By now, the Hario V60 Drip Scale is one of the most common scales you’ll find. Many coffee shops and home brewers use or have used it.
It’s no doubt a popular scale that’s been around for quite a while now. In fact, this was one of the first scales to be widely used for coffee brewing. Now, there are many scales available in the market – with each brand trying to out-compete one another.
That raises the question: does this Hario scale still hold up in 2021? I’ll answer that question in this guide and give you my honest thoughts.
Walkthrough
The Hario V60 Drip Scale got its name from another famous product from Hario, the V60 Dripper. With the V60 being such an iconic brewing device in the coffee world, many tend to bundle the V60 scale with the V60 dripper when shopping for coffee gear. That, and obviously the names match.
The scale launched in 2012 with the intention of being used specifically for coffee brewing. It came during the early part of specialty coffee’s growth. And at that point, it literally was the best scale for coffee.
Around this time, people decided to get more serious about brewing coffee by having measurements – both in weight and in time.
This need brought Hario to make a scale with precise measurements and a built-in timer. From that, came the Hario V60 Drip Scale.
At a glance, the scale has a matte-black color. It does have a matte-white counterpart. But the black one is more commonly seen.
The scale is quite long with the weighing panel extending beyond the base where the touchpad is. Its display has a calculator-style feel to it with blocky looking numbers. This display is not lit up by any LED lights.
The scale itself is relatively light and is made out of plastic. Along with the display, the design and feel of the scale feeds into this ‘calculator’ look. But with a bit more of a sleek and modern touch. Especially when compared to the large and blocky kitchen scales people were using early on to measure their brews.
So, how does this iconic scale perform in 2021?
The review: how good is the Hario V60 Drip Scale?
Accuracy and precision – 3/5
This aspect refers to how exact and how consistent the scale is in measuring. Ideally, with the same dose, the weight measured should not change. And if it does, the change should only be minimal – by about 0.1 grams.
The Hario scale can measure up to 1 decimal place and is quite accurate in that regard. However, from extensive use before, its consistency in measurement isn’t great.
I’ve had times where I’d re-measure my dose and there would be a difference of 0.2 to 0.3 grams. While that’s not a lot, it isn’t ideal if you want to get really precise.
Some moments that would call for that level of precision are when you are: creating brew recipes, doing quality checks for brews & roast profiles, and when you are competing.
If these don’t apply to you as much, then this scale is decently accurate and precise.
Reliability – 3/5
Here, I’m talking about the overall performance of the scale when you’re using it. Put simply, it’s about how confident you can be with using this scale that nothing can go wrong.
Overall, the scale is reliable. But it’s far from perfect.
I’ve had instances where the scale just wouldn’t read decimal places for any particular reason. While rare, it’s happened enough times for me to take note of it.
One of the worst malfunctions I’ve had with this scale was that it read backwards. As I was brewing, instead of the weight increasing, the weight started to drop. Granted, this was a one-off situation. But it’s an incredibly frustrating experience to have in the middle of a brew.
On the topic of brewing, the biggest tick against this scale is its speed. The scale reads slow. While brewing, there’s about a 1 to 2 seconds of delay with the scale when measuring brew weight.
This makes brewing a little less seamless, and really, a lot more difficult. You’ll have to mentally account for the delay in measurement so you don’t over-pour.
Durability – 4/5
As the name suggests, durability is how well the scale holds up over time. Apart from build-quality, I’m also including resistance to water and falling.
Many users advocate for the Hario to be well-built. I can attest to this. With heavy use for about 3 years it hasn’t broken. I’ve also travelled with this scale, both air and land, and it’s held up.
One issue I’ve found with this scale’s build-quality, however, is that its touchpad has lost a bit of sensitivity over time. I’ve had a couple of instances where I’d have to press down on either the tare or timer functions harder to get them to work.
Since the scale is made out of plastic, I wouldn’t worry too much about dropping it. What I would be more concerned about is getting the scale wet.
The scale is not waterproof. Unlike other scales that have a rubber back, this scale is made of plastic all around. Meaning, big spills might cause liquid to seep into the back and hit the electronics.
Price – 2/5
This is where the Hario starts to drop off. The scale retails on Hario’s website for $57 (US). While that isn’t crazy expensive (scales like the Acaia would run for about $100), it’s not the cheapest scale on the market either.
With what you’re paying for this scale, you can expect a bit more. Other scales at this price range are starting to outperform the Hario and are including different features not found in this scale. More on this later.
Design and Aesthetic – 2/5
I mentioned earlier that this scale sports an old-school calculator look. While it has its appeal, it can look dated. But that’s minor.
What I’m more concerned about here is the lack of lighting on the display. This scale is difficult to use in both dim and bright environments.
On the usability standpoint, I also don’t like that you don’t get any feedback when you’ve activated a function on the scale. Both the standby/tare and timer functions work by hitting the touchpad on the scale. The thing is, you don’t get any tactile or auditory feedback to know if something is on or not.
To my knowledge, this scale has not gotten any updates/upgrades since it was first released. That also takes away from this scale. While Hario has released more modern scales, they could have at least updated this iconic piece of equipment.
Battery – 3/5
One area where this scale is particularly good is preserving battery life. It can last for months of heavy use before the batteries die out.
That being said, some areas for improvement are that it exclusively runs on AAA batteries, and that the display does not show the battery percentage.
Special Features – 1/5
Here, I’m referring to any add-ons to the scale. Usually, these mean modes like the auto-timer or auto-tare modes that come with most modern scales. But I’m also including add-ons other scales tend to have like a rubber coaster for the weighing panel.
Neither of these features are present in the V60 scale.
Final thoughts: is the Hario V60 Drip Scale worth it?
The quick answer is no. While it’s iconic and very durable, the fact that it hasn’t gotten an upgrade in years means that it’s not as relevant in 2021. That might ruffle some feathers.
But compared to other scales at that price range, what you get is underwhelming.
Even if you’re only after a very plain scale with a timer, the performance doesn’t match the price. There are other scales with the exact same functionality and set of features as the V60 Drip Scale that go for much cheaper.
Alternatives to the Hario V60 Drip Scale
If you’re just looking for a simple scale with the exact same features and same performance as the Hario, you can check out the RCYAGO Coffee Scale, which is 3x cheaper than the Hario. You can find more details about that here.
If you’re willing to spend the same amount as for the Hario, you can check out either the Kafede Kona Ghost or the Timemore Black Mirror Basic Weighing Panel.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Hario Scale be Used for Espresso
Yes. But keep in mind that it is quite long. It might not fit if you’re working with a smaller espresso machine.