If you’re in the market for a coffee scale to elevate your home brewing experience, the abundance of options available might leave you feeling perplexed. Navigating through the myriad of coffee scale choices can indeed be a daunting task when faced with such diversity.
To lend a helping hand, we’ve put together a purchasing guide that outlines some fundamental product features you should consider when buying a coffee scale.
Price
Price is not the single most crucial factor to consider when purchasing a coffee scale, but it remains an important consideration. The prices of coffee scales range from a few dollars to over 100 dollars. This is a significant difference that can indeed make the process of choosing a coffee scale challenging. You might be wondering whether you can truly get good results from a budget coffee scale priced under 20 dollars. Similarly, just because you’re investing in a coffee scale that costs tens or even hundreds of dollars, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee it will be a fantastic product. When it comes to how much money to spend on your coffee scale, our best advice is to consider your budget. Look for a scale with the features you want and that fits within your predetermined budget. As mentioned, you can find some quality scales at genuinely affordable prices, so don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money to get a high-quality product.
Size
When it comes to the size of a coffee scale, the primary consideration is how you intend to use it for brewing. If you’re using the scale for consistently brewing delicious pour-over coffee, then you’ll need to find one that can accommodate your pour-over glass decanter.For a delightful cup of drip coffee, look for a scale that can hold a filter basket or a large carafe. For espresso brewing, you’ll need a scale that fits under the drip tray of your espresso machine, allowing you to know when to stop extracting your espresso.If your goal is simply to ensure you use the same amount of coffee grounds each time you brew your favorite coffee, look for a scale with a sufficiently large platform to hold your coffee grounds.
Durability
When purchasing a scale, you need to consider its durability, which is closely related to the material it’s made of. Stainless steel scales are often more durable and robust. They can withstand higher temperatures and occasional impacts or drops without sustaining significant damage. While they are generally more expensive, they have a longer lifespan. On the other hand, if you only need a scale for weighing coffee grounds, a plastic scale is sufficient. Plastic scales are lightweight and quite durable. They are cost-effective, making the prices of most plastic coffee scales quite affordable.
Precision
Precision refers to the degree of accuracy you want when measuring your coffee. A good coffee scale should be able to measure weights of less than 1 gram. For optimal results, you should consider using a scale that can measure to the tenth (0.1) of a gram. If you are dedicated to achieving the absolute best coffee outcomes, then a scale accurate to the hundredth (0.01) of a gram would be even better.
Functionality
Some coffee scales come with a variety of features, but only a few are truly useful. The most crucial is the “tare” or “zero” button, allowing you to set an item on the scale and reset the value to 0.0 at the top of the scale. This is essential if you want to weigh coffee grounds in a filter basket or add an exact amount of water to your pour-over decanter. Additionally, look for a scale that can switch between imperial and metric measurements, especially if you are not accustomed to using one of the measurement systems.
Cleaning
Obviously, your coffee scale is an electronic device that cannot be submerged in a sink or placed in a dishwasher. Our recommendation is either to look for a coffee scale with a detachable weighing platform, allowing you to remove it for a direct rinse with water or machine wash in a dishwasher, or to choose one with a silicone cover on the weighing surface, making it easy to lift off and wash with water.