Kitchen Scale Review

Why use a food scale?

We found the best reviews of kitchen scales' accuracy, design, user friendliness, and capacity in Cook's Illustrated and Choice, Australia's top consumer magazine. Cook's Illustrated thoroughly tested nine kitchen scales and found that all were accurate to within two grams, but some were better designed and easier to use than others. We were disappointed to learn than neither Consumer Reports nor Good Housekeeping has reviewed kitchen scales.

We compared the results from professional tests with owner reviews posted to Amazon.com, Cooking.com, and Epinions.com. Many of the user reviews are uniformly positive, but reviews that describe each scale's pros and cons are more helpful.

Few home cooks regularly use kitchen scales, but experts say they'd be better off if they did. Accurate measurements are vitally important to baking success. The experts at Cook's Illustrated calculate that cooks who use the "dip and sweep" method (filling a measuring cup with a dry ingredient such as flour, then leveling it off) may be off by as much as 10 percent. Maggie Glezer, author of "Artisan Baking Across America," notes that amateur bakers "often blame the weather for dough variations (the dough is sticky, so it must be too humid), but the real cause is inaccurate measurements."

Even if you don't do much baking, using a scale increases the likelihood that your recipes will turn out the same way time after time. Food scales can be used to ensure that portioned foods, such as meatballs, are of equal sizes. Some cooks have found that using a kitchen scale is actually faster than other measuring methods, particularly if the scale has a tare function, which allows you to weigh ingredients without taking into account the weight of the container. Many home cooks speed prep by using the same bowl to weigh all the ingredients for a particular recipe. (It's important to weigh dry ingredients before wet ones, however, so there's no residue of moisture left in the bowl.)

Dieters and those with medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease can use kitchen scales to accurately track their food intake. And, of course, food scales can also be used to weigh postal letters and packages.

We found several kitchen scales that reviewers say are awkward to use. Two Terraillon food scales earn low marks in comparison reviews. The Terraillon Electronic Professional Digital Baker's Scale (*Est. $100), which is among the most expensive scales marketed for home use, has a grams-to-ounces switch on the underside of the base, making it awkward to shift from one measurement to the other. Australia's Choice downgraded the Terraillon Book (*Est. $60) for poor performance on their weighing tests.

Like the Terraillon Professional, the Soehnle Futura 66522 (*Est. $60) has an awkwardly placed gram-to-ounces converter. Owners complain that the Futura's sleek-looking base, which appears to be metal, is actually plastic.

Reviews of the Salter 11-Pound Square Stainless-Steel Scale (*Est. $50) are mixed. Although this is one of Choice's top picks (editors like its minimalist design and comfortable buttons) reviews at Amazon.com are less favorable. In fact, several owners say that this scale is off by as much as five grams.