to be SUPER CLEAR because it seems to be going over some heads: I am NOT saying you get loads more with BooKoo. I'm saying SIMPLY you get at WORST the same quality/experience and at BEST potentially slightly higher for HALF the price. So, if you feel the need to point out these changes aren't massive, yes, I know. It's not about one being massively better. It's the fact these scales can be made with similar (or better) manufacturing AND cost half the price while also not just ripping off a design. ALSO, I love my Acaia scales. I have spent north of $1000 on them. I use them often. The Acaia is not now "bad." This video is to shine a light on a company that has found a better way to construct scales and will hopefully cause other companies to implement these building designs into cheaper and more affordable units for everyone to access quality products without exorbitant prices. Is $125 the end game? Of course not. But it is 50% lower!!! That's a start. Thanks for watching!
I think value to money is a very important thing to point out, and I appreciate you making videos like this. Even for those of us that can afford “end game” products, the value play is an important consideration. For most of your viewers, getting 95% of the capabilities for 50% of the cost is big deal. I also have several of the scales you mentioned, including the BooKoo, and I concur with your conclusions. One last thing related to responsiveness using the calibration weight. Did you set the “noise filter” to zero before testing? That slows down the perceived responsiveness a lot.
I will say it's worth noting that having the usb port on a daughterboard can be a good thing. USB C ports aren't the most durable things and being able to replace a little daughterboard rather than trying to solder a new usb C port to an otherwise functioning board. As for the build, while the machining of the bookoo does seem nice, it *looks* like it's just different strategies for manufacturing altogether. I will say, the bookoo is definitely something i've been considering, having put up with an aging hario scale for years now, looking forward to a tier list!
Did anyone else try to go to BOOKOO's website in the first hour of this video upload and find it was overloaded? Lance's endorsement is a strong thing!
When I was shopping for scales, I couldn’t believe the Acaia prices. There was no way a scale should be in smartphone cost territory, I thought. Glad there’s finally some competition in the market.
I would argue that, for the sake of repairability, having a separate daughter board for the USB port is better. If your port breaks, that’s a much cheaper repair than the entire mainboard. But that’s pretty much the only point I’d give to the Acaia
@@KennethWodiskato a certain degree yes, though desoldering and resoldering a port on a small daughterboard with few other components is also far less risky than doing the same directly on the motherboard, so the modular design is still a win for repairability. Access to spare parts is still a must though, and really something they should be offering.
I bought a MHW-3Bomber coffee scale for about 30 USD at the beginning of this year and I'm completely happy with it, what it gets right is that scales don't always have to be crazy expensive for coffee use (IMHO, 125 USD for a scale is still a lot...)
just had my MHW-3Bomber scale die after just under one year of infrequent use. I loved it while it worked, the reviews were great when I bought it. After it stopped charging I went back to see reviews and sure enough they are all updating to say they stopped charging at around a year. So good luck
@andrhamm Ouch... Wasn't aware of that, I use that scale about 4 times a week and the last time I charged it was like 5-6 months ago... Will have your experience in mind, I have the big scale, not the slim version. Cheers!
The whole video, I was like "what's this give me to justify 3x the price of my miicoffee nano pro scale" (which has the USB-C, 0.1g accuracy, auto-tare and auto-time, and is the perfect size for all coffee tasks). Then you mentioned Bluetooth, and I understood. That said, if you don't need Bluetooth, the $15 Amazon special I have has _actual physical buttons_, an affordance you lose for some strange reason on the higher end ones. I wish they all had physical buttons.
Awesome review! the design is 🔥🔥. I appreciate that there is a separate USB board for the Acaia so you have a much cheaper board to replace if the port ever goes bad. now just waiting for them to start providing parts..
+1 for a scale tier list! 💜 I’m new to the espresso obsession…uhhh I mean hobby! My humble Baminbo Plus and D64 have tapped me out for now, but I still don’t want junk for accessories, just affordable. 😃
Great video ! a tierlist should be very interesting. I know it’s a bit lot nerdy, but as a former calibration lab equipment, I’m interested to see the difference of the 100g weight in the 4 corners vs the middle. It’s a test we do when we’re testing laboratory scale. If the difference between a corner and the middle is too big, the scale not passed the test. Also repetitive mesures, like 10 times could be interesting, for me and calibration guys :) A suggestion for the next scale review video ;)
I have this scale! Still working on testing it before releasing a review. I clicked this so fast when I saw you got your hands on this too. This gave me such good insight into its construction and accuracy thanks!
I am really enjoying my Normcore V3 espresso scale that I got for half the price of the bookoo at only $59. It’s all aluminum and has a very planted feel due to its weight. It has a very aesthetic angled screen on the front like that one scale that timemore makes. The oversized silicone covers stay in place unlike all of those small pads that most scales provide. I highly recommend every one to give it a look and see for themselves.
As an IT guy, I found your analysis of the internal workings amusing. Having a single PCB vs a port with some wiring harness isn’t really an advantage.
