The 7 Best Kitchen Scales of 2024

a collage featuring some of the best kitchen scales — Photo:
Courtesy of Brand

If you're making a stew, roasting a chicken or sautéing vegetables, you can be a little loose in your measurements—a glug of olive oil here, a sprinkle of salt there, a few pinches of your favorite spice everywhere. But when it comes to certain kitchen projects, especially baking, a digital kitchen scale can really come in handy.

That's because it's much more accurate to measure ingredients like salt, yeast, flour and sugar by weight than by volume. A kitchen scale lets you dial in the exact amount of each ingredient you need for your pizza dough, cake or soufflé so you get consistent results every time you make a recipe. You can also use a scale to measure out dough or batter for biscuits, pancakes and other goodies to ensure they're the same size—just in case you're, say, competing on a baking show and need each item to be uniform so you can get that Paul Hollywood handshake.

Beyond baking, kitchen scales are great for coffee nerds who want to standardize their brew, as well as meal planners who want to measure out their portions.

However you'll be using your kitchen scale, you'll want a tool that first and foremost measures ingredients accurately, but that's not all that goes into a great scale. To find the best kitchen scales, we put 14 different models through their paces, testing how accurately they measured tiny amounts of salt and large amounts of sugar, plus how easy they were to use, clean and store. In the end, we found seven stellar kitchen scales, including a great budget pick, a splurge that home pizza aficionados will love and an all-around winner that would be a great addition to any home cook's toolbox. Read on to learn more about our favorite kitchen scales, whatever your needs and budget.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale at Amazon $54

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Also Great:

SALE

KitchenAid Kitchen Scale at Amazon ~~$27~~ $16

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Best Budget:

SALE

Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale at Amazon ~~$16~~ $13

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Best Splurge:

Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scale at Amazon $50

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Best for Baking:

Escali Primo Digital Food Scale at Amazon $27

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Best for Meal Prep:

Etekcity Smart Nutrition Food Scale at Amazon $40

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Best for Beginners:

Escali Arti Digital Kitchen Scale at Amazon $35

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Best Overall

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

$54 at Amazon $62 at Walmart $56 at Williams-Sonoma

What we like: This all-around winner is packed with useful features, including a unique slide-out display that makes it easy to read no matter what you're measuring.

What to know: The scale is slightly bulky, so you'll need enough space to store it.

OXO is well known for making thoughtful, well-designed kitchen products, and this scale is no exception. The most clever feature is the pull-out display, which allows you to easily read the display even when you're weighing ingredients in a big bowl or container that might otherwise shadow or block the display. We also love how intuitive the buttons on this scale's control panel are—no guesswork required. And while this scale doesn't have the brightest display, it has a great contrast that makes it easy to read.

Of course, accuracy is the biggest concern when it comes to kitchen scales, and this scale performed admirably in all of our tests, delivering good results on both very small and larger amounts. Another selling point for this scale is the fact that it doesn't shut off until 30 minutes of inactivity. While this might mean the batteries will give out slightly faster, it's worth it to know that you won't lose your data if you get distracted from your bowl of pizza dough ingredients, for example.

In our tests, we found this scale easy to clean, although there are a lot of crevices that could make it hard to clean if you're measuring something particularly messy. If that's the case, we recommend using the tare function and measuring into a bowl. While this isn't the cheapest scale on our list, its all-around excellent performance makes it our top pick for anyone looking to up their game in the kitchen—especially bakers who need very accurate measurements.

Dimensions: 9.5"L x 7.13"W x 1.25"H | Maximum Weight: 11 pounds | Units of Measurement: Ounces, pounds, grams, kilograms | Batteries: 3 AAA | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 30 minutes)

EatingWell / Amanda McDonald
EatingWell / Amanda McDonald
EatingWell / Amanda McDonald

Also Great

KitchenAid Kitchen Scale

KitchenAid Glass Surface 11-lb. Digital Kitchen Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $27 $16 at Amazon $16 at Target $16 at Target

What we like: At about half the price of the OXO, this sturdy yet light scale from KitchenAid performed nearly as well in our tests as the overall winner.

