The Best Food Scale

When shopping for a food scale, considering several factors could help you select the best option for your kitchen.

Julie Chernoff, a long-time member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) and the International Association of Culinary Professionals says that first and foremost, you want a scale that is accurate.

“You are looking for a digital scale that is accurate, or what good is it?” says Chernoff. Also look for an easy-to-clean, flat weighing surface that will support different sized containers and bowls, a legible digital display that can change from grams to ounces at the touch of a button as well as zero out quickly and has batteries that can be easily replaced, she says.

Think about where you will keep the scale when it is not in use. A compact scale that you can tuck away in a cabinet will likely be easier to use and maintain than a bulky model that permanently consumes limited counter space.

Look at the parts of a scale to determine how easy it will be to keep clean. A digital scale with seams, crevices or buttons and dials that protrude from the device can collect food and dust particles, making it a chore to wipe up.

Some scales have built-in bowls, while others have trays on which you can place packages, containers or food. Taking into account how you plan to use the scale can help you decide which will be the best choice. In addition, making sure that the display is legible even when a bowl or plate is placed on the scale will make it simpler to use in the long run.

There are numerous uses for a digital food scale. For instance, a kitchen scale is an essential piece of equipment for anyone who bakes.

“Professional bakers weigh out ingredients for consistency’s sake, and you should, too,” Chernoff recommends. “Measuring by weight rather than volume is foolproof, eliminating the worry of air pockets or clumping in dry ingredients and eyeballing the meniscus of liquids in measuring cups.

“When feeding my sourdough starter, I rely heavily on my scale,” says Chernoff. “When doubling baking recipes, I find weighing ingredients so much easier and less messy.”

Kitchen scales are useful for more than just baking.

“A food scale is also a great help to people who are dieting,” suggests Chernoff. Weighing out meals and snacks is helpful when counting calories, carbs or other nutritional information.

Of course, determining your budget when browsing digital food scales will also be beneficial. When you know what features are important to you and how much you want to spend, you can pick the perfect kitchen scale for your needs.

• If you are watching your waistline, you might want to look for a food scale that is small and lightweight enough to tuck inside of your purse, briefcase or bag so that you can weigh and measure your food on the go.
•  Look for a kitchen scale that is multifunctional. For instance, some digital food scales include added features such as a kitchen timer or a food thermometer. If a piece of equipment is going to take up some real estate in your kitchen, it might as well earn its keep.
• Sending an oversized greeting card? Make sure you use the right amount of postage by popping it on your food scale and checking the weight.
• If you are serious about coffee, experts say that weighing your beans before grinding or your grounds before brewing rather than scooping them out with a tablespoon could make each cup taste noticeably better. Try 10 grams of ground coffee per 180 ml of water.
• An added benefit of weighing ingredients instead of measuring them is that there is less to clean up. Instead of ending up with a sink filled with tablespoons, teaspoons and measuring cups, you could add the ingredients to the mixing bowl on the scale, pressing the tare button between each one to zero out the weight and obtain an accurate reading.
• Whip up the perfect quarter- or third-pound patties the next time you are grilling burgers by weighing the ground meat. You can even weigh out consistently sized meatballs, cookies or even bowls of ice cream if you choose.
• Recipes that include odd or bumpy ingredients, such as fresh produce, will come out much better when the items are weighed. Trying to measure a cup of brussels sprouts or eyeball a pound of sweet potatoes is a challenge even for the most seasoned home cook. Placing them on your food scale makes measuring fast and easy.