It’s got to be said; you won’t get very far in the kitchen without a set of scales.
They’re a must-have appliance in the kitchen whether you’re a newbie to the stove or a seasoned professional.
What you might not know about cooking scales is that they come in a whole load of different shapes and sizes, from the traditional balance scale to the slightly more tech-forward digital varieties, you’ll be blown away with the choice on the market.
In this guide, we’ve weighed up the competition and found the best kitchen weighing scales out there. We’ve done this by taking each product one-by-one and asking a few questions. Are they easy to use? Are they good value for money? Can you store them away easily? How accurate are the scales? Are they simple to clean?
Find out everything you need to know below.
Best Kitchen Scales
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| 1
Best For Low Budgets
1Salter Digital Kitchen Scale
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Best For Higher Budgets
2Salter Heston Dual Platform Kitchen Scale
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| 3
Best Overall
3Terraillon Tare Kitchen Scale
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| 5 |
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| 6 |
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1. Salter Digital Kitchen Scale
- Digital display.
- 5kg maximum load.
- Handy tare function.
- Aquatronic function.
Accurate, small, affordable and user-friendly, this Salter Digital Kitchen Scale ticks all the boxes when it comes to the world of baking.
Either pile your ingredients straight onto the stainless steel scale to start weighing, or pop a bowl on the top and use the convenient tare function to reset the scales to zero.
If you’re hoping to add more than one ingredient to the bowl, these scales come with an extremely handy ‘Add and Weigh’ function which allows you to keep adding ingredients, weighing them separately to the mass in your bowl.
Users can also use the aquatronic function at the touch of a button. This is a relatively new feature to be seen on weighing scales and allows you to convert solid measurements to liquids, so you can add water, milk or oil without having to make another jug dirty.
And, when it comes to the end of your cooking, these scales are easy to wipe down with a wet cloth and can be stored easily in any cupboard, drawer or kitchen surface.
Specifications
Pros
- Compact and easy to store.
- Can measure solids and liquids.
- Quick and easy to clean.
- Two large buttons to change settings.
Cons
- Short battery life.
- Easy to accidentally swap unit during use.
2. Salter Heston Dual Platform Kitchen Scale
- Two scales in one.
- Aquatronic abilities to measure liquids too.
- Digital display.
- Metric and imperial measurements.
Experienced bakers looking for a professional set of scales to take home should look no further than the Salter Heston Dual Platform Scale: a must-awaited collaboration between the established Salter brand and Michelin-star chef Heston Blumenthal.
The first feature that makes its rise above the rest of the market is the dual weighing scale, allowing you to add and weigh multiple ingredients at a time, without sacrificing any accuracy.
Both scales can be used to measure out grams or ounces and can also be adjusted to weigh liquids too in millilitres or fluid ounces to save you grabbing the calculator or jug.
What’s more, the larger scale can withstand weights of up to 10kg, while the smaller scale is perfect for more lightweight ingredients that require the precision of 0.1g increments.
All of this functions on easy-to-get-hold-of AAA batteries, so you’ll never find yourself without a scale to use.
Specifications
Pros
- 10kg maximum load capacity.
- Precision measurements to 0.01g.
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel scales.
- Powered by 2 AAA batteries.
Cons
- Scales not as sensitive to lighter ingredients.
3. Terraillon Tare Kitchen Scale
- 5kg maximum capacity.
- Digital display.
- Available in seven different colourways.
- Swap between metric and imperial measurements.
Established more than a century ago, Terraillon has been the scale brand of choice in every French kitchen since the early 20th century. They produce every type of scale under the sun, but their Digital Tare Kitchen Scale is by far the most popular.
Small and lightweight, they are easy to store almost anywhere, especially with the convenient handle on the back.
In terms of useability, cooks will be glad to learn that these scales can weigh grams, millilitres, ounces and fluid ounces, the settings of which can be changed at the touch of a button. And you don’t need to worry about wasting battery as these shut off automatically after a few minutes with no use.
All of these fantastic features come in seven different colours to choose from, so this scale will fit in no matter what your style or decor in your kitchen.
Specifications
Pros
- Can measure both liquids and solids.
- Precision accuracy to 1g.
- Lightweight and easy to store.
- Comes with a 15-year warranty.
Cons
- Struggles with accuracy for smaller weights.