You must be an IT guy because you have no sense of following the social commentary oozing from the video, and even the title. Read the pinned comment, and maybe don't practice the (implication of) fallacy of appeal to authority
A couple points. The part name is "load cell", not "loading cell". Conformal coating, like you said, is appropriate for this application (especially if using the scale for pour-over). Having the USB on a separate board is better because the USB charging port is a wear item. Better to replace a smaller board with a worn out connector than the entire electronic guts. Connectors are usually a good thing, but in many places can be an acceptable place to do value engineering. An exception might be for the battery (and/or separate USB connector board), basically parts that should be expected to wear out. I don't think the load cell necessarily needs to be connectorized, so that connector can be value engineered out. I'm not as enamored with the milled recess for the load cell placement. The two counter sunk machine screws should be plenty to keep the mechanicals aligned when torqued properly. One feature that I see in these scales that my generic kitchen scale lacks is being able to measure when small amounts are slowly added. With my scale if I add too little too slowly, the tare is adjusted as my scale tries to compensate for what it thinks as drift while I'm trying to slowly add up to 3 grams (like what happened to me recently when measuring out for a spice rub).
I totally love my BooKoo scale and their espresso profiler, all nicely integrated with Beanconqueror. Essential for keeping track of shots and improving consistency.
As a product design student besides coffee lover i think these teardown/look inside videos are very valuable to learn how to engineer better products, much more than university lmao. Keep it up!
Worth noting that on the PCB shape, this will have no impact on operation. But will on packaging (how small you can make the scales) and on waste in production. Those square PCBs will have almost 0 waste when cut out of a sheet of PCB stock material. The L shape will not tesselate perfectly and will have much more waste. I also suspect that the notch on the Bookoo is not there for alignment, but for clearance for the load cell to flex. This construction means you can have thicker material where you need it to improve rigidity, but with a smaller form factor. Again, this requires extra steps in production with extra waste. Design decisions were made on both of them. And I think there's perfectly reasonable reasons for both. At the end of the day, people should buy the scale that fits their needs & price point. I don't think there's a whole lot here that truly differentiates in quality except maybe the conformal coating. That's great, because it makes the bookoo fantastic value on the face of it. But you aren't necessarily getting more for less imo.
Also, great comment re: potential waste. While I may be familiar with electronic components and have worked with PCBs, I surely don't know about their manufacturing. Learned something new wrt cutting pcbs
@@LanceHedrick i would say separate usb port is good thing if you can get replacement part in case you get water in it or something you dont need to change whole pcp. but my head still cant comprehend how insanely overpriced these scale are
@@LanceHedrick Remains a bit unknown if you are getting the same though, Acacia has a proven track record of very good commercial grade reliability, I guess we’ll find out in 8 years or so.
I knew that other Turin scale looked familiar. I have 2 of those (without the branding) and got it for $12 each, in black and white. Very responsive and compact.
Very cool little scale. Sized right for my recently arrived Avensi Wave glasses, but too small for aeropress. Would love to see a multi-scale review in the future.
I have the Timemore black mirror mini. It’s tremendous. It’s also the only one(to my knowledge) that has a flow tracker, which played a big role in my buying decision.
The Mini also has a very handy ESP (espresso) mode. It auto-tares the cup and knows when liquid starts flowing or stops flowing. Once the shot is done, it auto-resets and is ready for the next shot. Pretty intelligent and hands-free. I'm surprised it's not more popular.
The Bookoo scales are such a big upgrade to my Lelit Bianca imo and makes dialling in new beans a breeze:) I really wish them the best and hope they continue to improve and succeed!!
I agree on the conformal coating appearance but just because it’s not glossy doesn’t mean a coating isn’t there. I also think the board layout comments are irrelevant because we’re talking about different form factors. The USBC can’t be recessed because there’s a standard for how much wall thickness can be between the connector and the device. In other words, the cords won’t work if you recess it too much. However, a rubber plug would be very welcomed. I don’t think the bookoos display is as nice and you didn’t say what material the bookoos top was made of (that I remember), is it glass or does it scratch? I often put full cups on my espresso scale and pull the shot directly into them, so only the acaia would accommodate that. I hope bookoo makes a larger unit. I love the competition and I love premium FAST and ACCURATE scales. I think people devalue those elements too much. Makes the day to day much nicer.
hey Lance, do you have any opinion on the upcoming Meraki machine? I'm looking into getting into the espresso world and I'm also considering Gaggiuino, but voiding the warranty's a bit deterring. on the other hand Meraki's lack of control over pressure seems like something I might be missing in the future. I guess I wouldn't hesitate if it had the profiling option as Gaggiuino offers. or if it was at least a more reputable company. also, the in-built grinder and scales make the whole pack convenient, but renders it less flexible... as you can see, I'm really on the fence here, would greatly appreciate any advise. god, I hate FOMO
Using a narrow based pour over pitcher to fit the Bookoo works well for me. Of course many pitchers cover the display, but connecting one of the few possible apps to get the weight readout on your phone can solve this problem :)
Hey Lance, I appreciate the breakdown that you're doing here, but I want to note that the board being "dry" does not mean there's no conformal coating. Conformal coating, as the coffee world talks about it, tends to be a high-voltage sealant with a higher waterproofing rating, sure, but a lot of industrially mass-produced PCBs do have at least some kind of low-thickness conformal coating. Helps to reduce the risks of shorts and reduces the rate of RMAs that companies need to fulfill for relatively low cost, so there's no reason not to. Point being, there very well might be a conformal coating on the Luna's PCB -- if there is, it just doesn't look like what you're expecting. Also, unless you're looking for products that look like iphones, having a separate daughterboard for your USB connectors is generally thought of as better design among engineers. Daughterboards are *much* easier to replace than having to replace a USB-C connector on the motherboard. All small-factor USB connectors are nasty to work with, but USB-C connectors are especially difficult due to the high pin density. They also have a tendency to damage the board they're on if they break. So, separate board is actually better design here, even if it feels less sleak.
