Today, as we reflect on our journey, we're excited to pull back the curtain and share the story of how Themis Mini came to life. It’s a tale of coffee obsession, engineering challenges, and a simple belief: great coffee tools shouldn’t be out of reach for anyone.
The "Aha!" Moment That Started It All
We’ll never forget that first sip of citrusy coffee in a downtown café—bright, zesty, nothing like the bitter stuff we knew. We rushed to recreate it at home with the same beans, but it was a disaster: too sharp, too flat, even burnt. Five tries later, we were stumped.
Then a friend lent us her scale. We measured 15g beans, 240g water, timed 2.5 minutes—and there it was, that sunny citrus flavor. Numbers, not luck, were the secret. That’s when we realized: a good scale isn’t just a tool. It’s a way to hold onto that perfect sip, to make sure the magic isn’t a one-time thing. Whether we were using a simple pour-over setup or a basic espresso maker, having precise measurements turned messy experiments into reliable wins.
Like many of you, we’re huge fans of the Flair 58. There’s something magical about pulling a perfect shot with a manual lever machine—it’s hands-on, intentional, and rewarding. But we kept hitting a wall: while the Flair 58 makes incredible coffee, it couldn’t give us the real-time data we craved. We’d nail an orange-blossom shot, then struggle to repeat it, forgetting grams or timing.
We searched high and low for a scale that could work with the Flair 58’s compact design. Everything on the market was either too bulky, too slow, or lacked the smart features to track data.
So, we did what any group of stubborn coffee-loving engineers would do: we decided to build our own. What if we made something that let people like us—people who loved coffee but weren’t pros—hold onto that “aha!” moment? It started as a casual “what if,” but the more we talked, the clearer it got. We wanted to build a scale that didn’t just weigh coffee—it helped you remember what made your favorite cup special. A tool that turned “I made a great cup once” into “I make great cups, every time.”
Technology Serves Passion: The Story Behind the Design
Every tweak, every late night, every prototype that ended up in the trash—none of it was about showing off technology. It was about letting technology fade into the background, so what matters most—your love for coffee—could take center stage. Here’s how we chased that idea.
Transparent Design: Beauty in Simplicity
When designing Themis Mini, we focused on creating something that felt true to our aesthetic sensibilities. We’ve long admired designs that balance form and function—pieces that don’t just work well, but feel like they belong in your space. That’s where the transparent look came in. We drew inspiration from the sleek, uncluttered transparency of devices like the Nothing phone—designs that feel open and intentional, letting their surroundings shine through rather than competing with them. It made us think: What if a coffee scale could have that same quality?
Of course, making it work was another story. Transparent materials are tricky—especially when they’re up against steam, splashes, and the heat of a freshly brewed cup. We tested 12 prototypes—acrylic that warped, glass that chipped, resin that clouded—before landing on tempered glass. It’s tough enough for daily use, clear enough to fade into your counter, and just sleek enough to feel like part of the ritual
Tiny but Tough: Packing Power Into Small Spaces
The Flair 58’s compact build set a clear goal: Themis Mini had to be tiny—smaller than a phone—to fit seamlessly beside it. But “tiny” didn’t mean skimping on performance. We needed lab-level precision (0.1g accuracy), all-day battery life, and a design that looked intentional even through its transparent top. Fitting that into a palm-sized space? It meant sweating every millimeter. The transparent top added a hidden challenge: every internal component—wires, circuits, parts—would be visible. It couldn’t just work; it had to look deliberate, like a carefully curated display, not a jumble of parts. That’s where our circuit design got creative.
We swapped a flat circuit board for an L-shape, tucking it into the corner to free space. For the battery and sensor, we obsessed over every millimeter, testing 30+ layouts to balance power and precision. The result? A slim, sheet-like battery that lasts 24+ hours, paired with a centered sensor for 0.1g accuracy—all hidden neatly from view.
Precision That Matters: Chasing 0.1g
A “meh” cup and a “wow” cup often split by tiny shifts—a drop too much water, a gram too little grounds. That’s why we built Themis Mini to catch 0.1g changes.
Early sensors lagged or overreacted to splashes. We tested 18 options, then built a custom filter to cut through the noise, ensuring steady readings even mid-pour. We shrank the circuit to speed up response, so the scale keeps up with your pour—no lag, no guesswork.
Smart, Not Fancy: Data That Serves You
We added Bluetooth and an app
not because “smart” sounds cool, but because we wanted to turn numbers into insights. Pair Themis Mini with our EM pressure sensor, and suddenly you’re seeing your brew in 3D: flow rate, pressure, time. You notice, “When I pour fast, it tastes bitter.” Or, “Slower = more citrus.” It’s like having a coach whispering, “Try this next.”
We opened the Bluetooth protocol to let it work with other tools, breaking down silos. No jargon, no clutter—just data that helps you repeat the good days.
Two Years In: Messy, Grateful, and Just Getting Started
Two years back, we were unpacking our first 3D printer in a tiny apartment, arguing over resistor values and spilling coffee on our schematics. Today, Themis Mini is in kitchens, offices, and even a few cafes around the world.
It hasn’t been smooth. When orders spiked during Black Friday, we all camped out at the factory—engineers packing boxes, customer service reps answering emails at 2 a.m. We’ve had coffee stains on prototypes, app crashes, and more than one “this is impossible” moment.
But then we get notes like this: “I’ve never been able to make the same cup twice. Now I can. Thank you.” Or, “My kid asks for ‘daddy’s special coffee’ every morning—because I finally make it right.”
That’s why we do this.
We’re not here to reinvent coffee. We’re here to open the door—like that specialty café did for us years ago. To say, “Come in. It’s not as hard as it looks. And it’s worth it.”
What’s Next: Growing With You
Building Themis Mini taught us more than how to solder a circuit or test a sensor. It taught us how to see—not just numbers on a screen, but the people behind the brews. And that shift? It’s shaping everything we do next.
A few years back, we’d huddle over blueprints, arguing over 0.1mm tolerances like they were make-or-break. “If the sensor’s off by this much, the data’s useless,” we’d say, poring over spreadsheets. Now? You’ll find us lingering in cafes, watching baristas tap the scale mid-pour, or chuckle when a splash jolts the numbers.
We used to think “better” meant more data—faster refresh rates, extra decimal points, flashier graphs. Now we know: better means data that gets out of your way. A barista once told us, “I don’t need 10 flow spikes. I need to know which one made it taste sour.” That’s why our next app update isn’t about adding metrics—it’s about highlighting the ones that matter, in plain language.
Our next step is stitching your coffee gear into a seamless system, starting with a refined app experience. No clunky interfaces, no forced "smart" features—just smoother interactions: a more stable Bluetooth connection that won't drop mid-pour, a cleaner layout that lets you focus on what counts. These small, intentional links turn fragmented steps into a flow, so you spend less time troubleshooting and more time savoring.
We’re not chasing trends. We’re showing up—with notebooks, coffee-stained sleeves, and endless questions—because the best way to serve coffee lovers is to be right there with them.
Here’s to the next chapter—yours, and ours.
Cheers,
The BOOKOO Team
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