What to know: The dial on the scale can get in the way of the display readings.

A close runner-up to the OXO model, we love the fact that this KitchenAid scale manages to be simultaneously sturdy and lightweight. It doesn't slide around on the counter when you're measuring ingredients, and it measured both small and large quantities accurately in our tests.

This glass-top scale features a backlit display and a rotating dial that you can use to set the units of measurement, from grams to ounces to milliliters. While the dial is a nice touch, we did notice that it sticks out in a way that can make the display difficult to read from any angle other than looking straight down at it. We also found that, while the top of this scale is smooth, flour stuck to it easily, which can make cleanup a bit of a chore. Some flour even found its way under the knob and into the display screen, and we were not able to get it out.

That said, we love that this small, thin scale is easy to store, and it's roughly half the price of the OXO model. If you don't anticipate using a kitchen scale often enough to shell out loads of cash, this KitchenAid is a great bet.

Size/Dimensions: 8.5"L x 6.5"W x 1.25"H | Maximum Weight: 11 pounds | Units of Measurement: Ounces, pounds, fluid ounces, grams, milliliters | Batteries: 3 AAA | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 3 minutes)

EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll

Best Budget

Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $16 $13 at Amazon $19 at Wayfair $13 at Walmart

What we like: You can't beat the $15 price tag on this super lightweight, extremely accurate scale.

What to know: We found this scale a bit flimsy, which means it might not last for the long haul.

This inexpensive scale wowed us with its accuracy. It registered very small amounts of ingredients perfectly and large amounts nearly as well. It also comes in over a dozen colors, including red, teal, green, burnt ochre and even a black marbled design.

We liked the large display on this model, although we'll note that it's difficult to read from any angle other than looking straight down. It's also very lightweight—in fact, some of us thought it seemed almost toy-like.

Though the lightness could be a selling point, this toy-like quality had us worrying that this scale might not last as long as some of the sturdier ones on the list. Still, if you are looking for a solid performer at an unbeatable price, this little scale could be the one for you.

Size/Dimensions: 8.25"L x 6"W x 1.75"H | Maximum Weight: 11.24 pounds | Units of Measurement: Grams, pounds, ounces, milliliters, kilograms | Batteries: 2 AAA | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 2 minutes)

EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll

Best Splurge

Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

$50 at Amazon $50 at Williams-Sonoma View on Ooni.com

What we like: Two platforms—one for tiny amounts and one for large weights—make this scale perfect for home pizza making and all sorts of baking projects.

What to know: Flour and other ingredients can get stuck in the buttons on the scale's display.

Ooni is best known for its pizza ovens, and people who love to make pizza at home will find a lot to like about this stylish pizza-centric (but all-purpose) scale. Its most unique feature is the dual platform—it has one small platform for measuring ingredients from .1 grams to .4 pounds and a larger platform that can take weights up to 22 pounds.

You can use the smaller platform for ingredients like yeast and salt that need to be very exact, while the larger platform can handle enormous batches of dough or anything else you'd like to weigh. In addition to its two accurate platforms, this scale won our hearts with its easy-to-read, intuitive display.

During our tests, flour slid off the scale’s main surface easily for quick cleanup. Unfortunately, though, we did find that some flour got stuck in the buttons. The scale is also large, which could make storage tricky in smaller kitchens. It's worth noting that, at one minute, this scale has the shortest automatic shutoff window out of all the scales on our list, so you'll need to be sure not to wander away while you're in the middle of measuring your ingredients.