First, check my pinned comment. People are reading a lot into the video's purpose. Second, perhaps there is some but not nearly enough for it to help against steam or water that could get in
Reading the FAQs about the Lunar on acaia's website, they talk about a "water-resistant spray" on their electronics. Which means there is a conformal coating, they just don't call it that because hardly anyone reading the FAQ would know what that means. I also disagree that it needs to be a thick layer, there only needs to be enough to block water/moisture, as long as it covers everything on the board.
@Vortalos obviously at the base definition, anything applied could be conformal. But a spray is more of a temporary solution or quick fix as opposed to what a conformal coating is usually in these areas
Probably borderline disrespectful to the time and effort you put into making this video, but I just wanted to say you look fantastic Lance, seems like you're on a great health and fitness journey!
For those who don’t need the Bluetooth, the ikape mini is also much smaller than the lunar and slightly shorter than the bookoo and it’s $31 on amazon I stick with the lunar for my decent due to the compatibility with the tray I have and the BT connection This looks nice too, but I’m hoping ikape makes their mini with a BT version in the future…and Euan makes a new milled tray for it.
look like most people didnt know. or used smart scale. i got my bookoo like 2 months ago with the pressure sensor. it work with decent also. i think argos also support it,
I had an Acaia Lunar to replace my $12 Weightman amazon scale. I honestly didn't notice a single quality of life upgrade from it other than pretty animations for numbers. In fact, I much prefer the physical buttons on my weightman. Resold the Lunar and I have zero regrets going back to my Weightman. Trust me when I say, you don't need any of this shit. If your scale can read time and weight, you're good to go. Your $12 Weightman is more than enough.
I definitely want a scale ranking because I want to buy a scale but there are so many options (and many are quite expensive). I have a kitchen scale but it's not very sensitive or reliable, and lots of scales look too thick, and I want the timer function too.
Having some worthy competition on the market so that Acaia doesn't get too complacent is great. Maybe they will improve the lunar and half the price too lol.
@LanceHendrick what is your opinion on the shape of the scales? Most of them are square shaped but there is the Felicita Arc as well with its wide shape which is perfect for split shots. Yet it is the only one of it’s kind
I use a scale my old drug dealer gave me as a gift after making some edibles for him five years ago.. Couldn’t imagine spending more than $50 on a “coffee” scale. Scales are incredibly cheap to make
Awesome. Need more innovation to push the industry to a more affordable entry point for newcomers. That being said, I love my black mirror but its a little big for espresso so I mainly use my $13 temu scale for espresso now. Its not as quick as the black mirror, but it also works good enough for my day to day espresso shots (also comes with an attached usb c cover).
My wife is a pharmacist and uses calibrated and extremely accurate scales. I used her calibration weights to check my $15 scales. They were accurate down to 1/10th of a gram. Plenty good enough for coffee. Why spend $300 when you can spend $15?
@@LanceHedrick integrated bluetooth is certainly a big one but you should really be able to sell a slim scale with bluetooth, quality materials and good warranty for 100$/100EUR including tax on Amazon (so delivered to Prime) and honestly at half that price without the hipster design 🙂
Hey Lance, great video, thanks for the comparison. One thing I feel came short was the showcase of the scale in action. How's the experience of using it? How does the connected software work? Also, a scale tier list would be awesome.
4:17 I'd be interested in a comparative review video also. I was distracted by the talk of "loading cells" here, though. Probably that should be "load cell".
I've had a MyWeigh Barista scale for years now. It's about 40 bucks, not that pretty, but goes up to 3 kgs and I use it for cooking all the time. Its barista timer is kind of a joke, stops when you lift the object for a second. Still worth the price. Forgot to add: it's quite fast, though may occasionally lag for a second.
one thing thats cool with the Acaia Luner, is that its possible through the menu's on the device to get an addition didget of resolution. so it'll show 18.04g on the screen. resolution != accuracy, i assume its off for a reason. but it seams pretty close!
100%. This video isn't to support FOMO or GAS. It's to show what is capable, namely acaia isn't the only way to go for quality and build and longevity. Others can topple it for half the price.
@ you’re good brother! Honestly, I really appreciate the content. We need it for all the nerd in us and at the end of the day, if people have the money why not buy the best scale. I’ll be honest, I would be rocking the acaia all day if I had the budget to spend for it. My comment was just tongue and cheek.
I use the varia scale. Aside from having bluetooth but not integration with anything just yet, firmware is updatable and the scale itself I find to be very useful. Price was the main factor for me.
