If your batches of cookies turn out differently every time you make them, or your bread dough is never quite right, or your attempts at finicky macarons always end in disaster, I have one question for you: Are you using a kitchen scale?
If the answer is no, don’t worry—I get it. A scale might seem like a fiddly gadget that’ll add more clutter to your kitchen than value to your baking. But what if I told you that a simple two-button scale is actually the key to better baking, easier meal prep, and—get this—fewer dirty dishes?
Our top picks
- The best kitchen scale overall: Escali Primo Digital Food Scale
- The best budget scale: Amazon Basics Kitchen Scale
With a trusty kitchen scale in your arsenal, you can kiss measuring cups goodbye. What’s more, as any professional baker will tell you, a scale is the only way to achieve actually accurate recipe measurements. This is particularly true for ingredients like flour: A cup of flour scooped from the bag will be more densely packed than a cup of flour that’s been spooned into the cup and leveled, making it markedly heavier. This can have a major impact on your baking project, whether you’re making a simple banana bread or attempting something difficult like sourdough, in which the hydration level of your dough is a key factor in how it bakes up.
Not an avid baker? A scale will help you more easily portion out burger patties or meatballs, streamline your weekly meal prep, and cut down on the number of dishes you dirty with those Sunday morning pancakes.
The bottom line is this: A kitchen scale is like a baking (and cooking!) cheat code, and that’s true no matter your level of culinary expertise. That’s why we tested 16 models over the course of several years to find the very best one for home cooks. The best part? Our winner is just $27.
New in this update: We tested three new scales: the dual platform scales from Ooni and KitchenAid and a snazzy-looking scale from Smeg. None of them proved to be nearly as accurate as our beloved Escali, but you can read more about them each below.
The best kitchen scale overall: Escali Primo Digital Food Scale
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Comes in an array of colors
- Lightweight and compact
- Very accurate
Cons:
- Only measures in 1-gram increments
- Display isn't backlit
Specs
Size: 8.5 x 6 x 1.5"
Capacity: 11 lb.
Gradation: 1 g
Auto-off: 4 minutes 30 seconds
Power: AA batteries (included)
While it may look unassuming, this plastic kitchen scale from Escali has held the top spot for kitchen scales on our sister site Epicurious for over six years now and has been a favorite in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen for far longer than that. It’s durable, accurate, intuitive to use, and affordable—pretty much everything we could ask of a kitchen scale.
What we love: The Escali Primo is made of lightweight plastic that comes in a variety of fun colors (plus silver, black, and white options if you’re more the minimalist type). It has a simple interface with just two buttons: one to turn it on and off or tare it, and another that toggles the display between ounces, pounds, and grams.
We found it to be responsive and precise in our testing. It was quick to tare back to zero and delivered accurate readings every time we added new weight. It has a generous auto shut-off time compared to most other models we tested at 4.5 minutes, meaning you won’t have to worry about it powering down and losing your measurements midway through your baking project. Plus, its 11-lb. capacity is large enough to accommodate any task a home cook might ask of it.
Performance aside, the Escali Primo has several design features that helped it stand out. For one, the fact that the weighing platform is elevated and offset from the base means you can easily read the display or use the buttons even when measuring into a large, wide mixing bowl. The plastic body and sealed control panel make it a breeze to wipe down after a floury baking session and also keep stray crumbs from getting stuck in any crevices. Another detail we like? The four rubberized feet that keep it stable on your kitchen counter.
What we’d leave: The Escali can only measure in 1-gram increments. While this was typical of most scales we tested, those looking to use their kitchen scale for dialing in their coffee routine will want something more precise (though coffee scales are kind of their own thing). Unlike some pricier models, the Escali’s display is not backlit, but we didn’t find this to be an issue. It’s also worth noting that the Escali is not a touchscreen device, so you’ll need to use a bit of pressure on the buttons.
The best budget scale: Amazon Basics Kitchen Scale
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Very inexpensive
- Lightweight and compact
- Pretty accurate
Cons:
- Not quite as accurate as our top pick
- Buttons can be prone to collecting crumbs and grime
Specs
Size: 8.3 x 7 x 1.3"
Capacity: 11 lb.
Gradation: 1 g
Auto-off: NA
Power: AAA batteries (included)
Amazon Basics products are hit or miss, but this scale is a certifiable hit. At less than half the price of the Escali, it’s a good option if you’re not positive about adding a scale to the kitchen and want to spend as little as humanly possible to do so.
