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See why.The Best Kitchen Scales
No matter what you’re cooking or baking, weighing the ingredients helps guarantee perfect results—but only if your scale is accurate and easy to use.
We recently tested an additional digital scale and recommend it, but our winner (OXO Good Grips 11 lb Food Scale with Pull Out Display) and Best Buy (Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale) remain the same.
Top Picks
What You Need To Know
Digital scales measure ingredients by weight to guarantee accuracy. Our winner is the OXO Good Grips 11 lb Food Scale with Pull Out Display and has been for years. It’s reliably accurate, has a large display with a backlight for clear legibility, and has a removable platform for easy cleanup. We also chose a Best Buy, the Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale. While it doesn’t have a detachable platform, it is an accurate, less expensive option.
What You Need to Know
A digital scale is a game changer in the kitchen. A scale is critical for baking recipes, where measuring dry ingredients by weight is the only way to guarantee accuracy. We’ve proven this in tests where we’ve repeatedly measured a cup of flour by volume, using a “dip and sweep” method, and found that there can be up to a 20 percent difference in the weight—a variance that can mean the difference between a cake that’s squat and dense and one that’s fluffy and tender.
Scales have many applications in cooking too. Using one to portion burgers, for example, means no more guessing if the patties are the same size and will thus cook at the same rate. They can even make cooking and cleaning more efficient, thanks to the help of the "tare" function. Instead of dirtying different measuring cups or spoons to get the right amount of each ingredient, you can measure ingredients directly into your mixing bowl, pushing the tare button between each ingredient to reset the displayed weight on the scale to zero.
We tested a variety of consumer-grade scales with maximum capacities between 9 and 15 pounds, as we find this to be the most useful size for most cooks. (Commercial-grade scales are often certified for accuracy by the National Conference on Weights and Measures but are too pricey for the home cook.) The scales we tested have a resolution of 1 gram, meaning that they can display weights in 1-gram increments. This does not mean, however, that they reliably detect weight differences of a single gram, though. For scales with this resolution, we find accuracy within a range of ±3 grams to be acceptable for most cooking. If you're measuring particularly small amounts, such as a few grams of coffee or salt or baking soda for a recipe, we recommend using a coffee precision scale or precision scale to ensure correct results.
What to Look For
- Accuracy: All of the scales were acceptably accurate, measuring within a gram or two of the correct mass when we tested them with calibrated lab weights. And when we used the weights with multiple copies of each model, most gave the exact same reading every time. A couple of them consistently displayed fluctuating rea...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
The redesigned version of the OXO scale is accurate and had all the features that made the old model our favorite: sturdy construction, responsive buttons, and a removable platform for easy cleaning. The screen can still be pulled out nearly 4 inches when weighing oversize items. Instead of a backlight setting, the screen now has brightly lit digits on a dark background, which we found even easier to read than the old model’s screen. OXO also added two display options for weight. Users can choose to view ounces only (24 oz), pounds and ounces (1 lb 8 oz), grams only (2500 g), or kilograms and grams (2 kg 500 g), which comes in handy when doubling a recipe. The scale now uses decimals rather than fractions, so it’s more precise and easier to read.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
Like the OXO, this model is accurate, intuitive, and easy to read, thanks to its offset digital screen. Our only complaint is that the platform isn’t removable, so we had to wash it slowly and carefully to avoid getting the interior mechanism wet.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
Though its relatively lightweight frame feels flimsier than those of our top performers and it lacks a removable platform, this simple scale is impressive for the money. It’s accurate and easy to use, with a digital screen that’s bright and visible even when weighing large items.
Recommended
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
This scale had a straightforward design that made it easy to power on, switch units, and tare in seconds. It’s durable and accurate, but we wish its display was a little larger and easier to read. It also takes a bit more attention to clean as it lacks a removable platform and feels slightly flimsy due to its lightweight frame.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
Its accuracy consistently fluctuated a few grams—not a deal breaker, but it was enough to set this sleek scale apart from the top performers. Clearly marked buttons were easily accessible, and the digital display was crisp. Small drops of water became trapped under the glass platform during cleaning.
Recommended with reservations
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1.5 stars out of 3.
The perks of this scale include spot-on accuracy, clearly marked buttons, a bright backlight, and a removable platform for easy cleanup. But a few design flaws detract from its appeal: It’s bulky but lightweight, making it a challenge to store and hold steady, and taller testers found the sharp angle of its screen difficult to read from above.
Not Recommended
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
Sleek, slim, and sturdy, this accurate scale looks easy to use. It even includes a “hold” feature, which saves the last recorded weight. But it revealed an overly sensitive side when we accidentally activated the power button while cleaning and when the screen fluttered each time we touched the scale, so were often unsure if we were pressing the right buttons.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
Poorly designed buttons are what brought down this accurate scale. Because they are set in the platform, they were hidden when we weighed in a large mixing bowl. What’s more, the tare and on/off functions were combined into one obscurely labeled button that confused users.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
Like its sibling, this scale was accurate but lost points for button design. Not only were they small, but switching from metric to imperial units was confusing. It also wobbled on its four tiny feet.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
Though not as consistently precise as other models, this scale was acceptably accurate. Its fatal flaw? The button to switch the unit of measurement is a tiny toggle hidden on the underside of the scale underneath the battery cover, which we only found once we consulted the owner’s manual.
- Cleanup: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Legibility: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
Accuracy and legibility weren’t enough to redeem this scale’s many flaws. Not only are its buttons slow and unresponsive, which forced us to jab at them repeatedly, but changing the unit of measurement requires gently pressing the “on/off” button as the scale boots up; if you miss that brief window, you have restart it and try again. Another complaint: There’s a slight gap where the stainless-steel platform borders the digital display, which trapped food and water.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Sarah Sandler
Sarah is an assistant editor for ATK Reviews who is deeply passionate about anchovies and sourdough bread.
Kate Shannon
Kate is a deputy editor for ATK Reviews. She's a culinary school graduate and former line cook and cheesemonger.
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