Features
Pick a recipe and choose "Start brewing"; Cafelo shows the current step, the weight the scale should read and the time left until the next step in large type. When the brew is finished, taste and rating are noted and a suggestion for the next cup appears.
Key features
- Ratio
- Enter coffee or water and the other is calculated from the 1:x ratio; water from the number of cups, and the estimated coffee in the cup (minus the water held by the grounds). Dose → yield for espresso. "Save to recipe" writes the new amounts into the recipe.
- Brewing timer
- A large clock, step n / total, scale target, time left in the step, the next step and pour progress. Pause, Next step, Reset; a short countdown before starting. Time stays accurate in the background too.
- Sound, vibration, screen on
- A sound generated on the device at each step change and ticks before the next step; vibration on devices that support it. The screen can stay on while brewing; each of these can be turned off in the settings.
- Methods and steps
- V60, Kalita, Chemex, AeroPress (standard and inverted), French press, moka pot, espresso, Turkish coffee, cold brew and "Other". Each step has a name, start time, target water on the scale, pour time and a note; when the amounts change, the targets scale with them.
- Brew log
- When the brew is finished, taste (sour ↔ bitter), strength (light ↔ strong), rating and notes are recorded, with a suggestion for next time: a finer or coarser grind, water temperature, ratio. "Full log" offers a summary, search, editing and CSV.
- Beans
- Roaster, origin, process, roast level and date; days since roast and freshness (resting, fresh, mature, old). The remaining amount goes down with the dose of every brew added to the log.
- Recipe book
- Method, coffee, water, water temperature (or cold water), grind size, grinder and setting, bean, total time and notes. Recipes can be searched, duplicated and renamed; steps can be added and reordered.
- Samples
- On first launch there is a general recipe for each method, two beans and a few log entries; the samples can be edited or deleted, and "Add samples again" brings them back.
- Recipe card
- One A4 page with amounts, steps and notes: print, PDF, PNG, copy as text, and share with the device's own share feature. Grams / ounces, °C / °F.
- Files and backup
- One recipe or the whole library is saved and opened as a .cafelo file; the log is exported as CSV. "Back up…" puts all Cafelo data and settings into a single file, and "Restore from backup…" brings them back on the same or another device.
- Works offline
- Calculations, the timer, the log and sounds work without an internet connection; no account is needed.
Devices and browsers
- On a desktop, recipes and beans are on the left, brewing in the middle and the recipe settings on the right. On a phone and a tablet in portrait, the bottom bar holds Brew, Recipes, Recipe and More.
- Made for the counter next to the scale, on a phone or tablet; the clock and scale target are large enough to read from a distance.
- Vibration and keeping the screen on work where the device and browser support them; otherwise their settings are hidden and the sound still plays.
Keyboard shortcuts
⌘ and ⌥ are used on macOS; Ctrl and Alt on Windows and Linux.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Start · pause brewing |
| ← · → | Previous · next step |
| Esc | Reset the timer |
| L | Add to log |
| 1 · 2 · 3 | Recipes panel · Recipe panel · full log |
| ↑ · ↓ | Increase · decrease a number field |
| Ctrl/⌘ N | New recipe |
| Ctrl/⌘ O · S | Open file · save recipe as file |
| Ctrl/⌘ P | |
| Ctrl/⌘ Z · ⇧ Z | Undo · redo |
On a touch screen, the timer buttons, number fields and sliders are sized for fingers; menus and dialogs open from the bottom.
Get Cafelo
Try it in the browser without installation; for continued use, purchase the version for macOS, Windows or Linux.