If this is available in your area I’d highly recommend it. Easy to use, accurate, quick. I like the smaller size too, makes it easy to travel with and fit bigger cups under espresso machine if that’s something you do now or might in the future.

I own this one, its been great!

Amazon, free shipping, total cost $10.99

AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g 0.01oz/ 0.1g Pocket Cooking Scale, Mini Food Scale, Pro Electronic Jewelry Scale with Back-Lit LCD Display, Tare & PCS Functions, Stainless Steel, Batteries Included

https://www.amazon.com/AMIR-Electronic-Functions-Stainless-Batteries/dp/B01DGEWHN4/ref=sr_1_36?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1520881968&sr=1-36&keywords=kitchen+scale

honestly, just get a 0.1 or even 0.01 res digital scale off of amazon. Even these cheap ones are good. Analog scales are great for some things, but when you're working with low-weight, tight variable stuff like coffee, digital is the way to go.

The weight limit is after tare -- but I'd still go with 1kg. A lot of these cheaper scales fluctuate once they're over-limit, even if you tare it. It'll say 'Over load', then after the tare the weight will jump around for a bit -- probably a fault with the construction of the tray.

I have a Bonavita Electronic Scale, which is 0.1g / 6kg -- but it doesn't seem to be on Amazon right now. It's a really great, well-built scale.

I cannot imagine a postal scale that would provide more precision and accuracy than something like this inexpensive digital kitchen scale for the weight ranges involved:

AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g 0.01oz/ 0.1g Pocket Cooking Scale, Mini Food Scale, Pro Electronic Jewelry Scale with Back-Lit LCD Display, Tare & PCS Functions, Stainless Steel, Batteries Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEWHN4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1AQWESENV6QWHV3BYCMR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I've been using this scale 5 years ago. Thought I paid less then $20. It's $12.99 now. Great to have around when you want to weigh small amounts accurately.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEWHN4/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got mine on amazon for $11. small (perfect for my office) and is a quick read. I don't care about timers since i use my phone. and if it craps out in a year or gets wet and shorts out - I spent $11 on it.

​

Thanks. So something like this would work, right. Precision 0.1 gram, up to 3 kilos, so it can be used for other things? https://www.amazon.com/AMIR-Electronic-Functions-Stainless-Batteries/dp/B01DGEWHN4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=AMIR%2BBrifit%2BDigital%2BKitchen%2BScales%2C%2B5%2Bkg%2C%2BDE-KA6&qid=1601211251&sr=8-4&th=1&psc=1

I use this kitchen scale from Amir found on Amazon. It is NOT a hanging scale, but can weigh up to 3 kg which is more than 6.5 lbs, so it can easily weigh backpacks, quilts, etc. Plus it can weigh the lightweight things as low as a gram. So it is good for just about every piece of gear that you will have.

In order to weigh something bulky, I just put a big bowl or giant cup on the scale and tare to zero, then place the item in the container. If you cannot read the display because the item blocks the view, then tare to zero, take the item off, and read the negative weight.

If one wants to way their entire pack, then a digital luggage scale for under $10 will work, but I would not use it for less than 40 oz of weight.

I picked up this scale a few years ago when I was on a budget. It's been running strong for a while now. I contemplated buying a better scale now that I'm in a better financial position, but I purchased some calibration weights and it's still spot on so I haven't bother to upgrade.

I got this one and I like it a lot. It comes with a clear tray so the kratom doesn't have to touch it. Also uses AAA batteries, so you don't have to worry about keeping those weird flat round batteries on hand.

Funny this thread just came back up after 4 months, since I just bought a new cheapo scale. I got the Amir Digital Kitchen Scale, It popped up one day on Amazon as a daily deal for $9. All of these low end metal scales seem to be the same basic mechanism with variations in the buttons and other superficial design aspects. But this model seems vastly superior to my old American Weigh Scales unit. The Amir has a larger display, the buttons seem snappier, and for one thing, all four feet lay flat on the tabletop. I found a common complaint on the AWS is that the casing is warped and only 3 of 4 feet hit the table at once. Mine did that as well. This Amir unit just seems to have better build quality, although there is only so much quality you can build in a $9 product.

> My current machine doesn't have any recipe settings

Very few do, but that's OK! All you need is a cheap scale and a stopwatch. Measure the ground espresso going in (the "dose"), then put the scale on your drip tray and set the cup on the scale (you'll see me doing that in the picture I posted of my machine). Press the button on your machine and start a stopwatch (on your phone or whatever) to set a timer.

If your machine allows for manual control, stop it somewhere before the desired final shot mass. There will be some espresso dripping out after you press stop so you'll have to learn approximately when to stop (on mine there's about 3 grams or so, so for 27g I'll stop at 24g). If your machine is fully automatic, first check to confirm that you can't control it manually, otherwise you just need to let it run until it's done and hopefully it's not a straight timer.

