I've been learning about coffee, and one thing I hear over and over is to accurately measure your coffee to water ratio. I'm finally a believer.

This scale is so easy to use. I set my container on the scale, press "Zero" then can measure exactly how much coffee I'm putting in. It goes to a hundredth of an ounce. For my French Press, I use 2.00 ounces of coffee to 30 ounces of water. After I put the ground beans in the French Press, I put it on the scale and press zero. I then pour exactly 30 ounces of water.

With this scale, if my coffee is too strong or too weak, I simply adjust the ratio. I can get consistent results time after time after time.

It also has a timer. For me, I start the timer when I first pour water for the coffee to bloom. After 30 seconds, I pour the rest of the water. At four and a half minutes, I press the plunger down. It also helps to keep track of the time when making pour-over coffee. It can help you adjust the grind size if the water goes too quickly or too slowly through the dripper.

If you don't mind drinking bad coffee, then this scale with timer is not necessary. But if you want *good* coffee at home, this scale can help you do it. Of course, it can also function as a kitchen scale for measuring portions, or whatever. This scale is easy to use and takes the guesswork out.

Pros: seems accurate. Agrees well with my other electronic scales. Well-lit, easy to read display. Simple operation.

Cons: this scale is a bit slow. Other reviewers said this too, but I figured since I'd only be using it to weigh coffee beans for single dose espresso, I could tolerate a bit of delay, but when you're measuring less than a gram of difference, you start having to wait over a second before the display updates. Larger weight changes don't seem to have this issue.

Great features. Very slow to register. My only complaint is it takes a second or 2 to weigh the item

So far so good! I was a professional barista years ago, working at a third wave coffee shop, pulling espresso, latte art, V60's, ext. I've always kept equipment around for brewing V60's, but when it came to getting a scale I was familiar with using the Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale, back at the coffee shop, but I didn't want to pay that much for a scale. So I went with the Coffee Gator Coffee Scale with Timer. So far it has worked as expected, I'm using it to weigh my coffee beans as well as when I brew my coffee with the timer. For context I only have used it a few times at this point, if something on it breaks or changes, I'll post below and update my review.

My only two concerns with this product are, 1. longevity and reliability. Like I said, I'm familiar with the Hario scale and used it in a busy professional environment for years, with water and coffee getting spilled on it, drops and bangs, and general abuse that comes in a fast paced environment, and I never saw one of those break or stop working. So I hope that this product can offer similar reliability and durability, at a personal home use level, without issue. Only time can tell, but it seems well made and durable from handling it so far.
2. Is a complaint to the seller/amazon. The scale came shipped only in the product packaging, not boxed up inside a shipping box, and my concern with this is, the product packaging is not sealed or taped shut. So, theoretically, someone could easily see what the item is and could open it or tamper with it, without any resistance and without any seal or sticker to cut through. Mine came in ok, but I couldn't help but think, someone else may not be as fortunate as me. This is why, my review is only a 4 star at this time.

I've been using this scale for a few days now to measure espresso dose from grinder and also shot weight and time on the espresso machine.

Pros:
* Clear, easy to read display
* Intuitively marked function buttons
* The rubber mat is nice for catching drips/overflow before they get under/inside the scale
* Accurate and repeatable when checked against my calibration weights.
* The storage tray is a nice addition.

Cons:
* The display has some latency. It takes longer to settle than other scales in this price range. When I use it to weigh an espresso shot as it pours, I have to turn off the flow early because it will gain a few grams by the time the display "catches up". That's a minor complaint.

This scale seems to be aimed towards pour-over folks, so maybe latency isn't a problem for them. That said, it's an excellent scale for $18.

I got this to replace an Amir scale. The Amir scale was definitely faster, but it lacked a timer and it didn't survive the wet environment of an espresso machine drip tray. I think the Gator is a better value and it seems to be more robust. The next level up for espresso scales is much higher in price than I am willing to pay for. So the gator is the one for me if it lasts.