This seems like a good development - though the Bluetooth functionality clearly requires some level of custom work, other than that a scale is pretty much an off-the-shelf product you just go to an OEM and have them make for you. Charging $250 for that is downright crazy. I also like that this seems to be more up to spec with a lot of current manufacturing standards for semi-premium gadgets, though imo putting the USB-C circuit on the same board is a major downgrade as that's the part that's most likely to break and having it separate increases repairability. Still, this looks like a good scale, though I'll be sticking with my $30 Aliexpress Fuego scale, which lacks BT but works more than well enough for me.
Acaias pricing had turned me off which is why I got a Decent to fit under my Flair 58. Glad there's more options. The list should also include how water resistant the design is.
I wish someone made a super-thin scale, maybe just a few mm high, by placing the load cells/electronics/battery on either side of a recessed platform. That would let me fit my favorite mug with the scale beneath it in my BDB.
Not saying that acaia is repairable, BUT... A seperate daughterboard is not frowned upon in the PCB world, it simply means that it is replaceable without soldering, or even replacing the entire board
Acaia still awesome. Feels more premium, both in feel and price haha. Great gifting to a coffee hobbyist. If i had to pick a scale for myself starting out id invest in the bookoo or the timemore nano.
Thanks for the heads up. I've been using the miicoffee scale that's 1/4 the price of the BooKoo scale but i have no idea where it is on accuracy. I'd love to see an accuracy shootout to know which scales are accurate and the price.
Acaia has a better display, is a more practical size, and USB daughter board is a plus. The upside of the bookoo is the potential to have more water resistance.
to be SUPER CLEAR because it seems to be going over some heads:
I am NOT saying you get loads more with BooKoo. I'm saying SIMPLY you get at WORST the same quality/experience and at BEST potentially slightly higher for HALF the price. So, if you feel the need to point out these changes aren't massive, yes, I know. It's not about one being massively better. It's the fact these scales can be made with similar (or better) manufacturing AND cost half the price while also not just ripping off a design.
ALSO, I love my Acaia scales. I have spent north of $1000 on them. I use them often. The Acaia is not now "bad." This video is to shine a light on a company that has found a better way to construct scales and will hopefully cause other companies to implement these building designs into cheaper and more affordable units for everyone to access quality products without exorbitant prices.
Is $125 the end game? Of course not. But it is 50% lower!!! That's a start. Thanks for watching!
How does it compare to the AKU?
The case isnt included and neither is a reference weight, is that correct?
I do think it is a good way to let Acaia know, that there is competition, and you need to up your game to survive.
I think value to money is a very important thing to point out, and I appreciate you making videos like this. Even for those of us that can afford “end game” products, the value play is an important consideration. For most of your viewers, getting 95% of the capabilities for 50% of the cost is big deal.
I also have several of the scales you mentioned, including the BooKoo, and I concur with your conclusions.
One last thing related to responsiveness using the calibration weight. Did you set the “noise filter” to zero before testing? That slows down the perceived responsiveness a lot.
Lance is that a new Mazzer Philos on the side there? Do you have a video coming on it?!
We ABSOLUTELY need a scale tearlist rn
☝🏼
Tearlist like how much it makes someone cry?
Overpriced scales make me sad.
so like a tare-list?
@@squishyflac lol not editing it
Fun fact, the brand's name in chinese 不苦 (bù kǔ) means "not bitter" :D
Thanks!
That's hilarious!
I will say it's worth noting that having the usb port on a daughterboard can be a good thing. USB C ports aren't the most durable things and being able to replace a little daughterboard rather than trying to solder a new usb C port to an otherwise functioning board. As for the build, while the machining of the bookoo does seem nice, it *looks* like it's just different strategies for manufacturing altogether. I will say, the bookoo is definitely something i've been considering, having put up with an aging hario scale for years now, looking forward to a tier list!
Did anyone else try to go to BOOKOO's website in the first hour of this video upload and find it was overloaded? Lance's endorsement is a strong thing!
After he posted his gaggiuino video I sold my gaggiuino classic pro the next day after being up for 2 weeks so yeah
Where my commission at
@@LanceHedrick I think you'll have to settle for tons of adoration and respect
I'll take it hahaha
When I was shopping for scales, I couldn’t believe the Acaia prices. There was no way a scale should be in smartphone cost territory, I thought. Glad there’s finally some competition in the market.
it is like 'wedding' stuff, if you put a 'coffee' as the adjactive, they can sell for double the price and ppl will still buy it
There has always been competition. I spent like $30 on a scale an it's absolutely fine.
Completely concur. Would love a scale tier list video.
I would argue that, for the sake of repairability, having a separate daughter board for the USB port is better. If your port breaks, that’s a much cheaper repair than the entire mainboard. But that’s pretty much the only point I’d give to the Acaia
Assuming the replacement board exists. Otherwise one board or two boards is a moot point.
Pretty sure they will not provide you a replacement board.
They don't currently to my knowledge but that may change following this vid lol
@@LanceHedrick lol
@@KennethWodiskato a certain degree yes, though desoldering and resoldering a port on a small daughterboard with few other components is also far less risky than doing the same directly on the motherboard, so the modular design is still a win for repairability. Access to spare parts is still a must though, and really something they should be offering.
