I'm an ex-barista, and this accessory will have you pulling shots like a professional — save up to $40 on my favorite coffee scales this Black Friday

The Maestri House Mini Coffee Scale is the best budget espresso scale, hands down. This tiny little scale can fit onto compact drip trays (though, of course, measure yours before you buy) and has auto and manual timing modes — though I'm more than happy to stick with the manual timer. If you want to make barista-quality espresso on a budget, it's got to be the Maestri House.

In my review of the Maestri House Mini Coffee Scale, I said that it's "My favorite coffee scale for the price, aesthetics, and functions."

I use this coffee scale every time at the office. Despite its small size, it's capable of fitting under a Chemex, V60, and of course, it fits on espresso machine drip trays.

In my review of the MHW-3BOMBER Cube Coffee Scale 2.0, I said that it's a fantastic everyday coffee scale, with some upgrades. It's got an automatic portafilter sensor (that actually works) and a waterproof dial surface.

This is the coffee scale I use every day at home. If you're going to buy one coffee scale today, make it the Wacaco Exagram Pro.

In my review of the Wacaco Exagram Pro, I praised its versatility, value, and ease of use. It even has an espresso auto-detection mode, so it'll start timing as soon as it recognises the first drop of liquid in your cup. Of course, you can start timing earlier to measure pre-infusion, too.

The Timemore Black Mirror Basic 2 is my best budget scale for pour over. As it has a larger dial surface than the other scales on this list, it's perfect for larger brewers like Chemex. I actually think this is one of the most versatile scales — I use it when baking, too, as it's big enough for my mixing bowl.

In my review of the Timemore Black Mirror Basic 2, I said that its waterproofing and affordability make it one of the best coffee scales out there.

This is the most premium option on this list, and it's great for pour-over lovers who have a little extra to spend. What separates the Tally Pro from the cheaper alternatives is the fantastic "Brew Guide" feature. This setting weighs your coffee, and then automatically tells you how much water to use based on your desired ratio. Basically, you don't have to do any mental math.

In my review of the Fellow Tally Pro, I praised this feature, and also fell in love with the sleek, black design ubiquitous to Fellow.