- Not as durable as other models.
4. KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scale
- Traditional mechanical scale.
- Vintage aesthetics.
- Displays imperials and metric units.
- Comes with a removable pear-shaped bowl.
Going back-to-basics doesn’t have to mean going back to boring, especially with these vintage-inspired mechanical scales from KitchenCraft.
Mimicking the mechanisms of early scales, this vintage-esque appliance works by balancing cast iron blocks of similar weights on the other end of the scale and with what you’re weighing out. It’s undoubtedly a pretty fun way to do things, but it’s not the most accurate of measurements if you’re looking for absolute precision.
Not only does it work reliably, but it looks the part too, making a great addition to any kitchen surface. You can even wipe that conscience of yours as this scale’s materials are sourced from sustainable forests and only use completely 100% recyclable packaging.
Specifications
Pros
- Dial divided into 20-gram increments for accuracy.
- Adjustment dial to calibrate scales.
- Comes with a 12-month guarantee.
- Stylish and unique appliance.
Cons
- Accuracy is dubious for amounts under 100 grams.
- Weights need to be bought separately.
5. Morphy Richards 3-in-1 Digital Kitchen Scale
- Digital display.
- Two-year warranty with every purchase.
- 5kg maximum capacity.
- Jug-style weighing scale.
This Morphy Richards number is part of a new wave of jug scales that allow you to save on the washing up and weigh, measure and mix both your dry and wet ingredients in one handy bowl.
A clear digital display on the bowl’s handle will tell you all of the information you need to know, including measurement to the nearest 1g. You can also use the buttons on the handle to switch between different units and tare the scales when needed.
Once you’ve measured everything out, a quick click of a button will release the bowl from the base unit, allowing you to mix up your ingredients as well as wash it with ease.
Specifications
Pros
- Quick and easy to switch between modes.
- Can be used as a jug or mixing bowl, or both.
- Comfortable handle.
- Good level of accuracy.
Cons
- The display can be challenging to read.
- Bowl can be tricky to remove.
6. Salter Aqua Weigh Kitchen Scale
- Mechanically operated scales.
- One litre bowl included with pouring lip.
- Bowl sits on the scale base with goes up in 1 gram increments.
- 15-year guarantee.
Sometimes, sticking to what you know in the kitchen is the sensible option, and you can’t get much more sensible than Salter’s Aqua Weigh Kitchen Scales that function mechanically.
Unlike their digital counterparts, these mechanical scales feature a measuring area on its base that is reminiscent of a clock face. Stretching around most of the base, this scale is easy to read while you’re pouring your ingredients into the bowl.
Speaking of bowls, this scale comes with a handy 1-litre mixing bowl, complete with a pouring lip if you’re working with liquids. This large bowl can comfortably accommodate a whole cake batter, so you don’t need to dirty more equipment than is necessary.
By twisting the base of the scale, you can recalibrate or tare the scales so that you can pop everything into one handy bowl.
Specifications
Pros
- Dishwasher safe bowl.
- Easy calibration by twisting the base.
- Large bowl to accommodate lots of mixture.
- No batteries required.
Cons
- Slightly bulkier to store.
- Mechanical accuracy isn’t quite as reliable.
Kitchen Scale Buying Guide
Type
There are now four different types of kitchen scales on offer for you to choose from. Here we break down how each one works.
Digital Kitchen Scale
Digital kitchen scales are by far the most popular choice when it comes to this cooking appliance. Not only do their LCD screens make for easy reading, and swapability between different units of measurement, but the scale can also be tared at the push of a button, and its accuracy is unparalleled by other models.
Digital kitchen scales are also great if you’re short on space, as they’re generally small, lightweight and compact which makes for effortless storage. They do, however, require battery operation, so you’ll always want to have some spares to hand.
Mechanical Kitchen Scale
Unlike digital scales, mechanical scales don’t require the use of any batteries or electricity. They work by activating a spring that moves a hand dial along the scale to display the right weight.
An advantage to mechanical scales is that they usually come with a large bowl attached. So, if you’re baking a cake or a loaf of bread, you’ll find that you should be able to weigh all of the ingredients in one easy bowl.
Unfortunately, these types of scales do decrease in accuracy with age, as their spring device begins to wear down. There’s no way of telling if they’re still accurate, so you’ll just need to check with a bag of sugar from time to time.
