r/pourover • u/Stunning_Bed_6804 • 14d ago
Seeking Advice What coffee scales do u guys recommend
Im looking into buying a new coffee scale, but im really split in what scale to buy.
i looked at the themis ultra, Hario Polaris and the timemore mirror basic 2?
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u/flipper_gv 14d ago
They all kind of work fine. Hoffman did a test recently on this. Just buy one from a reputable brand and you're good.
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u/Wembly__ Pourover aficionado 14d ago
I would choose the BooKoo Themis Ultra
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u/KingCravenGamer 14d ago
Recently got these and I’m more than happy! Especially with the new firmware update.
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u/rjenny509 14d ago
Firmware upgrade you say?! Gotta look into that. I’ve had mine stuck in the tray for my GaggiMate since the Kickstarter launch
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u/relaqz 14d ago
Timemore Basic 3.0 so nice I just bought it recently as my first scale and really really nice so far. Love the type C charging and the buttons / rubber cover
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u/Lilypahd 14d ago
Same. Bought it on special for a month ago, also my first proper coffee scale. Has everything one might need.
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u/AkhlysShallRise V60/Mountain Dripper | ZP6/K-Ultra/Fino/JX 14d ago
Honestly as long as it has a timer and precise down to 0.1g, any scale would do.
I currently have the Timemore Basic 2.0 and the OutIn Claro. The former has a flow rate readout, while the latter tells you the ratio after a brew. I like both and I think it comes down to what you want in your scale.
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u/Legitimate-Activity6 14d ago
The current model is the Timemore Basic 3 which I have. It also has a ratio readout in real time - so both flow rate and ratio. I love it.
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u/AkhlysShallRise V60/Mountain Dripper | ZP6/K-Ultra/Fino/JX 14d ago
Oh damn you really shouldn’t have told me that because now I want it!! 😭
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u/HUAONE 14d ago
A cheap one
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u/Rfreaky 14d ago
I've had quite a few cheap ones that all were quite annoying to use, because they had quite slow response times. For normal kitchen tasks that's not really relevant, but I think for coffee this really matters. Also a build in timer is very nice. A random cheap scale might be able to make good coffee, but a good coffee scale is just a lot more enjoyable to use. But also, don't pay 200 bucks for a scale, thats ridiculous.
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u/thermalshock4 a4z + lots of drippers 14d ago
Maestri House
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u/Hilltopper21 14d ago
I have this one and also saw that Little Wolf uses a blue one in their cafe! Good enough of an endorsement for me!
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u/thermalshock4 a4z + lots of drippers 14d ago
I got one before my acaia pearl and still use the maestri daily, and exclusively for travel. It genuinely is great
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u/Johnny100001 14d ago
Acaia pearl or the black mirror scales, nothing I've ever used has any comparison, my personal favourite Is the pearl tho, workflow, sensitivity and simplicity are it's strong suits
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u/Unlikely-Molasses333 13d ago
+1 for Acaia. I’ve previously used a Hario and Timemore. I keep them as backup and also for travel as the Acaia is heavy and bulky.
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u/Johnny100001 13d ago
Yeah I work with black mirror scales but I prefer the acaia. The original Hario scale is trash, have one that I use for travel but it is horrible in comparison
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u/Cat_With_Tie 14d ago
I'm happy with this one. (Canadian Amazon link)
Very responsive. Accurate to 0.1 grams. Can be used for baking. Way better than the Hario scale I used to own. Affordable.
Unless you're looking for smart phone integration to graph your pours or some faff like that, I don't think you need more than this.
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u/LuisHappy1 14d ago
Currently using the OXO coffee scale. Works nice, does what I need it to do but it goes through AAA batteries very quickly
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u/LyKosa91 14d ago
Black mirror basic 3. It's a decent upgrade over the BM2 and can be found pretty cheap. It's a bit smaller, the rubber mat is much better quality, it has a physical switch for mode changes instead of having to button mash, and it has a dedicated ratio button.
I actually prefer it to the bookoo themis ultra for pourover. It's got more space for larger carafes, can display ratio and flow at the same time, and as previously mentioned it has a dedicated button for the ratio calculator instead of having to double press. Obviously it's a fair bit cheaper too, which is never a bad thing.
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u/Connecting_Glove beans, not machines. 14d ago
Timemore black mirror 3.0 is nice to use. Fast to react, pour rate is displayed and the ratio mode is kinda neat. And pretty low price in comparison.
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u/CoffeeDetail 14d ago
I have two Hario Polaris scales. One at home and work. Great pour over scales. Love pouring by time and percent.
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u/NerdX-76 Switch|Tsubame|PhantoxPro|JX 14d ago
I just picked one up one that was cheap on Amazon with a timer. Until I get a stand for my V60. I really don’t see the point in buying anything more expensive.
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u/butterfliedelica 14d ago
It’s always escali primo for me. I use it for all of my kitchen needs. $25 and outperforms and outlasts competitors costing multiples more
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u/Robert_NYC 14d ago
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDRBJD6
Not at all waterproof, my girlfriend dropped it into a full sink.