Size/Dimensions: 12 1/4"L x 7"W x 1"H | Maximum Weight: 22 pounds (large platform); .4 pounds (small platform) | Units of Measurement: Grams, milliliters, pounds, ounces, fluid ounces | Batteries: 3 AAA | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 1 minute)

EatingWell / Amanda McDonald
EatingWell / Amanda McDonald

Best for Baking

Escali Primo Digital Food Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

$27 at Amazon $27 at Target $35 at Walmart

What we like: The small footprint and lightness of this scale mean you won't hesitate to bust it out for baking projects, and it's very accurate, too.

What to know: One of this scale's good qualities—the fact that it's so light—can also be a downside, since it slides around easily on the counter.

Bakers will appreciate the precise measurements from this mid-priced scale, which displays to two decimal points and is easy to read. Its round surface makes it great for measuring things in bowls, such as dry and liquid ingredients for cakes and other baked goods.

The scale shuts off automatically after four minutes of inactivity, splitting the difference perfectly between saving battery life and staying "awake" long enough for you to step away to get an ingredient out of the pantry or fridge. We also found this scale very easy to clean—flour slides right off and it's easy to wipe down.

This scale's small size and lightness means it's easy to store and move around—but because it's so small, it's not great for measuring large items or things in big bowls. It also has a tendency to slide around on the counter when in use. Still, we love its accuracy and the fact that it can be easily tucked away in a drawer when not in use.

Size/Dimensions: 8.5"L x 6"W x 1.5"H | Maximum Weight: 11 pounds | Units of Measurement: Ounces, pounds, grams | Batteries: 2 AA | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 4 minutes)

EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll

Best for Meal Prep

Etekcity Smart Nutrition Food Scale

Etekcity Smart Food Nutrition Kitchen Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

$40 at Amazon

What we like: Data heads and meal planners will appreciate that this smart scale tracks nutrient intake and other information and connects to various apps.

What to know: A short auto-shutoff window of only two minutes means this scale might turn off while you're still measuring out your meals.

In addition to doing a good job at all the basic functions of a kitchen scale—namely, weighing ingredients—this scale from Etekcity syncs with an app that allows you to track various nutritional values. It also connects to Apple Health and Fitbit. The scale is heavy and sturdy, which means it doesn't move around when you're measuring ingredients, and its large display is easy to read.

The scale measured weights fairly accurately during our tests, though we did have trouble with it shutting off prematurely while we were weighing our salt. And while the stainless steel scale surface wipes clean easily, there are seams that trap ingredients like flour and salt, meaning you'll need to use a brush (or your fingernails) to get the scale really clean.

If you're just looking to weigh ingredients for baking and other cooking products, you won't need the extra bells and whistles on this scale, but if you love tracking data and using it to plan your meals, this smart scale is a good deal.

Size/Dimensions: 9.2"L x 6.3"W x 0.6"H | Maximum Weight: 11 pounds | Units of Measurement: Ounces, pounds, grams, milliliters | Batteries: 3 AAA | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 2 minutes)

EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll

Best for Beginners

Escali Arti Digital Kitchen Scale

PHOTO: Amazon

$35 at Amazon

What we like: This scale is easy to use and comes in a bunch of fun colors.

What to know: For bread bakers and coffee experts who need ultra-precise measurements, this scale might not quite meet the mark.

Looking to match your kitchen scale to a specific color scheme in your kitchen? The slim, attractive Escali Arti scale comes in more than a dozen colors so you won't mind leaving it out on your counter. The scale is streamlined and light yet sturdy, and it has thoughtful touches, such as non-slip pads on the bottom that keep it from sliding around and tipping over.

The large screen is fairly easy to read, though it can be hard to decipher from some angles. As for the measurements, this scale is not as precise as some of our other picks, but it performs well enough for typical use in most home kitchens. Plus, it's easy to clean and store. All in all, we think it makes a great first scale—or possibly the only one you'll ever need.

