There are many ways to measure your coffee without using a scale, but when it comes to brewing with a Chemex, you’ll get that brewing consistency when you nail your coffee-to-water ratio, which is easy when you invest in a quality coffee scale! Keep reading to find a scale for your Chemex that will get you that perfect cup of coffee every time!
At a Glance: Best Chemex Scale
Quick Summary: Best Chemex Scale
 | Our Top Choice Acaia Pearl Coffee Scale |
| Check Price → |
 | Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale |
| Check on Amazon → |
 | OXO Precision Coffee Scale |
| Check on Amazon → |
 | KitchenTour Coffee Scale |
| Check on Amazon → |
 | TIMEMORE Coffee Scale |
| Check on Amazon → |
Finding the Perfect Coffee Scale for Your Chemex Brewing
Finding the perfect coffee scale can be challenging, as there are many great food scales on the market. However, not all scales are created equal.
When considering a coffee scale, there are some elements that you want for your coffee brewing needs, such as weight precision, timing capabilities, heat and water resistance, and more.
We have broken down each element of consideration and its importance to the brewing process to examine all features available that you’ll want to factor into your price point and budget.
Coffee as a hobby can get expensive, but it can be affordable for the average enthusiast, and our goal is to make coffee accessible to everyone.
Read on to learn more about what you need in a coffee scale to perfect your Chemex brewing. Also, use our top 5 reviews for coffee scales as a jumping-off point for finding the coffee scale best suited for you!
Weight Precision
Let’s begin with the weight precision of a coffee scale. Not only do you need the weight to measure accurately, but having a scale that allows you to measure partial grams is ideal. If your scale is reading your coffee grounds by a gram or two off, it will change the taste and viscosity of your brew.
When brewing in a Chemex, the most important element is the coffee-to-water ratio. It comes down to your personal preference and taste for what the “perfect” ratio is, but generally, you want to aim for a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio for Chemex.
If you start with 30 grams of coffee grounds, you’ll end up using 450 grams of water. If your scale is off by two grams, for example, and you’re actually using 32 grams of grinds with 452 grams of water, that’s a shift that will be noticeable.
Overall, weight precision is a key element to brewing on a Chemex and needs to be considered when reviewing food scales for brewing coffee.
Power Source
Weight precision is a key element, so you’ll want to consider the power source of any coffee scale. Battery-operated scales are convenient, as you don’t have to remember to plug them in. However, they can become inaccurate as the battery dies and you may not notice.
As well, many battery-operated scales will have an automatic shut-off feature after about a minute of no use to conserve the battery life. This can be frustrating when making a pour-over, as you have to let the coffee bloom, which can take over a minute. The scale may shut off, bringing your weight back down to 0.
Using a rechargeable scale can help prevent this issue, but you will need to remember to charge the scale regularly.
Size
An easy element to overlook is the size of a coffee scale. When looking online, you may not have any reference just by the image and may forget to check the dimensions. However, if you have the 8 or 10-cup Chemex, this is an important element to look out for.
Also, you need to watch the weight change as you brew on the Chemex. If the screen is blocked by your carfare, getting a consistently good brew will be difficult.
Timer
Having a timer built into a coffee scale is an unnecessary bonus, but it can make the brewing process smoother and more consistent. You can always use a separate timer to track the time while brewing, but it may be worth it to spend the extra money on this feature.
With a timer, you can streamline your brewing method. In fact, most professional baristas use a coffee scale with a built-in timer to help eliminate any flaws in the brewing process.
Water and Heat Resistant
A Chemex heats up while brewing and can burn you slightly if not handled properly. Having a scale that is heat resistant is key. Otherwise, it will quickly die or end up burning you.
Most common kitchen scales aren’t heat resistant, so this is an important thing to note when looking at different models.
As well, having a water-resistant scale is very convenient, as these types of scales often last longer than others.
Although you hopefully won’t be spilling water as you brew, it does happen from time to time, especially when getting the filter wet before brewing.
Note that waterproof scales aren’t super common, as most are digital. However, some coffee companies go the extra mile by making their scales as water-resistant as possible.
Our Top Five Coffee Scales for Brewing in a Chemex
Acaia Pearl Coffee Scale – Our Top Pick
Acaia Pearl Coffee Scale
Meet the award-winning Acaia Pearl — reimagined. It has all the classic features that users love. This time with an even more thoughtful design to make coffee brewing an experience in precision, pleasure, and ease.
With a sleek, new-age look, Acaia delivers a fantastic lineup of coffee scales for top-of-the-line coffee enthusiasts. Used by World Brewers Cup Champion Odd-Steinar Tøllefsen, these scales have a variety of features offered, but the best at-home scale is the Pearl.
