EDIT: The long awaited follow-up video to this is now live, the Acaia Lunar review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rp9oabKBz9nNYoU.html Hey Acaia if you see this, feel free to send a review unit for a proper side-by-side ;) Comment below what scale you're using!

Finally someone is saying that it makes no sense to pay this much for a scale!

Definitely agree. When I worked as a barista, I got a chance to use the lunar and besides being water-resistant(not officially) it's not any better than many other scales out there. I gotta admit, it's a good looking scale though.

Thank you for this! I bought the scale you recommended and you're right, it's pefect for pulling my espresso shots. I sent back a much more expensive scale I had bought previously. It had a lot of nice features, which may well be useful for folks with complicated pour-over protocols, but are not at all relevant to just pulling espresso shots; it was also too big for my espresso machine!

I completely agree. Never saw the logic on dropping so much on a scale. If you browse all the reddits and go deep in youtube most people just use scales in the 10$ range.

Right on point Xris! I have also a small scale that cost 25€ and it has a timer too! Better to spend money on a naked portafilter, a milk pitcher, a good tamper, a precision basket and a shower screen and you still have money left to buy a fellow atmos and a bag of coffee 😉!

I love my Greater Goods scale! I got a different model for about $22. Larger black scale with nice bright easy to read display, and it's big enough for me to do pourover and measure cold brew on including water. Been using for 6 months with no issues and haven't even changed the batteries yet.

Hi, Xris. Just getting started, researching home espresso, and I find your content to be very useful and enjoyable. Keep it up!

I have this exact scale. It works really good. Just make sure you don't get it wet, i ruined mine and had to order another one. Very responsive and zero to no latency.

Bought that amazon scale after seeing once of your videos. It absolutely gets the job done, and so far I see no reason to spend $$$ for a nice one

I used this scale for more than half year now, it kinda half broke after the first few weeks after i spilled coffee on it, It still works but the numbers are extremely hard to read, I need to turn my iphone camera flashlight on it in order to read its number, there are no other way for me to read it. It’s not the best but it’s still an amazing value for what it does. I put up with it for couple month and finally had enough and just purchased the timemore scale to replace this couple days ago

Thank you so much for this upload. I was trying to convince myself I needed to get a $200 scale but couldn't justify the pricetag! I already have an affordable scale that works like a charm but this would be a great back up if my other goes out! Thanks again! Cheers!

Thank you so much! Ive been searching for something and cant possibly justify the Acaia price!!! Going right to amazon and purchasing. BTW -- who would DISLIKE this video or saving lots of $$$ HAHAHA people with deep pockets or Acaia sales reps? LOL ♥

This video hit all the reasons I don't want to spend over $200 on a scale, and also recommended something that will fit under the group of my apartmento. It was also pleasing to the eye, and passive aggressive af. 10/10 subscribed

When it comes to espresso, it’s more about if the scale skips decimal points of a gram in order to keep up with the speed of the shot. With a good scale, you’ll be able to see the numbers change by .1, whereas a cheaper one might go from .1 to .6 in an instant.

Totally agree. You don’t need an expensive scale just to get a good espresso. A simple scale and you timer in your phone (w/c every has one) is all you need. You can also find an app that can do countdown timer.

thank you so much for this bro. all love from sydney Australia. never understood why everyone uses such ridiculously high priced scales for no reason just fancy branding.

this scale works so well, so simple and at such a small price. I love it. Glad I used your link to get one :)

The one I use - Amazon - Weightman Espresso scale with silicone bowl $15. The Scale sits in a silicone bottom case, so the backsplash dose not hit the scale from under the drip tray when 3-way valve triggers. It dose have a timer start/stop function button also.

Thank for this vid! I've been considering upgrading vs using the scale that I have. Two points, good luck measuring anything out to the tenth of a gram so in my mind the purported tenth of a gram precision is overkill. Second, another easy tare solution is to just remember the weight of your portafilter and cup and do the pre-school math to know what an 18 g dose and a 36 g shot is (assuming an 18 g double shot basket in the portafilter).

Been looking for a nice little scale for my home espresso bar, was using an old amazon basics one that for the most part has worked like a charm for being $9 but due to it's shape and size stuck out a lot when placed under the machine so wanted a nice little scale and this ticked off all the boxes, looks like the price has gone up to $23 bucks but had a $10 amazon gift card so I ordered this right away, can't wait to try it. Thanks for the recommendation!

Well said! I bought one off of Amazon with a timer and it's fantastic. 12 bucks also.

