Next, think about what you’re most likely to use them for. If it’s everyday cooking, a pair that can weigh up to three to five kilograms should suffice. But if you’re a batch cook or baker, scales that weigh up to 10 kilograms might be more suitable.
Finally, if you enjoy trying more adventurous dishes or will use your scales often, consider digital scales over a mechanical pair. That’s because they usually have the ability to go back to zero after a bowl or plate is placed on top. One by one, you can add ingredients, press ‘zero’ (some buttons show this as the ‘tare’ function) and then a new reading will appear for the additional element. This ‘continuous weighing’ is faster and saves on washing-up when it’s a chaotic bake-off or complicated recipe.
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We put a selection of scales through their paces in a busy kitchen measuring wet and dry ingredients. All our chosen scales were consistent in their measurements and all had their plus points, be it ease of storage, simple cleaning or the exact measurement of tiny amounts.
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Best kitchen scales at a glance
- Best kitchen scales for trying new recipes: ProCook glass digital scales, £20
- Best kitchen scales for exact and smaller amounts: Beurer KS 36 Precision kitchen scale, £37.99
- Best kitchen scales: OXO Good Grips stainless steel scale, £55
- Best kitchen scales for pizza making: Witt pizza dual kitchen scales, £44.99
- Best good value kitchen scales: Salter Aquatronic digital kitchen scale, £19.99
- Best kitchen scales for versatility: Judge Kitchen 10kg diet scale, £50
- Best kitchen scales for bread makers: Ooni dual platform digital scales, £50
- Best kitchen scales for coffee aficionados: Bodum Bistro Barista digital scales, £48
- Best sustainable kitchen scales: Salter bamboo rechargeable scales, £39
- Best kitchen scales for large loads: ProCook Premium digital scales, £19
- Best slim kitchen scales: Salter Arc electronic scale, £9.99
- Best budget kitchen scales: Salter Disc electronic scale, £12.99
- Best easy to use kitchen scales: Beurer KS 25 kitchen scale, £16
- Best kitchen scales for having on display: Salter Timeless mechanical kitchen scale, £18.99
Best kitchen scales 2024
ProCook glass digital scales
Available from ProCook (£20)
Best kitchen scales for trying new recipes
Pros:
- Add-and-weigh function
- Measures liquids
- Conversion charts on surface
- Battery included
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
It’s hard to find fault in these practical yet sleek scales from ProCook. They weigh in imperial, metric and liquid measurements, have a tempered glass top that’s easy to keep clean, and feature a raft of conversion charts on the surface – meaning you don’t have to stop cooking to look up gas marks in Celsius or what a cup equates to. Slim and compact for storage, in testing, they weighed the maximum capacity of 5kg/11lbs plus a little extra, and registered weight at as little as 2g. While the screen doesn’t light up while in use, a large display makes it easy to read the measurements, while the touch controls were responsive, meaning we could add and weigh without issue. An included battery is a thoughtful touch at this price point, plus none of the packaging was plastic. In an ideal world they’d be available in more than just grey, which felt drab compared to some of the other scales we tested.
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Beurer KS 36 Precision kitchen scale
Best kitchen scales for exact and smaller amounts
Star rating: 5/5
Pros:
- Ideal for weighing spices, coffee and herbs
- Includes calibration weight
- Compact
- Batteries included
Cons:
- Red display
- Doesn’t weigh liquids
- Not easy to switch to OZ
Star rating: 5/5
For anyone who’s ever struggled trying to weigh out a few grams of spice, yeast or other powders – a pinch to one person isn’t the same to another – most kitchen scales can’t cut the mustard. Which is where a set of precision scales come in, like this lozenge-shaped set from Beurer. They’re ideal for tiny amounts and in testing registered as little as half a gram, yet can also handle up to 2kg, although be aware that the lightweight plastic outer may not be up to heavy duty use. Their large display is easy to read, yet compared to others that we tested, the red digits stood out as garish. There’s a tare function so you can add and weigh as you go, plus the required 4 x AAA batteries were included. It does weigh imperial besides metric (not liquids) – but we disliked that in order to do so, you have to flick a switch that’s not easily accessible, underneath the battery cover.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Scale
Best kitchen scales
Star rating: 5/5
Pros:
- Batteries includes
- Useful pull-out feature
- Clear display screen
- Stable on countertop
Cons:
These sleek and attractive kitchen scales from OXO Good Grips look like a standard pair of scales. But they feature a unique pull-out display that’s brilliant for when you’re weighing something that is larger than the scales themselves.
