Hi @Xris! Thanks so much for taking the time to create and share this video. We have taken your feedback regarding the scale, its functions, as well as your thoughts on the apps back to our team. In regards to your comments on the built, you are correct in assuming that it has an exterior better suited to a commercial environment (so avoiding exterior metal or glass). The reason the scale is heavier is due to the inner components being reinforced with metal to keep it extra secure. Please let us know if you have any questions (we also loved the intro).
@@itsxris Hello. I really enjoyed your video. I have a question for you. Do you still use both the Pearl as well as the Lunar? Is the Lunar ok for doing poor over brewing? I want to purchase a scale for mostly poor over as I don't yet have an espresso machine but hope to get one in the future. What are your thoughts if you don't mind me asking?
Another scale with a similar look and feel is the Timemore Black Mirror! Though it doesn't have the same app support, it does have a really similar workflow and design for a considerably lower price. It also charges via type-c which I think should be a given by 2021 haha. Great video again man, always enjoy your production quality!
EDIT: THE ACAIA LUNAR REVIEW: ua-cam.com/video/x986OPjsi2Q/v-deo.html Okay so it looks like I’m not looking at the camera, but I actually am. I think my lighting cast a shadow over my eyes in a way such that half my eyes caught the light and half were darkened. Weird but I’ll fix it for the next vid! Also will fix audio in future vids!
I use my scale for meds, baking and coffee so 0.1g minimum is key. The cheap £10-£20 scales available on UK also fail in some way or other. So maybe spend £60-£120 on cheap scales over two years or spend £200 once. For my use the minimum weight is key though. The max 3kg is great as well in kitchen.
Cool video guy! I’m considering one of these scales and after watching this video…. The Pearl S seems like the most appropriate choice for me. I like some of the tech, but I really like it gives you GUIDANCE for the brews, and that’s something I could really benefit from.
Hi Xris, After a year, are you still using the Brewguide mode? It would be great to see it in action with one of the popular V60 methods uploaded to it (4:6, Hoffmann, etc.)
Very informative thank you for the review. Would be a lovely little gadget to have. Would like to have but I don't need it. I think it's overkill. I use an elcheapo kitchen scale for my breville barista express at home and i time via my garmin smart watch ! I get a great shot every time! Happy brewing! 😊😊😊😊😊😊
Hi, thanks for the guide. How’d you peel off the plastic liner on the scale? I didn’t see any pull tab on mine, and I noticed in your video that yours didn’t come with one either. Thanks!
Nice review. I actually have the same cheapo digital scale that you use and find it perfect for espresso with my lever machine. But if I were to do more pour over I could see the advantages of an app connected scale. I think I'll stick with my $10 scale for now ... but again thanks for the review.
For espresso it starts when it hits the cup, so after the extraction has started. Someone on Instagram did tell me that the Lunar has a function to start the timer with it auto tares, so as long as you start the machine on that beep then it starts the time at extraction which is a nice feature.
Would love to see a comparison with the Timemore Black Mirror. I think Acaia is a great company with great products but as you alluded the scale is probably near the bottom of my list of things I'd recommend a coffee newbie to spend money on upgrading. A basic but accurate scale will get you 90% of the way there for so much less money.
I'd love to do more comparisons in the future! Right now I rely on Patreon backers or companies willing to send review units to make these vids :) But for the Pearl, this was paid for out of pocket.
1:36 Sorry, have to disagree with that. What are the wider variety of factors that can influence your final cup? Anything that can go wrong with a pourover, imagine it going wrong while under pressure, and you have espresso. And with regards to pouring method, how is the scale supposed to reflect anything other than how quickly you pour? It cannot record the height you pour from, how much agitation you're creating in your slurry, and it cannot tell you how well you're distributing your water. It cannot even tell you if you're leaving grounds high and dry. The only thing the scale measures is how quickly the water leaves your kettle and enters your slurry. It does not tell you anything about how the water percolates through the coffee bed and exits to the carafe. If you develop a channel, this is completely undetected by the scale. Contrast this with espresso, where the scale measures what exits the brew basket. This means that if you develop a channel, your flow rate will increase, and a smart scale will indicate this on the graph. This actually might have come in handy in your Workflow Wednesday video ua-cam.com/video/ob8jlBsn1cI/v-deo.html where for a brew weight of 40g and extraction time of 22s, towards the end of the extraction, the readings on your $12 scale are actually jumping in 2g increments! Your puck probably had already disintegrated, and the extraction is gushing at that point. A smart scale graph would have made this immediately obvious. Your subsequent shot was even worse, and reached 47g in 24s!
Thanks for the discussion, and that is a good point! I do think after using this scale, I can see some merit in using a Lunar for the "coffee nerd" or someone really interested in measuring their coffee extractions to that capacity. There are of course many variables that can go wrong with espresso, but for the most part, if you are prepping your puck the exact same way each time, you should be getting consistent results (dependent on machine of course). The example of my workflow video is a good point too, definitely a result of poor puck preparation. Unfortunately, there's not smart scale to solve that one haha. With pour over I found even more variables could go wrong, with less control over the variables, and while the Pearl S won't solve all of them - it does solve the biggest ones for me. But as an average home user, if for example the choices were between the Lunar and Pearl S, I still think the Pearl S has more added benefit. While both espresso and pour over benefit from some smart capabilities, my biggest selling point with the Pearl S was brewguide mode. I just found that an incredibly fun and neat way to try out new pour methods.
