Kitchen Scale Recommendations (2003 – 2010)

[slbunge]

Mine is the MyWeigh 6001 and I couldn't be happier. Easy to clean. User friendly controls. Takes up very little room either on the counter or in the cabinet. All for around $35.

[Richard Kilgore]

The KD-600 gives a choice of gram, kilogram, ounce and pound readouts. The pound readout is to the nearest one-tenth of an ounce, not pounds in decimel points.

I should mention that I got a phone call from saveonscales.com on Thursday saying they have the white KD-600 and are shipping it with a UPS return tag for returning the silver one. Cool!

[Milt]

Mine is a Terraillon (white) with a 3 kg or 6# 10 oz. capacity. It is operated by a 9 volt battery. There is a switch on the bottom for pounds/kilograms. The removeable box/dish on top is plastic and dishwasher safe (top shelf). The scale will zero out when it is turned on, so as to weigh only what is added. Sometimes I will remove the box from the top and put a plate on the scale, then turn it on. Very versatile - I have had mine for about three years. The battery had been replaced once. This was a gift, and later I was shocked to find out how much it had cost - even though I had asked for one. I'm thinking it was around $70, but I'm not sure.

Edited August 7, 2004 by Milt (log)

[Bicycle Lee]

I ordered a KD-600 from saveonscales.com. I think the scale is excellent. They sell it for 46.50 (with a 110 adapter for a few bucks more) and say the regular retail is about 100.00. I have seen it other places for about 75.00. Out of curiosity I tried to rock the reading by pushing buttons and on the housing in various places to no effect.

that looks like a great deal....can you zero out this scale?

[Richard Kilgore]

Yes, I assume you are referring to the TARE function. Follow the link for a pretty detailed description.

[Richard Kilgore]

Mine is the MyWeigh 6001 and I couldn't be happier. Easy to clean. User friendly controls. Takes up very little room either on the counter or in the cabinet. All for around $35.

The 6001 was one of the alternatives I was considering. It and the 3001 and one or two other potentially good alternatives are on the saveonscales.com website listed under Kitchen Scales. I think the 6001 is a very good scale, just not as good as the KD-600 for $11.50 more. I decided on the KD-600 after a few rounds of email, asking questions of the people at saveonscales beyond the comparisons I could make from looking at their website.

[mamster]

Richard, this scale looks great, and the tare button on my scale is dying, so I have an excuse. One question: is one of those buttons on the front of the KD-600 a grams/ounces button? Because to switch my current scale (a Soehnle) you have to flip it over, which is a pain. Thanks!

[Richard Kilgore]

Yes, Mamster. A button allows you to switch from grams (the default at turn on) to kilograms to ounces to pounds.

[Moopheus]

A button allows you to switch from grams (the default at turn on) to kilograms to ounces to pounds.

There's a switch at the back that can change the default from metric to english measures, so you can have it come on either way. And it will auto-tare if you turn it on with a measuring cup (or whatever) on the plate.

[Richard Kilgore]

Cooler, yet. I guess I should read my manual.

[andiesenji]

I have scales for different purposes. For general measuring with a tare function I have the Salter Aquatronic because it weighs liquids as well as dry ingredients and goes up to 11 pounds.

Aquatronic scale

Not all scales have the ability to weigh liquids and many of the recipes I have, particularly the ones from Australia, indicate liquid weight. You can convert, of course but this scale does the conversion for you.

Not all volume measurements are equal, definitely not the Aussie ones and a error can have a devastating effect on the recipe, particularly in baking.

I got mine on sale at Linens 'N Things. I think it was $39.00.

I like the new one they are showing on this site,

Cool scale!

mainly because it looks so cool but so far I haven't gotten to the point that "I can't live without it." but the day may come.......

I think I have mentioned before that I love gadgets, especially the quirky ones.

(Presently I am bidding on a really odd gadget on ebay, if I win I will post a photo.)

[Moopheus]

Not all scales have the ability to weigh liquids

I didn't realize that gravity affected liquids differently.

[Richard Kilgore]

Update -- My white KD-600 arrived today from saveonscales.com as promised with a pre-paid return UPS sticker for sending back the "silver" one.

And someone please explain liquid weights.

[andiesenji]

See this measuring liquid/dry

And this conversion table\

And this one more conversion tables

and note the lone Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml instead of the 16 ml in the U.S. and the 15 ml in the U.K.

a pint in the U.K. is 20 U.K. oz, while in the U.S. it is 16 "fluid" U.S. oz.

So much for the old saying, "A pint's a pound, the world around."

Because the volume of liquid changes slightly at differing altitudes a more accurate measurement is obtained by weighing liquids.

