# Coffee scales



## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

Is a drip function important really? I was looking at the Hario drip scale with timer. It looks a little OTT and rather on the big size.

Anyone recommend a good scale but a bit more compact?

thanks


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

For espresso ? Have you looked at the brewista


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> For espresso ? Have you looked at the brewista


yes sorry, for espresso only.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I use SmartWeigh 2000g/0.1g from amazon. £14 or thereabouts. They're not like the Brewista that Martin is recommending, just basic scales. Also not waterproof. But in their favour they're ok price, quality etc, will cope with weighing an entire PF handle and basket (unlike the 500g/0.01g) and are just the right size to also fit on the drip tray and hold a cup. They also seem capable of keeping up reasonably with the shot pour. Caveat - the above may also be true of the similar ones on ebay that are about £7 (but ship on a slow boat from China).


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## mmmatron (Jun 28, 2014)

Didn't like the hario scales, too big for the drip tray, buttons not great and not responsive enough for shot timing. Love brewista, works really well, worth the money (only £10 more than hario).


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

@mmmatron. How fast is the brewista?

I have a Hario. I adapted the feet with Sugru so it was stable on the drip tray, and I like the fact that it is quite shallow but it's sooooooo slow, you have to cut your shot 3-4g before your target. I also have a lab scale that is blisteringly quick but, well, it's huge. I need something sleek and fast. Is this the brewista or something else?


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I find the Barista pretty much real time for espresso, i think it has been mentioned there is a delay but its very small if so.


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## mmmatron (Jun 28, 2014)

Obnic said:


> @mmmatron. How fast is the brewista?
> 
> I have a Hario. I adapted the feet with Sugru so it was stable on the drip tray, and I like the fact that it is quite shallow but it's sooooooo slow, you have to cut your shot 3-4g before your target. I also have a lab scale that is blisteringly quick but, well, it's huge. I need something sleek and fast. Is this the brewista or something else?


Very slight delay but not a problem. It's small and the buttons are easy to use. Really like it.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Obnic said:


> @mmmatron. How fast is the brewista?
> 
> I have a Hario. I adapted the feet with Sugru so it was stable on the drip tray, and I like the fact that it is quite shallow but it's sooooooo slow, you have to cut your shot 3-4g before your target. I also have a lab scale that is blisteringly quick but, well, it's huge. I need something sleek and fast. Is this the brewista or something else?


Lunars are the bomb but expensive


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

I think Brewistas are slow. My cheapy Chinese ones are faster. Still looking for a better answer.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Rob666 said:


> I think Brewistas are slow. My cheapy Chinese ones are faster. Still looking for a better answer.


Can't say I have ever noticed that they are slow - certainly not compared with my Hario drip scales


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## Dan430 (Apr 29, 2016)

i have a hario and yes damn its slow!! but i like the hight of it and the ability to accommodate 2 cups and also weighing the PF!! but it freeking scratch my drip tray!! their "feet" have no rubber!! so now i use a cloth at the bottom to prevent further scratch!! FYI only and i try to prevent scratches on the beauty of mirror SS!! too bad i overlooked on this!!


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

As an aside, you can prevent scratches on drip tray and cup warmer with "Cookamesh" which you can get from Lakeland, other cook shops or of course that well known Internet auction site.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

The Brewistas are pretty slow compared to Acaia and Ohaus etc but they are accurate and the auto tare works well.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Maybe its because I have nothing to compare it to, but I struggle to see how much quicker a scale could be, makes me wonder if there is some variance in how quick the Brewistas read.

Here is a vid of my brewistas weighing a jug-


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

@Dylan I've just tried a test on the same basis as yours and, I agree, in this case they are fast enough. However, when pulling a shot the update rate is much too slow. (I'm using Auto IV). I don't know what the interval is between updates but the display jumps by over a gram on occasions, so you have to guess what's going on. I would like to find a scale that updates continuously. (Well, every few milliseconds.)


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Hmm, I'll keep an eye on it next time I pull a shot...its not something I have noticed, but I dont really see where this need for accuracy come in when pulling an espresso. You are aiming for your target weight, the espresso 'in the air' after you turn off the machine means you are never going to get .1g type of accuracy to your pour in any case so where does the need for milligram real-time updates come from?