Finally, if the 27g shot (or whatever the recipe would call for) took too long, then adjust your grinder to a looser grind. If it ran too quickly (again, based on the recipe), then adjust your grinder for a finer grind.

This is the basic process for following an espresso recipe. Espresso is a super tweaky process and everything you do impacts the result in one way or another. Using the scale and stopwatch you can track the process against your recipe and then you can use your grinder settings to control the result.

I got one of these cheap ones.

It works. Seems as precise as it can be, clear display, easy controls. But it's irritatingly slow. For coffee beans that's not a problem. But when pouring slow drip it's irritating. I often overshoot.

I put my bear canister in my pack. They are not that large and I put things in the canister and around the canister. It seems pretty logical to me.

Generally, to save weight I think one needs to start with a scale to weigh things. A digital kitchen scale like this one can weigh all your gear because no one item will weigh more than 4 lbs on its own. It is also great just to use in the kitchen with food, recipes, and other things.

Folks around here use online tools to catalog their gear and weights but a spreadsheet could be used, too; Here is such an online tool: lighterpack.com and an example https://lighterpack.com/r/2lrund

And don't forget to cut off the handle of your toothbrush.

I use this AMIR scale I picked up off Amazon for $11. It has 0.1 gram accuracy and I check it with a calibration weight one a week. It still works perfect a year later.

Just a thought, if your husband currently has no scales at all, I think a scale could be a really great gift! Even if it’s just part of a larger gift. I tend to agree with him that expensive scales are a bit of a luxury, and their price doesn’t necessarily reflect their utility. In saying that, I think that these scales https://www.amazon.com/AMIR-Electronic-Functions-Stainless-Batteries/dp/B01DGEWHN4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=0.1g+scale&qid=1600915659&sr=8-4 are a really solid choice.

For reference, Scott Rao (previous world barista champion) recently released a video tutorial using these exact scales https://youtu.be/BjsGf3R9mc0 and if there’re good enough for him they’re good enough for me. And they’re only $14.

If you were after some more info on these scales a search within this subreddit for “0.1g Amazon scale” should put you in the right direction for some reviews from other users.

Hope this helps! :)

Edit: just read your post again and realised my comment is useless hahahahah

Boy do I have some! I've used the rok GC for the better part of a year. The first issue I ran into was the basic workflow of things - not having a proper knock box, an automatic grinder, maybe a dosing funnel, and a proper electric kettle. Having something that can dose straight into the portafilter is extremely helpful. The kettle is important too, because it sort of acts as an external boiler for your hot water. It will be extremely helpful to have something that can stay at boiling temp (+/- a few degrees) and has a fairly large capacity.

Temp

Temperature management is something James Hoffman mentioned in the video you referenced, and I agree with him on that. I tend to go overboard in heating, but I think that gives me more reliable brewing temps. What I do is slightly lift the arms, and then pour boiling water through the top (with the portafilter locked in) into a waste cup. I do a lot of water, probably about 12 to 16 ounces, occasionally fulling lifting and pressing the arms to try and fully heat the chamber. I then rinse the portafilter with hot water from the kettle, which I think helps to add a bit more heat to the whole system. Alternatively you might just be able to soak it in hot water, which might be more efficient, but I find pouring a bit quicker for me.

Coffee Grounds

I discourage large doses on the rok, just because of the small basket size in comparison to standard machines. I stick between 14 - 16 grams. I know it's a smaller dose, but I get more consistent/even extractions this way. Distribution can be hard, so a dosing funnel or WDT could be really helpful. I've had good luck with tapping aggressively between short doses from the grinder and stockfleths distribution. You definitely want to grind fine enough that it takes you 27+ seconds to pull your shot - it definitely might be hard to push, but I think it's the only way to pull anything on-par to a traditional machine.

Tamper & Scale

Both are critical, even though they seem pretty standard. The portafilter size is unique: 49.7mm. The extra 0.7 mm seems insignificant, but if you get a 49.0 mm tamper off amazon (like I did lol), it's going to be just slightly too small. So truly what I recommend is just get the expensive rok branded one. With the scale however, you have lots of options. Personally I would have loved something with a timer, but something cheap that can measure with precision at .1 grams is great.

All in all I think I can get good results out of it, but learning good technique is even more important with manual machines. If you get the basics down right, it makes the learning curve slightly less steep. It can be frustrating initially with manual equipment, but you'll get there. There's probably some stuff I'm forgetting to put, but please ask any questions you have. I'd love to help someone learn to use their new rok

Reccos

• Scale - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEWHN4 and then a timer thingy
• Dosing funnel
• "It'll do" Makeshift WDT

This one shows up quite often: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEWHN4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

The reason is that it is precise to about 0.1 g and goes up to 3000 g. That covers range of just about every item that one will use including tents, packs, stakes, and small items like pills.

