After unboxing each scale we noted its design, build quality, and any special features. Using lots and lots of very clean nickels—which weigh exactly five grams each so they make perfect calibration weights—we tested every scale for accuracy, consistency, and user-friendliness. We also noted how long each scale took to register changes when we added or subtracted weight.
After the nickel tests, we picked our favorite scales and used them to prepare pound cake and pizza dough. After baking, we got each of the finalists good and dirty with a mixture of flour, oil, and water. We let the residue sit overnight before and noted which scales were easiest to clean and whether any showed signs of staining or scratching once dry.
Factors we evaluated
Accuracy
We tested whether each kitchen scale could weigh items of varying sizes and materials with high precision, accuracy, and consistency. We also paid attention to how weight distribution impacted readings; some scales gave slightly different readings if the nickels were spread out around the edges of the scale instead of neatly stacked in the middle.
Precision
In addition to consistent results accurate measurements, we were impressed with scales that could offer extra precise measurements (increments smaller than a gram). None ended up as our top pick, but we wrote more about those scales below.
Ease of use
Were the buttons easy to find and control? Could we switch between units of measurement (imperial and metric) and engage the tare function without reading the manual? The best food scales were intuitive and easy to use right out of the box.
Capacity
The scales we tested had varying weight capacities, but we decided that a maximum capacity of 11 pounds is the sweet spot for most kitchen tasks. Other scales—like the Greater Goods Digital Pocket Scale, which maxes out at only 1.65 pounds, and the MyWeigh Bakers Math Scale, which is larger and can handle upward of 16 pounds—are better suited to more specialized needs.
Durability
We gave preference to scales that felt stable on the counter and sturdy enough to stand up to daily use. We also looked out for design flaws, such as unsealed buttons, that might make cleaning difficult or lead to moisture damage.
Size
Assuming that most cooks aren’t looking for a scale to keep permanently installed on their countertop, we gave preference to lightweight models with a small footprint and a slim body that could be tucked easily into a cabinet or drawer.
Other scales we tested
Fellow Tally Scale
We’re including the Fellow Tally here because, during our testing of the best coffee scales, it was the only one that really had crossover potential as standard kitchen scale. It’s generous weighing platform and offset display are easy to read and its 5.5 pound maximum capacity is enough for the vast majority of baking projects. But it’s quite expensive compared to everything else on this list and what you’re paying for are all the bells and whistles that help you make coffee. They are useful and effective, but more than you need for any non-coffee related task.
Amazon Basics Kitchen Scale
Whoever is manufacturing the Amazon Basics Kitchen Scale seems to know what they’re doing. It’s similar to the Escali in many ways: It has a plastic base, an unlit LCD screen, and an 11-pound capacity. It also has just two buttons—one for switching between grams and ounces/pounds and another that controls the tare function and turns the scale on and off. Its stainless-steel weighing platform is just a little larger than the Escali’s at seven inches, and we found it to be comparable performance-wise. We liked this scale so much that we used to recommend it as a budget pick—but that was when it was $9. Now that it’s priced at $18, some the issues like the unsealed buttons that make it slightly annoying to clean, or the occasional inaccuracy (albeit just by one gram) keep us from giving it a top spot.
Escali Arti Glass Kitchen Scale
The Escali Arti Glass Kitchen Scale is a sleeker, more modern-looking scale from the maker of our top pick, Escali. This model has a 15-pound weight capacity and a four-button display—the tare button is separate from the power button on this one. It also has an additional “hold” feature that keeps your measurement on the screen instead of timing out and automatically turning off—something we liked but didn’t find vital. The glass platform was easy to clean, but it ultimately didn’t outperform the Primo, (which at the time of publication) cost $10 less.
Oxo Good Grips Stainless-Steel Food Scale
The Oxo Good Grips Stainless-Steel Food Scale is the top pick of many professionals, and for good reason: It has a responsive stainless-steel weighing platform that’s removable for easy cleanup and a well-designed pull-out display with a backlight for easy reading. Bottom line: We liked it a lot—but not twice as much as the Escali, which is less than half the cost. Note: This is a newer version of the model we tested.
Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale
The Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale is nearly identical to our top pick, the Escali Primo, but a couple of factors—namely its less responsive buttons and quicker auto power-off function—kept it out of first place. But at only $10 (at the time of publication) it’s a great budget alternative.
Etekcity Multifunction Food Kitchen Scale
The Etekcity Multifunction Food Kitchen Scale has some basic design flaws that made it an easy pass early on. The biggest problems were the small weighing platform without an offset digital display that made reading measurements tricky, as well as unsealed buttons with crevices that seemed like a trap set just for flour, dough, and potential water damage.
Etekcity 0.1g Food Scale
Another scale from Etekcity, the Etekcity 0.1g Food Scale promises more precise measurements than the model above, and it’s one of the few scales we tested that offered units of measurement beyond grams and pounds/ounces (this one also has settings to read weight in milliliters and fluid ounces). But this one also had some design flaws that turned us off. The instructions say this model should only be used with the included clear plastic “bowl,” but it’s an extra part that could be hard to keep track of and easy to crack in a kitchen drawer. And without the bowl, the stainless-steel weighing platform scratches easily.
