Coffee Scale with Timer: Every Pour Dialled In, Every Brew Repeatable
Acaia, Timemore, Hario and more, tested on our brew bar since 1999
TL;DR: A coffee scale with timer weighs brew water in 0.1 g steps while timing the pour. The Acaia Pearl and Timemore Black Mirror Basic 3 add guided brewing modes.
You land here because your pour-over tastes different every morning and you want to know why. A coffee scale with timer removes the guesswork: it shows the water you have poured and the seconds that have passed, so bloom, pulses and drawdown become numbers you can repeat. We stock the Timemore Black Mirror range as exclusive distributor, plus Acaia, Hario, MHW-3Bomber and Zerohero. Browse the range below, then match a scale to your brew method.
Water and time, not pressure
Filter brewing runs on two variables you control by hand: how much water you pour and when you pour it. Pressure is not part of the equation, so the scale does the heavy lifting. A 0.1 g reading is the resolution to look for; the Acaia Pearl, Timemore x Nuttii Piccolo and Laybird MagAttach all read in 0.1 g steps, and the Basal Pequeno and Eureka Prescia weigh to 2,000 g so a full server on a pour-over stand never maxes out the sensor.
The timer matters as much as the weight. Bloom length, pulse timing and total drawdown are what separate a clean cup from a muddy one, and a scale that starts the clock when water lands (the auto-start behaviour in the Acaia Pearl and Zerohero Hero modes) removes one hand from the job. The Hario POLARIS goes a step further and calculates your extraction Ratio on the display, so you know how much hot water is still to come.
Tested before it earned its place
Stephen Muir Mackenzie makes the point in Engineering Better Espresso that even an inexpensive digital scale is far better than none. We agree, and we have tested every model on this page against a calibration weight before it earned its place in the range. Pair yours with a gooseneck kettle and a server that fits the platform and the whole brew bar starts to feel dialled in.
Start with the brew you make most
If pour-over is your daily method, prioritise a platform wide enough for a dripper on a server and a timer that starts itself. The Acaia Pearl offers five brewing modes, a real-time flow-rate display and Bluetooth 5.0 for the app, while the Timemore Black Mirror Basic 3 keeps things simpler with three guided modes, including a dedicated Pour-Over mode. Both read to 0.1 g. If you brew filter at a desk or in a small kitchen, the compact MHW-3Bomber Cube Coffee Scale 2.0 Mini and Muvna Mini Psyche give you the same resolution in a smaller footprint.
Decide how much guidance you want
Some scales just weigh and time. Others coach. The Hario POLARIS calculates the extraction Ratio and shows a percentage that tells you how far through the recipe you are. The Zerohero Hero Coffee Scale DZC-3W tracks flow in real time on a large LED display, which helps if your pours are uneven. The Acaia Pearl adds a flow-rate readout and app recipes. If you already have a routine you trust, a straightforward model like the Cafe de Kona LED Dual Screen scale or the iKape Smart Electronic Scale V1 will do the job without extra menus.
Check capacity, battery and water resistance
Weigh what you actually put on the platform: dripper, server and brew water together can pass 1,000 g, so a 2,000 g capacity (Laybird MagAttach, Basal Pequeno, Eureka Prescia) gives headroom. USB-C charging on the Acaia Pearl and Lunar means one cable on the bench. Spills happen on a brew bar; the Timemore x Nuttii Piccolo has a waterproof 1.2 cm body and the Acaia Lunar 2022 is built water-resistant for drip-tray use, which also suits those who brew both filter and espresso.
Portability and travel
For camping or the office, the Piccolo, the Wacaco Exagram PRO with its integrated timer and backlit display, and the Outin Claro are all slim enough for a bag. They pair well with the drippers in our pour-over range and the portable brewing kit.
