When measuring food and liquids correctly for everyday cooking, the kitchen chef needs a good and capable scale.
From our collection of the most popular kitchen scales, we have extracted the most important things to look for when choosing the right scale to keep for many years.
How to choose the right food scale for your kitchen – factors to consider
Precision / accuracy: For most scales, increments are typically 1 gram. Still, the accuracy is not always same as the increment. Read reviews to learn about the actual accuracy of the scale.
Weigh range: Consider how much you need the scale to maximally weigh. Compact scales sometimes measure as little as up to 500g (about 1lbs), other scales up to 15kgs (30lbs and above).
Tare Function (zeroing for net weight): Make sure the scale has the feature to “zero” for net weight. That will allow you to place your own containers or item on the scale, and then fill that container to measure actual content without subtracting later. Some scales will do this automatically, others need the push of a button. This is called auto-zero.
Conversion and other features: Some scales will recalculate weight to give you liquid volume in milliliters. Most digital scales can convert between measuring systems.
Storage: Consider the size and where you normally need to store the scale.
Durable: A good scale will be used in the kitchen again and again. Make sure the build quality of the scale is high, and check user reviews for complaints.
Auto-off: Most scales have an auto-off feature to save battery.
Backlit display: A backlit LCD display is a good option for easier reading.
Easy of use: Not all scales are easy to use in terms of buttons and interaction. Check user reviews for ease of use.
Bowl included: Some scales come with trays or included bowls. It makes cooking easier, but storage more difficult, unless you keep it on the counter.
Design: A beautiful design that matches your interior is important. Retro, classic or sleek? it’s all up to you.
Batteries included: Most digital scales come with batteries for convenience.
Cleaning: A kitchen scale needs to be cleaned quite often in a messy kitchen. Check user reviews to learn whether this is an easy or difficult task.
Build quality: A good build quality means a lot. A scale is typically kept in the kitchen for many years.
Warranty: Check what warranty is provided with the scale in case anything breaks or doesn’t meet your satisfaction. The larger brands typically have good customer service that help in case of problems.