These scales weigh in grams and pounds only, with a maximum capacity of 5kg/11lbs, though, when tested, these offer a little extra weight, too.
The screen is large and brightly lit. We liked the useful battery-like symbol that shows how close to the maximum weight you are. The scales are responsive and quick to register the weight. They’re also able to register a single gram weight, something that very few of the other models on this list were able to do.
The one thing we felt these scales were missing was a liquid measurement setting, but, otherwise, we couldn’t fault this kit from OXO Good Grips.
Witt Pizza Dual Kitchen Scales
Best kitchen scales for pizza making
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Small platform with dish for yeast or salt
- Accurate to a tenth of a gram
- Large platform for weighing dough
Cons:
- Batteries not included
- May not be durable
Pizza-making at home can become a pricey hobby if you buy all the kit, so it’s no surprise that Witt’s dual scales for measuring out both small and larger amounts of ingredients are more of an investment than some. Our initial impressions were poor – the sample arrived with the plate of the smaller platform detached as only a sticky pad had held it in place. And while the platform plates are anti-fingerprint stainless steel, the rest is lightweight plastic. They had some way to go to impress us – but they did. The larger of the plates will weigh up to 10kg – although no more – and registers at 3g, while the smaller one goes up to 1kg but will register at a mere 0.2g. Perhaps the biggest difference is that besides weighing in imperial and metric, they also weigh liquids, with a setting for both water and milk. The large backlit display is easy to read too, and we felt they offered excellent versatility for a specific pursuit, if not everyday durability. One tiny gripe is not having the required AAA batteries included.
Salter Aquatronic digital kitchen scale
Best good-value kitchen scales
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Weighs liquids in ml or fl.oz
- Slimline design
- LCD display
Cons:
If a stylish design matters less to you than functionality, Salter’s Aquatronic digital kitchen scale makes a pretty good value buy. Keenly priced, it offers what a busy cook needs: weighing in metric and imperial measurements, and the same for liquids, as well as a large, clear display (sadly not backlit), slimline design for storage and has its battery included. It’ll register a minimum of 2g, and happily weigh up to 5kg and a little beyond that. While it can sometimes flick back and forward a little between grams, on the whole, we found it to be responsive and accurate. Plus, its packaging is plastic-free and there’s a 15-year guarantee. The only thing we didn’t like was the silver band that ran across the black plastic casing – in an attempt to jazz up its looks, its makers may have created a slight dirt trap for flour and other debris.
Judge Kitchen, 10kg Diet Scale
Available from Judge (£50)
Best kitchen scales for versatility
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Weighs up to 10kg
- Counts calories for different foods
- Modes for weighing both milk and water
Cons:
- Batteries not included
- Bigger than most digital scales
- Pricey
While Judge’s 10kg Diet Scales might be aimed at those trimming a few pounds from their waistline, if you’re keen to be more mindful about what you eat, its calorie-counting mode for different foods will appeal as well. There are seven food modes to choose from, meaning all you need to do is weigh the food, then tap the corresponding button to see how many calories it provides. However, they also function brilliantly as everyday scales. A larger than average glass weighing platform means you may not need a bowl as you can weigh directly on the surface, while an ability to weigh up to 10kg ensures they can double as scales for batch-cooks and bakers. In testing, the smallest measurement they registered was 5g but otherwise, they were easy to wipe clean and felt durable. There were a couple of downsides: one is that they didn’t come with batteries and the other is that even without batteries, they weigh almost a kilo by themselves – so not one to store above head height.
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Bodum Bistro Barista digital scales
Available from Bodum (£48)
Best kitchen scales for coffee aficionados
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Integrated timer
- Accurate to one tenth of a gram
- Silicone pad protects against spillage and scratches
Cons:
- Batteries not included
- Needs very firm presses of buttons
- Doesn’t measure liquids
The increase of an interest in pour-over coffee and to-the-gram perfection means that no self-respecting wannabe barista is without a set of precision scales. So it’s no surprise that Bodum’s Bistro Barista digital scales are exacting, measuring tiny amounts as little as 1g in tests. Fortunately, they offer larger amounts too – up to 5kg – although that was the maximum we could add and no more. The scales feel quite solid and premium, thanks to a removable silicone pad on the platform and silicone feet to keep them stable on the worktop, plus are easy to keep clean.