Too many options around 50€/$, but almost no way to test them. We definitely need a scales’ video!
Keep up the great work!!!
JH's "My descent into madness" scales video is rather humorous...now five years old though.
@@ziptiefighter but still valid: “Just because they CAN do something doesn’t mean that they SHOULD do it.”
I bought a MHW-3Bomber coffee scale for about 30 USD at the beginning of this year and I'm completely happy with it, what it gets right is that scales don't always have to be crazy expensive for coffee use (IMHO, 125 USD for a scale is still a lot...)
I’ve had their mini version for a couple weeks now and I’m not sure what more a scale can do…
@@pauldistasio4385 The new Apple iWeigh is made from 100% recycled materials, has Wifi 7, is made from a solid block of machined aluminum. Only $399.
just had my MHW-3Bomber scale die after just under one year of infrequent use. I loved it while it worked, the reviews were great when I bought it. After it stopped charging I went back to see reviews and sure enough they are all updating to say they stopped charging at around a year. So good luck
@andrhamm Ouch... Wasn't aware of that, I use that scale about 4 times a week and the last time I charged it was like 5-6 months ago... Will have your experience in mind, I have the big scale, not the slim version. Cheers!
@@andrhammWeirdly, mine has met the exact same fate as of a couple of weeks ago. Just doesn’t charge and the weight increases on its own.
Thank you for showcasing this one. I'd love another scale tier list/budget build list. Especially given the holidays are coming up.
noticing the mazzer philos in the background. crossing fingers for review soonish.
The whole video, I was like "what's this give me to justify 3x the price of my miicoffee nano pro scale" (which has the USB-C, 0.1g accuracy, auto-tare and auto-time, and is the perfect size for all coffee tasks).
Then you mentioned Bluetooth, and I understood.
That said, if you don't need Bluetooth, the $15 Amazon special I have has _actual physical buttons_, an affordance you lose for some strange reason on the higher end ones. I wish they all had physical buttons.
whats the name of the scale from amazon?
Touch buttons are just cooler.
Also, physical buttons are liquid ingress points... That may be more important lol.
@@fuzziestlumpkinit is not terribly difficult to make waterproof buttons. Certainly less than the difference in price between the options mentioned
Neoweigh is the brand, it doesn't have a specific name, just espresso scale. You'll know it by the bright green silicone pad
I think that 25 euro dealer scale that everyone has really is the king of scales.
Awesome review! the design is 🔥🔥. I appreciate that there is a separate USB board for the Acaia so you have a much cheaper board to replace if the port ever goes bad. now just waiting for them to start providing parts..
Lol right. And also some coating. And also half the price.
+1 for a scale tier list! 💜 I’m new to the espresso obsession…uhhh I mean hobby! My humble Baminbo Plus and D64 have tapped me out for now, but I still don’t want junk for accessories, just affordable. 😃
Lance: I believe you could have someone build an imitation of the Lunar for a third of the price
Mischief: 😎
Great video ! a tierlist should be very interesting.
I know it’s a bit lot nerdy, but as a former calibration lab equipment, I’m interested to see the difference of the 100g weight in the 4 corners vs the middle. It’s a test we do when we’re testing laboratory scale. If the difference between a corner and the middle is too big, the scale not passed the test. Also repetitive mesures, like 10 times could be interesting, for me and calibration guys :) A suggestion for the next scale review video ;)
i've been looking for a scale for the bot and the bookoo is perfect. thank you for the quick demo. no more weird side ways lunar scale placement haha!
I have this scale! Still working on testing it before releasing a review. I clicked this so fast when I saw you got your hands on this too. This gave me such good insight into its construction and accuracy thanks!
I am really enjoying my Normcore V3 espresso scale that I got for half the price of the bookoo at only $59. It’s all aluminum and has a very planted feel due to its weight. It has a very aesthetic angled screen on the front like that one scale that timemore makes. The oversized silicone covers stay in place unlike all of those small pads that most scales provide. I highly recommend every one to give it a look and see for themselves.
As an IT guy, I found your analysis of the internal workings amusing. Having a single PCB vs a port with some wiring harness isn’t really an advantage.
You must be an IT guy because you have no sense of following the social commentary oozing from the video, and even the title. Read the pinned comment, and maybe don't practice the (implication of) fallacy of appeal to authority
A couple points. The part name is "load cell", not "loading cell". Conformal coating, like you said, is appropriate for this application (especially if using the scale for pour-over). Having the USB on a separate board is better because the USB charging port is a wear item. Better to replace a smaller board with a worn out connector than the entire electronic guts. Connectors are usually a good thing, but in many places can be an acceptable place to do value engineering. An exception might be for the battery (and/or separate USB connector board), basically parts that should be expected to wear out. I don't think the load cell necessarily needs to be connectorized, so that connector can be value engineered out. I'm not as enamored with the milled recess for the load cell placement. The two counter sunk machine screws should be plenty to keep the mechanicals aligned when torqued properly.
