Bookoo is a newer brand, but they’re getting a lot of attention from coffee geeks in the know. Especially, for their two sleek scales. Here, I’m going to discuss my experience with the Themis Ultra, which is the bigger version.
It’s an espresso-first scale, but big enough to moonlight for pour over.
Quick Take
This is a buy-it-for-life scale in a category where most people don’t need one. But I have to admit. It’s damn sleek. The build quality and the battery life do live up to the hype. Just know that you definitely don’t need all this!
First Impressions
The packaging is very professionally done. It’s just beautiful. I know it sounds weird to say that about packaging but Bookoo really does it in a stylish way. American prestige brands don’t have an inch on them here.
When you pick it up, the first thing you notice is that it’s heavy. 430 grams!
The very similar Timemore Black Mirror Mini sits at only 236 grams.
It’s plastic on the outside, but it doesn’t feel like it. This is built like it expects to outlive you.
On Closer Inspection
The display is lovely. But there’s one odd thing: the color leans slightly yellow compared to most other coffee gear.
Put it next to an electric Timemore gooseneck kettle, which leans blue, and the two just clash. Annoying if you care how your setup looks together. And if you’re buying this scale, you probably do.
The touch controls are where it loses points. There’s no marking that shows you where to press, and turning it off is fiddly too. You hold the button longer than on other scales, and it only powers down once you lift your finger.
The battery, on the other hand, is a non-issue. I’ve only recharged it once in more than half a year of use.
Side note: It took me a while to realize, but it actually shows you how much battery is left when you turn it off. The message just flashes by very quickly.
The USB-C port is covered by a silicone insert, but it isn’t attached to the scale the same way it is with many rivals. It’s easy to lose, which is a shame at this price. And I’m not sure how it would affect the claims about being completely waterproof.
I also peeled off the plastic screen protector that comes pre-installed.
Early units had a static problem: holding your hand a few inches above the scale could make it read -0.1. The factory screen protector is Bookoo’s fix for that. But it kinda ruins the look.
To be clear, I’m not talking about the rubber mat that stops heat damage. What I’m referring to is more like an iPhone screen protector, and it makes the scale look less cohesive and less premium. Luckily, it peels off easily.
What I Liked
- IP67 waterproof. You can literally dunk it in the sink
- Good size. You can use it for both pour over and espresso without too much compromise
- Rated 72 hours of battery, around three times what rival coffee scales claim
- Sturdy, premium feel with a design language of its own
- A strong alternative to Acaia in a commercial setting
- Bluetooth and more modes than I can cover here
What I Didn’t
- Overkill for most home users at this price
- Touch controls are slow to tare, and there is no indication of where to press
- Turning it off is fiddly. You hold the button longer than on other scales, and it only powers down once you lift your finger
- The factory screen protector spoils the look. But you can easily peel it off.
- The silicone USB-C insert isn’t attached, so it’s easy to lose. A shame at this price
Live from the Testing Bench
- Checked it against a 100 gram calibration weight: 99.9 g. I ran it again while writing this. Same number. Most of my other scales also land on 99.9 g. You don’t need decimal precision for coffee
- Display reacts very fast. But so does most other coffee scales.
About the Bluetooth, and About Graphs
Bluetooth is interesting in theory, if you own an espresso machine that can pull the scale into its brewing profile. There are only a few of those on the market as we speak.
Otherwise you can pair it with Bookoo’s own espresso sensor and get brew curves out of it. Bu that’s another semi-pricy thing to buy.
Many coffee geeks are obsessed with fancy looking graphs. My experience as a brewer and home-roaster is that graphs are often just noise disguised as signal. A single agtron reading, or a look at how the brew bed settled, tells me more than a brew graph or a roast profile ever has.
Unresolved Questions
Bookoo rates the battery at 72 hours. I haven’t timed a full charge, so I can’t confirm that number. But one recharge in more than half a year suggests it’s not far off.
How well do the touch panel and the IP67 seal hold up after a few years? What happens to the waterproofness when you inevitably lose the USB-C-rubber plug? I can’t know that yet.
Does the static drift come back once the screen protector is off? It might, but I didn’t notice huge problems here in daily life.
Verdict after the first sips
If I were choosing a scale for a commercial environment, I would probably take this over an Acaia. Next to an Acaia, it’s much cheaper and probably just as good and sturdy.
On the other hand, next to scales aimed at home users from brands like Timemore, it’s more expensive.
So I guess value is all about the context.
However, some people like owning equipment that’s overpowered for the job. If that’s you, this delivers: advanced features, build quality, and a healthy dose of overengineering.
Size-wise it has a nice footprint and can work for most driptrays and most pour over needs. Read more about that here in my guide to coffee and espresso scales.
Alternatives & Links
Specs
- Depth: 11.2 cm
- Weight: 430 g
- Water resistance: IP67, survives full submersion
- Battery: rated 72 hours
- Charging: USB-C, with a removable silicone dust plug
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
