Maybe this is a hot take, but we reached peak coffee scale in 2014 with the invention of the Acaia Pearl. There have been other quality scales to come out, offering their riffs on the Pearl with updates to aesthetics or price point, but none have really offered the short of wholesale shift like the Acaia scale did to the Hario Drip Scale before it. Perhaps there are just no more weighted worlds to conquer.
Enter WeighMaster. The new scale by MantaBrew brings modular design to brew measurements and may actually offer something new. And itโs live on Kickstarter now.
The first product from the Hong Kong-based MantaBrew, the most striking feature of the WeighMaster is the up two three different modules that can connect and disconnect from one another. This allows users to set the read-out display in a different place than the weighing module. You could, for instance, attach the display to your espresso machine while the scale is weighing a shot being pulled. Or maybe you canโt see the read-out when standing over your Chemex because its big ole bottom is covering the screen; the WeighMaster fixes that. And the foldable TFT screen ensures you can see it at any angle.
And itโs not just modularity. The WeighMaster has some pretty cool under-the-hood features to go with their smart design. There are features like the Portafilter Tare mode that automatically recognizes and rates the weight of the portafilter, a Beginner mode that offers guidance for those just starting their coffee journey, and even a Coffee to Water Ratio mode that displays the up-to-the-second brew ratio.
But the most interesting feature, at least from a brewing perspective, is the Weighing Timer mode, which gives real-time information about the speed that water is being added. Such information is tracked by other scales, but they require a phone app. With the WeighMaster, itโs built in to the unit itself.
With just under three weeks left on the campaign, the WeighMaster has already raised over $150,000, well past its $6,000 goal. But there are still discounts aplenty. Would-be backers can get a WeighMaster of their own for as low as $99 for the Module A, $129 for the Module B, and $169 for both Modules A and B. Rewards are scheduled to begin shipping out later this year in June.
It’s hard to imagine that anything will ever challenge the Acaia supremacy, but hey, even the Pearl began life as a Kickstarter campaign. In a world of copycats, MantaBrew’s WeighMaster is one of the first that feels like it offers something qualitatively different. Whether you think you actually need those new features or not, YMMV. I’ve bought essentially the same piece of gear for less.
For more information on the WeighMaster and which of the Modules is right for you, visit their Kickstarter page.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.
