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Scales

8K views 46 replies 18 participants last post by  Komatoes 
#1 ·
Anybody recommend a decent, affordable set of scales for making coffee. Have done a search but can't find anything.

Cheers
 
#4 ·
Dylan said:
Those scales are very big. Not always suitable for espresso machine.

These ones are very popular for cheap scales and a better size: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Criacr-Weighing-Stainless-Ingredients-Batteries/dp/B01DGLFVS0/ref=sr_1_3_ccp_nc
All depends on the OP's brew method really. The first set posted would work better for pourover. I have a set of the ones you linked to & the 3000g max has meant they've taken over the majority of kitchen duties.

Laissez les bons temps rouler
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
Oblivion said:
I use these happily. I can't squeeze a mug under my Verona group (even with a naked portafilter) using them, but the timer is very convenient. I extract into a cup, then transfer to a larger mug.
 
#10 ·
Going on previous posts these are popular

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Criacr-Weighing-Stainless-Ingredients-Batteries/dp/B01DGLFVS0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1548765164&sr=8-3&keywords=scales+0.1g

They crop up with several names on them. My son uses some for other things and playing around with them they are pretty good - round button model. Actual real accuracy doesn't matte only that it's repeatable. 3kg is probably a good idea as it suggests that what's inside is probably fairly robust. A lot of the low capacity ones that read to 0.01g aren't

Timer separate or mobile phone app.

John

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#12 ·
Jony said:
I meant Google.
A Google search will throw up any old scales! Just like I wouldn't trust a Google search for what coffee machine to buy! I would prefer recommendations from people that use the scales for what I want them for. Hence why I searched on a coffee forum and found nothing so asked the question.
 
#13 ·
As a plasterer cheesed me off I decided to be frivolous and buy myself a sweetie. So bought these after some thought

Peripheral Gadget Laptop accessory Font Rectangle


Waterproof was one attraction and I liked the look of them
;)
partly makes up for the cost but still cheaper than the alternative which looks pretty dull and ordinary.

John

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#16 ·
The ones linked on Amazon seem to be a mixture of "branded" and "copied", with a range of prices. I first bought a pair from Creamsupplies a few years ago branded "On Balance" - they were good but not water resistant (none of them are) so be careful if weighing your shots while brewing. The on/off button started to play up so I bought a copycat scale from ebay. Not the same build quality, but probably the same load cell - so far so good (I am keeping these dry). I wanted a second set for use at work and found a pair of On Balance scales on ebay (private sale for 10 quid) but they switch off after a few secs so I got my money back.

I use the 2000x0.1g version.
 
#18 ·
They are a bit cranky design wise in some ways but accurate. They pass the £1 coin followed by another at all tared out weights I have tried it at. The entire top is the platform and even has the buttons on it. It still manages to tare correctly even though touching the button changes the weight. Some care is needed if weight of the grinds in a portafilter are being checked. If the balance point of the portafilter is way off centre there can be a 0.2g error if the portafilter was tared out with it central. This just means taring and checking with it in more or less the same place and doesn't surprise me. The much larger Adam's school lab scales I did use don't do that. They don't seem to continuously auto zero as the Adam's scales do. For instance on those if one bean at a time is added slowly they will ignore them. It's not that unusual for that level of scales to have some min weight before they start actually weighing.

The rubber mat is rubber - good point in my view. It just drops in place. I'm glad I decided to bin my silicone rubber tamping mat and switch to a rubber one. Much easier to keep clean.

I'd hope they are overload protected. The manual is a bit naff. It may or may not show that the battery needs charging and they suggest not running it flat anyway. Maybe it shows when it needs charging. Should do really as it does show when it is charging. The battery state of charge can be read with the mobile phone ap they do. Also various things changed. I have a bit of a problem with the double tap to turn off so may alter that's timing.
;)
Usually finish up tapping 3 or 4 times and then it gets the message.

Lunar - I suspected might be the same scale and £50 cheaper and preferred the look as well. This might indicate that they are the same - copied down to changing the resolution. If steps are the same as the Lunar ........................

Font Material property Rectangle Number Pattern


John

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#19 ·
John in the Decent Espresso thread described the Felicita as a 'Chinese knockoff' of the Acaia, so they may very well be a reverse engineered version of them - I doubt they are the same scale but you could email Acaia to ask if they helped in the development of them, John's comment rather makes me think they did not.

