The ultimate goal when brewing coffee at home is to make a delicious cup. Many factors go into making a smooth, perfectly brewed cup, such as buying high-quality beans, grinding it fresh, correct coarseness, and finally, using the right amount of coffee.
As in baking a cake, using the appropriate measurements of flour, sugar, butter, and so on is essential if you want it to taste good. Preparing coffee is the same. A coffee scale is a must if you want a consistently delicious cup of coffee every time.
4 Reasons Why You Need a Coffee Scale
- Improves the taste of your coffee
- Precision
- Consistency
- Eliminates waste
Knowing precisely how that perfect cup of coffee was made allows you to create said coffee repeatedly. Equally, if it’s not perfect, you can adjust the amounts easily to improve it.
1. Improves the Taste of Your Coffee
The top reason for wanting to use a scale when brewing coffee is to improve its taste. You’ve already purchased high-quality Arabica beans and freshly ground your beans. The last thing you want to do is ruin the taste of your coffee because you didn’t use the right about of coffee.
Using the appropriate measurements will leave you with a perfectly flavored, light-bodied cup of coffee. When brewing coffee, specialty coffee enthusiasts strive for this coffee profile.
Related Reading: Do You Weigh Coffee Before or After Grinding?
2. Precision
Many coffee drinkers use the scoop method to measure their coffee. Although this may be faster and more convenient, it will not measure precisely how much coffee you want.
Scoops are not sufficient because they are not very accurate. The same amount of coffee by weight can take up a different volume depending on the grind size. A scoop of coarsely ground coffee (for a French press) will weigh less than a scoop of finely ground coffee (for an espresso).
Also, have you ever tried to scoop two identical weights of anything? It’s almost impossible!
Although measuring your coffee and even your water out takes an extra step, it pays off in the end. Once you find the proper coffee-to-water ratio for you, the guesswork is gone.
The golden ratio for coffee is somewhere between 1:15-18. I like a 1:17 coffee-to-water ratio (one part coffee to 17 parts water). So, if you use 15 grams of coffee you would used 255 grams of water. Choose a starting ratio, and then adjust once you taste the coffee.
Below is an easy-to-follow table to help you with all the calculations.
3. Consistency
Consistency is key! No more guessing, estimating, and, more importantly, no more bitter or sour-tasting coffee. Once you find that perfect coffee-to-water ratio, you want to be able to replicate that time and time again.
A coffee scale allows you to produce the same great-tasting cup every time.
4. Eliminates Waste
When you know exactly how much coffee you need to brew a perfect cup of coffee every time, you eliminate coffee waste. Each time you brew stronger coffee than you typically prefer, you are wasting those coffee grounds.
This may seem minor when talking about a single cup of coffee, but if you look at it over time, the excess coffee you are using adds up. Not only is this a waste of your coffee beans, but a waste of your hard-earned money.
Does it Need to be a Coffee Scale Specifically?
No, any scale that is accurate to the nearest gram will improve your coffee, but if you’re going to buy a scale, especially for coffee, then a scale that goes to the nearest 0.5 of a gram (or even better to the nearest tenth of a gram), is going to make all the difference.
What defines a coffee scale from a regular scale is usually a scale combined with a timer. A timer isn’t necessary; you can use a stopwatch or your phone to time while weighing with your scale).
In this post, I will review scales in three categories: budget, mid-range, and high-end. All the scales I’m reviewing are available on Amazon, and I will link each one, so you can do a full technical specification read there if you wish.
Best Type of Coffee Scales
Some scales are better than others. When measuring ground coffee, it is best to use a scale that measures in grams rather than ounces. Due to the small amount of beans typically used at home for a single cup or up to 8 cups of coffee, a scale that measures in grams will be more accurate.
Digital scales are also a life-saver when it comes to reading scales. Attempting to determine where that arrow is pointing takes time and effort. Save yourself the frustration, and be sure your scale is digital.
Lastly, it’s beneficial to purchase a coffee scale that is small and compact. Whether you store it on your counter or in your cupboard, no one wants a bulky scale hogging up space.
Below are some of our favorite coffee scales available to purchase on Amazon.
