More Accurate Scale Needed!

I have a decent Cuisinart digital scale that I use to weigh out my morning coffee, and also my ingredients when I cook a few things that need more precision than volume measurements. This morning I used it to weigh out two cups of tea. I used two separate infusers. I put the first one on the scale, zeroed it out, and added the tea. Took the first one off, put on the second one, zeroed it out, added the same amount of tea, according to the scale. However, when I look at the amount of tea in each infuser, one is definitely larger than the other. The infusers are the same size and shape (one is metal, the other is some Bodum plastic contraption) so I don't think it's likely that the size or shape is distorting how much tea I think is in each.
Which is the long way of bringing me to my question:
Any recommendations on accurate digital scales? I prefer metric to US standard, although I think most digitals will let you switch back and forth. Not looking to go much over $50. Would love to have a grinder/scale setup, but for right now things like the Baratza setups are out of reach.

Lower resolution means less weight capacity, so how much weight do you need to handle?

For example, the My Weigh iBALANCE 201 ($100?) handles 200 grams in 0.01 gram increments, the My Weigh i500 ($60) handles 500g in 0.1g increments, and the My Weigh KD-8000 ($40) handles 8 kg in 1 g increments. I'd also look at Jennings. Both of these companies sell scales that can be calibrated, so you needn't worry about them being biased and always reading over by 1/2g or whatever. They also both have long warranties, though I hear actual service might not be so great. You might want to buy from a specialized vendor that has a reputation for helping with that.

One thing to note is the ratio of capacity vs resolution is about 5,000:1 in a $50 scale and 20,000:1 in a $100 scale. That's part of what you pay for. A $20 scale might have a ratio of 5,000:1 but it's probably fudging to get that number.

I just checked my cheap 10 year old Salter 3001 which has a 1g reading. I compared by weighing in a precision scale where 1 random bean weighed 0.18g. I took 1.96g of beans and the Salter said 1g. One bean put it over the top, but it would bounce between 1 and 2. Another 0.97g and it read 2 and the same situation. The thing is always going to be off by +/-1. So 8g of beans for a cup of coffee might be off by 12%. That +/-1 happens with any scale, so take that into account when selecting one. A better scale wouldn't be quite as bouncy as this cheap $20 Salter, but the basic problem is fundamental to all digital scales. Unlike analog scales, they can't balance in between the numbers. The rule of thumb with precision scales is to ignore the last digit (mine reads mg, but I only use 2 of the 3 mg digits) which obviously won't work so well with a 2-3 digit kitchen scale.

Not much point talking seriously about accuracy and precision in a $50 scale. It's not really necessary, and they don't publish the necessary specs for these things. You want to know things like accuracy (sometimes given as a number of digits, which isn't just how many are on the display), and temperature and time drift. For example, my precision scale drifts around 15mg the first few minutes it's on.

Before I upgraded to the Acaia Pearl scale (with Bluetooth apps which I got for a deal through the Kickstarter) I was pretty happy with the inexpensive American Weigh Scales (AWS) I had in various sizes. The AMW-SC-2KG Digital Pocket Scale was probably the most flexible for me.

Prima-Coffee carries some scales for coffee use, you might want to look at their selection as it looks like they've narrowed the field a bit.

I really do like my Acaia scale quite a bit and use it every day, without the fancy bluetooth apps, just use it as an accurate scale with a long lasting battery that won't shut off while you're using it but it's quite a bit outside your budget.

JohnYaddy said:

However, when I look at the amount of tea in each infuser, one is definitely larger than the other. The infusers are the same size and shape (one is metal, the other is some Bodum plastic contraption) so I don't think it's likely that the size or shape is distorting how much tea I think is in each.

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Swap out the tea in the infusers to confirm. Does the same infuser look to have more volume after doing so?

I have a $7 jewelers scale from eBay. Its resolution is 0.1g, is small, and it holds at least 250g. I'm not sure I follow what your purpose is but for weighing coffee or tea in a grounds bin it's perfect - but weighing a mug for pourover it wouldn't be.

Gig103 said:

I have a $7 jewelers scale from eBay. Its resolution is 0.1g, is small, and it holds at least 250g. I'm not sure I follow what your purpose is but for weighing coffee or tea in a grounds bin it's perfect - but weighing a mug for pourover it wouldn't be.

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I need more than 1000g. I make fresh pasta and bread, and sometimes have large batches.

Be careful to keep these scales away from flour and the like. These kitchen scales are fine for home use, but aren't sealed and will break down if you get enough flour dust settling in them. There are professional scales build for those environments, but they're expensive.

In your situation, I'd consider two scales. The My Weigh KD-8000 is designed specifically for home bakers (but not pros). But it's not much better than my Salter at weighing out a single cup of tea or coffee. You might find a single scale that'll do both well, but for $100 (the cost of 2 of these) you might get 0.1g and 2kg max weight, which isn't quite as good a range as two $50 scales. Or you could cut down on the quality. But if I had the KD8000, I'd be considering a 0.01g scale that topped out at around 50-100g as a companion.

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My ADs are kicking in here. I'm talking myself into buying a couple of new scales. Where should I post about a bathroom scale?