I am waiting for John to bring out his Decent Scales, but I think I would pick the Acaia Pearl over these Felicita scales.
 
#20 ·
rodduz said:
A Google search will throw up any old scales! Just like I wouldn't trust a Google search for what coffee machine to buy! I would prefer recommendations from people that use the scales for what I want them for. Hence why I searched on a coffee forum and found nothing so asked the question.
Tell google to search this forum, as the built in search facility might as well throw random topics and yield a better result.

So, I usually do search the forum like this:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=site:coffeeforums.co.uk+scales

Hope this helps.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
Dylan said:
I doubt they are the same scale but you could email Acaia to ask if they helped in the development of them, John's comment rather makes me think they did not.
Funnily enough I've just seen a parallel thread on H-B where someone did contact Acaia, who allegedly said that there is no relationship or license agreement between Acaia and Felicita. Apparently, the user guide actually contained the word "lunar" - guess they must have missed it when doing that find and replace! I can't corroborate any of this, just saying what the H-B thread threw up.

I'm personally just waiting for a scale without any fancy tech or app that is the right size for espresso, and properly waterproof, with a responsive load cell at 1kg_0.1g. I don't even care about timers particularly. All I really want is to end the cycle of "weigh, pray and throw away" of all these £7 non-waterproof scales. Even if you dry them out and they continue to work, you end up with coffee under the display. But I can't pay £140 for waterproofing. May as well buy a crate of Amir type scales, and consider them as consumables, except that is pretty environmentally hostile.

___

Eat, drink and be merry
 
#23 ·
Just looked it up. Sounds pretty good stuff, though not cheap. Have you tried it on your scales? How would you ensure the stuff gets all over the right parts though, wouldn't you have to soak them or dismantle? They said it's non-toxic. Not sure if that's the same as food safe but a good start.

___

Eat, drink and be merry
 
#24 ·
hotmetal said:
Funnily enough I've just seen a parallel thread on H-B where someone did contact Acaia, who allegedly said that there is no relationship or license agreement between Acaia and Felicita. Apparently, the user guide actually contained the word "lunar" - guess they must have missed it when doing that find and replace! I can't corroborate any of this, just saying what the H-B thread threw up.

I'm personally just waiting for a scale without any fancy tech or app that is the right size for espresso, and properly waterproof, with a responsive load cell at 1kg_0.1g. I don't even care about timers particularly. All I really want is to end the cycle of "weigh, pray and throw away" of all these £7 non-waterproof scales. Even if you dry them out and they continue to work, you end up with coffee under the display. But I can't pay £140 for waterproofing. May as well buy a crate of Amir type scales, and consider them as consumables, except that is pretty environmentally hostile.

___

Eat, drink and be merry
Throw the amir scales in a sandwich bag & viola they're waterproof!

Laissez les bons temps rouler
 
#25 ·
hotmetal said:
Just looked it up. Sounds pretty good stuff, though not cheap. Have you tried it on your scales? How would you ensure the stuff gets all over the right parts though, wouldn't you have to soak them or dismantle? They said it's non-toxic. Not sure if that's the same as food safe but a good start.

___

Eat, drink and be merry
I use to use on my castle creations speed controller.
 
#26 ·
hotmetal said:
Funnily enough I've just seen a parallel thread on H-B where someone did contact Acaia, who allegedly said that there is no relationship or license agreement between Acaia and Felicita. Apparently, the user guide actually contained the word "lunar" - guess they must have missed it when doing that find and replace! I can't corroborate any of this, just saying what the H-B thread threw up.

.
Felicita does appear to be a Chinese company despite apparently having some form of USA source. That could be a distributor which is also what Acaia probably effectively is. It is possible to find company info on them.

I'd suspect that the guts in the Lunar and the Falicita are exactly the same and all of the bits in both probably originate from the same place.

;)
I did try looking at various manuals on both. Falicita has been as it is from day 1 as far as I can see. That doesn't seem to be the case with the Lunar - gave up as of no consequence to me really and difficult to put dates on changes.

The double tap problem is mostly me -
;)
I am getting used to the rate needed. The weight shift off centre is pretty normal for very slim scales. 18mm in this case. I used a 500g weight to check that, right at the edge of the platform. If the balance point of the portafilter is put close to the centre where it should be really no problems. Inverting the rubber mat also supports it when placed like that even if it has spouts. Used as it's sometimes shown wont cause problems either providing it's tared in the same position. Personally I don't think that is a wise thing to do.

John

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