There are a few downsides to be aware of though. First is that while they offer imperial measurements, you’ll have to switch it to that using a button underneath the scales, and the buttons on top aren’t terribly responsive. They also don’t come with the trio of AAA batteries required to power them, which given the price, you might expect, and there’s only a two-year guarantee, which feels skimpy compared to similarly priced products. This means they’re probably more suited to occasional use and smaller amounts rather than withstanding everyday usage.
Available from:
Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scales
Best kitchen scales for bread makers
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Two sets of scales
- Easy to use
- Very precise
- Batteries included
- Well-placed screen
- Small scale cover doubles as a bowl
Cons:
- Difficult to clean
- Sometimes slow to register
From popular pizza oven brand Ooni, comes the Dual Platform digital scales. It’s no real surprise that Ooni would create its own kitchen scales, particularly as these ones are geared towards making dough. Uniquely, this pair of scales has two weighing platforms: one for large amounts, e.g. flour and water, with a maximum capacity of 10kg, and one smaller scale ideal for weighing yeast, up to 200g.
We liked the placement of the display screen which makes use of the space beneath the small scales. It also meant we were able to see the screen, even when a large pan or bowl was placed on the larger scale. We did, however, have two minor gripes with these scales. We found them a little slow to register the weight and the larger scale only began registering weight when two grams was placed on top.
But these offer real versatility you’re not going to find on any of the other models on this list. And the 10kg weighing capacity is a real plus, too.
Salter bamboo rechargeable scales
Best sustainable kitchen scales
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Rechargeable – USB provided
- Touch controls
- Backlit display
Cons:
- Easy to touch the wrong controls
These bamboo rechargeable kitchen scales from Salter boast impressive eco credentials. Before we even got to using these scales we were impressed by the fully recyclable packaging. These scales are made from 86% bamboo and, rather than needing batteries, these are rechargeable, needing only a USB lead, which is provided.
We were glad to see the scales were fully charged on arrival, meaning we could use them straight away. These scales measure in grams, ounces, millilitres and fluid ounces, and have a maximum capacity of 5kg. The controls are touch-sensitive and sit on the right hand side of the scales. Unfortunately we found it easy to accidentally touch the wrong controls or even knock them unintentionally, which meant the scales got reset a few times during testing.
Like the scales above, these only registered two grams and no lower, so this is worth bearing in mind if you often bake with yeast or something similarly small-scale.
But we loved the slimline design that allows these scales to be easily stored away, as well as the wipe-clean body.
ProCook Premium Digital scales
Best kitchen scales for large loads
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Displays time – useful
- Wipe-clean surface
- Useful hanging hook
- Lightweight
- Weighs up to 15kg
Cons:
- Dirt traps around the buttons
Don’t be fooled by the unassuming look of these scales, they can weigh up to 15kg. Featuring clear controls and a variety of different units of measurement, these scales are both easy to use and versatile.
Unique to these scales, they also include a useful clock. Although these scales are slim and small enough to be stored in a drawer, there’s also a small gap for a hook, should you want to hang it up.
We found these scales took a beat to actually register the weight, which some may find frustrating. They also struggle to register small amounts, too, only showing a weight at the three gram mark.
The screen is small, but well lit. Though be careful of the gap around the buttons as these easily trap dirt.
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Salter Arc Electronic scale
Best slim kitchen scales
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Compact
- Simple and uncomplicated
Cons:
- Slightly textured surface
- Screen quite small
These cheap and cheerful kitchen scales from Salter boast a compact frame that will take up little space, even in the smallest of kitchens. They feel a little plastic-y, but this is to be expected given the price.
The small theme continues on as these scales can only weigh up to 3kg. But this shouldn’t be a problem if you’re just looking for scales for light cooking tasks. This model also passed our small amounts test with flying colours, managing to register a single gram.