I have the OXO coffee scale and while its nothing super fancy, for $40 it looks great and is very precise. However if i do decide to upgrade one day it'll probably be for the pearl. mostly bc aesthetics but the features are cool. Also love your videos! Your videos on the rocket helped me decide thats the one i want to get soon.
It absolutely does, and idrinkcoffee.com sells a custom cut out drip tray for all rocket Espresso machines. Albeit it’s not an OE product which is why I didn’t get one for my Mozzafiato.
Well done. After owning this scale for 6 months now here are some additional negatives . Terrible apps. I mean why is there 3 apps for this scale?! Terribly confusing. Micro usb?! What is this 2016?! Usb C please! No way to sort the options. Option 1 auto tare auto start, option 2 - regular scale option 3 brew guide. It’s a bit annoying as I weigh my beans first and the timer starts but I use the auto start when I brew v60 or aero press
Do not buy! I purchased one a few months ago. I had a number of problems, would not stay in the mode I preset, difficult to turn of, random digits flashing after carafe had been removed. Acaia Australia insisted that there was nothing wrong with the scale. Did they think that I had paid to ship it back from New Zealand and be without a scale just for my amusement. For the supposedly premium coffee scale their after sales service is pathetic. Great scale if it works but if it doesn’t you are left high and dry.
You edit your videos to be too quiet, so it makes watching them frustrating when I have to crank the volume to hear you and then get my ears blasted out when an ad loads. Fix your audio levels pls. I’m basically at the point of refusing to watch what you post.
Hi @Xris! Thanks so much for taking the time to create and share this video. We have taken your feedback regarding the scale, its functions, as well as your thoughts on the apps back to our team.
In regards to your comments on the built, you are correct in assuming that it has an exterior better suited to a commercial environment (so avoiding exterior metal or glass). The reason the scale is heavier is due to the inner components being reinforced with metal to keep it extra secure. Please let us know if you have any questions (we also loved the intro).
Hey thanks for the response on my video! Hopefully its helpful feedback from a now daily user of the Pearl! :)
@@itsxris Hello. I really enjoyed your video. I have a question for you. Do you still use both the Pearl as well as the Lunar? Is the Lunar ok for doing poor over brewing? I want to purchase a scale for mostly poor over as I don't yet have an espresso machine but hope to get one in the future. What are your thoughts if you don't mind me asking?
Awesome intro dude! Would u be able to compare the Pearl S vs the new 2021 Acacia Pearl? I’m having a hard time choosing between the 2😣
Another scale with a similar look and feel is the Timemore Black Mirror! Though it doesn't have the same app support, it does have a really similar workflow and design for a considerably lower price. It also charges via type-c which I think should be a given by 2021 haha. Great video again man, always enjoy your production quality!
EDIT: THE ACAIA LUNAR REVIEW: ua-cam.com/video/x986OPjsi2Q/v-deo.html
Okay so it looks like I’m not looking at the camera, but I actually am. I think my lighting cast a shadow over my eyes in a way such that half my eyes caught the light and half were darkened. Weird but I’ll fix it for the next vid!
Also will fix audio in future vids!
Very good review . Clear, concise & fair. Thank you.
Insane quality production as always Xris!
thank you!
Sick intro!🔥🔥
A hearty second to that sick intro. Love it
great work by @jayramsart on ig for the animation :)
Your cinematography is incredible. Great video!
thank you! 🤙🏼
Fantastic intro holy shit. Great video as always
I use my scale for meds, baking and coffee so 0.1g minimum is key. The cheap £10-£20 scales available on UK also fail in some way or other. So maybe spend £60-£120 on cheap scales over two years or spend £200 once. For my use the minimum weight is key though. The max 3kg is great as well in kitchen.
Cool video guy! I’m considering one of these scales and after watching this video…. The Pearl S seems like the most appropriate choice for me. I like some of the tech, but I really like it gives you GUIDANCE for the brews, and that’s something I could really benefit from.
Hi Xris, After a year, are you still using the Brewguide mode? It would be great to see it in action with one of the popular V60 methods uploaded to it (4:6, Hoffmann, etc.)
Very informative thank you for the review. Would be a lovely little gadget to have. Would like to have but I don't need it. I think it's overkill. I use an elcheapo kitchen scale for my breville barista express at home and i time via my garmin smart watch ! I get a great shot every time! Happy brewing! 😊😊😊😊😊😊
Hi, thanks for the guide. How’d you peel off the plastic liner on the scale? I didn’t see any pull tab on mine, and I noticed in your video that yours didn’t come with one either. Thanks!
Nice review. I actually have the same cheapo digital scale that you use and find it perfect for espresso with my lever machine. But if I were to do more pour over I could see the advantages of an app connected scale. I think I'll stick with my $10 scale for now ... but again thanks for the review.
