What is the Maestri House S2?
A scale sized to the one place a scale has to fit and usually does not.
Maestri House publishes 4.13 by 4.13 by 0.78 inches and 0.75lb, 0.1g accuracy across a published 0.5 to 2000g working range, three units, dual timekeeping modes, a borosilicate glass top, USB-C recharging, and states it works on most espresso machines and small pour-over stands.
Why the dimensions are the specification
An espresso drip tray is small, and most scales do not fit on one.
Pulling a shot on a scale means the scale sits on the drip tray with the cup on top, under the group head. The space between the tray and the portafilter is fixed and short, so a scale that is a centimetre too thick means the cup will not go under, and a scale that is too wide will not sit flat on the tray at all.
At 105mm square and 20mm thick this is deliberately built for that gap. A Greater Goods at 133mm square is a better scale in most ways and will not fit on many drip trays. That is not a fault in either; they are solving different problems.
The corollary is that it will not take a Chemex or a big press without overhang. If your brewing is filter, buy the bigger platform.
The published range starts at 0.5g, not 0
A small detail that is honest and that most listings do not give.
Maestri House publishes a working range of 0.5g to 2000g. Below 0.5g the scale is not claiming accuracy. That is a normal limitation of load cells and almost nobody states it.
For coffee it does not matter: an espresso dose is 18g and the smallest thing you will weigh is a few grams. It is worth knowing if you intended to weigh something tiny, and it is a point in the listing's favour that it says so rather than implying accuracy it does not have.
Borosilicate glass on a drip tray
The right material for the location, for a reason that is not obvious.
A scale under a group head gets hot water and steam on it constantly, plus the occasional hot portafilter set down on it. Painted plastic discolours and silicone stains with coffee oils.
Borosilicate glass takes heat without stressing, does not stain, and wipes clean. It is the same reason it is used for brewers. The trade is that glass is slippery and breakable, so a cup on a wet glass top can slide, and the scale will not survive being dropped on tile.
Maestri House S2 vs S3
Same maker, opposite briefs.
The S3 is the pour over scale: 3kg, three brew modes, a real-time flow rate display and a ratio calculator. It is the more capable instrument and a bigger object.
The S2 is the espresso one: small, thin, glass, 2kg, no flow rate published. If your scale lives on a drip tray, the S2. If it lives on a counter under a dripper, the S3.
Is the S2 worth it?
Worth it if you weigh shots. Wrong shape of object otherwise.
It is the only scale here dimensioned for an espresso machine, it publishes its size properly, and 4,324 reviews suggest it works. USB-C and a glass top are the right choices for where it sits.
Maestri House publishes no response time, no water resistance rating, no warranty term, no battery capacity and no flow rate function on this listing. Response time matters more on an espresso scale than anywhere else, because a shot is 25 seconds and a laggy readout is useless within it, and no scale on this site publishes a figure.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it to weigh espresso in and out.
It suits anybody with an espresso machine who wants to control the yield, and anybody wanting a scale that travels.
Do not buy it for filter brewing into a large vessel, where it is too small. Do not buy it for flow rate, which it does not publish. And do not put a wet cup on the glass without checking it sits still.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will it fit on an espresso drip tray?
That is what it is for: 105mm square and 20mm thick. The maker states it works on most espresso machines.
What is the working range?
0.5g to 2000g at 0.1g, and the maker publishes that lower bound rather than implying accuracy below it.
Does it show flow rate?
Not published. The S3 is the one with real-time flow rate.
What is the top made of?
Borosilicate glass, which handles heat and does not stain.
How does it charge?
USB-C.