Size/Dimensions: 9"L x 6.5"W x .75”H | Maximum Weight: 15 pounds | Units of Measurement: Grams, ounces, pounds, fluid ounces, milliliters | Batteries: 2 CR 2032 | Auto Shutoff? Yes (after 5 minutes)

EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll
EatingWell / Megan Soll

The Bottom Line: The Best Kitchen Scales

For an all-around great scale that's sturdy, accurate, attractive, easy to use, and cleans up easily, look no further than the OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display (view at Amazon). For a lightweight, accurate little scale at a price that can't be beat, we recommend the Ozeri Pronto Digital Function Kitchen Scale (view at Amazon).

Choosing a Kitchen Scale

Performance and Accuracy

If you need to measure ingredients such as flour and yeast with extreme precision, accuracy is the most important factor for you to consider. Our list includes scales that have been thoroughly tested for their ability to accurately measure ingredient quantities, regardless of whether you are handling large or small amounts.

Design and Features

When it comes to the design of kitchen scales, there are a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and materials to choose from—and you can mostly go on personal preference here. All of our picks have basic features like a tare function that allows you to place a bowl or other container on the scale and zero out the weight. They all also automatically shut off after a particular period of time, though how long it takes them to shut off varies and can make a big difference in how convenient these scales are to use. If you tend to walk away mid-project, you'll want to choose one of the scales that takes longer to shut off when it perceives inactivity. And if you have limited space in your kitchen, you'll want to choose a scale that's slim and streamlined, with no parts that jut out and make it tricky to store.

Weight Capacity

All of our top picks can handle at least 11 pounds of weight, meaning you shouldn't have trouble measuring out ingredients for large batches of cookies, pizza dough or anything else. But if you think you need a scale that can handle even more weight, check out the Ooni Dual Platform scale, which can handle up to 22 pounds.

Durability

While our tests only looked at durability in the short term, hard materials such as stainless steel tend to hold up longer over time, while appliances with plastic parts might break more easily but typically have the advantages of being lighter and less expensive. We think all of the scales on our list should be fairly durable, but if you tend to be hard on your appliances or expect to use your scale a lot, we recommend choosing one that we called out for its sturdiness—such as our overall winner, the OXO, and the runner-up KitchenAid.

Ease of Use

A good scale should be easy to use. This means changing the units of measurement should be easy, and the display should be clear and well-lit. Additionally, the scale should remain stable when you're measuring ingredients, rather than sliding around on your kitchen counter.

Value

We think all of the scales on our list offer good value for their performance. If you don't want to spend much, you can get a great scale for as little as $15.

Our Kitchen Scale Tests

For each of the 14 kitchen scales we evaluated, we conducted three main tests: First, we weighed four pounds of granulated sugar to determine the accuracy of the scale. Next, we weighed 40 grams of salt in tiny increments to determine how the scale handles minuscule weights. For this test, we checked to see when the scale began registering weight, as well as whether it shut off during the time we were measuring. We then conducted a test with flour to determine how easy or difficult the scale was to clean. We also weighed in on the design, durability, performance, weight capacity, ease of use, ease of cleaning, ease of storage, value and overall quality of each kitchen scale.

We Also Considered

KitchenAid Dual Platform Scale ($41 at Amazon): This scale has two handy platforms, both of which measure weight accurately, and its screen is large, backlit and easy to press. But the scale is quite large, which makes it difficult to store, and we also found it difficult to clean, which tips the balance in favor of other scales on this list. Still, if you find it on sale, it's a solid performer.

Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale ($14 at Amazon): Roughly the same price as our top budget pick, this inexpensive scale is small, light and thin, which means it's easy to store and pull out just when you need it. However, it wasn't super accurate, so if you have projects that require a very high degree of precision, we wouldn't recommend this scale. We also found it tough to clean, especially since you are not supposed to get liquids on it.

Taylor Precision 11-Pound Digital Glass Scale ($19 at Amazon): Another inexpensive option, this diminutive scale measures fairly accurately. However, it’s difficult to clean and, despite its small size, somewhat tricky to store because things can get wedged between its glass measuring surface and the base.