Thank you.. for ending a several hour long quest to find a great and affordable scale that would fit my needs without sacrificing accuracy or quality.

Thank you for showing how quickly it measures!

Mate. I’ve been looking for a fast scale for brewing with the PicoPresso when travelling. This looks perfect. Ordered today. Thank as always.

Two things to keep in mind, water proofing in case something spills (will be hard to clean oils out of this scale) Some more expensive scales have a better way of handling how the weight "plate" and "base" works which allows for either more accurate reading depending on where you're putting in. For example, cheaper scales use 4 corner points on the bottom instead of using the full base + plate to calculate weight.

Thank you Xris. My sentiments exactly. I had been looking at the Acaia for a while now and just couldn't justify dropping $200 plus for a scale. Just ordered the $12 scale via your link. I am currently using my Vitamix branded scale and needed a smaller one for my espresso machine. :-)

I remember an app (I forget his name) that detects the sound of the coffee machine, automatically starts the timer and automatically stops it.

I love the fact that the display is on the side, it's a neat feature ! I wish somebody made USB-C version of this model, we're getting rid of batteries altogether in our house so I can't justify buying this

The first scale I bought from a tea shop in Malaysia.. it was around 10usd. Been using it for a few years now... I dropped it countless times and even had water in it to the point rust formed on the battery ends! it is still working and very accurate ...it even measures 0.01g. The only issue is the max load of 200g. I bought another one, which is basically the same scale but with different branding and I think it is 500g. I have two more that are more expensive and geared towards coffee users, I never use them, I'm just using the accurate cheap scales...oh and they are really fast and don't take up space.

I stopped thinking about it right at the app part. Apps are not needed for every single electronic product or appliance. Thanks so much for this review!

One problem I've noticed with these cheaper scales that seems to be common is scale drift.

Haha I love your commentary man! Rock solid and on spot! "while most people will look weird at us while we measure weigh and time every drop coming from a machine" :D So true... so true. thanks for this review, exactly what I was looking for as I'm about to participate in the Dutch Brewers Cup 2022 prelims 😊need to practice making 3 brews at the same time. well almost at the same time, cascading. so I need 3 scales. 3 x 225 = heart attack whereas 3 x12 = very doable

You are so right. You can also complicate the whole thing unnecessarily

I bought a small $10 scale & a $10 timer that can magnetically attached to my machine and they work great. No need to fork out $200 more for such a simple set up. I also have a $25 scale that has a timer built in for pour over, works perfectly as well.

Great video. I’m gonna try this scale. The only thing I would add that attracted me to the Acacia is the waterproof aspect. I’m on my second cheap Amazon scale in as many months because the scale has gotten wet under the machine a few times and bombed. So, there is a case to be made there. Not a $250 case…but let’s see how many of these scales I go through.

I use the scale for the last year also and it's perfect. Funny to find this video. I was completely confused as to why people are spending $150+ for what are often bulkier thicker scales.

Put the cup on the scale before you turn it on to auto-tare. Not sure about that exact scale but mine does it.

I really felt that the bit where you kept misspelling espresso in the Google search 😅

I've been using this scale for about 2 years and it has never let me down. The only thing that I'm wary of is that it isn't waterproof.

Glad to know I’m not the only one who stores my frothing pitcher in my snake plant 🪴

Been in the espresso game for over 5 years and i have come to realize whatever accessories related to espresso are overpriced af

Ok, a few counter arguments here. Firstly, the lunar is way smaller, which is needed when you use something like a flair or other lever machine that has limited space for scales. Second, the flow rate tracking is again quite useful for lever machines as they are much more inconsistent, so it would be a good tool to know "ok, this shot was very good with this flow profile, so I can try and replicate it next time". Third, it pairs with the smart profiler for lever machines and decent espresso machines (the brand decent), when you combine an acaia scale with these setups you can get the most accurate profiling of espresso shots, especially on lever machines where you can actually get as consistent with these tools as an automatic machine. These are of course niche usecases, moreso to do with lever machines and profiling shots, and this would make for a ridiculous setup for like a flair (200 dollar scale, 400 smart profiler, all for a 200 dollar machine) but with something like a olympia cremina I could see someone dropping 600 bucks more to get more precious on features out of their machine

Thanks for the video. Clear, concise and informative 👍

Great Mentions

I agree with this whole heartedly. I was thinking about the acaia at the beginning of the year, but found a $4 kitchen scale with timer from aliexpress and thought I'd take a chance because it was so cheap. I've spilt water on it, dropped it, and tossed it, haha. Still works perfectly 10 months and 200ish pourovers later.

try using a timer with a flair and profiling your shots. My pressures and scales are all synced via bluetooth to my iPad pulling turbo shots and its variants.

