• andrew April 2012

  Just a quick product tip - I bought this scale recently (long story, but it has to do with upgrading my espresso maker to a fancier version and getting a little caught up in the excitement of getting accessories), and I'm really pleased with it. I have a larger scale already, and use it all the time, but I'm finding this one really useful for smaller measurements. It's accurate to 0.1 gram, so I can be completely obsessive about my coffee, but also with things like spices. And it weighs items up to 2kg (4.5 lbs) so it can be used for medium-sized measurements too. It's a great size for keeping out on the counter, and has a plastic cover that also is useful as a tray. Very handy indeed!
  
  Here's the details for anyone interested: American Weigh SC-2KG Digital Pocket Scale.
  
  Oh and as an amusing aside, I was perusing the listings of these small scales, often known as jewelery scales (you can weigh your peppercorns in troy ounces!), and Amazon was suggesting some other purchases that seemed a little odd, such as large quantities of small plastic bags, when I realized that a major use of these scales must be in weighing illicit substances!
• Queezle Sister April 2012

  Nice scale! It sure is great when having excellent tools doesn't break the bank. I'm curious about your coffee making - you weigh out for each pot/cup?
• andrew May 2012

  I do indeed! It's for espresso making. Apparently there are two main variables for making good espresso, once you've controlled for the technical side of things by getting a good machine which has consistent temperature and pressure - the fineness and evenness of the grind and the dose weight. So for consistency I try to grind within 0.5 g of the same weight every time. This scale actually lets me get to within 0.2 g most days.
  
  It does sound a bit obsessive, but I'm an amateur compared to some of the coffee geeks out there - the potential for major obsession (and expense) is great.
  
  I'm in good company though - Beethoven used to count out 60 coffee beans each morning for his daily cup!

Search Discussions