Pour Over Coffee Scale – Do You Really Need One?

If you take brewing coffee seriously, you will know that pour over coffee is amazing and almost like meditation when you brew it. To make it perfect every single time, you need to use a pour over coffee scale.

In this article we discuss why you need a coffee scale for pour over coffee, what to look for in one and a list of what we consider to be the best pour over coffee scales.

Keep reading as we dig down and detail this topic.

Why Do You Really Need A Pour Over Coffee Scale?

How you coffee tastes, it’s flavor changes according to the ratio of coffee and water, known as the coffee to water ratio.

When you are not using an accurate coffee scale, or not using a coffee scale at all, sticking to a set ratio and ensuring that it is precise and exact is more difficult. A standard 1:15 ratio of coffee to water is so much easier when you weigh both your coffee and your water to get the perfect ratio.

Volume measurements, such as using a coffee scoop or tablespoon, will never be absolutely accurate. You will only get at best, only “roughly” the same amount of coffee grounds every time.

Thus, your coffee to water ratio will be slightly different each time. This goes even more so when you are using different beans and different roast levels, as different beans and different roasts have varying mass and density, which makes measuring by volume a highly inaccurate method.

When you use the type of scale that has a built-in timer, you have even more accuracy as you have greater control over the brew time.

This is where a good coffee scale takes care of, and helps you to accurately control two of the variables associated with brewing coffee, brewing time and the ratio of coffee to water.

Read: Coffee scale with timer

Pour Over Coffee Scales – Our Top Picks!

The following digital scales are perfect for pour over coffee and French press brewing. Some are perfect for other brewing techniques also.

#1. Timemore Plus Coffee Scale – Best Overall

Weight Range: 0.5 g to 2 kg.

Timer: Yes

Increments: 0.1 grams

Power Source: Rechargeable lithium battery. USB-C

This Timemore plus coffee scale has a lot of great features and is half the price of an Acaia coffee scale. Everything that you would expect from a high quality expensive coffee scale with precise measurements at 1/10th of a gram. A silicone mate is included to protect your coffee scale from heat and accidental splashes.

A simple, easy-to-read backlit display, which is so easy to read even on the brightest of days. The autotimer function is a well-thought-out addition that starts as soon as half a gram is registered and stops when there is no increase in weight.

Read: Waterproof coffee scale

#2. Hario Drip Scale Runner-Up

Weight Range: up to 2 kg.

Timer: Yes.

Increments: 0.1 grams.

Power Source: AAA batteries.

This coffee scale is in a league of its own and is designed by a company that specializes in varios parts of the coffee industry, including coffee makers, brewers and, yes, coffee scales.

It is slim, slick and comes with a high level of precision and stunning looks. It has touch sensitive buttons, auto-off feature, and a built-in timer.

The scale is clearly built with coffee in mind.

#3. Acaia Pearl Coffee Brewing Scale – The Best Smart Scale

Weight Range: 0.1g to 2kgs

Timer: Yes

Increments: 0.1 grams

Power Source: Fully Rechargeable lithium-ion battery. USB.

Many coffee experts consider this brewing scale, the Acaia Pearl, as the very best coffee scale available. It is used by expert baristas at competitions and in high-end gourmet coffee shops, they use it as their scale of choice.

There is a lot to like about this coffee scale. For a start, every single one is hand-made, features science lab grade technology and is fully calibrated. It is a small pocket-sized scale that fits perfectly on your espresso machine drip tray.

It’s minimalist design, touch-sensitive buttons, incredible accuracy and the ability to measure in grams and ounces. What is stunningly brilliant is the ability of this coffee scale to pick up on the evaporation effect and adjust the weight accordingly.

The Acaia pearl also has Bluetooth connectivity, meaning that you can connect this coffee scale to mobile apps and have access to a range of features like brew recipes, brew processes.,an auto-coffee to water ratio of your coffee and water.

All this high-tech means one thing. It is pretty pricey. It is pushed down on our list for one big reason. Coffee scales are prone to accidental splashes and spills, not being waterproof or having a high degree of resistance to water for the price this sells for means, as much as I’d love to rate this as higher it has to settle in 3rd spot.

#4 The Ozeri Touch Professional Digital Kitchen Scale – Our Budget Pick

Weight Range: 1g to 5.7 kg

Timer: No.

Increments: 1 grams.

Power Source: Rechargeable lithium batteries.

This Ozeri scale is a great choice if you are looking for practicality and stylish. It is about the same size as an iPad and easy on the eye with its reflective black color and tempered glass construction.

It is small enough to fit in your kitchen drawer. One of the drawbacks is the lack of accuracy, with 1 gram increments being the best that it can provide. It is very easy on your pocket though.

#5. CoastLine Digital Pro Pocket Scale – The Best Value For Your Money

Weight Range: 0g to 2 kg.

Timer: No.

Increments: 0.1 grams.

Power Source: AAA batteries.

This is a very small digital scale and thus makes it perfect for travelling. And if you are taking a trip away, be it camping for the weekend, this scale is just a little wider than an iPhone and about the same height.

It has an illuminous backlit display and a couple of plastic trays for measuring. It is well-designed and easy to use. Made from stainless steel, you can be assured this scale is long-lasting. It is super basic, but makes for a perfect scale to use for travelling, for a weekend away, camping, caravan or whatever.

#6. Etekcity Digital Multifunction Stainless Steel Kitchen Scale

Weight Range: 1g to 5 kg,

Timer: No.

Increments: 1 gram.

Power Source: AAA batteries.

This Etekcity scale is a very stylish coffee scale that is made with stainless steel and features an eye-catching purple backlit display. It is very easy to clean and durable. Size wise, it is the same size as an iPad Mini, approximately speaking.