I think it's quite simple. This was for a time the only scale that is capable of measuring flow rate. Together with machine like Decent or with smart pressure profiler you are able to track what happens with your brew. If you have Decent or SPP you need this kind of scale. That said there is a competition now. It's called Skale 2. Never tested it but I think it does pretty much the same. For fraction of the price. Final note. Acaia is not a scale. It's a flow rate measuring device. If you need a scale buying this product is a waste of money.

I've had my Gaggia classic for about a year now and I've never used a scale because everything I've seen has been $150-200. I just ordered two of these scales from amazon, will compare them to see if they are accurate. Thank you for this video!

Thanks for making this video Xris! Just bought an ECM Classika and was thinking of getting the Timemore because it’s cheaper than the Lunar. But this one’s an even better option and smaller too. I already own a Hario scale but was worried that the water from the E61 drain valve could damage the electronics, since the Hario isn’t designed to get wet, unlike the Lunar or Timemore. Is this scale safe from getting wet? How do you deal with that?

Thank you very much!! Ur the man!! exactly what I've been looking for lol

Very good point you bring to the table, as i am embarked on a journey to find me a decent coffee/brewing scale. Just to nitpick, water resistance? does this scale offer a degree of water resistance? because not all of us are so handsy as baristas. I tend to spill from time to time. but I agree, water resistance to a degree, as a acaia offers does not justify the over 200 dollar price.

I had this scale and bought a Félicita ARC on AliExpress. Still, you are 💯 % right. Totally useless to pay 10-20 times the price to have that flashy scale. What maters is the result in the cup , and the scale changes nothing .

I see the point you make, however, when I drop 3k+ on a machine, I might get a sexy looking scale with it ;) Plus the Lunar has flow mode as well, counting the preinfusion time when pulling the lever. It came with one of their recent firmware updates.

Xris, as always, great video, but I think it might be good to mention somenthing: I think that for this particular hobby, this video touches a delicate matter. I agree that the lunar is way overpriced for what it is, but think of it this way: You changed your Gaggia for the Rocket because you wanted more steaming power, that you could get by waiting a bit more between drinks, and for more thermal stability that you could achieve by dominating the temp surfing technique. At one point you could say, is that worth sending 1200$ more when just a bit more patience and elbow grease would do the trick? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you made a bad investment, I think that it is perfectly fine to spend a lot of money in your hobby if it brings you joy and happiness, and that the rocket is a machine that has a very good value for the money. I think that in this hobby in particular it is weird to use the tone you used when talking about the features of the acaia because those arguments could easily be used for things we usually think are OK, like upgrading because we want more steam power to make more drinks instead of waiting a bit more time between steaming two pitchers. But then again, great video, looks as nice as always, and I agree with you (would never buy an acaia).

100% you don’t need a $200 scale. But you also don’t need a $1000 iPhone 12 I see you holding ;) great alternate product btw. As an Acaia pearl S owner I will say the apps are janky but the convenience out ways the negatives. Guys not auto taring is so convenient and I love the auto start for v60 and pour overs. Ever make a chemex brew? It’s like 20 steps! This scale runs us through step by step! What other scale does that?!

In defense of the Lunar: I own a Lunar. I've also owned the Brewista Smart Scale II, and the AWS SC-2kg scale. And I worked as a barista and cafe manager for 6 years. The Lunar isn't essential for the home user, but it's a nice luxury. Keep in mind that this scale was developed primarily for use in a commercial setting; it's the most responsive and sensitive scale at that price point (you can set it to 0.01g precision if you want), it's very sturdily built, it has a rechargeable battery (that can last for months without recharging, with home usage), and most importantly, it's *water resistant*. Speaking from experience, a $20 Amazon scale will last for about a month of a commercial bar before its display succumbs to water damage from moisture ingress. I also had to replace the batteries in my AWS scale every month. The auto-tare and auto-timer features are also directed more towards cafes; the workflow is much faster-paced than your half-awake average Joe at 7am, and it's not an uncommon workflow to set the cup on the scale (auto-tare) and engage the pump (auto timer start) all at once. I have my Lunar set to auto-tare and start the timer at first drip, myself. My machine has a timer built in to the PID, so I can already time from engaging the pump. Knowing the time from first drop is also useful if you're playing around with flow or pressure profiling, and have long preinfusions (e.g. taking 30+ seconds before the first drop hits the puck). Tl;dr The Lunar has convenient features, but it's not a need-to-have.

