If you are looking for a kitchen scale for your kitchen, you have come to the right place! In this guide, we will help you find the model that best suits your needs, and if you don’t have much time to devote to reading our article, we anticipate two exciting proposals.
Table of Contents
How to buy a good kitchen scale
It is always better to have the right tools in the kitchen, and a nice balance is among the list of what can be defined as ” essential. ” The market offers many models, so not everyone knows how to choose a good kitchen scale.
Useful and practical, it is a fundamental product in preparing those delicacies that require exact quantities. In addition, knowing the differences between the various types and their functions will help you clarify which kitchen scale to buy. Here are the most important features of this indispensable tool.
Electronics or mechanics?
The first substantial difference between the various scales is the type of operation they are equipped with. If you are fond of tradition, there is no doubt that you will opt for analog or mechanical models, often characterized by a large dial to facilitate reading and with a tare function to be set up with each use, bringing the hand back to zero.
Mechanical kitchen scales are the least expensive and less accurate than electronic ones. On the other hand, digital models are the latest generation, more expensive, and less prone to errors.
Characterized by battery operation, they ensure weighing speed and work in complete autonomy, for which you only need to press the correct button. Mechanical and digital household scales hardly exceed a maximum load of 5 kg, but some solutions can also weigh grams.
Professional models are analog and digital, capable of consistently weighing several kgs. The choice between one type and another depends on the type of use you intend to do with it.
The most important functions
Another aspect to consider before purchasing a scale is to evaluate its functions. The brand does not always determine a product’s efficiency because the choice can depend on personal needs.
The digital models are characterized by a horizontal support surface above which the weighing container rests. In essence, there may also be a plate that acts as a support base for the various foods’ placement.
Also, digital kitchen scales can measure solid foods and are available in different measurement units. However, if you want practicality, focus on a model with auto-calibration and automatic shutdown.
The mechanical kitchen scales are usually equipped with large and removable bowls to ensure versatility in mixing the various ingredients before cooking. Furthermore, there is no risk of remaining with the battery discharged and not weighing food compared to the digital ones.
Even the eye wants its part.
We cannot fail to consider the design, which can vary between classic and modern, regarding objects of this kind. Kitchen scales can become a piece of furniture to show off and use when needed. They are cheap and are available in numerous versions.
If you love technology and a touch of modernity, digital models are designed to offer different functions, with timers and sensors that detect the environment’s temperature. The best ones are equipped with an automatic shutdown to ensure energy savings and longer life for the appliance.
On the other hand, mechanical kitchen scales are preferred by those who love vintage and want a traditional instrument without particular functions.
Which one to choose?
Measurement accuracy is another feature to consider before purchasing such an item. Digital kitchen scales are the most precise, but this does not mean that they are ideal for the type of use made of them.
To choose the right kitchen scale, it is essential to consider the types of food and preparations for using it. For example, some models calculate the weight in steps of 2 g and not 1: in many recipes, there are quantities with odd numbers, so it is preferable not to opt for this type, which does not ensure such precision.
If you love tradition and simplicity, there is no doubt that the mechanical models are suitable for your needs: with a retro design and large dials, they are the ideal option for lovers of classic style.
Frequent questions
When was the kitchen scale invented?
The use of the kitchen scale in the kitchen is relatively new. In the past, housewives did not have these precision tools available and instead used carafes and ” punches. ”
The number of recipes was not as vast as today, and passed down the known ones orally. Thus, although its arrival in the kitchen is fairly recent, its history has very ancient origins.
Its use was intended for trade and enjoyed different courses, depending on the goods to be weighed. Initially, the kitchen scale was characterized by two plates, and its name ” bilanx ” in Latin means ” with two plates. ”
The weights were made of stone: this tool did not change its appearance for long.
What is the difference between analog and digital kitchen scales?
The analog kitchen scale is characterized by a straightforward mechanism that allows you to weigh foods with manual calibration and read the measurement on large dials.
These models do not need a battery and cost less than digital types. In contrast, mechanical kitchen scales are not as precise as electronic kitchen scales and are not ideal for showing intermediate values.
The digital models are characterized by automatic operation and are equipped with buttons and a display that allows you to read the measured weight accurately. Some also allow liquids to be measured and are equipped with automatic shutdowns to avoid excessive battery consumption.
Their weak point is precisely these, to be checked to avoid staying with the kitchen scale unloaded suddenly.
How do you read the kitchen scale?
Turning the wheel with the mechanical kitchen scale is necessary to set the tear and allow accurate measurement. Then, it is advisable to place the container on the kitchen scale, carry out the tear, and insert the food to be weighed.
With the digital kitchen scale, the work is electronic, and instead of a wheel for the tear, there is a key with a ” T ” or the word ” tare “to be pressed to reset the scale. Both models allow you to weigh different foods simultaneously, being careful to always adjust the tear after inserting each ingredient.
