| Status | Rejected |
| Time Tested | 21 Days |
| Machines Tested With |
Rancilio Silvia Breville Barista Express |
| Overall Recommendation | No |
Verdict
š“ Rejected
This scale surprised us.
It's small, responsive and accurate enough to go toe-to-toe with our Brewista scale, while also being easier to clean and fitting under more espresso machines.
Unfortunately, during testing the battery died unexpectedly and with no warning from the battery indicator. For something you're relying on to measure an espresso extraction, that's a pretty significant problem.
A promising scale, but we couldn't trust it enough to approve it.
What We Liked
- Compact without feeling too small.
- Fast and responsive during espresso preparation.
- Measurements were consistent with our Brewista scale.
- Easy to use once you work out the controls.
- Smooth silicone cover is easy to clean.
- Fits under espresso machines where larger scales may not.
- Surprisingly good build quality for the price.
Why We Rejected It
The battery.
During testing, the battery died relatively quickly and without any obvious warning.
More frustratingly, the battery indicator didn't appear to drop before it happened, so there was no useful indication that the scale was about to run out of power.
That's a problem for an espresso scale. The last thing you want is to be halfway through an extraction, watching the numbers climb, only for your scale to decide it's had enough.
There were also some usability issues with the instructions. The button layout was explained, but one of the most important functions ā how to tare the scale ā wasn't clearly explained. We had to work it out ourselves.
These aren't dealbreakers on their own, but combined with the battery issue, they knocked this one out of contention.
Would We Recommend It?
No.
If the battery issue was resolved, we'd be much more interested.
The scale itself performs well, and there is a lot to like about the compact design. But reliability is more important than saving a little bench space, and we wouldn't feel comfortable recommending a scale that could unexpectedly die during an extraction.
Lab Notes
This one was a bit of a surprise.
At first glance, it looks like another small, inexpensive coffee scale. After using it alongside our Brewista, however, we found that it was fast, accurate and genuinely pleasant to use.
The compact size is particularly useful. It fits under machines where some larger coffee scales simply won't.
The smooth silicone cover is also a small but worthwhile improvement. Unlike some textured scale covers, there aren't a dozen little grooves for coffee grounds and espresso residue to find a permanent home in.
Unfortunately, the battery experience changed our opinion.
A scale doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to measure accurately and work when you need it. This one did the first part very well, but we couldn't rely on it to do the second.