I’ve been searching for a good scale for coffee, I typically make pour overs and aero presses. The only thing about this scale that I’m not sold on is it’s small size. That’s great for espresso but I think my chemex would cover the whole bottom including the buttons. What insight do you have on that?

My only problem is that is too long for my puristika. Anything bigger that a puristika will work fine.

Not sure about all of the arguments. Been there done that. Started with simple scale and moved all the way to acaia. It's comfortable and it just works. Also it is more water proof in comparison to the one you're using. Apps are useless, the only good thing is related to firmware updates that adds some cool functions once in a while.

what about manual machines, mesuring the flow is important

Ps the cheap scale u show HAS An auto tare! Put cup on scale Turn on = Auto Tare

I got a cheep coffee scale with a timer for $25 on Amazon and love it and it super small I just don’t use the auto tare feature or the auto start timer feature I do both manually and love it can put link if asked

If you're like me and find you often leave phone in another room and thus don't have a timer, you could just buy a little magnetic timer to stick on the coffee machine and you'll still be saving a lot compared to the acaia!

I am using Felicita - Lunar clone actually. In whole honesty it's an overkill :) but it's fast when it comes to measuring. Since I am also brewing beer I do use it for measuring hops. Let's say it's ok :) For the timer part I totally agree with you, you can get a cheap magnetic kitchen timer for 3-4$ The thing where these scales shine is I believe with pour overs where you can actually track the hell out of your coffee routine. For espresso - it's an overkill.

I bought the very same scales. $12 is a fantastic price but here in the UK it cost double that but still a great scale for the price.

Dude this video had me cracking up... subbed immediately.

Dude just got a new suscriber!

0:29 😂 Still waiting for that thumbnail tutorial :)

I like the way you approach this. However, I see an issue with the design of this specific scale. It does not really work if you want to put two cups on the tray. It's even worse if you want to steam milk at the same time. As you said, a lot of functionalities on high-end scales are useless for espresso. The key features are limited thickness to leave room for the cup, water resistance, and enough width to put the portafilter on it. Unless you can connect the brew switch of the espresso machine to the scale via Bluetooth or wifi, a timer is useless.

I work in a coffee shop that uses acacia scales and they are kind of infuriating to use. A lot of the smart features are way too easy to accidentally activate and they usually just get in the way. It’s a pretty scale but I definitely wouldn’t pay that much for it

The Lunar is geared towards a cafe setting however has been adopted by home users. I agree it is massively overpriced however, the way it has streamlined my workflow is great. No faffing with my phone setting up timers etc

Thanks for this, just purchased a Gaggia Classic Pro & was worried the CJ4000 scale wasn’t going to have enough clearance with the machine.

This machine is extremely easy to use and makes great cappuccino!

I got a different cheap scale, which works fine. My concerns are just the consitency and accuracy of the weight. I noticed mie weighs different at some places (Not torque free). But this can easily be measured with a measuring standard). Also critical could be, and that's why you have always the same measurement, that it saves the last 10 measurements, and if one is pretty much equal, that it uses the same result. Which could be verified by measuring randomly the known measuring standard weight. And that it needs longer to turn on. But this concern are relatively easy to verify.

Now this is a good video comparison.... making the point perfectly "why spend $225 for a digital scale". Amen!

you are so right! But, I think the point isn't that it can do more than others. Why shouldn't acaia by making that expensive scale if so many people do buy it. I think people buying an 3000-dollar espresso machine just don't want to use a 12 dollar scale along with it.

Problem for my setup is the drippy pressure overflow and drippy steam want will be right over the controls. Gonna short out.. But thank you

where's the part that you talk about the bluetooth

acaia needs to come out with a scale that is not full of recipe/ software enhancements!

you just got a new subscriber!

Hmmmm, I have the same scale but found it became unreliable after a month. After taring with an empty cup and sitting perfectly still the read-out would start displaying fluctuating weights. I had taped up the battery compartment for waterproofing and then made a little splash guard for when the pressure release spits water out the bottom near the scale when you stop a shot. I ended up going back to my ProScale XC2000

I have this scale but i don't have a cup to catch the grinded beans. I am trying to find something that can weigh the whole PF

Great video. Just what I was looking for. Question regarding when to start the timer if manually timing the brew with a scale like this: If I added 3 seconds of pre-infusion to the shot would you say that the timer starts after 3 seconds or start as soon as the switch is flipped? Keep up with the content man. Really appreciate them.

