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Cooking and baking are considered delicious art forms, but there’s also quite a bit of science that goes into them—and science calls for accurate measurements. While measuring cups and spoons are all well and good, precise measurements require a kitchen food scale. These devices allow you to weigh ingredients down to the ounce, ensuring you have an accurate recipe (which could mean the difference between a fluffy souffle and a goopy disaster).
Our Allstar Amanda Scarlati understands the importance of being exact. “I use a scale in my kitchen multiple times a week,” she says. “My sourdough recipes are all based on gram measurements and so I rely on an accurate kitchen scale to make sure my recipes come out the way that I want them to.” As a professional chef who focuses on from-scratch Italian comfort food, Amanda was the perfect candidate to help Allrecipes test out a number of kitchen food scales. We also asked our editors to provide insights on their favorite brands.
About Our Tests
After thoroughly researching popular models, we sent several highly-rated food scales to Amanda for her to test side-by-side in her home kitchen. There were three main tests: weighing a 4-pound bag of sugar to test accuracy, weighing 40 grams of salt then adding a pinch more at a time to test sensitivity, and pouring a cup of flour on the scale to test ease-of-cleaning. While recording her results, Amanda also evaluated a number of important factors:
- Design: Does it seem sturdy, stable, and well-made? Did it tip over or move around the work surface due to its shape or design?
- Ease of Use: How easy or difficult is it to navigate the control panel? Is it easy to read the display screen?
- Performance: Does the scale accurately read the amount of ingredients weighed? How many grams were added to the scale before it registered the weight?
- Cleanup: How easy or difficult is the scale to clean? Are any parts removable to make the cleaning process quicker and easier?
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Why It’s Great: Large display; incredibly accurate; sturdy design
Grain of Salt: Buttons tricky to clean; not ideal for beginner bakers
Amanda awarded the blue ribbon to the KitchenAid Dual Platform Scale. As the name implies, it features two different digital scales—one larger, one smaller. They even work simultaneously, with each weight displayed separately. Amanda greatly appreciated that the screen was set off to the corner of the scale, because it was easy to read even when weighing a large bowl of ingredients.
Of all the scales Amanda tested, she found the KitchenAid Dual Platform to be the most accurate. “The scale started to register weight at 1 gram and it matched the 40 grams of salt added to the bowl, when added directly to the platform,” she says. The 4-pound bag of sugar also came in exactly at 4 pounds.
The sleek and modern design of the scale is a bit of a double-edged sword. While it looks fantastic enough to earn its spot on the kitchen counter full time, Amanda worries that the minimalism of the interface may intimidate more casual bakers. “This one seems like it would be best for a more experienced or advanced cook,” she says.
Those who use kitchen scales regularly, however, will enjoy the fact that the scale reads pounds, ounces, and grams. It also has a higher weight limit than most kitchen scales, able to handle up to 11 pounds.
One minor downside that Amanda noted was that loose ingredients could get stuck around the edges of the buttons and scales, so be careful while measuring. It took some scrubbing and puffs of air to get it clean again.
The Details: 11-pound weight limit; displays pounds, ounces, grams; 10.63 x 6.89 x 1.25 inches
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Why It’s Great: Straightforward buttons; good value; comes in multiple colors
Grain of Salt: Hard to read display; on the smaller side; ingredients can stick beneath buttons
New to using a kitchen scale? No worries, Amanda has a recommendation for beginners. The Ozeri Pronto is an affordable and straightforward scale. It may seem fairly bare bones compared to other models, but it does simplicity exceedingly well. In fact, the Ozeri has nearly 50,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
There are two buttons on the interface: “Tare” and “Unit.” The tare button cancels out the weight of an empty container to ensure the scale is only weighing the ingredients you add. It also doubles as the power button. The unit button changes what type of measurement is displayed. Most kitchen scales have three units (grams, pounds, and ounces), but this one also includes milliliters and kilograms. Like the KitchenAid scale, the Ozeri can hold up to 11 pounds.
Amanda did note that the display is on the smaller side, and it was a bit tricky to read when a large bowl sat on the scale. For its price point, however, this scale is incredibly impressive.
The Details: 11-pound weight limit; displays grams, pounds, ounces, milliliters, kilograms; 8.25 x 6.00 x 1.75 inches
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Why It’s Great: Sleek and attractive; several handy features; easy to store
Grain of Salt: Not the most accurate measurements; edges might chip
This scale is as sleek as they come. Thanks to the touch-based controls, there are no buttons poking up. Not only does this look nice and modern, Amanda noted that it was the easiest to clean by far. That said, she did say it was easy to accidentally hit the power button while wiping it down.
The display is big and easy to read. If you’re weighing ingredients in a big bowl, it might block the screen, but the Escali Arti has a “hold” button that freezes the display so you can move the bowl and read the weight. You can also cycle between ounces, pounds, grams, fluid ounces, and milliliters.
