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If you’re after truly great-tasting coffee, you might want to put down that tablespoon because measuring coffee by volume doesn’t account for the variation in size between different coffee grounds and even different types of beans. That means each spoonful can yield different results, making for inconsistent cups. But the best coffee scales make it easy to get accurate measurements that really do impact the quality of brew that ends up in your cup. In fact, the experts at Blue Bottle Coffee Lab explained that being able to measure your coffee grounds provides a level of consistency and control that you just can’t get by eyeballing it.
With that in mind, here's what to look for to find a quality coffee scale.
Essential Features
- Tare Function: Look for options with tare in order to ensure accurate measurements no matter what sort of container you’re measuring into. Tare will zero out the weight of your device, so you can just weigh the beans, grounds, etc. The most precise scales are accurate to within 1/100th of a gram, though many others can nail it down to 1/10th.
- Unit Conversion: The best coffee relies on the right ratio of coffee to water, and that is usually measured in grams and milliliters. But if you don't like to do math in the morning, look for a model that will convert those measurements into ounces or pounds.
- Size: When it comes to the scale platform, do you need something that will accommodate a large pour-over setup, or do you have a small French press? You can also consider a kitchen scale that can multitask for other cooking tasks.
Extra Considerations
- A Tray: A scale that includes a tray will keep whole beans from rolling off the scale if you like to grind yours fresh every day.
- A Timer: This is a really handy feature to have for pour-over coffee especially, since it means you don’t have to babysit your brew. Some models even come with an alarm, so you don't have to keep glancing back at the interface.
- Display: A backlit LCD screen makes it easy to see your measurements — especially nice if you're up early and don't fancy harsh overheads at that hour.
Whether you're a Chemex wizard or you rely on a tiny five-cup coffee maker to get your fix, the coffee scales below will make the best part of waking up a little bit easier and that much more enjoyable.
Note: All weight ranges are listed in grams below to provide a relatable reference point for each scale's range.
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1
The Best For Most: A Feature-Rich Coffee Scale With A Tray
- Weight range: approximately 0.085 – 3,000 grams, measures in 0.1 gram increments
This coffee scale with a tray was optimized for coffee fanatics of every stripe: from pour over to French press to AeroPress, and beyond. As one reviewer summed it up as "feature rich in an affordable unit." It has a built-in unit converter and tare function displayed on a large LCD backlit screen. The tray makes it easy to weigh out your beans or grounds without having to worry they’ll spill everywhere, but shoppers reported it was also great for baking and cooking. If you're using the scale to brew your coffee directly on, the tray removes to reveal a non-slip rubber mat. You can measure out your water precisely, and stand by while the built-in timer runs. (There's no alarm though, so keep an eye on it.) The unit measures 7.5 inches by 5 inches, but note that the scale area itself is 5 inches by 5 inches.
2
The Best For Those Looking For An Integrated Pour-Over System
- Weight range: up to 2,000 grams, measures in 0.1 gram increments
The Hario V60 coffee scale is beloved by pour-over enthusiasts for being lightweight and easy to use, giving you all the essential features you need in a sleek package. It has inspired a legion of followers as part of a perfect at-home pour-over setup made to work seamlessly together: it can be paired with the matching drip coffee stand and this pour over coffee starter set (sold separately). While the entire scale measures 7.4 inches by 4.7 inches, the platform space is smaller. It tares and has a built-in timer that comes with a five-minute automatic shutoff when the scale is not in use to prevent battery drain. It has a few minor drawbacks — there's no alarm on the timer, it doesn't convert (everything is in grams), and it's not LCD backlit — but reviewers still love it, with one calling it a "Must have for the home manual brewer."
3
The Most Precise: A Scale That Measures Down To 1/100th Of A Gram
- Weight range: 0.05 - 500 grams, measures in 0.01 gram increments
This uber-accurate kitchen scale gets granular, literally. With the ability to measure down to 1/100th of a gram, it's the most precise coffee scale on this list. It's also the smallest, measuring just 4.96 inches by 3.94 inches, but it has a ton of functional features in one tiny footprint. It comes with a precision tare button, and it can convert units. There are indicators for low battery, overload, and uneven surface placement for the most accurate measurement possible. It comes with a stainless steel platform and two trays for measuring small items that can roll off — and even displays specialty measurements for carats and troy ounces on the backlit LCD screen. The caveats? There's no timer, and the smaller size might not be practical for everyone, but coffee aficionados who tested it against calibrated weights reported that "precision is better than 1 bean."
4
The Best Multitasker: A Coffee Scale That Also Comes With A Mixing Bowl And Temperature Gauge
- Weight range: 1 – 5,000 grams, measures in 1 gram increments
The hands-down best feature for coffee on this digital kitchen scale is the timer with an alarm (so you don't have to have your eyes trained on the clock) — but the temperature sensor is a close second. "It's relatively compact, measures in both grams and ounces, has a thermometer (great for seeing what temperature my pour-over water is at), and a timer (great for using for the pour-over as well)," one reviewer noted. The scale has a tare function and come with a detachable stainless steel mixing bowl that can meter out your grounds or beans, and it pulls double-duty for baking (and the bowl nests neatly on top for easy storage). Thanks to the backlit display, you don’t have to worry about not being able to see the screen at 5:00 AM. One shopper still declared it "near perfection," and it got all-around high marks from coffee drinkers. For a point of reference for the size of the scale, the bowl measures 7.5 inches in diameter at the base.
5
The Best Budget Pick: A Digital Scale With Almost 20,000 Reviews
- Weight range: 1 - 5,000 grams, measures in 1 gram increments (recommended that the minimum weight is at least 3-5 grams)
This all-purpose kitchen scale, that's amassed nearly 20,000 Amazon reviews, has a large 5-inch-by-7-inch surface area that can accommodate small trays or large mixing bowls, with a slim profile and consistently accurate measurements that can even handle differentiating between water and milk volume for bakers. It has a tare function, a backlit display, and can convert units. It also has a helpful low battery indicator and an auto-off function, but there's no timer. That said, it's a super accurate scale for an incredible price. One shopper expected maybe "marginal accuracy" and decided to put this scale through its paces: "I have access to NBS traceable standards and decided to check this out (at the lab) when I got it." As for the result? "I make the best pour-over coffee you can get... and my secret is perfect ratios of water and coffee, combined in a reproducible manner... using this scale."