What we love: There are a lot of similarities between the Amazon Basics scale and our overall winner. The Amazon scale has the same two-button setup, a similar elevated weighing platform that makes it easy to see the display, and the same 11-lb. maximum capacity. It’s made of plastic with a stainless-steel platform that’s easy to wipe down and is just a touch larger than the Escali at seven inches across.
In testing, we were impressed by the Amazon scale’s accuracy, considering its price point. It responded to weight addition or removal almost as quickly as the Escali and provided an accurate readout about 99% of the time. That 1% inaccuracy happened when we repeatedly added weight or switched back and forth between units of measurement—and when it did happen, the reading was off by a minor amount. The problem was also easily fixed by removing what was on the scale, taring it, and starting over. For $12 you’d be hard-pressed to find a better model.
What we'd leave: Unlike the Escali, the Amazon scale’s buttons lack any kind of laminated sealing to prevent crumbs or liquid from entering the crevices around them. As mentioned, this scale isn’t quite as accurate as our top pick, and we also found that it had a tendency to overshoot an item’s actual weight at first (before correcting itself relatively quickly). And last, the stainless-steel platform is more prone to scratching or smudges than the Escali’s plastic one.
How we tested kitchen scales
Calibration weight accuracy test
To find out how accurate each scale was, we used a set of calibration weights (or in previous years' tests, very clean nickels, which weigh exactly 5 grams each). We tested each scale's ability to give an accurate reading for the minimum amount of weight it claimed to be able to accommodate (usually 1 or 2 grams) its their ability to detect small changes when there was already weight on the platform. We also placed weights in various places on each scale's platform to determine if it could give an accurate reading regardless of whether the weight was in the center or at the edge.
Cleaning test
We coated each scale in a mixture of flour, water, and oil and let them sit overnight. We cleaned the residue off and noted which scales were easy to clean and resistant to any scratching or staining.
What makes a good kitchen scale
Accuracy and precision
We looked for consistently accurate measurements and a short response time when adding and removing items of varying sizes and materials from each scale. We took into account how weight distribution affected our readings, looking for scales that delivered spot-on results regardless of where on the platform we placed the weights. We also took note of how precise each scale could be in its measurements, but found our favorite all around options tended to measure in 1 gram increments.
Ease of use
We looked for scales that were intuitive to use without picking up a manual.
Capacity
We tested scales with weight capacities ranging from 1.65 to 16 pounds, but found that a maximum capacity of 11 pounds was more than enough for the tasks one might try to accomplish in a home kitchen.
Construction
We wanted a scale that felt durable, well-made, and stable on the counter and was designed to be easy to clean.
Size
Unlike a stand mixer, a scale isn’t the kind of kitchen gadget most home cooks are looking to keep permanently on their counter. We favored lightweight, compact models that could be easily stashed in a cabinet.
Price
We took into account the relative price of each scale. After years of testing, we've found that you really don't need to spend much to get a high-quality, highly accurate kitchen scale, so any models that were pricey needed to wow us with their design and/or performance.
Other kitchen scales we tested and liked
These scales didn’t quite make our list of top picks, but they still impressed us in testing and might fit your needs depending on what you’re looking for.
Fellow Tally Scale
You’ll notice there aren’t any other scales marketed as coffee scales on this list, and that’s because the Fellow Tally was the only coffee scale our testers thought could plausibly work as an all-purpose model too. It has a 5.5-lb. maximum capacity that should work for lots of home baking projects, and we quite liked its design and its ability to measure grams, ounces, pounds, and milliliters. That said, unless you’re interested in using it as a coffee scale, all of its coffee-specific features—a built-in timer and a “brew assist” that directs you on the proper ratio of coffee to water—make it too pricey for us to recommend as a basic kitchen scale.
Escali Arti Glass Kitchen Scale
This is another scale from the makers of our top overall pick. It’s sleeker and slightly more advanced, with a four-button control panel that includes the typical on-off, unit change, and tare functions, plus a “hold” feature that keeps your measurement on the screen rather than automatically shutting off after a given amount of time.
We ultimately didn’t think the added feature and upgraded design merited spending an extra $10, but this is undoubtedly a good scale (and the rainbow of colorways available make it easy to find a match for your kitchen decor).
Oxo Good Grips Stainless-Steel Food Scale
This Oxo scale is a favorite among professional chefs for its easy to clean stainless-steel weighing platform, handy pull-out display design (great for measuring into extra-large bowls), and accuracy. We liked it a lot, but didn’t feel it merited its price tag, which is about double that of the winning Escali at the time of writing. Note: This is a newer version of the model we tested.
