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Kitchen Scale Recommendations, 2011–

May10April

By May10April
in Kitchen Consumer

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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted

Just wanted to pass this on.  I bought an Oxo scale a couple of months ago.  This one:  http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-5-Pound-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B0020L6T7K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435169002&sr=8-2&keywords=oxo+scale

It works as well as I need it to.  I was perfectly happy with it, but then the readouts began to fade. 

 

I purchased the same scale somewhat more than a year ago, and have been quite pleased with it. Haven't had any problems or issues with it.  Good to know customer service is satisfactory.

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 ... Shel


 

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted

Due to clumsiness, I need a new scale. My small, accurate down to .00 grams scale is fine. I need a new scale for the bigger jobs. Something that can go up to at least 2 kg (but more is fine) with accuracy down to the gram. Yes, they are easy to find and not expensive. The problem I'm running into is they all seem to have auto shut-off with ridiculous short amounts of time before they shut themselves off. And even more annoying, no option to bypass the auto shut-off. Does a digital scale exist without auto shut-off or with the option to not use it without getting into the really expensive end of the scale spectrum? Oh, and in Canada would be preferred.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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cyalexa

cyalexa

Posted
Posted

I scored a Sharper Image scale at Tuesday Morning a while back for $10. Works just fine and I like the arrangement of buttons. Whatever you buy, just touch whatever you are weighing every now and then to delay the auto shut-off. 

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted

Yeah, that's an option I suppose. I'd rather just not have auto shut-off though. I can remember to turn the scale off when I'm done much easier than I can remember to go bump it every minute or two when I'm busy. I may just end up springing for a more expensive one with an a/c adaptor if that's the only way I can avoid auto shut-off. It annoys me enough to be worth the extra money. Just thought I'd fish for options I may be overlooking first.

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Fernwood

Fernwood

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Tri2Cook said:

Due to clumsiness, I need a new scale. My small, accurate down to .00 grams scale is fine. I need a new scale for the bigger jobs. Something that can go up to at least 2 kg (but more is fine) with accuracy down to the gram. Yes, they are easy to find and not expensive. The problem I'm running into is they all seem to have auto shut-off with ridiculous short amounts of time before they shut themselves off. And even more annoying, no option to bypass the auto shut-off. Does a digital scale exist without auto shut-off or with the option to not use it without getting into the really expensive end of the scale spectrum? Oh, and in Canada would be preferred.

 

I have been pretty happy with the My Weigh 7001 http://myweigh.com/product/7001dx/ which weighs up to 7000 g.  I believe that My Weigh 3001 is very similar (up to 3000 g).  Both have available ac adaptors and the auto-off interval can be changed or disabled.  My scale seems very consistent: a certain measuring cup weighs 247 g, over and over again.  I like all its features; my biggest gripe is the "action" or touch of the buttons, which is rather stiff.  I believe I bought mine from Old Will Knott Scales http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/buy-my-weigh-scales.html  They have either one for < $30 US; I don't know if there are Canadian vendors.   

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Joe Blowe

Joe Blowe

Posted
Posted

I also have a MyWeigh scale, a KD-7000, that I purchased from Old Will Knott in 2006.  Last year the membrane keyboard cover finally wore out, and the power and tare switches were poking through the plastic.

 

I contacted Knott about service and/or parts, and they responded that they do not provide any service on their scales.  They just give you a new scale!!  I had to mail a copy of my receipt and the battery door from my scale.  A week later, I had a brand new KD-7000.

 

Now that's customer service!

 

 

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So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thanks for the recommendations. The My Weigh 7001 is available through vendors in Canada for a reasonable price (~$40 + tax and shipping) so that's the route I'm going. I appreciate the help.

Edited by Tri2Cook (log)
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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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paulraphael

paulraphael

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've been using the My Weigh KD8000 for a couple of years. It works fine. It's sometimes handy that it holds a full 8kg (like if I want to measure food directly into a Dutch oven).

