I hate that this $220 coffee accessory is one of the best things I've ever used

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My home cafe is ruined now

the acaia pearl s coffee scale with an LED screen, on/off, tare button with slip-proof feet and a premium white exterior plastic casing photographed against the tom's guide blue background
(Image credit: Future)

I review countless home products, but rarely does a product stay in my mind like the Acaia Pearl S coffee scale. As Tom's Guide's resident coffee scales expert, I'm always sourcing, testing, and reviewing them, so I've rifled through proverbial stacks of coffee scales.

But none quite build foundations and start living rent-free in my head like the Acaia Pearl S. Yes, it's expensive, and, yes, I'll likely never own one. But now I've used the Pearl S, my at-home cafe is ruined.

Acaia Pearl S
Acaia Pearl S: $220 at acaia.co

While it’s ridiculously expensive and not waterproof, that’s where the Pearl S’s flaws end. Every other aspect of this scale is genius, whether that be its live recipe capability or its precise weighing. The Pearl S is customizable with a range of companion apps and is the ideal coffee scale for the true coffee enthusiasts.

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Make the mode of your coffee routine

the acaia pearl s coffee scale with an LED screen, on/off, tare button with slip-proof feet and a premium white exterior plastic casing photographed against the tom's guide blue background

(Image credit: Future)

You don't need to just study the Brewguide app for recipe instructions. You also need to study the Pearl S's user manual.

There are seven modes (one of which you have to manually download from a different Acaia app): weighing, dual display (timer), pour-over auto, espresso, portafilter, flowrate, and the manual-download flowrate practice.

The pour-over auto mode is fantastic: as soon as the scale detects liquid, it'll start timing, and stops when you stop pouring. In a similar vein, the espresso mode automatically tares your mug weight, detects pre-infusion time, and automatically starts the timer.

Every day's a learning day

Never would I have expected to learn coffee brewing recipes from a literal digital scale. However, I love to be surprised.

The Pearl S scale companion app is Acaia's proprietary Brewguide. It seems to have some pretty rough user reviews on the App Store, but I absolutely ate this app up during testing. I'm not sure what version of the app these users have, but it's certainly not the same as mine.

three screenshots of the acaia brewguide app showing the recipes, custom recipes, and customization options

(Image credit: Acaia / Future)

Not only can you peruse a library of recipes in the Brewguide app, you can also create your own. So if you work at a roastery or cafe, you can write bespoke recipes for your customers, or even just for yourself.

You can pick from V60, Kalita, Chemex, AeroPress, and more in the app. When you download the recipe to the scale, it teaches you step-by-step how to brew in real-time. Even if you consider yourself an experienced V60 brewer, there are 'expert' level recipes, so don't disregard this as a beginner-only feature.

the user pressing tare button on the acaia pearl s coffee scale with a v60 mug on top

(Image credit: Future)

Here you can see me using the 'beginner' level V60 recipe (even though I do consider myself at least an intermediate V60 user, I needed to test out all three levels of recipe during my review). If you look to the bottom inch of the scale, you'll see the instructions written across the pad.

the acaia pearl s coffee scale in use with a hario v60 and a fellow stagg kettle

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Making coffee is a breeze — and actually entertaining — with the Pearl S. I love an interactive product, and if it's an interactive scale? Sign me up.

Not Valedictorian, though...

The Pearl Model S is not waterproof or water-resistant. While a small amount of water that is spilled on top will deflect, we do not recommend exposing it to any liquid.

Acaia

As much as I love the Acaia Pearl S's built-in teaching facilities, it's not all roses. For $220, I'd expect a pretty robust, indestructible product that will live as long as I do. (Alright, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean.)

However, Acaia has confirmed to me that the Pearl S is not waterproof. It won't melt if it gets wet à la The Wicked Witch of the West, but it might love you and leave you.

the acaia pearl s coffee scale with an LED screen, on/off, tare button with slip-proof feet and a premium white exterior plastic casing photographed against the tom's guide blue background

(Image credit: Future)

Now, I don't expect every coffee scale to be water-resistant. It is nice when they are, but for a premium, top-of-the-range scale, I do expect it to last many many years.

I know the Pearl S is designed for pour-over, which means it won't necessarily be getting wet anyway, but I would like the reassurance that if my clumsy self was to knock over my Chemex, my beautiful coffee scale would survive the incident.

So why is my home cafe ruined? Because now I've used the best, I can't go back. But $220 is a lot more than I have to spend on a coffee scale — even if it's the best one.

Because, despite the lack of waterproofing, I can't pretend that this isn't the best scale I've ever used. I can't go back to using anything else now. When I deliver the Pearl S back to Acaia, I'll have a little tear in my eye.

Acaia Pearl S
Acaia Pearl S: $220 at acaia.co

While it’s ridiculously expensive and not waterproof, that’s where the Pearl S’s flaws end. Every other aspect of this scale is genius, whether that be its live recipe capability or its precise weighing. The Pearl S is ultimately customizable with a range of companion apps and is the ideal coffee scale for the true coffee enthusiasts.

View Deal

More from Tom's Guide

Erin Bashford
Erin Bashford
Senior Writer, Reviews

Erin Bashford is a senior writer at Tom's Guide, focusing on reviews. She has a Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia. As an ex-barista, she knows her way around a coffee machine, and as a music lover, she's constantly chipping away at her dream of having a multi-room home sound system. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing, or stressing over today’s NYT Games.