The Best Kitchen Scales to Help You Be More Precise When Baking or Cooking
Courtesy of Food52
If you're a baker, a kitchen scale is just as important—dare we say more important—to have on hand as measuring cups and spoons. An accurate scale is a more precise way to measure ingredients, and if you're using a recipe where quantities are listed by weight, a kitchen scale is essential. "Using a scale is much more consistent from one person to the next and from even the same person from day to day," Kierin Baldwin, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education says. "A gram is always a gram, but a cup can be an entirely different amount of flour if it is scooped from a bag versus sifted into the cup, so weights always give more consistent results." For small quantities like a teaspoon of salt, which might not measure accurately on a scale, or liquids, which measure consistently by volume, she uses measuring spoons and cups, respectively.
As for ideal qualities of a kitchen scale, The Tavern's executive pastry chef Stephen Collucci pays close attention to weight capacity, size, ease of cleaning, and readability. "Some scales come with removable displays which make it easy to read when using large bowls that may cover it otherwise," he says. "If they light up, that's also a plus!" For weight capacity, Baldwin notes that a scale that can measure quantities up to 11 pounds in one gram increments is the most versatile and should cover most of the things you'll be measuring when cooking and baking at home.
Top Picks
Best Versatile: Escali Primo Lightweight Scale
Best Compact: Martha Stewart Collection Glass Food Scale
Best Dual Platform: KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen and Food Scale
Best Vintage Style: Typhoon Farmhouse Kitchen Scale
Best For Large Quantities: Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Kitchen Scale
Related: Should You Use Salted or Unsalted Butter for Baking?
Most Versatile
The Escali Primo Lightweight Scale measures 8.5 x 6 x 1.5 inches and has just two buttons, so it's straightforward to use. We like that it measures quantities by 0.05 ounce (one gram) increments in ounces, pounds, and grams, with an 11-pound weight limit. Another appealing feature of this scale is that it comes in a variety of colors (from sleek black to soft pink), so you can choose your favorite or match your kitchen décor.
Shop Now: Escali Primo Lightweight Scale, $19.99, amazon.com.
Best Compact
This Martha-approved option is available exclusively at Macy's and currently on sale. It's sleek and simple and can weigh up to 11 pounds of ingredients, with an "add-and-weigh function" that allows you to measure multiple ingredients as you add them to the same bowl. To clean, simply wipe down the surface of the scale with a damp cloth.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Glass Food Scale, $24.49, macys.com.
Best Dual Platform
Distinctly different, this KitchenAid scale is one of the most unique options we found. It has two platforms, which can be used individually or at the same time. The larger platform has a 11-pound capacity, while the smaller platform can measure up to 16 ounces, the latter of which is great for precisely measuring small quantities. It also has a backlit LCD screen that makes it easier to read and is powered by three AAA batteries, which are included.
Shop Now: KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen and Food Scale, $51.99, amazon.com.
Best Vintage Style
We love the look of this vintage-inspired scale that looks like the ones you see at grocery stores. You can pour baking ingredients, coffee beans, or whatever you want to weigh directly into the 1.2-quart stainless steel bowl on top of the scale. It has an eight-pound capacity, with a dial that includes kilograms, grams, pounds, and ounces. Once you're finished using it, just wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Shop Now: Typhoon Farmhouse Kitchen Scale, $40, food52.com.
Best for Large Quantities
While most of the scales included in this roundup have a maximum capacity of 11 pounds, this one from Zwilling can measure up to 22 pounds and is accurate to the gram. It uses touchscreen controls and has a built-in rechargeable battery (with a micro USB cable included for charging). The glass surface is seamless and smooth, which makes for easy cleanup, and the LCD display is hidden when the scale is powered off.
Shop Now: Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Kitchen Scale, $49.95, surlatable.com.
Best Pull-Out Display
Sometimes it can be hard to read a scale if you're using a large bowl to measure ingredients; this scale solves that issue. It has a pull-out display that makes it easier to read the digital screen when large plates or bowls are placed on top of the scale. The stainless steel platform is removable for convenient cleanup, in addition to being smudge- and fingerprint-resistant.
Shop Now: OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Stainless Steel Food Scale, $51.95, amazon.com.
Best Budget
For a basic, under $10 option, this scale is a solid pick. It has an 11.24-pound capacity and allows you to toggle between several different units of measurement: grams, pounds, ounces, and milliliters. The two buttons (tare/power and unit) audibly click when they're pressed, which is great if you're not one for touchscreens.
Shop Now: Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale, $9.84, amazon.com.