Just because you don't understand the auto start mode doesn't mean it's not helpful. It's not about starting the timer whenever you put your cup on the scales. Put your cup on the scales and tare. if you're doing a pour over the timer starts whenever the water hits the coffee for a bloom. If you're doing an espresso the timer start when the first drops hits your cup. So I would argue it's more helpful in the former case, but still useful in the latter. I can't see it that it's worth hundreds of dollars, but making decisions about things you don't understand is not helpful. It wasn't that hard was it?

Waterproof

The Acaia is kind of crazy, but what about the Timemore? Only about double the price and is designed to prevent liquid from entering the housing. Should one have a spill or overflow incident I wonder how this little one would fare?

Thank you for the video. 12 bucks for 10 month. Even if it breaks, it was a dollar and cents / month 😬. Buying it. Couldn’t justify Acaia, long story short it was the last accessory Im getting. Couldn’t justify 225 in my mind.

Great video! I will say though, as an owner of a Lunar, I don't think youre giving enough credit to overall design. The Lunar just looks cleaner. A E S T H E T I C S matter. And after thousands of shots, the built in timer is HIGHLY appreciated. Fiddling around with a phone is okay for a while but you won't know what you're missing till you have it built in. I do agree the other auto detection modes are fairly useless though. The Lunar is also big enough to serve as a damn fine pourover scale, which I take advantage of every day. I wouldn't be caught dead trying to balance my v60 on the little scale in this vid. Add to that the rechargable battery, never having to worry about those damn AAA batteries again. Also with the app I can change the units from grams to ounces, which is huge for me since I'm a coffee roaster as well and pack my coffee in 10 oz bags. And finally, customer service - After my battery experienced bloat and rendered my scale useless, I just hit up Acaia's customer service team and they replaced the battery free of charge. So basically, the Lunar is a 1 scale solution to all of my coffee needs.

Thank You for this video. I've probably purchases 3 or 4 scales for this purpose and was trying to justify in my mind a $225 Acaia or another maybe $55 dollar product and your video has convinced me otherwise. What I am looking for is something smaller, accurate, and simple to use that is reliable. My machine has a shot timer, so that's a feature I absolutely don't want or need. Great stuff. Thanks!

Well. I guess I saved at least some money with watching your video. And I seem to like this scale even more than the premium espresso scale designs. Thanks. 😇

Hi I was wondering what are the dimensions for this scale? I can’t seem to find info on that anywhere…

The only purpose for getting an acia scale is if you have a decent machine and connect the two in order to get auto stop at a weight

When the ending shot popped up (the pic of you staring intently into the camera), I thought it would be neat if that was slightly animated, like a high FPS, slowed down clip of you taking a sip? :)

Anyone that know where you can buy the scale in Europe?

Waterproofness IS a quality which is missing in your - and mine - cheaper scale. This is imo a important quality; especially with espresso and naked pf (leaking etc.)

People who buy a $200 scale for making coffee probably also have a closet full of designer purses, an expensive watch collection, or a car to drive for every day of the week. That, or they have bad spending habits. When money is no object, or you’re just really impulsive, the coffee industry knows just how to capitalize on your desires.

I love this

Decent scales are so hard to find. I bought like 3 and had to send them back, bc they would measure different weights when I re-weighed things. That's why acaia is so popular I think. However, change is starting to come about, I'm currently using Timemoore scales on Amazon, they're not perfect, but they're the best I've had. The scales you're using look great!! In summary, I think acaia had a monopoly for a while, but they're gonna have to seriously reconsider their price some time soon.

Not just Acaia. The Brewista scale is $90 and that's beyond ridiculous for how crappy it feels. My long-time dream has been for Acaia to release base models of their scales. I don't care about bluetooth, I don't care about apps or the firmware. I don't care about half the modes that the Pearl, Pearl S, or the Lunar has. But I have never found a scale that feels as good for bar workflow as Acaia's scales, especially given that they're water resistant, the perfect size for multiple uses, and are ultra responsive without much, if any, weight drift. Acaia would sell TONS of units if they just stripped down to the weight-only and timer/weight modes while keeping the style, responsiveness, and water-resistance that makes them preferable to other brew scales.