep your hands free for brewing.
Read our full review of the Timemore Black Mirror scale to learn more.
The Verdict
Although it is one of the most expensive options, the Hario V60 Drip Scale has so many features that make brewing your morning coffee more pleasurable than ever. The Acaia Pearl might be an all-round more impressive scale, but its price sets it apart from the other scales featured above. Unless money is no option to you or you are intrigued by the advanced new features offered by the Pearl, we recommend the Hario V60 Drip Scale.
The super precise timer and scale make the Hario an all round machine for more than just coffee that should fulfill any of your kitchen weighing needs.
FAQs
Yes, you need a coffee scale if you want to brew consistently great coffee. Perfecting your morning cup of joe means you need to get your brew ratio right- accuracy is key here and making weighted measurements using a coffee scale is far more accurate than making volumetric measurements (using a spoon or the like).
People weigh their coffee because the density of coffee grounds can vary greatly depending on the beans and grind size you’re using, making measurements based on volume is pretty inaccurate. Using a scale, you’ll make sure to get your brew ratio right and produce that perfectly balanced cup of coffee, every single time.
The best ratio for making coffee lies somewhere between 1:15 and 1:19 (coffee:water) with most guides recommending a 1:17 brew ratio. To get your measurements correct and brew well-balanced coffee each time, you want to step up your game and invest in a (coffee) scale.
The best way to weigh espresso is by using a coffee scale. You don’t need to get the most expensive scale on the market but you want to make sure it provides reliable measurements. Some scales are more precise than others so getting a scale that is specifically designed for coffee brewing would be your best bet.
Yes, pour over coffee is different from drip coffee. Drip coffee is made with a regular electric coffee maker while pour over coffee is made with a manual dripper. Here’s an article explaining what drip coffee is.
References
- Mazzarello, B. (2017, February 27). Do You Need a Scale to Make Coffee? Retrieved June 22, 2019, from https://blog.bluebottlecoffee.com/posts/do-you-need-a-scale-to-make-coffee
- Clarke, G. (2017, June 07). Weighty Decisions: Coffee Scales in Depth. Retrieved from https://fivesenses.com.au/blogs/news/weighty-decisions-coffee-scales-depth/
- Coffee Basics: Brewing Ratios – How much water to coffee to use? (2018, June 13). Retrieved June 22, 2019, from https://counterculturecoffee.com/blogs/counter-culture-coffee/coffee-basics-brewing-ratios
