There’s an upper echelon of our equipment reviews: The long-standing winners. That is the gear that has withstood years of constant evaluation, re-testing, and use in the Serious Eats test kitchen and our homes.
The OXO food scale is one such product. It’s simply the best kitchen scale there is—and we say that after testing 13 of them. The OXO scale has remained our favorite for five years and counting.
Its greatness starts with its display: Its backlight and numbers are high-contrast, which makes the measurements easy to read. The display also pulls out, so you can easily see it even when the biggest mixing bowl you own is on the platform. Regarding accuracy, it’s spot-on and measures in grams, pounds, ounces, and kilograms. It’s smart too and supremely intuitive. As we explained in our review, “It’ll remember what [unit] you previously used, which will save you from having to reset it constantly. What’s more, there are only two buttons now: the on/off button, which also is what you press to tare, and the unit conversion toggle.”
What’s more, the platform comes off for easy cleaning too (yes, scales need disinfecting, too). Like if you were to weigh raw chunks of meat right on it before grinding the beef for smash burgers—you’d just pop the stainless steel platform off and sanitize it in the sink.
Now, there are a number of ways a kitchen scale can make you a better cook or baker, which we won’t get into here. However, we will say this: If the kitchen scale you’re using isn’t accurate, doesn’t have various units, and isn’t exceptionally easy to use, you’re missing out on how great a scale can be. And if you don’t own a kitchen scale? Just buy the OXO already.
Good to Know
- Units: Ounces, grams, pounds, kilograms
- Maximum weight: 11 pounds
- Features: Pullout display, battery life indicator, max weight indicator, auto shut-off, tare/zero
- Price at time of publish: $56
FAQs
What is the weight limit on the OXO kitchen scale?
The OXO kitchen scale’s weight limit is 11 pounds. If an item is more than 11 pounds, it will read as an error.
What’s the best kitchen scale out there?
The best kitchen scale is, unequivocally, the OXO kitchen scale. You can read more about how we came to this conclusion (and the other kitchen scales we tested) here.