Some of the best chefs and home cooks work with skilled intuition, but even they, sometimes, have to defer to precise measurements, especially when baking is involved. Whether it’s a fluffy souffle you’re making or perfectly risen bread, a reliable kitchen scale has a crucial role to play in getting your baking down to a science.
Along with stand mixers, these handy little kitchen gadgets are essential for making pastries, but they’re also necessary for serious cooks who want to get their ratios or servings right. Those who brew their own coffee at home also know the importance of accurate coffee bean-to-water proportions, made possible by kitchen scales.
So, if you’re in the market for a kitchen scale, we’ve got excellent options for you, based on top-rated user reviews on Amazon. Enjoy up to 40 per cent off on toasters, juicers, and air fryers, during the ongoing Appliances Carnival sale. Become a Prime member and get yours as early as tomorrow, with fast, free delivery.
1. Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Food Scale
Pros
- Consistently accurate
- Features a pull-out display
- Smudge- and fingerprint-resistant
- Long delay before it shuts off
Cons
- Short battery life, say reviewers
For everyday cooking, look no further than OXO Good Grips Food Scale. With over 5,500 five-star ratings, the scale provides reliable readings, with a functional design and many extras you didn’t know you needed. Made with stainless steel, it’s fingerprint- and smudge-proof, and is slim enough to fit in a kitchen drawer. The removable scale bed is easy to clean, and if you’re weighing a large bowl of ingredients, you can pull out the display to check the weight rather than bend and awkwardly crane your neck. While some reviewers said they were disappointed that the battery needs changing once every three months, the device does have a battery life indicator so that you’re not caught off guard.
2. Best Lightweight Scale: Escali Primo Digital Scale
Pros
- Precise measurements
- Long delay before it turns off
- Easy to use
Cons
- No pull-out display
Frequently touted in the reviews as one of the most accurate scales available, Escali Primo precisely assesses increments of one gram and has a capacity of up to five kilograms. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of our top pick, but shines as a workhorse, with its minimalist design and two-button functionality (one to tare, and one to switch on/off). Reviewers like that it has a long delay before auto-shutoff – about four minutes – and that it’s both lightweight and durable.
3. Best for Coffee: Etekcity Kitchen Scale
Pros
- Measures increments of 0.1g
- Comes with a bowl
- Easy-to-read backlit display
Cons
- May be too small for larger volumes
Coffee aficionados who own their own espresso, pour-over or drip coffee machines can enjoy the reliability of Etekcity’s Kitchen Scale, which measures ingredients in 0.1g increments. Although it has a maximum capacity of five kilograms, the size of the unit may be too small to hold, say, a large cut of meat. So, reviewers suggest using it for small volumes of food or ingredients, like fruits, nuts, and coffee beans. The scale comes with a practical bowl that you can detach, if you’d like to use the scale directly.
Bonus: Redeem 10% discount with Citibank when you enter the code ‘CB10JUN’ at checkout.
4. Best Budget: Kenwood Digital Kitchen Scale
Pros
- Easy-to-clean tempered glass design
- Overload and low battery indicators
- Bright, easy-to-read screen
- Large, 8kg capacity
Cons
- Short delay before auto-shutoff
For under Dh100, Kenwood’s digital scale packs a punch in terms of value-added features. First, it’s a sleek device, with an LCD display, and an easy-to-clean, tempered glass surface that’s large enough to hold a maximum of 8kg – perfect for meats, dough and more. Its overload and low battery indicators are helpful functions so that you’re not caught unaware, in the middle of cooking. Reviewers are happy with the accuracy and clear readings, but say the backlight switches off in a matter of seconds, and stops working while you’re adding and removing ingredients. But if you work quickly when baking or cooking, this kitchen scale will serve you well.
Bonus: Redeem 10% discount with Citibank when you enter the code ‘CB10JUN’ at checkout.
5. Best for Portioning: Greater Goods Perfect Portions Food Scale
Pros
- Innovative design with touch-sensitive buttons
- Provides nutritional information
- Room for custom entries
Cons
- Manual input needed
Are you a conscientious eater, who checks the nutritional information on food that you consume? Then Greater Goods food scale may be what you’re looking for. It doesn’t just weigh the ingredient you place on the scale, but also accurately provides nutritional information on over 2,000 foods. This means you’ll know exactly how much sugar, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and calories you’re consuming, based on the weight and type of ingredient. Reviewers say adding custom entries or looking up a particular code through the app on their smartphone can get a bit cumbersome, but it’s par for the course, for such an innovative gadget. The scale itself is sleek, easy to clean, and has touch-sensitive buttons.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
