2014 brought many exciting milestones to our company and we’d like to thank everyone for their continued support. Without the coffee community’s feedback, we wouldn’t be able to introduce you to the newest version of the scale: the Pearl. The acaia | Pearl (below on the right) features the same high accuracy and winning design as the Kickstarter version.
During the process of shipping out our Kickstarter scales, we learned a lot about packaging for sensitive items. More cushioning was added within the box and we also added in a strip of felt in the gap between the top and bottom of the scale. This helped a lot with shock absorption during the shipping process.
After shipping out our Kickstarter scales, we were receiving demands for selling the scale. To satisfy demand and produce a high quality product that we were proud to sell, we honed our manufacturing and quality assurance to one, slightly warmer white. Underneath the scale, we rearranged parts so that the scale is more stable and quality can be more easily maintained throughout the manufacturing process.
Our biggest change in the Pearl is that it comes standard with a dual mode that shows at m:ss and grams. The Kickstarter version counts in seconds only with a light that will notify you at past a minute. Due to many requests, we’ve made this feature standard. But fear not, Kickstarter backers! We are close to finishing a firmware tool that will upgrade your scale to the same dual display and allow you toggle between modes for espresso use. EDIT: This tool has now been released. Please visit this guide for details.
Next, the heat pad. The Kickstarter version had a circular heat pad that some reported was not enough to handle a large Chemex brew. Additionally, we had a few home baristas who asked for a support for their portafilter. We created the rectangular heat pad with these issues in mind. The thickness and ridge help dissipate heat for a large brew. When you flip the pad over, it provides a rest for your portafilter handle so you can easily weigh your doses.
You can now purchase the scale online here or visit this page if you’re international.