In a laboratory, liquids as well as solids are usually weighed when precise measurements are required.

Edited August 12, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[Moopheus]

And someone please explain liquid weights.

Liquid weights are no different from other weights. What Andiesenji's scale is doing, if I'm following the description correctly, is converting from weight to volume, which is how liquid measures are usually given. This can be done easily if the density of the liquid is known. My guess is the scale assumes the same density as water, as most liquids used by the home cook (millk, cream, etc.) are only a little different from it. Most home cooks probably would not notice an error on the order of 1-4% unless they are making very large batches. If you want to know the weight of your liquid, just weigh it like anything else.

[Richard Kilgore]

Okay, that makes more sense.

[wnissen]

I haven't tried this, and can't vouch for the quality of the scale, but www.stamps.com is giving away free 5 lb. scales that measure in 0.1 oz. increments. See this page for a picture and brief description. Of course, the catch is you have to sign up for a free printable postage trial and pay S&H. Seems like a pretty good deal to me, but caveat emptor.

Walt

[Richard Kilgore]

Free may be okay, but no metric and no TARE function.

[lcdm]

I just purchased a Soehnle Hippo Digital Food Scale. Very thin (can be hung on the wall). Has a tare function, can weigh up to 11 lbs in .1 ounce increments. It is plastic and is very light but it gets the job done. I was disappointed that it does not display 2 positions after the decimal. It also easily converts to metric (botton on front of scale). It was around $40.00.

[Liberty]

Liquid measures are often given in "fluid ounces" and most of us know that 8 fluid ounces = 1 cup. This does not mean that 8 fluid ounces = 8 ounces on your scale. A cup of water weighs something like 8.3 ounces, while 8 fluid ounces of honey weighs something like 15 ounces (butter has a 1:1 ratio). Even the small 3-4% difference with water can be nontrivial in baking.

I would imagine that the Salter scale automatically does the conversion for water, but would be as useless as any other scale for any other liquid without a conversion table. If you find yourself weighing a lot of water this option may appeal to you -- though it's probably easier to use a measuring cup (you don't even have to wash it!). For sticky, viscous liquids like honey and molasses, it may be easiest to measure straight into the bowl on a scale, but you will have to calculate the desired weight whether or not your scale "weighs liquids."

[merrybaker]

Beware! Some scales use fractions instead of decimals when showing parts of ounces. As a mathematically-challenged person, I would HATE that. I have a small Soehnle, and it is extremely accurate. Couldn't bake without it!

[Jensen]

I have a digital Salter and it's good enough for how I use it. It only weighs in 2 gram increments but, hey, what's a gram or two between friends...

←

*bump*

My digital Salter which was "good enough for how I use it" has decided to pack in half of its display. Not the left half or the right half or even the top half or the bottom half. No, it's decided to pack in the upper left half of the display.

I sent an email to Salter which has been completely ignored.

Has anyone else come across this sort of problem? (And no, it's not the battery...I checked that.)

[SWISS_CHEF]

For the past six years I have used a Swiss made Soehnle scale exactly like this:

http://www.jpimall.com/kitchenscales/soehnle_futura.shtml

It is superb, don't hesitate to buy it. You can put a bowl on it and set it to zero and then add what ever you want to weigh. Also, mine weighs in ounces/pounds or grams.

I have never had a better scale.

[SethG]

I'm bumping this to report that I just had a very positive experience with Salter customer service.

I've had the Salter 1002 since December. This is a cool-looking scale, because it is just a glass plate that sits atop some plastic legs. But the plate apparently wasn't attached to the plastic all that well, because one day one of the plastic legs just fell off, severing the metal connectors, making the scale unusable.

I was a little pissed off, but I called Salter customer service and was very pleased with their response. They told me that the model has been discontinued (perhaps because lots of folks have had the same problem?) and agreed to send me a new model 1006, which is a more expensive scale, in return. They're sending it out right away, no questions asked. They couldn't have been nicer.

The Salter scale I called about came with a ten year warranty, so if I were you, Jensen (if you haven't resolved your problem already), I'd just call them up. If my service was typical, they should take care of you. USA: 973-227-3057. Canada: 416-740-6009.

Good customer service buys a lot of loyalty in my book.

[jackal10]

I dropped my cheapo supermarket kitchen digital scales by accident into a sink full of dirty soapy water, and its not been the same since. I thus need to buy a new set.

Which are your favourites? Do you have two sets, and accurate but only for light things, and other for heavy stuff?

Are expensive ones worth it, or should I get another cheap set, on the grounds that they have only a limited life (at least in my kitchen) before being dropped or otherwise broken?

Incidentally I wonder if there should be a separate forum for kitchen equipment.