On the other hand, this one was the least accurate in its measurements out of all the models Amanda tested. The 40 grams of salt only read 39 grams, and the 4-pound bag of sugar weighed a little over at 4 pounds, 0.6 ounces. Though the discrepancy is slight, it’s still worth noting. “This scale might be good for someone that isn’t necessarily looking for accuracy but is more worried about design and storage,” Amanda says. “It would be good for a more aesthetically pleasing kitchen.”
The Details: 15-pound weight limit; displays ounces, pounds, grams, fluid ounces, milliliters; 8.25 x 1.75 x 6 inches
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Why It’s Great: Intuitive controls; seamless glass surface; doubles as phone charger
Grain of Salt: Only reads 3 units
Amanda wasn’t the only one to test out some kitchen scales; our editors got in on the action, too. We found that this slim kitchen scale from Zwilling is worth the investment. Not only is it compact, it also doubles as a phone charger. It might seem a bit strange at first, but think about it: The scale doesn’t take up a huge amount of space, so you can leave it on your counter and charge up your phone whenever you need, then bust out the scale function while baking. It’s a fantastic option for those who have limited space. The smooth, button-free surface is easy to clean, and the touch controls are intuitive to use.
Of all the scales we tested, this one has the highest weight capacity, at a whopping 22 pounds. With that said, the Enfinigy scale only reads pounds, ounces, and grams, which is a bit disappointing given the price tag and high-tech features.
The Details: 22-pound weight limit; displays pounds, ounces, grams; 9.4 x 11.5 x 1.8 inches
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Why It’s Great: Displays calories and nutrition info; easy-to-read screen; sturdy
Grain of Salt: Battery drains faster than other models
This one is for the fans of detail. The Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale is a smart and high-tech option that connects to a phone app via Bluetooth. With the app you can input ingredients or food items to read calories and nutritional info based on the weight amount. You can also track calories and macros through breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks over the course of days, weeks, and months. It’s an incredibly handy tool for those focused on diet and nutrition.
Given how many bells and whistles this scale has, it’s not entirely surprising that the battery drains faster than other models. Luckily it takes simple AAA batteries, so if you need to replace them they are readily available. We appreciated the slim design that’s easy to store as well as the offset display. It was easy to read even with big bowls on the scale.
The Details: 11-pound weight limit; displays pounds, ounces, grams, milliliters; 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
Our Takeaway
For the dedicated cook and baker, our Allstar recommends the KitchenAid Dual Platform Scale. The well-rounded tool gives accurate measurements on an easy-to-read display. If you’re looking for a more beginner-friendly scale, check out the Ozeri Pronto Digital Function Kitchen Scale. It’s straightforward and affordable.
How to Pick the Right Food Scale
Display
Weighing ingredients won’t do you much good if you can barely read the measurements. Look for scales with big displays that are easy to read. Some scales will have backlit screens or large numbers, while others have the scale portion set to the side so you can read it even with a big bowl on top.
Accuracy
A scale’s job is to measure ingredients; if it can’t do that accurately, what’s the point? One way to measure accuracy is to use water since one cup of water weighs exactly 8 ounces. You can also use pennies—new pennies from 1982 and later should weigh exactly 2.5 grams each. Keep in mind that factors like low batteries, weight limits, and even environmental factors can affect your food scale’s accuracy.
Ease of Cleaning and Care
It’s easy to spill a bit of flour or sugar while baking, but is it easy to clean the scale when it’s messy? Scales with raised buttons may trap bits of loose ingredients in the nooks and crannies, requiring a brush or puff of air to get clean. If that seems like too much work, maybe go for a fully flat scale with touch-activated buttons instead.
Extra Features
Some kitchen scales weigh ingredients and that’s it. If you want more bells and whistles, there are scales that can show multiple units of measurement, display calorie counts, or “freeze” the information for a few seconds. Some scales, like our Best Splurge option, can even charge phones!
Common Questions
How do you clean a food scale?
Like we said, spills happen. Most of the time you can simply wipe a scale clean or brush off dry ingredients. More stubborn spills may require a damp cloth. Powdery ingredients may sneak their way beneath buttons or into crevices—if a quick puff of breath doesn’t work, try some compressed air.
How do you calibrate a food scale?
To calibrate or recalibrate your kitchen food scale, make sure the scale is on a flat and level surface. The manufacturer will detail the specifics on how to make sure the scale is giving accurate readings, but you can also purchase calibration weights online.
What can you use a food scale for?
There are a number of reasons to use a food scale, including:
- Accurately weighing baking ingredients
- Maintaining proper food portions
- Measuring coffee beans or grounds for the perfect cup
- Creating uniform hamburger patties or meatballs
- Reducing the amount of dirty measuring cups
Why Take Our Word for It?
Allstar Amanda Scarlati is a professionally trained chef with a penchant for homemade Italian foods. She runs the Scarlati Family Food Blog and offers cooking classes to share her passion with others.
Allison Wignall is a food writer who dabbles with baking tasty desserts. In the past, she’s had a 50-50 success rate in making pecan or chocolate fudge, but since she started using a kitchen scale to weigh her ingredients, it always turns out perfect. Her work has been featured in the Spruce Eats, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and more.