As for accuracy, US coins have well-known masses, so one can use them to see if one's scale is accurate.

Standard recommendation found lots of time on /r/ultralight:

https://www.amazon.com/AMIR-Electronic-Functions-Stainless-Batteries/dp/B01DGEWHN4

Under $15

AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g 0.01oz/ 0.1g

 

^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger

My mistake! Here it is https://www.amazon.com/AMIR-Electronic-Functions-Stainless-Batteries/dp/B01DGEWHN4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=0.1g+scale&qid=1601594113&sr=8-4

Isn’t this the, is this 8 grams kid? The shrooms look familiar. Did you buy a scale yet?
AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEWHN4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This the one I got I highly suggest

So far I found:

1. AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g 0.01oz/ 0.1g https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEWHN4/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. CJ-4000 ( 4000g x 0.5g) https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ-4000-Compact-Digital-Adapter/dp/B004C3CAB8
3. American Weigh Scales AWS-600-BLK ( 600 x 0.1g ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O37TDO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g2GqCbRH011PS
   

So far I'm leaning to option 1. AMIR since it can weigh 3000g and is still acurate. Also its pretty cheap at 10.99.

What scale do you use? So far I have found:

1. AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g 0.01oz/ 0.1g https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEWHN4/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. CJ-4000 ( 4000g x 0.5g) https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ-4000-Compact-Digital-Adapter/dp/B004C3CAB8
3. American Weigh Scales AWS-600-BLK ( 600 x 0.1g ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O37TDO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g2GqCbRH011PS

So far I'm leaning to option 1. AMIR since it can weigh 3000g and is still accurate to .1g. Also its pretty cheap at $10.99.

I'm looking for a scale for pizza dough and coffee. Any recommendations? Also general baking would be a great plus. I'd perfer to own one scale.

​

So far I found:

1. AMIR Digital Kitchen Scale, 3000g 0.01oz/ 0.1g https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEWHN4/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. CJ-4000 ( 4000g x 0.5g) https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ-4000-Compact-Digital-Adapter/dp/B004C3CAB8
3. American Weigh Scales AWS-600-BLK ( 600 x 0.1g ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O37TDO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g2GqCbRH011PS

I have this one off of Amazon. It's been working well. 3kg max weight and 0.1g resolution.

I think the general opinion is that using a consistent method of coffeemaking is most important. But how to achieve this?

There are several variables involved in coffeemaking, and if you're sloppy, it's hard to get consistency, or even to refine your technique once you start to get it right. So I will list a few variables and how to keep them consistent.

1. Grind. A good electric burr grinder will produce a more consistent grind, with more particles of the correct size and fewer "fines" which are basically coffee dust and undesirable. By varying the grind, the water flows through the coffee grounds at a faster or slower rate, decreasing or increasing the brewing strength.

2. Water to coffee ratio. This requires a gram scale to measure the coffee, and to measure the water as you pour it. Water is easier to measure by weight since 1g of water by weight = 1ml of volume. A cheap digital scale with .01g accuracy can be bought for about $10.

3. A good brewing device. I am fond of pourover, I use a Hario V60, but even commonly available, cheap devices like the Melita Filter Cone are acceptable. These single-cup or small batch coffee methods offer good control which allows you to make coffee in a consistent way, which helps you refine your skills easily.

4. Temperature control of the heated water. I have used a thermometer in a pot of water on the stove, but an electric kettle with temperature control is much easier. The temp of the water has a great effect on the quality of the brew, and inconsistent temps make it hard to home in on the brew quality you prefer.

But above all, the quality of the coffee is probably the biggest effect on a good tasting brew. Always use fresh, whole beans and grind them immediately before use.

Here is what I use:

1. Baratza Virtuoso grinder. A a bit more expensive than the entry level $130 Encore, but a good quality grinder. Warning: do NOT buy a refurbished Baratza grinder. You will save $30 and they will charge you $30 shipping, you could buy it new for full retail price with free shipping for the same total price.

2. Hario V60 #1 filter cone and "natural paper" filters. Amazon sells the plastic cone for $6 and 100 paper filters costs about $6.

3. Gram scale, I bought this scale for $11 but I noticed similar scales are popping up on Amazon "lightning deals" lately, for a whopping discount of $1.

4. Bonavita .7 Liter temperature controlled kettle. Hey they stopped making the smaller kettle, now it's only the 1 liter model for about $70. Oh well.

So I spent about $300 total, you could get the $100 cheaper grinder and do this all for $200. And you would be a very happy coffee drinker.

This is a very good one. I have it and its been great. It's accurate to .1 gram.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEWHN4

This one's accurate to .01 gram and also has fantastic reviews...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCKQG7G