With a real-time flow rate, the Pearl allows you to master your pour-over technique by indicating the speed of your coffee flow.
The Pearl measures to the nearest tenth of a gram, has a timer, and can lead you through pour-over recipes, including a customized recipe that you can input via the app.
One drawback about the Pearl is that it’s not water or heat-resistant, although Acaia does also offer the Lunar scale, which is waterproof. Acacia does sell heat-resistant pads and protective film, but these are additional purchases.
Overall, the Acacia Pearl Coffee Scale is an expensive product but has the quality and extra features of every coffee enthusiast’s dreams.
Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale – Best Value
In local coffee stores, you might peak a Hario V60 coffee scale in use for making pour-overs. These scales are used for pour-overs because this little scale has all the bells and whistles while also being affordable.
With a max weight of 2KG, this scale can measure weights to the nearest tenth. Although it’s not fully waterproof, it is water resistant, which protects it from minor spills on the surface.
This scale is operated with AAA batteries and is 5×7.4, which makes it easy to store in any kitchen.
A drawback to this scale is the slight delay in the weight displayed. This does impact the brewing process if you’re going for a precise weight but is something that many users said they can work around by slowing down toward the end of brewing.
Overall, for the price and the features provided, this is a great scale to add to your home brewing equipment.
OXO Precision Coffee Scale
Another great option for coffee scales is OXO’s precision scale. With a built-in timer and scale that weighs to the closest tenth of a gram, this option has a sleek look that is easy to clean.
The scale runs using 4 AAA batteries but doesn’t have an automatic shut-off feature, which some users found frustrating. However, the scale comes with a rubber heat protection pad and touchscreen buttons with a bright and easy-to-read display screen.
The dimensions of the OXO scale are 6×7.75 with 1.25in high, which is easy for storing but big enough to accommodate the 10-cup Chemex. As well, this scale can weigh up to 6 pounds, making it one of the largest capacity coffee scales available on the market.
Overall, the OXO Precision Scale has many great features and is trusted and used by many cafes and baristas. It’s a good price for all the perks it offers and would make a great addition to any coffee corner!
KitchenTour Coffee Scale – Best Budget Buy
For a cheap, beginner, at-home coffee scale, this is the best buy for your money. With some high-end features, like the built-in timer, silicone heat-resistant pad, and precision weighing to a tenth of a gram, this scale is surprisingly well-priced.
Of course, there are drawbacks to a more affordable scale. Although this scale does feature a timer, it will shut off when the scale stalls out after two minutes of not being used. This will tare out your weight, making it difficult to continue your pour-over with accuracy.
Also, the bright display screen makes it easy to read the weight and time, but there is a slight delay in reading the weight, which will impact your pour and flow.
TIMEMORE Coffee Scale
This rechargeable scale with a USB port is a great coffee ground scale for any pour-over enthusiast. With precision weighing that can accommodate up to 2000 grams, this scale has auto timer features that give you standard brew over time sequences.
Featuring an LCD screen display and touchscreen buttons, this scale has a sleek and classy look that is complimented by the silicone heat-resisting pad with grips.
However, some users find the touchscreen buttons to be inconvenient and sensitive, getting pressed unintentionally more easily than a regular button would.
Being only 6L x 3.5W x 1.5 H, the coffee scale is pretty small but can accommodate any Chemex size and would make for a good traveling scale. Overall, this scale is an excellent choice to meet your pour-over needs.
FAQ
If you’re still scratching your head with questions, read below for common FAQs regarding Chemex coffee scales.
Do you need a scale for Chemex?
A scale is not necessary for brewing on a Chemex, but it does make for a more streamlined, consistent, and easier brew. Once you’ve learned your ideal ratio and measurements, you can replicate it over again when using a scale.
What is the ratio of coffee to water for Chemex?
Most coffee experts suggest a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio for brewing on a Chemex. For a standard 16-ounce cup of coffee, this means 450 grams of water using 30 grams of coffee grinds.
You can find a more in-depth explanation of the Chemex ratio here and a breakdown of common coffee ratios and our automatic calculator here.
How do you make Chemex coffee with a scale?
You’ll want to utilize a coffee scale while weighing out your coffee grinds and while brewing to track the amount of water used. For a step-by-step guide to brewing on a Chemex, check out our complete Chemex guide.
Is a coffee scale worth the investment?
If you love quality coffee, then having a scale will help you nail down the perfect ratio of water to coffee and get a consistent brew every single day!
Conclusion
We hope that by now you realize the benefits that a good quality coffee scale can bring to your Chemex brewing routine. There are so many elements of the brewing process to play around with, from the filters, type of coffee you use, grind size and consistency, and type of kettle used. However, a coffee scale will by far give you the most consistency in your brewing process.
Happy Caffeinating!