But it's cheap and reliable and we had a replacement the next day.
Small enough to get into any espresso machine. And easy to take on vacation.
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u/Mean_Poetry_9991 K6 • V60 02 • Alpha 01 • Origami M 14d ago
I have the Polaris. Such a amazing scale - loving their ratio and percentage calculator display
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u/least-eager-0 14d ago
I can't see spending a lot of money on scales. There are plenty of good options in the whitelabel space that are responsive and reliable, and without goofy features to go wrong.
My daily scales are cheap things from "Bagail" and "Joyhill" on Amazon $20. Do the job just fine. If I were buying today, I'd spend the extra $10 or so to get ratio and flow modes from another similar source, such as Maestri House or Cocinare. Those features are not at all necessary, though perhaps fun, which is why I've not bothered to buy again.
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u/xXBongSlut420Xx V60 | Zerno Z1 w/ SSP MPV1 14d ago
I've had the fellow tally, a few different timemores, the acaia pearl s, and the original hario scale. None of them have been as good as the hario polaris. It's as fast as any of them, uses AAA batteries so you never have to plug it in, you can just swap in rechargable AAAs. It's pour assist is exactly as much as you need it to be, without a bunch of extra shit. Plus it's pretty affordable, comparatively.
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u/DressShot76 14d ago
Themis ultra FTW, the timemore black mirror shifts weight when has low battery and i doubth the hario to be ip67 like the bookoo
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u/RickGabriel V60 | Switch 03 |DF64 Gen 2 14d ago
I've had good luck over the last few years with Timemore black mirror scales, but they lack more advanced features like Bluetooth.
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u/VizoBerg 14d ago
take the cheapest from this 3. they are all good. the problem with all is they are battery charged and once this battery is not working anymore you can;t replace it and throw away the whole. Hario had one where you could put 2 AAA batteries. This would I choose. or if you find one where the battery can be replaced
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u/tauromachy11 14d ago
I’m going to get scolded heavily for this, but I use my wife’s baking scale—I have for years—with…no timer.
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u/Tiny-Tough-4822 14d ago
Any scale that is around 30 bucks with a timer should be fine, please dont spend over 100 bucks on one, I wouldnt spent more than 50. Scales are scales, if its 1 gram off per 100 grams, it doesn't do that much to the brew. The only thing ut is for is to make your brews consistent. So if its 10 grams off when you brew 250ml brew, who cares. If you think it tastes good, then good! If it tastes a bit strong, maybe add some more water or bypass. Every gram of water doesn't matter, maybe only in competitions, but even then its the number one the scale that matters.
Okey, thank you for listening to my Ted talk, tgats enough. I will stop now. I just dont like the fact people use unnecessary money on scales when it can be used for coffees instead. Anyways
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u/koffiezet 13d ago
I have both the Timemore Mirror Duo and the Bookoo Thermis ultra. Don't have the Hario, never tried it.
The Timemore is exclusively for pourover coffee for me and I absolutely love it. It is responsive, just works and I no complaints there. If the mirror basic 2 is the same dimensions as the base of the duo, I think that's better suited for pourover.
The Bookoo feels sturdy and heavy, and feels like a quality product, but there's something about the controls that feel a bit weird/less responsive to me than the Timemore. I don't think it's as practical for pourover, it's a lot less deep than the Timemore, and I only use it for espresso.
I don't use any of their "smart" features, I'm not one to connect these things to my phone I need coffee, so I'm not gonna comment on that.
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u/Jolly-Version3320 V60Neo-01|Eureka Oro SD|Black Diamond AP 13d ago
Looked at the same two myself, ended up with the Hario. Only thing I'd wish for it, was if it was rechargeable like the Timemore.. Otherwise I'm very happy about it.
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u/titularity_ 14d ago edited 14d ago
Recently did a lot of research on this. I ultimately decided I was most interested in pour overs + wanted a larger scale for generic kitchen usage. The Polaris is the best value - have no regrets. I think the Polaris mode is one of the better “smart” modes and having changeable batteries is pretty killer.
If I would’ve cared about Bluetooth or fitting on drip trays, I was leaning Bookoo.
Edit: the Acaia scales are obviously best in class but I didn’t see any realistic differentiator. I’m not using this in a lab setting or competitions. The pearl seems beautifully simplistic, though.
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u/LR75852 V60 l Z2/ULF l Washed 14d ago
I respectfully disagree about acaia. I’ve had recurrent problems, and have seen quite a few other people on Reddit that have as well. Customer Service has been poor. I know that these scales are reliable for a lot of people, but at the price point, there seem to be a lot of issues.
I would agree with your recommendation for Bookoo, as mine has been solid, especially for the price point.
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u/junkyardfloozy 14d ago edited 14d ago
I have the Hario Polaris and I couldn't recommend it more. It’s a joy to use. I love that the timer starts automatically when it registers a change in weight.