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Dylan said:


> Hmm, I'll keep an eye on it next time I pull a shot...its not something I have noticed, but I dont really see where this need for accuracy come in when pulling an espresso. You are aiming for your target weight, the espresso 'in the air' after you turn off the machine means you are never going to get .1g type of accuracy to your pour in any case so where does the need for milligram real-time updates come from?


It's all to do with hitting the target weight. I can compensate for the "in the air" espresso if I can follow the trend of increase in weight. To do that accurately I need to see the milligrams incrementing, not jumps of over a gram.

My cheapo Chinese scales do this very well but I like the auto features of the Brewista.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I see, I don't think I ever really have trouble hitting my target weight, I think whilst the scales do jump (recording below) they regularity of the increase in weight means that knowing when to hit off seems to be easy enough for me. But then on the other hand I don't aim particularly accurately for an exact gram weight, so long as it within a gram or so of the weight I'm after I dont worry about it, maybe to my own peril.

Here is a vid of the Brewistas doing exactly as you say and jumping up as they weigh, obviously not a properly steady stream but it shows what you mean I think -


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Dylan said:


> I see, I don't think I ever really have trouble hitting my target weight, I think whilst the scales do jump (recording below) they regularity of the increase in weight means that knowing when to hit off seems to be easy enough for me. But then on the other hand I don't aim particularly accurately for an exact gram weight, so long as it within a gram or so of the weight I'm after I dont worry about it, maybe to my own peril.
> 
> Here is a vid of the Brewistas doing exactly as you say and jumping up as they weigh, obviously not a properly steady stream but it shows what you mean I think -


Thanks for the effort put into making the videos. That illustrates exactly what I mean. It's also helped me to analyse what is going on. The scale display is only updated every half second or second. (I can't time it accurately but it does appear to be a regular interval.) If the flow rate is high, as it tends to be at the end of a shot, then this interval is too long to make estimating the cut-off point easy. I'm not completely obsessed with the precise shot weight either but I do think it helps if i can keep it reasonably consistent and this behaviour definitely doesn't help with that.

If anyone has suggestions for affordable alternatives with a faster refresh rate please post.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I think the problem with Chinese scales is that two that look the same are not necessarily the same inside. I bought a cheap set that looked the same as one recommended on here and it was way slower than my brewisters. As all the Chinese companies copy one another the same external scale can have different internals. So without a brand name to go to with a known standard its a bit of a minefield. When it comes to brands you have really expensive Acacias or then Brewistas at a more 'reasonable' price (but still really quite expensive for what they are). If cheap ebay scale scales can do what you say then it's a mystery to me why these brewisters are slow in comparison.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Dylan said:


> I think the problem with Chinese scales is that two that look the same are not necessarily the same inside. I bought a cheap set that looked the same as one recommended on here and it was way slower than my brewisters. As all the Chinese companies copy one another the same external scale can have different internals. So without a brand name to go to with a known standard its a bit of a minefield. When it comes to brands you have really expensive Acacias or then Brewistas at a more 'reasonable' price (but still really quite expensive for what they are). If cheap ebay scale scales can do what you say then it's a mystery to me why these brewisters are slow in comparison.


I suspect it is because of the 'clever' features of the Brewista. There is more analysis and processing going on than in a simple scale. When I have a few minutes I'll try the Brewistas in one of the more manual modes and see if they still lag to the same extent.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

My vid was in the manual mode, I dont use any of the Auto modes.


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## shaqks (Jun 11, 2016)

the Acaia scale is the best option


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## Belluca (Jul 4, 2016)

i prefer my chinese one, faster, cheaper, smaller


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

shaqks said:


> the Acaia scale is the best option


Lunar ordered from Has Bean yesterday.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Obnic said:


> Lunar ordered from Has Bean yesterday.


They are quality


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> They are quality


Yes. Price was swingeing but I'm hoping this is the last piece in the puzzle. I've been struggling with hario scales for too long.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

They really are pricey! There must be an answer somewhere at a lower price point.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Rob666 said:


> They really are pricey! There must be an answer somewhere at a lower price point.


You know they talk to you too dont you .....


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> You know they talk to you too dont you .....


For £189 they would have to sing me lullabies at night.......

and massage my shoulders after a hard day!!!


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Drewster said:


> For £189 they would have to sing me lullabies at night.......
> 
> and massage my shoulders after a hard day!!!