 

This scale has a pretty unique feature in that it lets you measure with bakers' percentages. I invented this feature for them ... in an email exchange about service for an older scale, I asked them if they had a scale that did percentages. They were intrigued and said they'd give me a free scale I plotted out the user interface and the math for what I was talking about. I designed the thing for them, they sent me a (very nice) free scale, and that was that. A few years later the nice scale broke, and since I didn't have a receipt or warranty card, I had to shop for a new one.

 

Lo and behold, there was the scale I designed. So I bought it. It's a perfectly good scale, but I have to admit, I've never once used the feature I designed. Does anyone use this scale, and if so, do you use the bakers' percentage function?

 

Edited to add: I use an AWS scale for smaller quantities. It reads to 0.01g and holds up to 200g. Was cheap ... under $25. It's ok, but it can be slow to stabilize and give an accurate reading. This is inconvenient when you're measuring things like gums and leavening ingredients in tiny quantities. When it dies I'll try to find one that's better (hoping one exists).

Edited by paulraphael (log)
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Notes from the underbelly

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted (edited)

The My Weigh 7001 came in yesterday and I'm already happy with it. Especially the included ac adaptor and ability to kill auto-shutoff. The baker's percentages function for the KD8000 sounds interesting but I don't see it as something I'd use very often, if ever, so I'm fine with the one I ordered. My high precision scale does .001 grams up to 50 grams. It has a fast reaction and stabilization time and I've yet to need .001 gram accuracy for anything in quantities greater than 50 grams. I paid ~$50 for it at least 8 or 9 years ago and it's still going strong. I think the brand is Escali or something like that.

Edit: I don't think I intentionally lied, so it must have been bad typing. My little scale does not do .001 grams precision, it does .01 grams.

Edited by Tri2Cook (log)
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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted

Our last Starfrit kitchen scales died.  It seems that not only the batteries die...but the scales die too.  Bought three of the new Starfrit models.  Opened and tried two.  Both pieces of..... (good taste precludes my use of the appropriate word to describe them). 

 

I use the scales continuously in my candy making, regular baking and to weigh the dogs' food.  CONTINUOUSLY.  That is at least twice a day minimum. 

 

I need a scale with a tare mechanism.  I won't pay more than $100.00 for them.  I need to be able to read the weight from under a flat round stainless steel dog bowl.  The salient detail being that it has a platform spacious enough that it will accommodate larger containers with readable results.

 

What to do?  Any help here?

 

(ps.  I HATE the new electronic appliances which no longer have the familiar buttons.  Too bad for me.)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Check out the OXO scales.  You can get them with a pull-out display and tare function.  I have one and really like it.

Thanks Elsie.

 

Strange, but the reviews on the Amazon.ca site are very negative towards this one.  DH says no.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, mgaretz said:

I have the OXO 11lb with the pull out display and I love it.  I have had it for about 5 years now.

 

Thank you, kind sir.  I'll point that out to my DH. 

In the meantime, we are using a large mechanical calibrated scale.  It's a Stokes brand, Stokes being the largest Canadian kitchen store chain.  It can't break down on us in any way...but it's not convenient to use.  Oh well.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Fernwood

Fernwood

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Scales from MyWeigh - here on amazon.ca - I have a number of the 7001DX. 

I also like the MyWeigh 7001DX pretty well.  It has real buttons but their action is quite stiff, a little uncomfortable for me.  Everything else about it is just right for my purposes.  

Here is some fairly recent activity on this topic: 

 

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted

Still happy with the MyWeigh I purchased on recommendation in the link above. The ability to disable auto-shutoff was worth the price of admission for me but the a/c adaptor and large container that fits perfectly on the scale (which I didn't even care about when I ordered but works really well for weighing out the amounts of chocolate I usually work with) are nice too.

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted

Instructed by DH to see if I can find the scales locally.  Then I guess we'll go with the MyWeigh brand.  O, for the good old days when stuff was made out of metal, lasted for forever, could be repaired, etc, etc. 

Thanks for all for your replies.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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CentralMA

CentralMA

Posted
Posted

Don't know if you've got HF or the like up there in Canada. We've been using one of these for a few years now. Able to handle the large bowl, seems to be accurate (how does one really know?), has held up well. Good to have around for determining mail costs, postage on larger items also.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/70-lb-32-kg-digital-postal-scale-95069.html

 

 

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