How to use the kitchen scale
The kitchen scale is a practical and convenient tool that allows you to make different recipes with the right doses. There are two main types on the market: mechanical and digital models, which have different functions but serve the same purpose. Let’s find their main features below to understand how the kitchen scale works.
The retro charm or the precision of technology?
The kitchen scales most used nowadays are digital because they ensure greater precision than mechanical ones at the expense of fewer attractive aesthetics.
The analog models allow you to read the measurements through the large dial, with the numbers often clearly visible and weighing hand falls. Generally, mechanical kitchen scales are provided with graduation in grams, expressed with a small line every 10 g approximately.
These are models without automatic calibration, but it is necessary to rotate the pin to reposition the needle to zero and make more precise measurements. Furthermore, these scales do not require batteries, as in digital ones, which have a display to read the measurements and require an electric power supply.
They are more precise and have numerous functions absent in mechanical ones. Also, for this reason, digital models are the most expensive ones.
Attention to size
Another feature to consider is the base’s size and the kitchen scale’s maximum capacity. Mechanical models are usually larger than digital ones. Our advice is to keep tools of this type always at hand. Although larger than the digital ones, the mechanical models are never cumbersome, so it will not be difficult to find a fixed position on the new kitchen scale.
Another consideration concerns the bowl’s capacity and the possibility of extracting it and using it as a container to prepare the various recipes.
Generally, a good-quality kitchen scale never has a capacity of fewer than 4 lbs.
How are the different ingredients weighed together?
Although it is quite simple to use a scale, there is small forgetfulness to pay attention to use it correctly. So the first consideration is to always reset the tare after each use with a different container.
The kitchen scales, even the mechanical ones, allow you to weigh more than one piece of food using the same container, provided that each time the tear is put back to zero.
If you intend to prepare a cake with different ingredients, but the first one, calculate the weight, press the tare button to combine another ingredient, and so on.
The Best Cutting Boards for Your Kitchen
Choosing the best cutting boards on the market is not accessible if you don’t know where to start. There are many solutions made with different materials and of different sizes. Here is our selection of the top 10 best kitchen scales for precision and value for money.
- Digital kitchen scale with food-safe, BPA-free plastic components
- Stainless steel platform with wide LCD screen
- Weighs up to 11 pounds (2 grams minimum, up to about 5000 grams); displays results in...
- Effortless Weighing: Supports 5 units (oz/lb:oz/fl'oz/g/mL), tare function, and includes 2...
- Precise Results: Accurately weighs up to 11 lb/5 kg with 1 g increments
- Simple & Compact: The small and sleek scale is a perfect fit for most kitchens, occupying...
- 【Precise Weight】 10kg/22lb capacity, 1g/0.1oz resolution, Great for cooking, baking,...
- 【Multifunction Scale】This digital kitchen scale has 6 measurement unit: g, kg, lb, oz,...
- 【Easy Tare】Remove the weight of any container to get more precise results.
- 【Precise Weight Food Scale】Our Food Kitchen Scale equips four high-precision load...
- 【Pratical and Durable Kitchen Scale】5 commonly used measurement...
- 【Weight Control Scale -Easy Tare】 The Tare button allows you to subtract the weight of...
- Contemporary Slim Design: Made of Stainless Steel Material; It is easy to use and clean;...
- Multiple Unit Conversion Setting: You can easily switch to any unit that you need; It can...
- Low Energy Consumption with Included Battery: This unit comes with an button battery and...
- PRECISE WEIGHT： The digital food scale built-in four high-precision load sensors,...
- MULTIFUNCTION LARGE SCALE：9"x6.3" platform and Large lcd display for easy readout in g,...
- PRACTICAL DESIGN： The food scale is designed with tempered glass for strong bearing,...
- Stainless steel is smudge and fingerprint-resistant
- Zero function for taring the scale before weighing additional ingredients
- Digital screen with large, easy-to-read numbers
- A Premium Choice: Going above and beyond on all qualities you need and expect in a food...
- Built for Bulk: A kitchen scale that weighs up to twenty-two pounds will never let you...
- Diverse Functionality: Everything you could possibly need a food scale for. A single gram...
- MAX CAPACITY: Dry ingredients: 11 LB X 0.1 Oz and 5000 grams x 1 gram Liquid ingredients:...
- UNIQUE FEATURE: Rotating knob design inspired by KitchenAid countertop electric ovens....
- TARE: Weigh all ingredients into one container by using the Tare feature to zero out...
- A winner of awards from the Food Network, New York Magazine’s The Strategist, The New...
- Accurate, elegant, easy-to-use kitchen scale for all your diet and health goals - weighs...
- Unit button instantly converts between 6 units (g, lbs, lbs:oz, oz, ml, kg) and Tare...
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