I have lower expectations. I just want the readout to keep pace with the weight of the beverage in the cup.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Obnic said:


> I have lower expectations. I just want the readout to keep pace with the weight of the beverage in the cup.


It will


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

@Obnic if you have the time, a video of them in action would be most welcome.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Rob666 said:


> @Obnic if you have the time, a video of them in action would be most welcome.


I will try and do one when i get home ....just to show the speed of reaction


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Rob666 said:


> @Obnic if you have the time, a video of them in action would be most welcome.


This shows the latency of the scale

Shot looks fast btw but I cut out the 25 seconds pre infusion to this .

I can do some clips in timer mode tomorrow





 @Obnic


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Thanks Martin, that looks a lot better than the Brewistas. Mind you, so it should at that price!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Rob666 said:


> Thanks Martin, that looks a lot better than the Brewistas. Mind you, so it should at that price!


And you can actually spill water on em without em spacking out


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

To be fair, no problems with the Brewistas on that front - yet.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Auto tare then timer on " drip"


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Pretty much what the Brewista does on Auto4 but without the display lag. Much nicer though. (And without the automatic timer start, alhough IIRC Auto3 does that.)


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> Auto tare then timer on " drip"


Is the autostart for brewed? I don't really get the point for Spro.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Xpenno said:


> Is the autostart for brewed? I don't really get the point for Spro.


I don't use it . It's for those that like to measure " flow rate "


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> I don't use it . It's for those that like to measure " flow rate "


Cool, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a trick.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> Auto tare then timer on " drip"


That looks brilliant. No, or negligible, lag. Good


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> You know they talk to you too dont you .....


 I more than half believed that Boots!

First use this morning: This is my scale. I'm very happy. It's super fast and small. Recommended.


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

Rob666 said:


> I think Brewistas are slow. My cheapy Chinese ones are faster. Still looking for a better answer.


I think I'll hang on for the new Brewista coming out in October. May be it will have addressed some of the lag issues. I do know it will have a rechargeable battery.

So in the meantime a cheap one from China.........anyone provide a link to one please?

cheers


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## abbu (Jul 27, 2016)

Is the launch date of an updated Brewista in October confirmed? I'm about to buy my first scale too and would also go for a cheap one on Ebay as an interim solution should there be a Brewista II coming within the next three months.


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

abbu said:


> Is the launch date of an updated Brewista in October confirmed? I'm about to buy my first scale too and would also go for a cheap one on Ebay as an interim solution should there be a Brewista II coming within the next three months.


It came from Brewista themselves, so I imagine it should be October..ish. I'll try and dig out the email, but they did say October.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Where did Brewista say this? is there any info/press on the new scales?

Edit: As above... by email... so on the mailing list?


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

Dylan said:


> Where did Brewista say this? is there any info/press on the new scales?
> 
> Edit: As above... by email... so on the mailing list?


I sent them an enquiry on their web site and they replied saying it should be October and at this time they can only say it will have a rechargeable battery. Other improvements or changes to specs they did not comment on. Additionally, I saw this mentioned at "another" place.


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## abbu (Jul 27, 2016)

Thanks, that's great news, I guess I'll order a cheap one for now and then upgrade should the new Brewista fulfil the expectations.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

My Brewistas are now on the fritz, they decide to add 1.5g every now and then which is a royal PITA.


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## mmmatron (Jun 28, 2014)

Dylan said:


> My Brewistas are now on the fritz, they decide to add 1.5g every now and then which is a royal PITA.


Mine have started doing this, it's a pain!


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

Found the email.........

Hi John,many thanks for your question

The new scale isnt ready yet, its due around October time

As for the differences&#8230; I don't have a full list just yet as its still in production,

I can tell you however that the newer model will be rechargeable.

Kind regards,

*Leigh Johnson*

*Coffee Hit Ltd*

*Unit 7, Belvedere Business Park *

*
Crabtree Manorway South *

*Belvedere. DA17 6AH*


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

abbu said:


> Thanks, that's great news, I guess I'll order a cheap one for now and then upgrade should the new Brewista fulfil the expectations.


I've already bought a cheapo

just found out....The new version will......

-	rechargeable batteries

-	display will show battery level, and mode number

-	modes (more of them?)

-	silicon platform cover

-	chargeable with standard micro USB cord (same as most mobile phones)


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