In the event you’ve been hanging across the espresso gear world for some time, you’ll see that MHW-3Bomber has a knack for standing out, generally loudly. They’re a Chinese language firm whose technique appears to be easy: take options usually reserved for premium gear, pack them into aggressively priced merchandise, and see what number of followers of higher-end gear they will lure over. The most recent try comes within the type of two new espresso scales, the Dice 3.0 Micro and the Dice 3.0 Professional Max.
They’re each fascinating, not simply due to what they do, however due to how little they price in comparison with their closest competitors. The Dice 3.0 Micro is simply $48, typically with reductions, and the Professional Max is $55, once more with occasional reductions.
One is designed for portability and espresso, the opposite is a much bigger, data-driven beast for pour over. Neither scale is ideal, however each make you query whether or not you actually need to spend $150 or extra on a espresso scale.
The brand new Micro scale from 3Bomber may be very small – nearly as small as a Bookoo Themis.
The big and heavy Professional Max Scale, with a 3000mAh battery inside.
If you will get previous the title, which nonetheless makes some people wince, the MHW-3Bomber branding on these scales is delicate and straightforward to reside with. What issues extra are the options and worth. We’re not doing a full evaluate on these scales, however I wished to provide you a better have a look at some severe new contenders for measuring the weights of your brews.
The Dice 3.0 Micro: Pocket-sized Precision
The Micro is the smaller of the 2, and MHW-3Bomber actually leaned into portability right here. It’s solely 85mm by 85mm, weighs simply 138 grams, and comes with a carrying case that’s shockproof, waterproof, and has a bit of storage compartment for cables, or perhaps a baggie with as much as 100g of espresso. It’s about as near a travel-ready espresso scale as you’re going to search out.
Accuracy is a little bit of a trade-off. The dimensions reads in 0.1g increments as much as 1000g, which is okay for espresso and single-cup brews. However as soon as your brewing gear pushes the burden previous a kilo, the precision drops to complete grams. Meaning whenever you add espresso grounds on high, you lose the positive accuracy many individuals need for dialing in recipes.
It has three brewing modes: regular scale mode, pour over, and espresso. The espresso mode is the place it excels, with a characteristic that mechanically begins the timer when it detects the primary drops of liquid hitting the cup. In the event you’ve ever fumbled with a scale, making an attempt to start out the timer whereas making an attempt to not break your shot, this can be a large help.
There’s additionally an auto-on perform: drop one thing weighing 50 grams or extra on the size and it wakes up able to go, zeroing itself out within the course of. I like this characteristic for pre-weighing a portafilter earlier than grinding espresso into it from a single dose grinder.
The Dice 3.0 Micro additionally remembers your final used mode, which is good in case you’re a creature of behavior, and it has what 3Bomber calls an “anti-mistouch” characteristic that helps keep away from unintentionally resetting the tare mid brew.
Battery could be a priority. I’ve seen two completely different “studies” of the battery inside – one stated 400mah, the opposite stated 600mah. Both means, not a whole lot of energy, and having a scale that stays on for as much as half-hour will drain it tremendous quick. Charging is gradual too; in truth, 3Bomber particularly warns you in opposition to utilizing a fast charger with this USB-C geared up scale.
The Dice 3.0 Professional Max: The Large Brother
If the Micro is all about compact espresso work, the Professional Max is constructed to be a form of countertop command centre (going with the navy motif, I’m lol!). It’s quite a bit larger at 150mm by 150mm, weighs round 560g, and has a broad weighing floor that may deal with every part from a Chemex to a portafilter with out overlaying up the show. Similar to the Micro, it has a customized made silicone sleeve that sits on high, obligatory as a result of warmth can have an effect on the weighing mechanism.
Accuracy is 0.1 grams throughout the total vary as much as 2000 grams. No compromises.
The showpiece characteristic right here, for me a minimum of, is the reside brew ratio readout in pour over mode. I adore it: I can put any random quantity of espresso I would like within the pour over system (oh wait, I floor 23.1g of espresso? let’s roll with that!), register it with the size (that motion is tremendous fast and intuitive), and the size will give me a reside readout of the ratio as I pour brewing water. No extra psychological math gymnastics if I wish to get a 1:14 ratio (or a 1:16.3 ratio for that matter); simply watch the reside readout, and cease pouring as soon as I hit my goal.
One other nifty characteristic is the real-time circulate price show. That is normally reserved for scales 2x-3x the value, like Acaia or high-end Timemore fashions. The Professional Max reveals your pouring pace in grams per second (right down to .1g), together with time, the aforementioned brew ratio, and complete water weight. For anybody chasing consistency in pour over, it’s an enormous deal. Besides, there’s one subject with the circulate price, which I’ll cowl under.