Etekcity Luminary Smart Nutrition Scale
This smart scale from Etekcity was promising out of the box. With a 22-pound maximum weight, easy-to-clean water-resistant stainless steel weighing platform, a multitude of unit settings, and Bluetooth-enabled app compatibility, it brings a lot of features to the table for just $9 more than the winning Escali. It’s also rechargeable (unlike every other scale we tested that required two to four AA or AAA batteries), and you can set the auto-off function for anywhere between 30–300 seconds using the VeSync app. In the end, though, it was this scale’s lack of accuracy and consistency that kept it from earning our seal of approval. It would read anywhere from 2 to 6 grams for each 5 gram nickel we placed on it, and that variation would also occur when removing and re-adding weight from the platform. All in all, this is a solid option if you’re intent on using a scale for nutrition tracking—that is, if you value being able to seamlessly log your measurements and don’t mind if you’re off by a couple grams. But for the price, we’d rather opt for the ultra-accurate, more straightforward Escali.
Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Food Scale
The Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Food Scale was the sleekest and most stylish kitchen scale we tested. There are no buttons anywhere to be seen; the lighted digital display is embedded under the glass weighing platform. This scale has double the maximum capacity of many other models; like the Etekcity Luminary it can handle up to 22 pounds (yes, you could weigh a small toddler on this thing!), and it too comes with a USB cord for recharging the battery. But in our testing, it wasn’t quite as accurate as some of the other scales, and we found the lack of buttons frustrating. When we tried to tare out, the scale measured the weight of our finger press instead. Additionally, to switch between units of measurement, you need to lift up the whole thing and press a button-like tab on the underside of the scale.
GDealer Tempered Glass Kitchen Scale (discontinued)
The GDealer Tempered Glass Kitchen Scale was another high-capacity, glass-topped model we tested and because of the glass, it was very easy to clean and inherently heat-resistant. Yet another scale with a weight limit of 22 pounds, it’s a good option if you’re planning to tackle larger projects. However, the auto power-off feature kicks in after only 90 seconds, which meant that it occasionally turned off (and we lost our measurements) right in the middle of a baking project.
MyWeigh Bakers Math Kitchen Scale
With a capacity of upward of 16 pounds, a big backlit display with a hinged molded plastic cover, and the option to power with a plug-in A/C adapter, the MyWeigh Bakers Math Kitchen Scale is an impressive piece of gadgetry but probably more machine than most home bakers need. It’s also huge. At about the size of a large waffle iron, you’re not tucking this one into a drawer and unless you’re in professional bakery setting you shouldn’t need a scale out at every moment.
Greater Goods Digital Pocket Scale
For something so little, Greater Goods Digital Pocket Scale does a lot. But it’s really, really small. The stainless-steel platform is slightly smaller than three by three inches and the whole scale (control panel included) can legitimately fit into just about any pocket, yet it can provide measurements down to 0.1 gram and has additional units of measurement including ounces, carats, grains, troy ounces, and even penny weight. But it’s just too small to use in the kitchen for anything bigger than a cup of flour. And with a max capacity of 750 grams (1.65 pounds), a home baker is just not going to get much use out of this thing, unless they’re using it as a coffee scale.
Cuisinart KML-KO3B Precision Chef Bowl
This model from Cuisinart was slightly heavier and heftier than many of the other scales we tested. It has a tempered glass weighing platform and a removable stainless steel bowl that doubles as a protective cover—a nice touch, but one that ultimately adds bulk and prevents this scale from being as easy-to-store as we’d have liked. All this might have been excused if the scale wowed us in other areas, but it didn’t. we found that it wasn’t as consistently accurate as some scales less than half the price, that the shared tare/unit button was counterintuitive, and that the auto-off has far too short a cutoff time at one minute.
Taylor Glass Top Food Scale
This scale from Taylor was slightly less accurate than our winner, and the plastic cover over the buttons and display panel was a trap for bits of dough, flour, and the like. It was also the most difficult to clean of those in our most recent round of testing—the doughy mixture we let sit overnight was impossible to clean off without some pretty aggressive scrubbing and hot water.
Joseph Joseph TriScale Compact Folding Digital Kitchen Food Scale
We liked the nifty design of this model from Joseph Joseph at first glance. The thing has three prongs that fold into a compact little package no larger than a bar of chocolate, making it supremely easy to stash away. Alas, it proved too good to be true: It often struggled to detect smaller weights, and would sometimes read the weight of your finger when you went to tap the buttons rather than taring or switching units. That said, it was relatively accurate at reading larger (non-nickel-sized) weights and is a fine option if you’re looking for something to take traveling with you or stash in your bag if you have reason for weighing food on the go.
What is tare?
If you’re already a measure-by-weight obsessive, you know the answer to this, but if you’ve never used a food scale or taken an advanced chemistry class, you may not be familiar with a tare button. It’s a feature you’ll find on almost every scale on the market (and on every scale we tested). Typically controlled with a button marked “Tare” or “T,” taring allows you to reset the weight when there’s something on the scale’s weighing platform. This comes in handy in two scenarios. One is that it allows you to measure multiple ingredients in the same bowl without having to add or subtract in your head (say, first the flour, then the sugar in a cake). The tare function also allows you to zero out the scale once you’ve put a vessel on it—whether it’s a mixing bowl, a ramekin for mise en place, or a food storage container you’re using for meal prep.