Kitchen Scale With Weights
Balanced scales, or a kitchen scale with weights, works a little like a see-saw mechanism. Instead of having a person on each side, one side is the ingredients you want to weigh, and the other side is carefully placed cast-iron weights.
So if you measure out a quarter ounce of flour, you’ll place the quarter ounce weight on one side of the scales, and measure out your flour on the other side until the two sides balance.
These types of scale are pretty hard to come by nowadays, and people generally tend to choose them for their vintage aesthetics rather than their accuracy. These appliances are pretty chunky too, so make sure you’ve got space on your kitchen counter to display it in all of its glory.
Jug Scales
In recent years, a new type of scale has arrived on the market, the kitchen jug scales.
Honing in on the need to weigh both solid and liquid ingredients, jug scales typically feature the jug as the measuring bowl, and the handle will show a digital display with the measurements on them.
Most of these jugs rely on a ‘Add and Weigh’ function so you can weigh as you go, and tare the amounts in between ingredients. While these are great for chefs who need to be quick and efficient, they are known for being slightly unreliable with accurate measurements.
Uses
Weighing Scale For Baking
Baking is one of the main reasons why people choose to invest a little more of their money into a reliable set of scales. This is because baking requires a lot more precision and accuracy than most other cooking methods, as well as the ability to swap between different units of measurement, including liquid and solid ingredients.
For this reason, we’d definitely recommend choosing a digital scale for baking, or one that measures to the nearest gram scales.
Food Weighing Scale
If you’re using a scale to weigh other types of food, you can probably afford for the accuracy to be slightly less exact than digital scales, or for the scale to have less high-tech features.
Accuracy
What you’re using the scales for will determine how accurate you need the scales to be. If you’re baking, then the best scales for accurate weight would have to be a set of digital scales. This is because some digital scales will measure in small increments of 0.001g rather than 0.1g, giving you a much more accurate measurement.
There is a way to check if you already have accurate scales in your possession. Simply get yourself some calibration scales and check if the readings are accurate. This is a great thing to do every so often to check if your scales are still as accurate as when you bought them.
Size
The size of your scales will entirely simply depend on the type of appliance that you choose to buy. As a general run of thumb, digital scales are much smaller and compact, whereas mechanical scales and balance scales are much bulkier and a little more awkward to store.
Small
If you’re after a small kitchen scale, then you’ll want to search online for a set of digital scales. With no need for an internal mechanism, digital scales come in all sorts of compact shapes and sizes, making them ideal for storage and transportability.
Mini
If the smallest kitchen scales still aren’t little enough for you, you can look for a mini weighing scale. These are really handy if you’re a chef on the move all of the time, or want to take your scales camping, or away on holiday with you.
It must be noted that mini-weighing scales have a much smaller maximum weight limit that usually hovers between 200 and 300 grams.
Large
Cooking enthusiasts that are searching for a statement piece for their kitchen should take a look at a more large weight scale. These tend to come under mechanical or balance scales, with their vintage aesthetics and robust materials adding significantly to the size of the scale.
Unfortunately, these tend to be slightly less accurate than smaller digital scales, but they’ll look nice in your kitchen.
Maximum Weight
Generally speaking, most kitchen scales can withstand up to 5kg of weight at any given time, which should be enough for your average baker or cook. Some kitchen scales can measure up to 10kg at a time, great for those making large batches of items.
Pricing Range
Whether you’re searching for a set of cheap scales or the most expensive that you can get your hands on, you won’t need to spend much more than £50 to find what you need.
That doesn’t mean to say that you need to spend more for quality in the world of scales, as some of the cheapest on this list are in fact the most highly reviewed. Simply take a look at what you want from your new scales and fit it to your budget accordingly.
Our Verdict
Before you click on that ‘check out’ button, take a moment to consider exactly what you’re looking to get from your set of scales.
Do you crave accuracy or something a little more affordable? Do you need something to store away in your cupboard or a scale to stand as the prize piece in your kitchen? Do you crave the convenience of the jug scales or the practicality of the digital scales?
Whatever it is that you need, you won’t be disappointed if you choose something off our list of the best kitchen scales on the market that have been favourably reviewed by thousands of past users before you.