Check out the Best Coffee Scales
Budget Scales that Give you More Bang for your Buck
Salter Digital Kitchen Scale
These were the first scales I ever used for brewing coffee. I bought them because they were on sale in my local store for a discount. You do need digital scales for coffee, and although these are not ideal because you can only measure to the nearest gram (ideally, we want 0.5g as a minimum), they are a great value.
The Salter Digital Kitchen Scale is simple to use, weighs up to 5kg (so you can also use it as your standard kitchen scale), and handles a spill. They’re also 18cm long, so plenty of room if you’re brewing coffee into a jug or Chemex.
Pocket Scales Portable Smart Digital Scales
A pair of scales that weigh down to 0.01g. What is not to love? Not much if you are only making espressos. These pocket rockets (and they really will fit in your pocket) are great if you’re weighing small amounts of coffee to make an espresso.
They fit the basket from your group handle on them and slide nicely onto your drip tray to weigh the volume of your espresso (you may need to remove the lid, though). However, if you’re brewing any real volume of coffee, they will only weigh up to 200g, and you can not fit a jug on them. Overall, they’re great for your espresso machine.
Kubei High-Precision Sensor Kitchen Digital Scale
The Kubei Digital Kitchen Scale lies between the previous two scales, larger than the pocket scales (just big enough to fit a jug) and smaller than the Salter scales (small enough to fit on most espresso machines drip trays).
It weighs up to 3kg but has an accuracy of 0.1g. To clean, simply wipe down with a damp towel. Another positive about this scale is that it has an auto shut off after 60 seconds to preserve the batteries. The downside is that it can’t be submerged in water.
Mid-Range Scales (Practicality Without Breaking the Bank)
Timemore Coffee Scale
This scale offers high precision that can accurately measure .1g to 2kg. What I love about this particular scale is how durable and thin it is. Not only does it include a timer, but there is also a button that calculates the net weight of ingredients by subtracting the weight of the bowl or cup on its own.
Another plus to this scale is the battery life; it can last up to ten hours. One negative about this product is that it can’t be submerged in water.
Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale and Timer
The Hario Scale is minimalistic in function and design. It’s built for precise measurements, up to 0.1g of accuracy, and comes with a built-in timer for perfect bloom times and pours each time. I love how it includes an auto-off function after 5 minutes of no use, which is great to save on battery life.
The negatives to this scale are that it cannot get wet and has a slightly slower response time when adding coffee beans, so you have to move slower when pouring them. If you are like me and often in a rush in the mornings, this may cause you some frustration.
High-End Scales for Ultimate Accuracy and a Bit of Vanity
Acaia Pearl Model S Professional-Grade Digital Smart Coffee Scale
The Acaia Pearl Model S Professional-Grade Digital Smart Coffee Scale is my favorite high-end coffee scale. If you are a coffee enthusiast and don’t mind the price tag of nearly $300, then this is the scale for you. With its sleek design, it monitors the weight, time, and flow rates as you brew your coffee.
My favorite function is the Bluetooth connectivity. It has the ability to link to your smartphone when downloading the Acaia app. It allows you to explore all the possibilities of coffee making. These scales include a timer, they’re accurate, and they can link up to your phone via an app so you can monitor and record every technical of your brew.
This model can do everything you need, can stand being covered in water and coffee, and are easy to clean. Batteries are not needed since you are able to plug the scale in to charge, and I must say the battery life is excellent. I have a set of these scales (the original pearl, not the new ‘S’ model), and they have been going for years.
My only issues with these scales are that the charging port can get damaged if not carefully plugged in. Although this piece can be replaced it will cost you if they are out of warranty. Also, they’re perfect for any filter brew but too big to fit on the drip tray of an espresso machine.
Acaia Lunar Coffee Scale (available in black or white)
I’ve never owned, but always coveted, the Acaia Luna scale. It’s a stunning, miniature version of the Pearl. It’s small enough to use on your espresso machine drip tray, and you can buy (at an additional cost) a magnetic weighing plate that will fit your group handle on. Ideal for making espresso, but too small for anything other than a single cup filter brewer.
Final Thoughts
Our list of best coffee scales was chosen based on precision, tare function, size, and battery life. Depending on your personal preferences and what you are looking for in a coffee scale, the budget scales may be enough for you. But if you are a true coffee enthusiast, then one of the Acaia models is something you would love to have in your kitchen and show off to all your other coffee-loving friends.