For the past twenty years, I have never really thought about measurements in my recipes. Most of my recipes come from my mother, and they usually have measurements like “a cup of”, “a pinch of”, etc.
I had my troubles converting them in ‘real’ measures, and following these recipes wasn’t hard for me. But, a few days ago, my dear friend phoned me to ask for a chicken gizzard recipe, and while I was dictating her, she constantly asked me to convert my measurements to grams.
Because she is a very dear friend, I promised her that I’ll email her the recipe converted in grams. When I sent the email, I realized I don’t have a food scale. I could have said no, but I needed a scale anyway so I went on to find the perfect food scale for me.
Best Food Scale
The search wasn’t easy, and I know that many of you have similar troubles so I decided to share my reviews with you. If you doubt whether you need to buy one, read on!
Why do you actually need a food scale?
Accurate results
Cooking by the feel has its perks for sure, but if you want to be sure that your meal will succeed every time, you need accurate measurements. Without a food scale, you won’t be sure that you’ve added the right amount of an ingredient in a recipe, which might ruin your meal.
Manage portions
If you’re trying to lose weight or eat healthier, a food scale is a great way to stay on track. With a kitchen scale, you can easily measure portion sizes so you can accurately determine how many calories and nutrients you’re getting.
Convert measurements
Most of the food scales have features that will help you convert measurements from grams to ounces so you can use recipes from outside of the US. It will save you hours and hours that you may spend on calculating.
Easy cleaning
Using a food scale eliminates the need for multiple measuring cups and spoons, meaning you spend less time cleaning up and more time with your family.
Now that you know that you need one let’s learn how to buy the great food scale currently available on the market.
How to pick the best food scale?
If you think that is just a food scale and that is not that big deal which one you buy, you are wrong! You are purchasing this appliance to make your life easier – the last thing you want is to buy it and never use it because it is not useful or it is designed poorly.
To avoid another device that collects dust, pay attention to these things:
Capacity
A food scale doesn’t need to be large or bulky, but it needs to have a good capacity – about 12lb will be enough for almost every household.
It covers up the needs of a family of 6 when it comes to the dough of any kind or when you are making a big birthday cake.
Measurement increments
This is maybe the most important thing you need to check before buying – a measurement increment is what defines the precision of the scale.
If you are on a strict diet, you’ll need a scale that doesn’t round up, and it measures within two decimals. Most of the food scales have the precision of one gram, and if you don’t need chemistry-alike precision, this will be more than enough.
Also, the scale needs to have consistent measurements; a good way to test this is to measure items several times.
Units
Having the food scale that converts units with one button is half work done – you don’t need to spend hours in calculating and having to solve complex equations to determine how much yeast you need, for example.
Measuring wet and dry ingredients are different, so it is desirable for the scale to have liquid ounces and milliliters – again: hours and hours saved.
Batteries
You’ll be surprised how much power these small things need, so always choose models for which you need standard AAA batteries. Coin batteries are more expensive and last way less.
It may look like an insignificant thing, but why pay more when you don’t need to. If your model doesn’t have an auto shut-off button always turn it off after use to prolong the life of batteries.
Display
A backlit display with significant digits which are visible from any corner sounds more like an additional feature and not a necessity. But trust me on this: it’s is annoying to bend and lean while trying to read the digits.
Peeking under the dishes or bending at a certain angle is not my favorite thing to do while I’m in the kitchen, so pay attention to display – this small thing can complicate your cooking.
5 Best Food Scales Currently Available: My Honest Reviews
Let’s see what the market has to offer, and compare the popular products. Let’s see which scale is the best for everyone!
Digital Food Scale by Greater Goods
It is simple to use: it has tare/zero function so you can use containers to measure ingredients and it weighs in both grams and ounces.
In the instructions, it says it has the precision of one gram, but it is a little higher – about 3-4 grams higher. The scale is more precise when it comes to weighing in ounces, but insignificant. For me, this is not a big problem, but if you want sharp accuracy, this scale is not for you.
This scale is a major battery drainer, regardless of the auto-off button – you will need to change batteries every week. And since it uses coin batteries, this will be a significant expense. Also, you’ll need to have spare ones to avoid the scale stopping in the middle of the measurement.
If you plan to use this scale for ordinary and not so precise measurements, you’ll be fine.
Pros
- Elegant design
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Easy to store
Cons
- Coin batteries
- Inaccurate
- Flimsy
- Battery Drainer
Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto
I spoke, earlier, of the difference in measuring wet and dry ingredients and why it is essential to get your measure straight ( if you missed it, you should check it now) and with this scale that has five different units you’ll have correct measurements always.
It weighs up to 11 pounds, but it rounds up, so accuracy is questionable. For example: if something weighs 3.4 grams it will register 3 grams until you have 3.5. Then it rounds it up to 4. This may be a problem if you want exactly 2.3 grams of something, then this scale is useless for you.
