Coffee & Espresso · Head-to-head
Acaia Pearl vs TIMEMORE Basic 3.0
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Coffee Scales: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Pearl publishes a full metrology specification rather than a single marketing number, and its real-time flow rate indicator is the only feature here that changes how you actually pour. The Basic 3.0 gives you a published IP rating, nearly twice the battery life of the Fellow and a stated accuracy table, for a fraction of the money.
Acaia Pearl
Buy itA full metrology spec, a flow rate indicator, and the only scale here that tells you its repeatability.
- Readability, repeatability and minimum weight all published at 0.1 grams, alongside linearity, which is a genuine specification rather than a single accuracy claim.
- A real-time flow rate indicator that visualises your pouring speed as you pour and suggests thresholds for ideal flow rates, which no other scale here offers.
- A 3.7V 1100mAh lithium-ion battery rated 30 to 40 hours, USB-C charging, Bluetooth 5.0, an adjustable-brightness display, a heat-resistant pad in the box, and a 2-year warranty in the US and EU.
- No water resistance rating is published, and Acaia's own care instruction is a soft cloth with warm water only.
- 2000 grams capacity is the joint lowest here, 500 grams less than the Fellow.
- Acaia states 0.1 gram readability but does not say whether it holds across the full 2000 gram range, where two competitors do.
TIMEMORE Basic 3.0
Buy itThe only one with a published IP rating, a long battery for the money, and a stated accuracy table.
- IPX3 water resistance, the only rating published by any maker here, on a device that lives next to a kettle.
- Accuracy stated as 0.1 grams from 0.2 to 500 grams, 1 gram to 1000 and 3 grams to the 2000 gram maximum, so TIMEMORE tells you which part of the range each figure covers.
- A 1600mAh battery good for up to 24 hours of continuous use and a full recharge in 3.5 hours over USB-C, with Regular, Pour-Over and Espresso modes, automatic tare in Espresso mode, a three-second timer lead-in and a coffee-to-water ratio display.
- No Bluetooth and no app, so there is no way to log or export a brew.
- By TIMEMORE's own table, accuracy drops to 1 gram above 500 grams and 3 grams above 1000.
- No warranty terms appear on the product page.
Side by side
The 11 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Acaia Pearl Our pick | TIMEMORE Basic 3.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Serious home brewing and cafe use, where flow rate and repeatability actually matter. | A first serious brewing scale, and anyone who splashes water around. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
| Readability | 0.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Resolution across range | Not published | 0.1 / 1 / 3 g by load, published |
| Capacity | 2000 g | 2000 g |
| Repeatability published | Yes, 0.1 g | No |
| Water resistance | Not published | IPX3 |
| Battery | 1100 mAh, 30 to 40 hours | 1600 mAh, up to 24 hours |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C, 3.5 h to full |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | None |
| Modes | Dual display, auto-start timer, beverage | Regular, pour-over, espresso |
| Dimensions | 160 x 160 x 32 mm | 140 x 120 x 20 mm |
| Warranty | 2 years US and EU, 1 elsewhere | Not published |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Acaia Pearl if
serious home brewing and cafe use, where flow rate and repeatability actually matter.
Know before buying: no water resistance rating is published, and Acaia's own care instruction is a soft cloth with warm water only.
Pick the TIMEMORE Basic 3.0 if
a first serious brewing scale, and anyone who splashes water around.
Know before buying: no Bluetooth and no app, so there is no way to log or export a brew.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Acaia Pearl - A full metrology spec, a flow rate indicator, and the only scale here that tells you its repeatability. Choose the TIMEMORE Basic 3.0 instead if a first serious brewing scale, and anyone who splashes water around.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Coffee Scales: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).