Kitchen scales we tested and don’t recommend
True to its name, this precision scale from Etekcity provides measurements in 0.1 gram increments as well as the option to measure in milliliters and fluid ounces (along with the typical grams and pounds/ounces). That said, we didn’t love that the instructions recommended using this scale with only the included plastic bowl, and found that the stainless steel weighing platform scratched easily.
This rechargeable digital kitchen scale seemed promising, with its 22-lb. maximum weight, easy-to-clean weighing platform, Bluetooth-enabled app connectivity, customizable auto-off function, and host of premium features. However, it was one of the least accurate scales we tested: Our 5-gram nickel weighed in at a low of 2 grams and high of 6. For that reason, we don’t recommend it unless you’re buying a scale primarily for meal tracking reasons.
The Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Food Scale was another promising option. It’s rechargeable via USB cord and has a sleek, buttonless design and 22-lb. capacity. However, it wasn’t as accurate as we’d have liked, and despite how cool it looks, the lack of buttons turned out to be frustrating. We also disliked how the button-like tab that switches the units of measurements is located underneath the scale.
This scale is heavy-duty. It’s got a 16-lb. max capacity, can be charged with a plug-in A/C adapter, and is the size of a small kitchen appliance. It works well (and even allows you to measure using baker’s percentages), but unless you’re in a professional bakery setting, we think it’s overkill.
At less than 3x3" this scale is truly tiny. It’s an impressive little kitchen tool, able to provide measurements in 0.1 gram increments, but its maximum capacity of 1.65 pounds is just too small for most cooking or baking projects besides making coffee.
This scale from Cuisinart has a glass weighing platform and removable stainless-steel bowl, but we ultimately didn’t love the idea of the bowl adding yet another piece of clutter to our kitchens. Besides that, this scale was less accurate than our top picks, had a short, one-minute auto-off time, and was nearly double the price of the winning Escali.
This scale lost for a couple reasons: It was less accurate than our winners and one of the most difficult scales to clean in our most recent round of testing. The display panel was prone to trapping crumbs and bits of flour, and the scale itself required intensive scrubbing to remove leftover residue.
Like many of Joseph Joseph’s products, this scale has an interesting design. It’s made up of three prongs that fold into a small rectangle, making it easy to stash away when not in use. That said, this scale struggled in testing; it couldn’t detect small amounts of weight and was prone to reading the weight of your finger when you tapped its buttons.
We had high hopes for this dual platform scale from the makers of our favorite pizza ovens. It's got a sleek, low-profile design, wide capacity range (.1–22 grams if you take into account both platforms), and handy light-up display. Unfortunately, we found both the small and big platforms inaccurate: The small platform struggled with picking up small changes and was often off by multiple tenths of a gram, and the big platform was inconsistent, often fluctuating between two readings or off by a couple grams.
We noticed inaccuracies and inconsistencies with both of the KitchenAid's platforms. The small scale is meant to be precise down to the hundredth of a gram, but struggled to detect our .02-gram calibration weight and fluctuated between .19 and .20 when we weighed a .2-gram weight. The big scale was decidedly more inaccurate, off by 3–4 grams when we tested it with a 100-gram weight.
Like all of Smeg's products, the brand's take on a kitchen scale is very cute. Unfortunately, while the design is aesthetically pleasing, it didn't prove to be very functional. The scale is very bulky because of the built-in bowl, which can't be removed from the base (though the stainless steel bowl insert can be removed for cleaning). The scale's base itself is sensitive to weight, which means pressing on the buttons with force can cause a temporary spike in the reading—and, more importantly, if you drop any ingredients on the base, the weight of said ingredient will be added to the total. We also found that this scale struggled to accurately report small (1 or 2-gram) changes in weight.
We also tested the Ozeri Pronto, Etekcity Multifunction Food Kitchen Scale, and GDealer Tempered Glass Kitchen Scale, all of which have since been discontinued.
Kitchen scale FAQs
How do you use a kitchen scale?
To use a kitchen scale, you’ll have to familiarize yourself with the concept of “tare.” Taring a scale allows you to reset the weight back to zero when you already have something on the weighing platform. This is particularly useful if you want to measure ingredients into a bowl (just place the bowl on the platform, click the tare button, and go on adding your ingredients), or if you want to measure multiple ingredients into that bowl without needing to add or subtract the existing weight in your head.
What should you use a kitchen scale for?
Baking is the obvious answer here, but the use cases for kitchen scales go far beyond the world of flour and butter. Use a scale to perfectly portion out meat for meatballs or burgers, aid in your meal prep for the week, or for any recipe where precise quantities are of the utmost importance.