One feature that I see in these scales that my generic kitchen scale lacks is being able to measure when small amounts are slowly added. With my scale if I add too little too slowly, the tare is adjusted as my scale tries to compensate for what it thinks as drift while I'm trying to slowly add up to 3 grams (like what happened to me recently when measuring out for a spice rub).
*torqued correctly*
99% of all people who will inevitably open their scale to replace swollen batteries will not be torquing those back perfectly.
Just the right timing for my currently very trigger happy scale shopping finger, thank you!
I totally love my BooKoo scale and their espresso profiler, all nicely integrated with Beanconqueror. Essential for keeping track of shots and improving consistency.
As a product design student besides coffee lover i think these teardown/look inside videos are very valuable to learn how to engineer better products, much more than university lmao. Keep it up!
I absolutely would love for you to do a scale tier list, Lance!
Thanks for the heads up! Looks like a promising small footprint scale for a reasonable price!
The Bookoo sure sounds promising. Hopefully it will open up to third party providers for even less expensive models.
Agreed! That was the hope!
Maybe one of the only videos that could pull me away from the Texas Arkansas game today lol
Worth noting that on the PCB shape, this will have no impact on operation. But will on packaging (how small you can make the scales) and on waste in production. Those square PCBs will have almost 0 waste when cut out of a sheet of PCB stock material. The L shape will not tesselate perfectly and will have much more waste. I also suspect that the notch on the Bookoo is not there for alignment, but for clearance for the load cell to flex. This construction means you can have thicker material where you need it to improve rigidity, but with a smaller form factor. Again, this requires extra steps in production with extra waste. Design decisions were made on both of them. And I think there's perfectly reasonable reasons for both. At the end of the day, people should buy the scale that fits their needs & price point. I don't think there's a whole lot here that truly differentiates in quality except maybe the conformal coating. That's great, because it makes the bookoo fantastic value on the face of it. But you aren't necessarily getting more for less imo.
Never said you got much more. The main point is you're getting at worse the same, at best better, for half the price. nothing more.
@@LanceHedrick 100% agree
Also, great comment re: potential waste. While I may be familiar with electronic components and have worked with PCBs, I surely don't know about their manufacturing. Learned something new wrt cutting pcbs
@@LanceHedrick i would say separate usb port is good thing if you can get replacement part in case you get water in it or something you dont need to change whole pcp. but my head still cant comprehend how insanely overpriced these scale are
@@LanceHedrick Remains a bit unknown if you are getting the same though, Acacia has a proven track record of very good commercial grade reliability, I guess we’ll find out in 8 years or so.
This is interesting to see. Im also excited for the half decent scale coming from decent in the next little bit.
Another fantastic video from Lance: Is the Bookoo scale an Acaia Lunar killer?
I knew that other Turin scale looked familiar. I have 2 of those (without the branding) and got it for $12 each, in black and white. Very responsive and compact.
I'm happy with my scale, yet I'm watching anyways haha. Love your vids!
Tier list for scales - yes please!!! Will we also get a review for that nice looking Mazzer Philos grinder? 😄
Yes to tier list!
Very cool little scale. Sized right for my recently arrived Avensi Wave glasses, but too small for aeropress. Would love to see a multi-scale review in the future.
Very nice! I was looking to the pyxis next but will look to Bookoo now thanks !
I‘d love a scale tier-list! Especially now that Varia has come out with their new AKU Mini and Spro… would love to hear what you think about those!
Also, the Bookoo website just crashed, power of Lance!
Yeah i noticed 😂
I know these scales aren't lab grade, but anyone else get the heebie jeebies watching that reference weight being handled with bare hands? Lol
Thank you for the video, great as always! Any thoughts on the pressure monitor and how it compares to other alternatives in the market?
I have the Timemore black mirror mini. It’s tremendous. It’s also the only one(to my knowledge) that has a flow tracker, which played a big role in my buying decision.
The Mini also has a very handy ESP (espresso) mode. It auto-tares the cup and knows when liquid starts flowing or stops flowing. Once the shot is done, it auto-resets and is ready for the next shot. Pretty intelligent and hands-free. I'm surprised it's not more popular.
Iove my Timemore mirror nano, it’s a more precise scale than the basic, cheaper than bookoo
Can’t wait for a tier list
The Bookoo scales are such a big upgrade to my Lelit Bianca imo and makes dialling in new beans a breeze:) I really wish them the best and hope they continue to improve and succeed!!
yesssssss, finally, Bookoo's time to shine! Works so well with the Flair 58 and their Bluetooth espresso monitor!
I agree on the conformal coating appearance but just because it’s not glossy doesn’t mean a coating isn’t there. I also think the board layout comments are irrelevant because we’re talking about different form factors. The USBC can’t be recessed because there’s a standard for how much wall thickness can be between the connector and the device. In other words, the cords won’t work if you recess it too much. However, a rubber plug would be very welcomed. I don’t think the bookoos display is as nice and you didn’t say what material the bookoos top was made of (that I remember), is it glass or does it scratch? I often put full cups on my espresso scale and pull the shot directly into them, so only the acaia would accommodate that. I hope bookoo makes a larger unit. I love the competition and I love premium FAST and ACCURATE scales. I think people devalue those elements too much. Makes the day to day much nicer.