Zwilling Enfinigy 2-in-1 Digital Kitchen Scale ($65 at Amazon): While this scale is streamlined, attractive, easy to store and easy to clean, it struggled a bit in our tests and shut off before registering smaller weights. Additionally, the only way to change the units is via a button on the bottom of the scale, which is inconvenient if you need to switch from, say, ounces to grams in the middle of measuring something. Add in the steep price point, and it didn’t quite make the cut for us.

Common Questions

How do you use a kitchen scale?

The basic mechanics of using a kitchen scale are the same for all kitchen scales. You start by selecting the units of measure (e.g. metric or imperial), then place the food on the scale you want to measure and read the display. You can add or remove the ingredient until you get the exact amount you want to measure. While you can certainly measure directly onto the scale's surface, most people prefer to use the tare function on a scale, which allows you to place a container on the scale, zero out the weight and then measure directly into the container, which makes cleanup a lot easier.

What are kitchen scales used for?

Kitchen scales are used to measure ingredients by weight rather than volume. This is particularly handy for baking, when you need precise measurements. Kitchen scales can also be used to measure a ball of dough into equally sized portions for things like biscuits, cookies and rolls. Additionally, some people use kitchen scales to evenly portion out their food for meal prep, and you can even use a kitchen scale to measure coffee beans before grinding them for the perfect brew.

Can I use a kitchen scale to measure liquids?

Absolutely! A kitchen scale can be a surprisingly handy tool for measuring liquids, especial when precision matters. While you're probably used to grabbing a measuring cup, many scales can handle both wet and dry ingredients. This is because the density of many liquids is close to that of water, meaning one gram of water is roughly equivalent to one milliliter. So, if your recipe calls for 100 milliliters of milk, you can simply weigh out 100 grams on your kitchen scale.

This method can streamline your cooking process, making it easier to measure everything in one place without needing multiple tools. However, keep in mind that this works best with liquids like water, milk or broth. For thicker substances like honey or syrup, the density is different, so you might not get an exact match between grams and milliliters. For those ingredients, it's still best to reach for your trusty measuring cup.

What's the best way to clean a kitchen scale?

For starters, the best way to clean a kitchen scale is by not getting it too dirty in the first place. That means measuring into bowls or other containers on top of the scale rather than measuring straight on the scale's surface. Most scales can be wiped clean with a dry or damp cloth, though be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions before getting the scale wet.

How accurate are kitchen scales?

Kitchen scales vary in accuracy, but all of our picks are accurate enough for all but the most extremely precise measurements. You can test the accuracy of a kitchen scale by using special calibration weights (like these on Amazon) or by using coins or other items you know the weight of. For example, a new penny (minted after 1983, when the weight of pennies was reduced) should weigh 2.5 grams when placed on a scale. If the scale rounds up to 3 grams, try measuring two pennies (which should register as 5 grams). You can also use things like sticks of butter or bags of sugar with set weights to get a general idea of your scale's accuracy.

If your scale isn't accurate, check the manual to see if there are instructions for calibrating the scale. If there are not, and your scale is really out of whack, contact the manufacturer—they should repair or replace the scale.

Are kitchen scales good for meal prep?

If you are not a fan of eyeballing, a kitchen scale can be a good tool for measuring portions for meal prep. Some smart scales will also allow you to track information like nutritional values, which can help if you are following a meal plan.

Our Trusted Expertise

Megan O. Steintrager is a former food editor for EatingWell and is now a freelance writer with more than 20 years in the food space. She's previously worked at Epicurious, the Kitchn, TODAY Food, AOL and Consumer Reports. To write this article, she drew from the results of 14 digital scales that we rigorously tested for accuracy, ease of use, ease of cleaning, storage and more.

This article was edited by Kayleigh Drake, a former EatingWell commerce editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes—and was reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, senior commerce editor, who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing, and editing nutrition and health content.

An earlier version of this article was written by EatingWell associate editor Alex Loh, who previously headed up kitchen equipment testing for the site and has personally tested numerous kitchen scales.

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