I'm very fond of this little Escali Pico scale
http://www.amazon.com/Escali-N115S-Digi ... B003ST5YO2

It runs forever on a battery change, is small enough to fit under the group when I want to weigh a shot, and....it's cute as a bugs ear too....

IntrepidQ3 wrote:I will need to see what kinda power and additional information I can get from Acaia being linked to a tablet/phone. I will need to really look into this.

If you do pourovers the Acaia app might be useful. It has slots to support using the scale to hit a target brew time and ratio for V60, Clever, Chemex, Aeropress, etc., including three custom methods - about 17 methods in all. Just for grins I figured a way to use a custom method to record espresso shots, but can't say I recommend it for that. I think a paper logbook would be preferable. (I just use a very unreliable mental logbook.)

Here's a short video that gives you a clue to how the app works.

P.S.
Even if you set a short auto-shutoff, the Acaia will stay on overnight if you simply put something on the scale after turning it on or taring. It will always shut itself off if it's not plugged in and the battery gets really low.

boar_d_laze wrote:" But for heaven's sake, listen to Dan (and me) and buy a scale that won't shutoff automatically. Get AC. It's not a question of reliability, but one of convenience and the recognition that not only does stuff happen, but that it happens at exactly the wrong time.

Rich, I am rather confused about this statement... The two scales I decided to look at, Acaia and the Bonavita (the one Dan suggested and provides AC option), which neither do not shutoff automatically. Ok, the Acaia does after weight has been removed from the scale, but can be programed to a desired time limit... that is if I understand the manual correctly. It also has an AC option, which disables auto shutoff feature.

I have not ignored Dan and yours suggestion regarding the AC. I rarely do ignore it, both of you have seemed to have chimed in on the majority of my inquires regarding my coffee related purchases. My current set up reflects those suggestions. I do understand the auto shutoff frustration, my current scale shuts off automatically while I am weight pre/post roasting. There's nothing like having to empty out a container and having to retare it.

Also, I am not 'blaming' my preference on my fiance, just considering her in my decision on a new fixture that will be on the counter. Happy future wife, happy life... right?

The only problems with the Bonavita scale are that it's (a) too tall to put under the pf to weigh the shot as it happens; and (b) very expensive. I don't know about you, but I never weigh shots as they're pulled.

The Acaia scale doesn't appeal to me because it's (a) VERY expensive; and (b) you don't get anything meaningful for the extra money.

But to each his own. I'm not trying to control your decision, and obviously couldn't if I were. If it seems like I'm trying to sell my own conclusions then I expressed myself poorly. All I'm offering is the facts about the various scales' capabilities as I understand them, and a second set of friendly eyes on your analysis.

Happy wife, happy life? Maybe. Unhappy wife, unhappy life? For sure. Certainly consider her, treat her as an equal, and as your best friend. If ever you engage in selective truth telling, have the respect to come with your "A" grade bulls#it; she'll appreciate the respect even as see sees through you. And jewelery. Jewelery helps.

I've been involved with a few hobbies where WAF was extremely important (including manufacturing and selling high-end audio), but have never known a woman who would put an oar in over anything but price for something as invisible as a pocket scale. If you ask for her input on the choice of scales, five will get you ten she'll say "get what you want" while looking vaguely puzzled.

Rich

The Acacia scale seems all about the Bluetooth and the app aimed at pour-over. I got in on the Kickstarter so I got it for a good price, but sadly my phones are old enough that they don't support BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) so the only way I get to play with the app is to borrow my wife's iPad and that almost never happens.

That aside, I love and use the Acacia every day for dosing coffee and for cooking recipes. It has a very wide weight range (enough for measuring flour for making bread) with enough accuracy for dosing espresso and I've never had it shut off on me. The battery also seems to last forever.

The Jennings CJ4000 is a wonderful scale - I have used them for 3 years now, ever since I had an out-of-this-world pourover done on one at Olympia.

It runs for ages on batteries, and while it has a corded transformer option, I much prefer avoiding the cord.

It is accurate to 0.5 grams. Sebastian has made an excellent point - just because a scale displays values in 0.1 gram increments does not mean it is truly accurate to that degree, and in the sub-$50 price range, that kind of accuracy is dubious. If that accuracy matters to you, I suggest you order some calibration weights to confirm your scale.

I checked out Olympia's site - they sell another scale, the "AWS Scale WS SC-2KGA", that they say is accurate to 0.1 grams and they say it's the best, they weigh all their espresso shots on it.

kaldi61 wrote:I checked out Olympia's site - they sell another scale, the "AWS Scale WS SC-2KGA", that they say is accurate to 0.1 grams and they say it's the best, they weigh all their espresso shots on it.

That's the scale I recommended, the one which comes with an AC transformer. Not to be tiresome, but $21 at Amazon.

Rich

I suggest you order some calibration weights to confirm your scale.

Not really necessary as a new US penny weighs 2.500 grams according to the US Mint.

I keep a 35mm film canister with a few new pennies in it in a drawer of the coffee cart for that very reason.

Is the Acaia's display as hard to see as it appears to be in videos? There is not a whole lot of contrast against the white, and most videos make use of the app rather than the display itself.