Thanks for the content. You look great bro!
A tearlist would be amazing 😊
hey Lance, do you have any opinion on the upcoming Meraki machine? I'm looking into getting into the espresso world and I'm also considering Gaggiuino, but voiding the warranty's a bit deterring. on the other hand Meraki's lack of control over pressure seems like something I might be missing in the future. I guess I wouldn't hesitate if it had the profiling option as Gaggiuino offers. or if it was at least a more reputable company. also, the in-built grinder and scales make the whole pack convenient, but renders it less flexible...
as you can see, I'm really on the fence here, would greatly appreciate any advise. god, I hate FOMO
Another video for fancy coffee people. Appreciated
Using a narrow based pour over pitcher to fit the Bookoo works well for me. Of course many pitchers cover the display, but connecting one of the few possible apps to get the weight readout on your phone can solve this problem :)
Thanks for showing the Boo on the Robot.
Also, nice haircut.
In my opinion, the felicita arc is unbeatable
Yo that bookoo fool, that bookoo!
Sounds like something someone would yell across a bazaar.
Hey Lance, I appreciate the breakdown that you're doing here, but I want to note that the board being "dry" does not mean there's no conformal coating. Conformal coating, as the coffee world talks about it, tends to be a high-voltage sealant with a higher waterproofing rating, sure, but a lot of industrially mass-produced PCBs do have at least some kind of low-thickness conformal coating. Helps to reduce the risks of shorts and reduces the rate of RMAs that companies need to fulfill for relatively low cost, so there's no reason not to. Point being, there very well might be a conformal coating on the Luna's PCB -- if there is, it just doesn't look like what you're expecting.
Also, unless you're looking for products that look like iphones, having a separate daughterboard for your USB connectors is generally thought of as better design among engineers. Daughterboards are *much* easier to replace than having to replace a USB-C connector on the motherboard. All small-factor USB connectors are nasty to work with, but USB-C connectors are especially difficult due to the high pin density. They also have a tendency to damage the board they're on if they break. So, separate board is actually better design here, even if it feels less sleak.
First, check my pinned comment. People are reading a lot into the video's purpose. Second, perhaps there is some but not nearly enough for it to help against steam or water that could get in
Reading the FAQs about the Lunar on acaia's website, they talk about a "water-resistant spray" on their electronics. Which means there is a conformal coating, they just don't call it that because hardly anyone reading the FAQ would know what that means.
I also disagree that it needs to be a thick layer, there only needs to be enough to block water/moisture, as long as it covers everything on the board.
@Vortalos water resistant spray does not equal conformal coating
@Vortalos obviously at the base definition, anything applied could be conformal. But a spray is more of a temporary solution or quick fix as opposed to what a conformal coating is usually in these areas
Thanks for the review. I’m currently looking at this and the transducer, would love to see a video on the transducer and software.
Probably borderline disrespectful to the time and effort you put into making this video, but I just wanted to say you look fantastic Lance, seems like you're on a great health and fitness journey!
Thanks Lance. Been enjoying my Varia Aku for more than a year now but I miss a flow rate measurement. A scale round up would be great!
Got the bookoo not for espresso but to travel with doing pour overs actually… great little scale!
For those who don’t need the Bluetooth, the ikape mini is also much smaller than the lunar and slightly shorter than the bookoo and it’s $31 on amazon
I stick with the lunar for my decent due to the compatibility with the tray I have and the BT connection
This looks nice too, but I’m hoping ikape makes their mini with a BT version in the future…and Euan makes a new milled tray for it.
I absolutely love my Bookoo scale especially in combo with my Gaggiuino.
look like most people didnt know. or used smart scale. i got my bookoo like 2 months ago with the pressure sensor. it work with decent also. i think argos also support it,
I had an Acaia Lunar to replace my $12 Weightman amazon scale. I honestly didn't notice a single quality of life upgrade from it other than pretty animations for numbers. In fact, I much prefer the physical buttons on my weightman. Resold the Lunar and I have zero regrets going back to my Weightman.
Trust me when I say, you don't need any of this shit. If your scale can read time and weight, you're good to go. Your $12 Weightman is more than enough.
That transparent glass is cool. No need for one now, but this price point is a lot easier to swallow than Acaia
I see a Philos over there.. Waiting impatiently on that vid 😂
Please do a video where you do a tear down of every scale you have!
I definitely want a scale ranking because I want to buy a scale but there are so many options (and many are quite expensive). I have a kitchen scale but it's not very sensitive or reliable, and lots of scales look too thick, and I want the timer function too.
Having some worthy competition on the market so that Acaia doesn't get too complacent is great. Maybe they will improve the lunar and half the price too lol.
Yesss for calling out the water intrusion on Acaia
🤚 raise your hand if your cafe has a pile of dead Acaia scales
@LanceHendrick what is your opinion on the shape of the scales? Most of them are square shaped but there is the Felicita Arc as well with its wide shape which is perfect for split shots. Yet it is the only one of it’s kind
I use a scale my old drug dealer gave me as a gift after making some edibles for him five years ago..
