From the Lab: POLARIS Coffee Scale

A Conversation with the Development Team Behind POLARIS at HARIO HQ

Coffee scales have become an essential part of modern pour-over brewing, helping brewers achieve consistency and precision with every cup.

But what if a scale could do more than simply measure weight? That question became the starting point for POLARIS, HARIO's next-generation coffee scale.

Built on over a decade of experience with the V60 Drip Scale, POLARIS was designed to make hand brewing more intuitive by automatically calculating brew ratios and visualising pouring progress in real time.

Today, we're taking you behind the scenes to explore the ideas, challenges, and philosophy that shaped POLARIS.

Q1: What inspired the development of POLARIS?

Our V60 Drip Scale has been a long-selling product since its launch in 2013. Over the past decade, using a scale has become a standard part of pour-over brewing.

As coffee brewing continued to evolve, a group of coffee-loving members within HARIO came together with a shared ambition: to create the coffee scale we genuinely wanted to use ourselves.

From the beginning, we focused on two core principles: improving usability and creating a clean, distraction-free design that allows brewers to concentrate fully on the brewing process.

HARIO's long-selling V60 Drip Scale, trusted by coffee brewers since 2013.

Q2: What makes POLARIS different from conventional coffee scales?

Simply improving responsiveness and usability was not enough. We wanted to add features that could meaningfully improve the brewing experience.

This led us to focus on brew ratio, one of the key factors that shapes the final flavour of coffee.

POLARIS automatically calculates the target water amount based on the coffee dose. It also displays, in real time, what percentage of the target water has already been poured.

Together, these features reduce the need for manual calculations and allow brewers to focus more fully on pouring.

Q3: How did you balance advanced functionality with simple, intuitive operation?

The biggest challenge was adding new functionality without making the scale feel complicated.

We repeatedly simulated the brewing workflow in detail, ensuring that every feature felt natural and supported a wide range of brewing styles.

For example, we intentionally chose not to include an automatic timer stop because some brewing methods involve lifting the dripper during extraction.

Users can also switch the operation sound on or off and start the timer either automatically or manually.

These details may seem small, but together they create a more flexible and stress-free brewing experience without limiting the brewer.

Q4: What was the thinking behind the minimal design?

The same principles of usability and simplicity guided the visual design.

We carefully refined the LED display, including its brightness, layout, balance, and lighting sequence, so that the information would remain clear without becoming distracting.

Attention was also given to details such as the buttons and battery cover on the underside.

In addition to the classic black model, we introduced a warm ivory white finish that complements other brewing equipment and makes the colour of the brewed coffee easier to observe.

Q5: Why was the scale named POLARIS, and who would you like to use it?

We see the scale as a supporting tool rather than the centre of the brewing process.

During development, one team member described it as a guide for brewing. That idea led us to the name POLARIS, after the North Star, which has long guided travellers and navigators.

We hope POLARIS can similarly guide coffee lovers as they explore new recipes, discover new flavours, and move closer to their ideal cup.

For experienced brewers, it makes recipe management easier, especially when changing the coffee dose or preparing multiple servings.

For beginners, it offers an intuitive way to understand brew ratios and learn how recipes are structured.

Ultimately, we hope POLARIS lowers the barrier to hand brewing and helps more people enjoy exploring the world of pour-over coffee.

Discover the POLARIS Coffee Scale

Designed to guide every brew, POLARIS combines intuitive technology with HARIO’s minimalist design philosophy to make pour-over brewing easier, more consistent, and more enjoyable.

→ Coffee Scale POLARIS