I don’t usually need two decimal precision, so this is not a deal-breaker for me. Especially as it is durable and the batteries last for months as it turns off after two minutes.
With the tare button, you can easily measure the net weight of anything, and it is easy to read from the digital display, as long as you don’t use bigger dishes; then you’ll need to bend to read the digits. I must admit this is more annoying than I thought it would be.
It looks sturdy because the weighing platform finished in chrome, and it is easy to use with only two buttons. Easy to store, as well, because of its compact size and shape.
Pros
- Good capacity
- Tare button
- Sturdy
- Easy to use and store
- Long-lasting batteries
Cons
- Not accurate enough
- Hard to read the digits
Etekcity Food Digital Kitchen Weight Scale
Besides great aesthetics, this scale offers accurate measurements in four units so you’ll measure in grams, pounds, milliliters, and ounces with ease.
A small design is excellent for storing, but it may be a problem when you want to mix your ingredients in a larger bowl or container. But you’ll have no problem calculating the net weight of components with a tare button and with anti-fingerprint technology, maintaining will be comfortable.
The platform for measuring food is made from stainless steel, so not only it is durable; it also has antibacterial properties. Apart from being friendly for your health, it is also kind to your eyes: with a bright backlit display, the digits are visible without you having to lean or bend.
It comes with two AAA batteries included, so you don’t have to worry about expensive batteries that are the enemies of your wallet, and this smart machine saves batteries due auto shut-off feature.
This feature is eco-friendly and wallet-friendly, but it can be frustrating if you take longer breaks between measuring. All in all, this scale does what it is designed to do: measure accurately up to 11 lb with a precision of 1 gram.
Pros
- Accurate
- Compact
- Easy to use
- Easy to store and clean
- Easy to read the digits
Cons
- Small weigh platform
- The short auto shut-off time
INEVIFIT Digital Kitchen Scale
I love the basic design of this scale and that it is slim enough to put it in the kitchen drawer, but it is quite small. Don’t get me wrong, it weighs up to 13 lb, but I don’t have a clue where to put all that pounds.
If you use larger dishes, it is hard to read the digits. A backlit display will help you with that, and the contrast of the blue screen and the black number is helpful too.
Not only the INEVIFIT digital kitchen scale is very precise (1 gram increment), it is consistent in measurements – you’ll always get the same result.
This scale is suitable for anyone on a diet or strict dietary arrangement because of its precision, but due to its shape, it is not ideal for baking and cooking.
The round weighing platform is excellent for plates or smaller bowls, but if you intend to use this scale for measuring, for example, dough or meat, I recommend you buy one in a rectangular shape.
As for quality, don’t let the slim design fool you – this scale is made from durable plastic and glass reinforcement. It shuts off automatically after 90 seconds, it will save the two AAA batteries which are included – they will last long.
Pros
- Precise and consistent measurement
- Durable
- Backlit display
- Easy to use
Cons
- Small
- Unusual shape
- Auto shut-off period of 90 second
Etekcity Digital Kitchen Food Scale With Removable Bowl
This scale is a dream come true for ones passionate about baking – the detachable bowl is ideal for measuring and mixing ingredients. The capacity of the bowl is 2.5 liters which is more than enough for everyday baking, but the scale doesn’t calibrate in liquid ounces.
With impressive features like the temperature sensor (excellent for yeast) and alarm timer, I think you’ll forget that small flaw. The timer is surprisingly loud, but with time you’ll get used to it, and it is a significant help for us who are easily distracted.
It looks and feels sturdy yet sensitive, so I can believe that it weighs up to 11 lb with 1 gram division. Although it looks bulky, it is easy to store it due to a detachable bowl that you can use as a shield for the scale.
The display is quite small, but it is bright and slightly tilted, so you will not have a problem reading the digits even with a bigger bowl or dishes.
With all these features, it is no surprise that this mean machine is a battery eater. You’ll have to change them every week or two depending on the intensity of use. Given that it uses AAA batteries, you will not be exposed to great expense.
Pros
- Detachable bowl
- Precise
- Temperature sensor
- Alarm timer
Cons
- Batteries don’t last long
- Doesn’t measure liquid ounces
- Loud alarm timer
Final Thoughts
If you bake a lot and you need features like the temperature sensor and alarm timer I highly recommend Etekcity Digital Kitchen Food Scalel due to its performance that will bring your baking to a new level. The cost of batteries is nothing when it is compared to hours that you’ll save with this scale
If you are buying a food scale trying to stay fit and keep track of your portions then INEVIFIT DIGITAL KITCHEN SCALE is the finest option for you. You can easily store it in the kitchen drawer, and the shape of the scale is ideal for your needs.
If you have additional questions or you want to share your experience, I’ll be glad to hear it.
Related: How Many Oz In A Quart: Guide For Precise Measuring