Couldn’t imagine spending more than $50 on a “coffee” scale. Scales are incredibly cheap to make
Awesome. Need more innovation to push the industry to a more affordable entry point for newcomers. That being said, I love my black mirror but its a little big for espresso so I mainly use my $13 temu scale for espresso now. Its not as quick as the black mirror, but it also works good enough for my day to day espresso shots (also comes with an attached usb c cover).
My wife is a pharmacist and uses calibrated and extremely accurate scales. I used her calibration weights to check my $15 scales. They were accurate down to 1/10th of a gram. Plenty good enough for coffee. Why spend $300 when you can spend $15?
Bluetooth and durability and longevity
@@LanceHedrick integrated bluetooth is certainly a big one but you should really be able to sell a slim scale with bluetooth, quality materials and good warranty for 100$/100EUR including tax on Amazon (so delivered to Prime) and honestly at half that price without the hipster design 🙂
@radicalbyte i agree. That's a big reason I made this video is for this trend , now that it has started, will continue.
@@LanceHedrick yeah, you've been on fire recently (this video and the Gaggia mod, we need something like this for the Rancilio Silva)..
Hey Lance, great video, thanks for the comparison. One thing I feel came short was the showcase of the scale in action. How's the experience of using it? How does the connected software work?
Also, a scale tier list would be awesome.
Works about the same as acaia. Switch between three modes. Software works well. Less buggy in my experience than acaia.
4:17 I'd be interested in a comparative review video also. I was distracted by the talk of "loading cells" here, though. Probably that should be "load cell".
If we need to be pedantic, sure. But probably understood it anyway
Beanconqueror also supports Bookoo scale as well as pressure sensor AFAIK.
I've had a MyWeigh Barista scale for years now. It's about 40 bucks, not that pretty, but goes up to 3 kgs and I use it for cooking all the time. Its barista timer is kind of a joke, stops when you lift the object for a second. Still worth the price. Forgot to add: it's quite fast, though may occasionally lag for a second.
That rocks!
This is awesome content
Thank you!
one thing thats cool with the Acaia Luner, is that its possible through the menu's on the device to get an addition didget of resolution. so it'll show 18.04g on the screen.
resolution != accuracy, i assume its off for a reason. but it seams pretty close!
To all the people out there using 15 dollar Amazon scales with no issues, you are not alone.
100%. This video isn't to support FOMO or GAS. It's to show what is capable, namely acaia isn't the only way to go for quality and build and longevity. Others can topple it for half the price.
@ you’re good brother! Honestly, I really appreciate the content. We need it for all the nerd in us and at the end of the day, if people have the money why not buy the best scale.
I’ll be honest, I would be rocking the acaia all day if I had the budget to spend for it. My comment was just tongue and cheek.
1. Definitely need a tier list
2. Thoughts on their pressure transducer??
I use the varia scale. Aside from having bluetooth but not integration with anything just yet, firmware is updatable and the scale itself I find to be very useful. Price was the main factor for me.
As a Vietnamese, I keep chuckling when he says the Brand's name.
Would love a scale tier list. For espresso, filter, and combo
The Acaia should've been named Bookoo, as in "Bookoo bucks".
I'm not too much in appliances with touch sensors. Actually searching for a kitchen scale like my 5€ AliExpress just in big :-D
This seems like a good development - though the Bluetooth functionality clearly requires some level of custom work, other than that a scale is pretty much an off-the-shelf product you just go to an OEM and have them make for you. Charging $250 for that is downright crazy. I also like that this seems to be more up to spec with a lot of current manufacturing standards for semi-premium gadgets, though imo putting the USB-C circuit on the same board is a major downgrade as that's the part that's most likely to break and having it separate increases repairability. Still, this looks like a good scale, though I'll be sticking with my $30 Aliexpress Fuego scale, which lacks BT but works more than well enough for me.
Another tier list!!!!
Acaias pricing had turned me off which is why I got a Decent to fit under my Flair 58. Glad there's more options. The list should also include how water resistant the design is.
I wish someone made a super-thin scale, maybe just a few mm high, by placing the load cells/electronics/battery on either side of a recessed platform. That would let me fit my favorite mug with the scale beneath it in my BDB.
Not saying that acaia is repairable, BUT... A seperate daughterboard is not frowned upon in the PCB world, it simply means that it is replaceable without soldering, or even replacing the entire board
Love that shirt
Acaia still awesome. Feels more premium, both in feel and price haha. Great gifting to a coffee hobbyist. If i had to pick a scale for myself starting out id invest in the bookoo or the timemore nano.
Acaia is definitely still awesome. Not like a new contender takes away from it being awesome!
Thanks for the heads up.
I've been using the miicoffee scale that's 1/4 the price of the BooKoo scale but i have no idea where it is on accuracy. I'd love to see an accuracy shootout to know which scales are accurate and the price.
Acaia has a better display, is a more practical size, and USB daughter board is a plus. The upside of the bookoo is the potential to have more water resistance.
100% do a tier list!
U can use it with hario beaker coffee server for pour over :) that’s what I use daily for my pour over
I desire the scale tier list!
Arc Felicitas are best IMO. I like the form factor as it allows to weigh the porterfilter.