Keep it accurate
Every load cell drifts a little with use. Our Barista Scale Calibration Weight 500g exists for that reason: check your reading every few months and recalibrate if it wanders. Since 1999 we have watched plenty of brew problems turn out to be a scale problem, so it is worth the two-minute check. If you are building a full station, our coffee scale kits bundle a scale with the tools that sit beside it.
Timemore was Top Sponsor of the 2025 World Brewers Cup in Jakarta, and MHW-3Bomber was Gold Sponsor of the 2025 World Barista Championship in Milan. Coffee Parts is the exclusive Australian distributor of both. Matt Perger, Australia's first World Brewers Cup champion in 2012, won with a Hario V60, the same brand behind the POLARIS and V60 Drip Scale on this page.
A scale is one corner of the brew bar. A gooseneck kettle gives you the controlled pour the timer is measuring, a coffee server sits on the platform under your dripper, and paper filters matched to the dripper keep the drawdown predictable. Add a hand grinder from our manual coffee grinder range and you have every variable in your hands. Everything on this page ships from our Pagewood warehouse, and if you are unsure which scale suits your dripper and server, ask us. We have been matching brew bar gear since 1999.
I tell people the scale is the first thing to buy after the dripper, before the fancy kettle. Without numbers you are guessing, and guessing is why yesterday's cup was better than today's. My own bench runs an Acaia Pearl for the flow-rate readout, but I still keep a Timemore Black Mirror in the drawer because it does the essentials without fuss. Whichever you choose, put it on a level surface, tare with the server on top, and start the timer the moment water hits the bed. That habit alone fixes more brews than any new gadget. Pedslara.
— Pedro Lara
Frequently Asked Questions
Are coffee scales necessary for pour over? +
Yes, if you want the same cup twice. Pour-over has no pump pressure to lean on, so the water you pour and the time you take are the only levers you have. A scale with a timer turns both into numbers you can repeat or adjust. Jessica Easto's Craft Coffee treats weighing beans in grams before brewing as a baseline step, and we agree.
Can a kitchen food scale work for coffee? +
It can get you started, but most kitchen scales read in 1 g steps, have no timer and switch off mid-brew. A dedicated coffee scale reads to 0.1 g, keeps counting while you pour and usually has a platform sized for a dripper and server. Models like the iKape Smart Electronic Scale V1 or Timemore Black Mirror Basic 3 are the sensible next step.
What does the timer mode actually track? +
The timer counts from the first pour so you can read bloom length, the gap between pulses and total drawdown against the weight of water on the platform. Scales such as the Acaia Pearl and the Zerohero Hero start the clock automatically when water lands, and the Hario POLARIS shows how much of the recipe is still to pour.
What resolution should I look for when weighing brews? +
0.1 g is the standard for filter brewing and is what the Acaia Pearl, Timemore x Nuttii Piccolo, Laybird MagAttach, Basal Pequeno and Eureka Prescia deliver. The Acaia Lunar 2022 reads to 0.01 g, which is more than filter brewing needs. Capacity matters too: 2,000 g covers a dripper, server and full brew.
How often should I calibrate, and what weight do I need? +
Check the reading every few months, or sooner if the number drifts or the scale has been dropped. Place a known mass on the platform; our Barista Scale Calibration Weight 500g is made for exactly this. If the reading is off, follow the calibration routine in the manual. We tested every model on this page against a reference weight before listing it.
Does a flow-rate display help my pour? +
For uneven pourers, yes. The Acaia Pearl shows flow rate in real time and the Zerohero Hero DZC-3W tracks it on a large LED screen, so you can see whether you are pouring at a steady rate or dumping water in bursts. Once your pour is consistent you may rarely look at it, but it shortens the learning curve.
Do you ship Acaia and Timemore models across Australia? +
Yes. Coffee Parts is the exclusive Australian distributor for Timemore and an authorised Acaia stockist, and every in-stock model on this page ships from our Pagewood, NSW warehouse Australia-wide. Stock status is shown live on each product page, and lead times are listed for anything on backorder.