Does the timer only start once coffee is being extracted? 😊
For espresso it starts when it hits the cup, so after the extraction has started. Someone on Instagram did tell me that the Lunar has a function to start the timer with it auto tares, so as long as you start the machine on that beep then it starts the time at extraction which is a nice feature.
Would love to see a comparison with the Timemore Black Mirror. I think Acaia is a great company with great products but as you alluded the scale is probably near the bottom of my list of things I'd recommend a coffee newbie to spend money on upgrading. A basic but accurate scale will get you 90% of the way there for so much less money.
I'd love to do more comparisons in the future! Right now I rely on Patreon backers or companies willing to send review units to make these vids :)
But for the Pearl, this was paid for out of pocket.
Be great to see an app review and tutorial, great vids
Super cool intro!
That intro 🔥🔥🔥
1:36 Sorry, have to disagree with that. What are the wider variety of factors that can influence your final cup? Anything that can go wrong with a pourover, imagine it going wrong while under pressure, and you have espresso. And with regards to pouring method, how is the scale supposed to reflect anything other than how quickly you pour? It cannot record the height you pour from, how much agitation you're creating in your slurry, and it cannot tell you how well you're distributing your water. It cannot even tell you if you're leaving grounds high and dry. The only thing the scale measures is how quickly the water leaves your kettle and enters your slurry. It does not tell you anything about how the water percolates through the coffee bed and exits to the carafe. If you develop a channel, this is completely undetected by the scale.
Contrast this with espresso, where the scale measures what exits the brew basket. This means that if you develop a channel, your flow rate will increase, and a smart scale will indicate this on the graph. This actually might have come in handy in your Workflow Wednesday video ua-cam.com/video/ob8jlBsn1cI/v-deo.html where for a brew weight of 40g and extraction time of 22s, towards the end of the extraction, the readings on your $12 scale are actually jumping in 2g increments! Your puck probably had already disintegrated, and the extraction is gushing at that point. A smart scale graph would have made this immediately obvious. Your subsequent shot was even worse, and reached 47g in 24s!
Thanks for the discussion, and that is a good point! I do think after using this scale, I can see some merit in using a Lunar for the "coffee nerd" or someone really interested in measuring their coffee extractions to that capacity.
There are of course many variables that can go wrong with espresso, but for the most part, if you are prepping your puck the exact same way each time, you should be getting consistent results (dependent on machine of course). The example of my workflow video is a good point too, definitely a result of poor puck preparation. Unfortunately, there's not smart scale to solve that one haha. With pour over I found even more variables could go wrong, with less control over the variables, and while the Pearl S won't solve all of them - it does solve the biggest ones for me.
But as an average home user, if for example the choices were between the Lunar and Pearl S, I still think the Pearl S has more added benefit. While both espresso and pour over benefit from some smart capabilities, my biggest selling point with the Pearl S was brewguide mode. I just found that an incredibly fun and neat way to try out new pour methods.
I have the OXO coffee scale and while its nothing super fancy, for $40 it looks great and is very precise. However if i do decide to upgrade one day it'll probably be for the pearl. mostly bc aesthetics but the features are cool. Also love your videos! Your videos on the rocket helped me decide thats the one i want to get soon.
But for any Rocket machine, the Lunar is the one...espresso & Lunar pair best of the best, no cap
I agree, will probably end up getting a lunar some point in the future
Does the Lunar fit the drip tray of an Appartamento?
It absolutely does, and idrinkcoffee.com sells a custom cut out drip tray for all rocket Espresso machines. Albeit it’s not an OE product which is why I didn’t get one for my Mozzafiato.
I would look at Felicita Arc, its cheaper version and its as small as Acaia lunar.
Well done. After owning this scale for 6 months now here are some additional negatives . Terrible apps. I mean why is there 3 apps for this scale?! Terribly confusing. Micro usb?! What is this 2016?! Usb C please! No way to sort the options. Option 1 auto tare auto start, option 2 - regular scale option 3 brew guide. It’s a bit annoying as I weigh my beans first and the timer starts but I use the auto start when I brew v60 or aero press
Do a round up/comparison of cheap sub $50 scales or something lol
would love to! need either more youtube revenue or more patrons to fund it 😂
Do not buy! I purchased one a few months ago. I had a number of problems, would not stay in the mode I preset, difficult to turn of, random digits flashing after carafe had been removed. Acaia Australia insisted that there was nothing wrong with the scale. Did they think that I had paid to ship it back from New Zealand and be without a scale just for my amusement. For the supposedly premium coffee scale their after sales service is pathetic. Great scale if it works but if it doesn’t you are left high and dry.
the size is why i got the lunar :(
this is great for pourover though!
@@itsxris true but i also have the non S acaia pearl
You edit your videos to be too quiet, so it makes watching them frustrating when I have to crank the volume to hear you and then get my ears blasted out when an ad loads. Fix your audio levels pls. I’m basically at the point of refusing to watch what you post.
sorry about that - this one in particular had issues, the one right after this vid is much better!
learning all this as I go!