An accurate scale is a requirement for most home coffee brewers. Whether making espressos or pour overs or a simple drip, you need to be able to weigh your beans and often brew output to make sure you can get the same tasty results each and every time. Along with an accurate scale, many home coffee brewers also need a way to measure the elapsed time. Many high-end coffee centric scales incorporate a digital stopwatch.
The Acaia series of scales are top of the line. There are three major versions: the Pearl, Lunar, and Pyxis. The main difference is size. The Pearl is 6.3” by 6.3” and 1.26” tall and works for pour overs and espresso. But for some machines it might be a little big to fit under the drip tray. The Lunar is a 4.1” by 4.1” square and only .6” thick. Both the Pearl and Lunar also offer Bluetooth connectivity for the Acaia apps. For something truly small and portable, the Pyxis is only 2.6” by 2.6” and .51” tall.
The Acaia Pearl is a top of the line digital coffee scale designed to measure weight, flow rate, and brew time. The scale is actually designed for commercial use but has become hugely popular in the home coffee and espresso communities. The scale is compact and ergonomically designed with a modern flair. At 6.3” by 6.3” and 1.26” tall, it is the largest of the Acaia line of dedicated coffee scales and can be used for almost every method of brewing. The only issue might be with espresso machines that have low clearance between the drip tray and portafilter.
The Acaia Pearl is a high precision scale that also offers a shot timer and flow rate. The scale has multiple modes including weight, timer, auto tare, auto start, and espresso and beverage mode. The scale is accurate to 1/10 of a gram with a fast 20 millisecond response time. Although the scale is not waterproof like the Lunar, it can be easily wiped down. The standout feature of the Acaia Pearl is the Bluetooth connectively that allows the scale to connect to brewing applications on your phone. This lets you store, share, and repeat brew recipes. The free apps include Updater, Brewguide, Brewmaster, Brewbar, and Coffee. This is a highly useful feature if you like to change beans often or switch between different brew methods. The Acaia Pearl is powered by an internal battery with 40 hours of usage time.
| Acaia Pearl | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 6.3" x 6.3" x 1.26" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 g or 1/100 g |
| Rechargeable | ✔ |
| Built in timer | ✔ |
| Colors | Silver, black, white |
| Price | $195 |
| Buy | See the best price |
All of this goodness does not come without a price. At $195, this is a serious price for the serious coffee enthusiast. But there are alternatives that give you similar features. Let’s explore the best alternatives to the Acaia Pearl professional coffee scale.
Fuzion Coffee Scale with Timer
The Fuzion Coffee Scale offers a lot of the same weight and time functions of the Acaia Pearl at a slightly larger size. The rectangular shaped scale is 7.5" long by 5.3" wide and 1.3" tall. As with the Acaia Pearl, if you are going to use this under an espresso machine you need to make sure that you have enough clearance for it and your demitasse.
The Fuzion Coffee Scale has an easy to clean silicone weigh surface which can be rinsed under a faucet. It is accurate to 1/10 of a gram with fast response. The integral timer does not automatically start with the first drip but needs to be started by pushing a button on the front panel. The Fuzion Coffee Scale runs on two AAA batteries which are included.
You do not get the Bluetooth connectivity or app support, but at $21, the Fuzion Coffee Scale is a great bargain and will get the job done for all but the most fanatical baristas.
| Fuzion Coffee Scale | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 7.5" x 5.3" x 1.3" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 |
| Rechargeable | ✘ |
| Built in timer | ✔ |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | $21 |
| Buy | See the best price |
Timemore Auto-Timing Coffee Scale
At first glance, the Timemore Coffee Scale looks very similar to the minimalist design of the Acaia Pearl. Like the Acaia Pearl, the Timemore has an easy to clean and removable silicone weigh surface. It is accurate to within 1/10 of a gram and runs on a rechargeable battery. The bright LCD displays both the shot time and weight as well as a useful battery indicator. The Timemore can be set to auto timer which will start the elapsed time when the first drop hits the scale.