The Professional Max has the identical brewing modes because the Micro, however with extra knowledge on display screen. After you end brewing, the stats keep seen till you clear them, so you may really evaluate what you probably did as a substitute of shedding the numbers the second you carry your kettle.
Energy is one other sturdy level. The Professional Max has a 3000mAh battery with a claimed 72 hours of steady use. That’s not a typo. You possibly can brew espresso all week, nearly non cease, with out plugging it in. It additionally recharges through USB-C, and that takes a very long time since you can’t use quick chargers with this system.
The place They Stumble
Pretty much as good as these scales are on paper, they aren’t flawless.
- The plastic feels low-cost. That’s the trade-off at this worth level. Don’t anticipate the stable construct of an Acaia Pearl, a DiFluid Microbalance, or the luscious Bookoo Themis.
- The Professional Max show is dimmer than it needs to be. It’s positive in most kitchens, however in case you’re in vibrant mild you’ll discover it. The Micro’s show is brighter, however not as clear as one thing just like the Bookoo Themis.
- As nice as the actual time circulate price readout on the Professional Max is on paper, it’s not really “actual time”. In my testing, it’s fairly laggy. You’ll see reside numbers and assume – okay, I’m pouring too quick, then modify, after which go means too low due to how a lot lag there’s within the readout vs your precise real-time pouring. Advantageous tuning your pour it may be irritating.
- Lastly, the auto-off timer choices are odd. You may set it to 10 minutes, half-hour, or all the time on. Personally, I’d prefer to see 5, 10, and 20 minutes as a substitute. The half-hour and all the time on timings for the Micro are particularly bizarre, given its tiny battery (assumed).
These could also be deal breakers for some; however the worth factors will most likely shift them again to “yeah, I feel I would like one” territory.
Worth and Competitors
Right here’s the place issues get fascinating. The Dice 3.0 Micro normally sells for round $48, typically with additional coupons floating round, whereas the Professional Max is available in at about $55, once more with reductions in case you catch them. Evaluate that to scales that MHW-3Bomber see as their rivals in these areas: the extremely diminutive Bookoo Themis, which is most just like the Micro, sits at about $130, and the Acaia Pearl, in the identical measurement class because the Professional Max, goes for about $150.
That’s not simply aggressive pricing, it’s disruptive. Even in case you consider that MHW-3Bomber typically ships direct from China, with longer supply instances and the possibility of added charges or tariffs (one thing US consumers are coping with proper now because of their present president’s insurance policies), you’re nonetheless paying a fraction of the value for options that usually include a a lot steeper tag.
Which One Makes Sense for You?
In the event you principally brew espresso, the Micro is a welcome addition to {the marketplace}. It’s sufficiently small to take a seat on a drip tray, it has the auto timer, and it gained’t take up a lot house in a journey bag. It even feels at dwelling on a Breville Bambino Plus or Delonghi Dedica with their slender drip trays. It’s a bit taller than the Acaia Lunar or Bookoo Themis, so there nonetheless will likely be a good vertical match on machines just like the Gaggia Basic and Profitec Go.
In the event you’re extra into pour over or need a do-everything scale, the Professional Max is the higher decide. The circulate price show is imperfect however nonetheless helpful, the reside brew ratio is sensible, the battery life is ridiculous, and the value is sort of laughably low for what you get.
In the event you’re torn between the 2, the Professional Max is barely seven bucks extra however don’t anticipate to suit it in your espresso drip tray. Except house is absolutely tight, it’s most likely the higher all-rounder.
Closing Ideas
MHW-3Bomber could have an unlucky title, however they’re doing one thing necessary right here. By placing superior options into reasonably priced packages, they’re forcing the remainder of the espresso gear trade to rethink what counts as “premium”, a minimum of the place options are involved.
Neither the Dice 3.0 Micro nor the Professional Max is ideal. The plastics really feel low-cost, the shows might be brighter, and the Professional Max’s circulate price isn’t as reside appropriately. However for underneath sixty {dollars}, you get performance that used to price double or triple that. That’s price taking note of.
In the event you’re available in the market for both, on the high of this text we linked to MHW-3Bomber (that’s not an affiliate hyperlink for us) to purchase direct in case you select. Or if you wish to assist out our web site, you should buy these on Amazon utilizing these affiliate hyperlinks: Dice 3.0 Micro Scale ($48), or the Dice 3.0 Professional Max Scale ($55).
