My $40 scale was a game changer for my morning brew

Linda Knight · 2026-04-06T23:45:04.808799+00:00

I got a cheap kitchen scale a few months back, mostly for baking. On a whim, I started using it for my coffee instead of just scooping beans. It cost about $40. I weigh my beans now, 18 grams for my usual pot. The difference is crazy. My coffee tastes the same every single day, no more weak or bitter cups. I feel a bit silly for not doing it sooner, it's such a simple thing. It really showed me how much my old 'scoop' method was changing day to day. Has anyone else found a small tool that made a big difference in their routine?

lilymurphy3mo ago

Does my old scoop method count as a small tool that made a big difference in a bad way? I once weighed my "normal" scoop and it varied by like 8 grams depending on how sleepy I was. My scale basically told me my morning brain should not be trusted with anything more complicated than turning on the coffee maker.

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thomasm415mo ago

Man, I feel you. I used to be so proud of my "eyeball it" method for coffee until I got a scale. My first weigh-in was a real wake-up call. I was basically making bean soup some days and brown water on others, no wonder it was a gamble. I guess my freehand scooping skills are about as good as my freehand drawing skills, which is to say, terrible.

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holly635mo ago

Tell me about it! I used to think my coffee scoop was a consistent unit of measure. Turns out, a "heaping scoop" on a Monday could be double a "tired scoop" on a Friday. I was basically running a daily lottery on whether I'd get rocket fuel or sad tea. The scale didn't just make my coffee better, it exposed my total lack of trust in morning-me to handle basic tasks.

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