I...really don't like my Acaia Pearl
After reading a ton of reviews on this subreddit and elsewhere, and hearing how much people love their Acaia Pearl scales, I bought a 2021 model, with the assumption that this was a "worth the price tag for that extra 20% awesomeness" kind of thing. I used it this morning, and I immediately want to return it, even at the cost of having to pay return shipping and a 20% restocking fee. I know that plenty of other folks love their Pearl, and I'm glad it works for them, but I'm pretty disappointed given the price tag. Just wanted to share one more opinion for anybody who is currently on the fence about buying one.
I was using an ancient $20 Amazon scale before, and after returning this I am planning to order a Hario Polaris.
Aesthetics: maybe it's just a matter of taste but I don't actually think it's that aesthetic. The build quality seems fine but doesn't strike me as particularly gorgeous or anything. Saying that it's Apple-level design is just...not true, imho.
Responsiveness: Yes, it's faster and more responsive when pouring, but I suspect that can be had for a much lower price tag.
Buttons: I think this is probably the point that's driving me crazy the most - sometimes, depending on the angle that I hit the Tare or Power button at, it just doesn't....respond. I have to press it again, or try at a different angle, or at a slightly different part of the button, or hold it a little longer. For a >$200 scale this is pretty bonkers to me. I just want actual analogue buttons now.
Pourover timer: I hate the fact that I can't lift the carafe and filter to swirl without the pourover timer stopping, and that there is no firmware setting to change this. Again, for a >$200 scale, it's hard to accept that this isn't something the company can figure out how to deliver.
Beverage mode: same annoyance as the pourover timer re: swirling, and the fact that the buttons are sometimes unreliable means that I don't really want to use this as a workflow.
So that leaves the manual dual-display mode for me, which turns the Acaia Pearl into just...a responsive scale that has a built-in timer. Which is nice, but can also be had for way cheaper.
I don't mind paying a premium for a quality product, but in this case the value just isn't there. I don't think it is at all the "holy grail" scale of scales that it seems to be made out to be. YMMV - I know tons of people love their Pearl, and maybe it's great for their workflow. It just doesn't work for me.