Fellow Tally hands-on: A slick scale for exact pour-overs

Exact instruments are a espresso nerd’s finest pals and after releasing the Opus grinder earlier this 12 months, Fellow has returned with one other product referred to as the Tally Pro. And whereas it’s arduous to discover a kitchen scale thrilling – particularly one as area of interest as this – after attempting it out for myself I’m beginning to see the enchantment.

Like the remainder of Fellow’s devices, the Tally includes a minimalist design with a black-on-black shade scheme, although I want there was slightly extra matte and fewer shiny in sure areas to cover fingerprints. Within the heart, there’s an easy-to-read OLED show together with a useful knob and an enormous button for setting the timer.

The Tally Professional’s specs are fairly strong, too. You get good sensitivity that goes all the way down to a tenth of a gram, a detachable weigh pan for straightforward cleansing and a max capability of two,500 grams (about 5.5 kilos). Meaning this factor can double as a normal kitchen scale for all however the heaviest recipes. That stated, what I like is Fellow’s consideration to element. Certain, its battery will final about three months, however in contrast to a number of different rechargeable scales, the Tally can nonetheless work whereas it’s plugged in. And since the dimensions depends on a USB-C port for energy, you don’t have to trouble with proprietary charging bricks. Fellow even constructed slightly Easter Egg into the dimensions that permits you to play a sport much like the one you get in Google Chrome if you don’t have an web connection.

Nevertheless, the standout function on the Tally Professional is that alongside its weight and timer modes, there’s a brand new Brew Help mode that makes an attempt to take a few of the math out of hitting that good coffee-to-water ratio. Just by getting into the quantity of floor espresso you’re beginning with and choosing your required ratio (which will be adjusted manually), the dimensions will calculate the correct quantity of water you want (by weight, in fact, as a result of no self-respecting espresso geek settles for volumetric measurements). It can even inform you how a lot water so as to add all through your brewing time to assist obtain a super extraction. Just about the one factor it doesn’t do is offer you a bloom timer, however that is as a result of given the massive number of beans, Fellow believes it’s higher to observe the roaster’s directions for that.

Admittedly, long-time espresso aficionados may suppose this form of hand-holding is a bit a lot. Nevertheless, as somebody who has solely not too long ago began diving deeper into the intricacies of constructing a fantastic cup of espresso, I discover it is a good help for much less skilled brewers. In actuality, the a lot greater hurdle is its value, as a result of at $185 the Tally Professional is round 5 occasions costlier than an ordinary kitchen scale. And except you’re an actual java nut, that’s a tricky swallow.

However if you need a handsome scale to assist maximize your brew, you higher begin saving up for when the Tally Professional formally goes on sale someday in early June.