CN1 Senior Member Joined: 5 Aug 2012 Posts: 18 Location: Chicago, IL Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Aug 18, 2012, 1:25pm Subject: Digital scale recommendation
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good digital scale for measuring beans for espresso? Looking to spend around $20 or so. There seem to be quite a few around $50, but I've heard they're not much better than the $20 variety.
Posted Sun Aug 19, 2012, 2:39pm Subject: Re: Digital scale recommendation
The Jennings scales have been working fine for me. The $20 one that Sweetmaria's and Orphan Espresso carry is a nice .1 gram pocket size for espresso dosing.
DCcoffeeman Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 47 Location: Maryland Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: MyPressi Twist, Bialetti... Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso, Zassenhaus Vac Pot: French press Drip: Melitta manual Roaster: Hot air popper
Posted Sun Aug 19, 2012, 2:58pm Subject: Re: Digital scale recommendation
I use an Oxo Good Grips food scale I bought at Bed Bath & Beyond (probably available lots of stores). The Good Grips registers up to 5 pounds, easily switches between ounces/lbs. and metric and has a zero out function. Use this scale for weighing coffee beans and other kitchen items. Very pleased with it. The price was $30.
Posted Sun Aug 19, 2012, 3:09pm Subject: Re: Digital scale recommendation
The Oxo scale has only a 1 gram accuracy, which means that, if you're weighing coffee for dosing, your 15 gram dose could be anywhere from 14.5 to 15.49 grams, so getting consistency from shot to shot will be difficult. I keep different scales for roasting, where a 1 gram accuracy is fine, and dosing, where a .1 gram accuracy can greatly improve your ability to pull consistent shots.
I've been pretty happy with most of the Good Grips products I've owned, and would consider buying one of their scales when I need to replace my roasting scale, though.
CMIN Senior Member Joined: 14 Jun 2012 Posts: 512 Location: South FL Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Baratza Preciso
Posted Sun Aug 19, 2012, 5:35pm Subject: Re: Digital scale recommendation
I use this one Click Here (www.amazon.com) , really small, I use the top and zero it's weight out to and hold beans for weighing. Really accurate, right down to .1 grams.
In general, harbor freight sells the cheapest crap they can get their hands on. The owner even tells his employees and friends, "don't buy or use our stuff" (I heard this second hand).
javadrknmtbr Senior Member Joined: 11 Aug 2010 Posts: 8 Location: Highlands Ranch, CO Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: QM Anita Grinder: Mazzer SJ Vac Pot: Yama Drip: Baratza Vario - Ditting... Roaster: Hottop B
Posted Sun Aug 19, 2012, 8:32pm Subject: Re: Digital scale recommendation
I have been using the Salter Compact scale that Sweet Maria's sells. At $35, it's above your budget, but worth a look. The little tray makes it easy to transfer the beans from scale to grinder. I've had it for years and it still works great.
Posted Mon Aug 20, 2012, 4:17am Subject: Re: Digital scale recommendation
I have a couple of American Weigh SC-2000 (2000g X 0.1g) http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-SC-2KG-Digital-Pocket/dp/B001RF3XJ2/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1345461204&sr=1-3&keywords=american+weigh
I also have an American Weigh SM-501 (500 X 0.01g).
These scales are sensitive to temperature of the object being weighed - if you put a hot cup of coffee on the measuring plate, you'll see drift in the measurement as the plate changes temperature. I actually have a small block of styrofoam board that I put my weigh-ables on.
------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- Le café doit être noir comme le diable, chaud comme l'enfer, pur comme un ange, et doux comme l'amour.
"There is no right answer with coffee. There is only the elixir in your cup at the moment you partake."
"...I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind;..." - Lord Kelvin RECIPES thread => http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/585708
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