The 5 Best Kitchen Scales, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite Kitchen Scale

The Escali Primo Precision Kitchen Food Scale earned our top rating as our favorite kitchen scale for its lightweight but durable design and consistent results. But if you want to save, try the Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale, which offers similar performance at half the price.

How We Tested Kitchen Scales

We chose a total of 14 kitchen scales to compare head-to-head. We made general notes on design, storage, and ease of use while setting them up, then performed specific real-world tests.

• Sugar test: We tared the kitchen scales with a large bowl in place, and then poured in a 4-pound bag of sugar to test their accuracy against a specific known weight.
• Salt test: To test the kitchen scales’ consistency and ability to recognize minimal changes in weight, we weighed out 40 grams of salt, then removed the salt and added it back in a pinch at a time until the smallest possible weight registered on the scale. We then measured the full 40 grams a second time to see if the scales delivered identical results.
• Flour test: To evaluate cleaning, we poured a cup of flour over each kitchen scale, and then cleaned it following the manufacturer’s directions. We noted whether flour got stuck in crevices and buttons, and how delicately we had to treat the machines during cleaning.

After completing our performance tests, we revealed the kitchen scales’ prices to consider value. At the time of testing, the kitchen scales ranged in price from $14 to $100, with an average of $41. We honestly found that price and performance aren’t too closely related: Many inexpensive kitchen scales did just as well in our tests as the pricier ones.

Factors to Consider

Accuracy

The most important factor about any scale is accuracy. If it doesn’t read out the correct weight, it’s useless. As a simple test of accuracy, you can measure some plain water: One cup weighs exactly 8 ounces. If you find you’re getting inaccurate measurements, try replacing the batteries, as low power can lead to inconsistencies. It’s also important not to exceed your scale’s total weight limit; this can damage internal components and throw off the calibration permanently.

Precision

Accuracy and precision aren’t the same thing: An accurate kitchen scale gives the correct weight, while a precise one measures weight down to a small fraction of an ounce or gram. Scales generally read out weight to one or two decimal points; most casual cooks will be fine measuring to within a tenth of an ounce, but some small or very finicky recipes — like spherifications and other molecular gastronomy–style dishes — can benefit from precision measurements down to the hundredth.

Ease of Use

Most modern kitchen scales have a digital display, but bigger numbers and the presence of a backlight can make one model much easier to read than another, especially if you have problems with vision. A tare button and the ability to switch between imperial and metric measurements are also common features that aid in the weighing process. Another helpful battery-saving feature is a motion-sensitive screen that turns off when not in use but turns back on automatically.

Care and Cleaning

While a clean and sanitized kitchen scale is a great tool, it’s tough to maintain. Most digital scales can’t be submerged in water (or even get wet ) and must be carefully wiped down or brushed off to remove spills. Some models have removable parts that can go in the sink, but you should never run water over the part of the scale with batteries.

For the easiest cleaning, take a tip from the pros and put a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on the base. Not only will this help keep the surface clean, but it also helps you transfer ingredients from the kitchen scale to the bowl or pan without spilling. When storing a kitchen scale in a cabinet, it’s a good idea to turn it sideways. You don’t want to stack items above the weighing plate, as this can lead to inaccurate readings.

Other Kitchen Scales We Tested

Strong Contenders 

Escali Digital Food Scale ($60 at Amazon) 

This scale didn’t make the cut because it can be difficult to store: Nothing can be placed on top of it at all. We were also less than impressed with its performance in our sensitivity test, especially given its high price.

KitchenAid Glass 11-lb. Digital Top Kitchen Scale ($27 at Amazon)  

While we found the dial easy to turn and the screen easy to read if you are looking directly down onto the scale, the dial makes it hard to read if you are looking at it from any other angle.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Scale ($34 at Amazon) 

After our tests, we realized that the design of this scale made it challenging to clean with flour getting stuck under the buttons, which could ruin the scale over time.

Zwilling Enfinigy Wireless Charging Kitchen Scale ($100 at Zwilling) 

For the high price tag, we just weren’t impressed with the lack of precision from this scale.

What Didn't Make the List 

In addition to our top picks and strong contenders, we tested five other scales that didn’t measure up, including other OXO, Etekcity, and Zwilling models, and two scales from Taylor. These five scales failed in design and function. We had issues with the readability of the screens and with the measurement surfaces, major design flaws that we just couldn’t look past. Additionally, the most important feature of a scale is accurate measurement, and three of these fell short in our precision and accuracy tests. With other scales excelling in these metrics, we couldn’t justify recommending these models. 

Our Expertise

• Alissa Fitzgerald is a chef, recipe developer, and food writer with over 15 years of experience in the food industry. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she’s worked as a chef in San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Croatia. She’s written and developed recipes for Real Simple, VinePair, Forbes, Travel + Leisure, The Kitchn, and more.
• Nick DeSimone, a food writer and former restaurant cook with nearly a decade of professional cooking experience, updated this piece. During their time in the industry, Nick has used many food scales in restaurant environments where quality, consistency, and durability are put to the test. For this piece, Nick used quantitative data insights from Food & Wine’s team of testers.