These scales only measure in ounces and grams, but this comes as no surprise as they’re just a simple set. We did feel that the display screen may be a little difficult to see for those who struggle with their eyesight, particularly as it’s not backlit.
Salter Disc electronic scale
Best budget kitchen scales
Star rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Compact
- Sturdy on the countertop
- Lots of different measurement units
- Good budget option
Cons:
- Display screen may be too small for some
- Not backlit
Another simplistic pair from Salter, the Disc electronic scales are a brilliant budget-friendly offering, suitable even for regular bakers.
They’re easy to use, with well-labelled and responsive buttons. Like the Salter set above, we felt the display screen was a little small and, again, they’re not backlit, which hinders them further.
But, these scales are quick to register different weights and even offer a little added weight on top of the 5kg maximum. Choose from grams, pounds, fluid ounces and millilitres, and cycle through them easily using the buttons.
The surface is simple to wipe clean, but be aware of the dirt traps around the buttons.
Beurer KS 25 kitchen scale
Best easy to use scales
Star rating: 4/5
Pros:
- 1.2-litre bowl
- Extra-large display
- Overload indicator
- Batteries included
Cons:
- Only measures up to 3kg
- Doesn’t measure liquids
While the packaging of the Beurer KS 25 Kitchen scale is no friend to the environment – it was the only one in our tests to arrive protected by foam blocks – what the scales themselves offer is much better. Most notably, this is an extra-large, backlit display with 2.2cm digits, perfect for those who may struggle to make out the numbers or symbols on digital scales when cooking. That at-a-glance convenience, plus large buttons and its own bowl, which is a rarity for sets of digital scales, meant we felt this was one of the easiest to use in our round-up. It was simple to change from imperial to metric, registered as little as 2g, and weighed up to 3kg though not much beyond that. We also liked that there were no obvious dirt traps in the design and that tare function was responsive – although the backlight had a tendency to dim while we were trying to measure a specific weight. The only other drawback was that they don’t measure liquids.
Salter Timeless mechanical kitchen scale
Best kitchen scales for having on display
Star rating: 4/5
Pros:
- Dishwasher-safe 1-litre bowl
- No batteries required
- Stylish on display
Cons:
- Can need readjustment to stay accurate
- Not as easy to use as digital scales
- Some initial assembly required
There are plenty of plus points to traditional scales – no batteries required, no recharging and they look lovely on display. Salter’s Timeless mechanical kitchen scale ticks every one of these boxes, plus our sample was finished in a subtle sage green that oozed country charm. We like that the carbon-steel scales come with their own stainless-steel bowl and that they feel like a good-quality pair, yet aren’t too heavy. And while their maximum weight was 5kg, once the needle whizzed round past it, we could go a bit further without an error message. However, what the scales lack is fine accuracy – the increments are only 25g/1oz, meaning that it’s hard to measure out 10g, for example. There is also some assembly required initially with a tiny screwdriver for the bowl support, which we weren’t expecting, and the scales have a few seams, which could become dirt traps. In addition, we found that after weighing a few different items, the needle needed a tiny readjustment back to zero.
Other kitchen scales we’ve tested
- Best battery-free kitchen scales: Lakeland wind-up digital scale, £19.99
- Best kitchen scales for aesthetics: Typhoon Botanics Electronic Kitchen Scales, £17
- Most stylish kitchen scales: Zwilling Enfinigy Digital kitchen scale, £39.95
- Best kitchen scales for clever design: Joseph Joseph SwitchScale Kitchen Scales, £60
How we tested kitchen scales
We reviewed a representative sample of kitchen scales and scored them against the following criteria. We tested using heavy ingredients in a roasting tin, plus flour to check precision.
- Accuracy: the most important factor. We were looking for scales that weighed to finite degrees, ideally to the gram.
- Maximum weight: scales can only bear a certain amount of load, so if you’re likely to be measuring large joints of meat or heavy ingredients like potatoes, be sure to check what the scales can handle.
- Liquid measurements: ideally scales offer a variety of units, and millilitres come in really handy.
- Reading panel: we looked for bright, large LED displays.
- Sustainability: we asked what the scales were made from, looked at how they were packaged, and at their power method.
- Ease of cleaning: scales should be easily cleaned with a quick wipe.
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If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. Do you have digital scales you couldn’t live without? Share with us below.