The biggest Debbie downer to this scale is that it is not the most precise of coffee scales. Although it can weigh from 1 gram right the way up to 5 kg, you really need to start with 2 grams.

#7. Kitchen Tour Precision

Weight Range: 0.3 to 3 kg.

Timer: Yes.

Increments: 0.1g.

Power Source: AAA batteries.

This is a good and very affordable scale with precise measurement and was designed specifically for pour-over coffee and manual drip coffee makers. The simplicity of use and design, is a step up from regular kitchen scales and gets you greater accuracy when it comes to measuring your coffee.

This is a coffee scale that you can use straight way as its functionally is pretty obvious. Great features are the auto-off option and built-in timer. You can weigh your coffee in grams or ounces.

The buttons on this scale gives you no audible feedback, which is a bit of a drawback as you have no indication if your pressing of the button is registered

These scales won’t last as long as the more expensive scales on this list. Being to large to fit on espresso trays means they lack versatility for brewing the most commonly brewed coffee in the world.

How To Use A Coffee Scale For Pour Over Coffee

To use your coffee scale for making excellent pour-over coffee first put the filter that you are going to use be it a paper filter, cloth filter or metal coffee filter on to your coffee scale.

Then press the tare button and slowly add the amount of coffee grounds that you need. Your next step is to place your coffee filter with your coffee grounds in it into your pour over brewer and press the tare button for a second time.

Then proceed to add your water as per the brewing method, slowly and in a circular fashion and with a pencil thin stream. Pay attention to the water level and weight on the digital display until you hit the perfect coffee to water ratio.

What Should You Look For In A Digital Coffee Scale?

Your coffee scale should have a tare function as this is something that you will use a lot, literally, with every coffee that you make. Another must have is a digital display for ease of viewing. If you are squinting your eyes to look at an analogue scale, every second that is wasted your coffee is degrading.

The digital display should be accurate to at least one decimal place, obviously, two decimal places are better.

Your digital coffee scale should not be too big. It should be small enough to fit in your pocket yet not so small that it is convenient and easy to use for a few different brewing methods, like pour-over, French press and espresso shots.

You should be able to put your brewing apparatus on the scale without any fear of breaking it, it’s getting wet, tipping over. It should be flat and water-resistant to a degree that a few splashes of water, milk or a jet of steam doesn’t break it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pour Over Coffee Scale

Do I Need A Scale For Pour Over Coffee?

Yes,

you do need a scale for pour over coffee. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that you need a digital scale for all kinds of coffee brewing and coffee drinks that you are making be it an espresso based drink, siphon coffee, French press or whatever.

A good coffee scale will help you to get that great level of accuracy and precision. If you have one with a timer, it is even better. You will end up with a repeatable process and make great coffee each and every time you brew it.

What Coffee Scale Should I Buy?

Which coffee scale you should buy will depend on the brewing method that you use most often. The Timemore coffee gram scale is one that is very versatile. With an accuracy of 0.1 grams, it is perfect for espresso, French press, Chemex and pour-over coffee. It has an integrated timer to help you to have full control over your brew time.

How Accurate Are Coffee Scales?

The accuracy of coffee scales is something that is very important. Measurements in increments of just 1 gram are not accurate enough.

Thankfully,

most scales have a great deal of accuracy and increments of 0.1 grams have the minimum required precision that you will need for brewing great coffee. Some of the better digital coffee scales have an accuracy and precision of .01 grams. Being able to measure 1/100th of a gram and get, for example, 10.17 grams of coffee every single time.

You can easily maintain accuracy by using a calibration kit every 3 to 6 months.

Can I Use Coffee Scale For Baking?

Yes,

you can use your coffee scale for measuring your ingredients for baking. This type of scale is highly accurate and can normally be read in 0.1 or 0.01 gram increments. This makes it perfect for brewing coffee and for baking.

Is A Scale Necessary For Pour Over Coffee?

In my opinion, yes, a coffee scale is necessary for brewing the perfect pour over coffee. It helps you not only to get a better brew, it helps to get a greater consistency.

Pour over coffee is the brewing method that gets more total dissolved solids into your brew than other brewing methods and is particularly brilliant at getting all the intricate and delicate flavors into your cup and thus to get it right, to get it perfect it is best that you use a coffee scale.

How Do You Pour Over Coffee With A Scale?

Using a scale is easy: Simply pour with care and attention. Start by pouring only 60 grams of hot water. This to saturate your coffee grounds, the time should take 15 seconds. Pour in a spiral fashion.

Let your grounds bloom for 25 to 30 seconds.

Then continue the pour using the spiral technique, being careful not to flood your coffee grounds. Finish when your coffee weight reaches the predetermined weight.

Can You Make Pour Over Without A Scale?

Yes, you can still make a pour over coffee without using a coffee scale. Your coffee will not be as tasty as it could be as you are using your eye and volume based measurements rather than the more accurate measuring by weight.

Do I Need A Scale For V60?

Yes, the manual brewing coffee is better when you are using a timer and a coffee scale. It is not absolutely essential that you use a scale, but it will help you to brew a better cup of coffee.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – Pour Over Coffee Scale

The absolute, hand on my heart truth is you need to use a pour over coffee scale when you are making pour over coffee and other types of coffee drinks. It is a pretty simple device, and they really take your coffee to the next level.

I like to think of using them as bringing science to coffee and creating a repeatable process.

Join our fun and friendly coffee community. Join in the conversation by telling us about your experience with a coffee scale, which one you use and share your tips and tricks with your fellow coffee lovers! Find us on Facebook/Meta!

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location