5 Reasons to Use Scales When Brewing Coffee

If you were to make a cake but didn’t follow the recipe, it’s pretty likely that the resulting bake is going to be slightly disappointing.

The same can apply to making coffee. When it comes to making a good brew, precision is key.

To achieve this precision, you will need a decent coffee scale. We share some of the ways and reasons you should use a scale when brewing coffee.

Weight

One of the most important reasons for using a scale, rather than eyeballing the amount of coffee beans to use, is weight.

Different types of coffee beans have different densities, meaning that ten beans from one pack of coffee could grind out an entirely different weight of ground coffee than ten beans from a different pack!

As such, if you’re looking to repeatedly produce great tasting coffee, then you’ll want a scale to ensure precision in weight, as a scoop of one coffee may not be the same as a scoop of another. 

Ratios of Water

One of the biggest areas of precision needed when making coffee is the ratios of coffee to water. The most commonly accepted coffee to water ratio for brewing coffee is 1:16. By using scales, you can perfect this ratio.

Taste is a personal preference, though, so you might want to experiment and play around with different combinations. Coffee lovers commonly accept ratios between 1:15 and 1:18.

The scale doesn’t just have to be used for measuring out coffee beans either. Many coffee aficionados will even use the scales to measure out their water to ensure they brew consistently each time.

Consistency

Similar to both the weight of the beans and the ratios of water used, utilising a scale for brewing coffee allows for consistency, even when elements are changed. As well as being varied weights, different beans may produce a different grind size. The same is true if you change the grinder you use, and it gives different results.

Instead of relying on a scoop to measure out your coffee, the scales will keep each ingredient of your coffee consistent each time.

The same goes for water – you could think you’ve perfected your pour, but there is always room for human error. By using a scale, you eliminate this risk.

Timing

A good brew relies on timing to get it just right. As well as perfectly timing the pour, you may wish to replicate the same brew time in which you leave the coffee to steep.

To help with this, many coffee scales will also feature an in-built timer, which can assist with getting timings precise.

Experimentation and Replication

As we mentioned earlier, the preferred taste of your coffee is a very personal thing. Finding the perfect roast, ratio and brew method takes time, practice and a lot of experimentation and tweaking to find that exact recipe that you love the most.

But wouldn’t it be so annoying to make the absolute perfect cup of coffee and then not be able to replicate it again? By experimenting using scales and jotting down the precise measurements and times used, when you find your dream cuppa, you’ll be able to make it time and time again!

Now that you’ve learned just how important scales are for reaching coffee perfection, it’s time to grab your AeroPress UK coffee maker and get brewing!

Of course, if you’re one to love drinking your brew out and about and on the go, then you can still make a perfectly adequate cup with the AeroPress, a scoop and a bit of guesswork, but if you’re looking for the best brew every time, then a scale is the way to go!