The Timemore is slightly larger than the Acaia Pearl at 6" deep by 3.5" wide (so not exactly square) and 1.1" tall. Make sure this scale will fit on the drip tray of your machine if you plan on using it for espresso. At $65, the Timemore offers great value and a significant savings versus the Acaia Pearl.
| Timemore Auto Timing Scale | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 6" x 3.5" x 1.1" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 |
| Rechargeable | ✔ |
| Built in timer | ✔ |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | $65 |
| Buy | See the best price |
Hero Digital Coffee Scale with Timer
If you are a pour over fanatic, the Hero Digital Coffee Scale may be your best alternative. It is designed from the ground up to give you the best pour over coffee brewing experience. The Hero coffee scale has clean, modern design with touch buttons and a bright LCD display. The device can switch between auto and manual pour over timing. There is also a three- to eight-minute countdown timer specifically for pour over coffee which helps you avoid the dreaded over extraction. It is accurate to 1/10 of a gram.
The Hero is a large scale that measures in at 7.87” by 7.72” and 2.64” tall. This may be too tall to fit under some espresso machines. The Hero is powered by a built-in 1200 mAh rechargeable lithium battery which is rated at 48 hours of continuous use or three months of daily use.
Priced at $29, the Hero coffee scale offers a lot of features in an attractive package for the pour over enthusiast.
| Hero Digital Scale | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 7.87" x 7.72" x 2.64" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 |
| Rechargeable | ✔ |
| Built in timer | ✔ |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | $29 |
| Buy | See the best price |
KitchenTour Coffee Scale with Timer
The KitchenTour Coffee Scale is a solid coffee and espresso scale that can help you make your everyday cup of coffee as perfect as possible. The coffee scale has an accuracy of 1/10 of a gram to make your measurements accurate and brewing consistent. The KitchenTour scale also has an integrated manually started timer and an optional shut off function, which makes it perfect for a pour over coffee. The scale comes with a tare off function so that each ingredient can be measured separately, to give you the best coffee brewing experience.
The KitchenTour Coffee Scale is made from high quality ABS plastic and includes a waterproof silicone non-slip weighing platform. It measures 7.2” long by 5.2” wide and is 1.2” tall. The bright backlite LCD screen is powered by three AAA batteries which are included. Priced at only $22, the device is a perfect addition for your home café.
| KitchenTour Coffee Scale | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 7.2" x 5.2" x 1.2" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 |
| Rechargeable | ✘ |
| Built in timer | ✔ |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | $22 |
| Buy | See the best price |
Brewista Smart Scale
The Brewista is a small compact scale that is designed to easily fit on a drip tray under your espresso machine’s portafilter. It measures 4.14” by 4.96” and is just .7” tall. It also comes with a removable waterproof and washable silicone weighing tray.
The Brewista is a high accuracy digital scale that is accurate to within 1/10 of a gram. The scale also features auto tare and auto time. The smart scale has an LCD display which clearly shows weight and time. The smart scale has six different modes, in which five are for espresso and one is for manual.
The smart scale has a USB rechargeable battery and comes with an auto off function that can save you a lot of energy. The Brewista smart scale is priced at $89.
| Brewista Smart Scale | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 4.14" x 4.96" x .7" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 |
| Rechargeable | ✔ |
| Built in timer | ✔ |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | $89 |
| Buy | See the best price |
GreaterGoods Digital Pocket Scale
This is one of the most basic yet reliable scales you will find. It only does weight (no timing function) but is consistent and accurate to within 1/10 of a gram. The GreaterGoods scale is small enough that it will fit under the portafilter if you want to weigh your shot. It is not waterproof, but the stainless-steel top does wipes down easily.
The GreaterGoods scale is very small at 5.67” long by 3” wide and .67" tall. This tiny scale is powered by two AAA batteries which are included. Best of all, this scale is just $15. That leaves a lot of savings over the Acaia Pearl which means I have more money to buy coffee beans!
| GreaterGoods Coffee Scale | |
|---|---|
| Size (depth x length x height) | 5.67" x 3" x .67" |
| Accuracy | 1/10 |
| Rechargeable | ✘ |
| Built in timer | ✘ |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | $15 |
| Buy | See the best price |
Conclusion
You can find some excellent coffee and espresso oriented digital scales that don't cost anywhere near the Acaia Pearl and for a lot less money.
What do you think? Have some additional suggestions for a digital scale? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
