Top 5 compared
The best kitchen scales
Flour, sugar and butter weighed to the gram, so cakes and bread come out the same every time.
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The top 5 at a glance
A kitchen scale weighs ingredients instead of measuring them by the cup, and baking rewards it: a cup of flour packs differently every time it’s scooped, while a scale gives the same amount every time. It saves dishes too. Set the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add each ingredient in turn. Most are a flat platform with a digital display; some come with a bowl of their own.
Every scale here has a tare button and switches between grams and ounces. Most also read liquids in milliliters and fluid ounces, and most come with batteries in the box. On both OXOs the display slides out from the base, so it stays in view under a wide bowl.
What matters
- Steps of a gram or finer, for yeast and spices.
- Enough capacity for your heaviest bowl of dough.
- A platform that lifts off or wipes clean easily.
- A backlit display that’s easy to read in any light.
#1OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
$50–$75
The display pulls away from the base, so a wide mixing bowl or a dinner plate never hides the numbers. The stainless steel platform lifts off for washing and resists fingerprints, and it reads in 1/8 oz or 1-gram steps up to 11 lb.
What owners say: The pull-out display is what owners rave about, especially under big plates and bowls; they also like the large, clear numbers, how accurate it is and the platform lifting off to clean, though not everyone thinks it justifies the price.
A closer look: The unit button switches between ounces, pounds, grams and kilograms, so a recipe from a British or European cookbook is as easy to follow as an American one. When you’re done, the display slides back into the base, and OXO’s Better Guarantee promises a repair or replacement if anything goes wrong.
- Pull-out display
- 1/8 oz and 1-gram steps
- Large backlit numbers
- Resists fingerprints
- Repair-or-replace guarantee
Best for: Bakers with big bowls
- Capacity
- 11 lb
- Weighing surface
- Stainless steel, removable
- Measures liquids (ml)
- No
#2Etekcity Food Scale with Bowl (EK5250)
$10–$20
Comes with its own bowl, which flips over the scale as a cover when it’s put away. Under 2.2 lb it reads in tenths of a gram, so a little yeast or a dose of coffee beans registers accurately, and it switches to fl oz and ml, with a setting for milk as well as water.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to read and use, accurate in grams and ounces alike, and handy for baking, portion control and counting calories; the steel wipes clean quickly, though a few gave up after a couple of months.
A closer look: Use the bowl for loose things like rice, sugar or chopped vegetables, or take it off and set your own mixing bowl on the platform for a big batch. It switches itself off after two minutes idle, so keep the additions coming, and the batteries come already fitted.
- Bowl doubles as a cover
- 0.1-gram steps to 2.2 lb
- Milk and water settings
- Batteries come fitted
- Auto-off after 2 minutes
Best for: Small amounts and portion control
- Capacity
- 11 lb
- Weighing surface
- Stainless steel, with a bowl
- Measures liquids (ml)
- Yes
#3Nicewell 22 lb Digital Kitchen Scale (MQD-C018)
$20–$30
Twice the capacity of an 11 lb scale, with four load sensors under a 9 x 6.3 in tempered glass platform, so a heavy mixing bowl full of bread dough or a big batch of meal prep can go straight on.
What owners say: Owners call it accurate and well designed, and like the flat glass top that wipes clean and the backlit display; several had one stop working after a month or refuse to turn on.
A closer look: The smallest weight it registers is about a tenth of an ounce, so it’s built for bread dough, meal prep and packages more than a pinch of saffron. A hook lets it hang on the wall when the counter’s full, and two AAA batteries come in the box.
- Four load sensors
- Hangs on the wall
- 1-gram or 0.1 oz steps
- Backlit display
- 2 AAA batteries included
Best for: Batch cooking and mailing packages
- Capacity
- 22 lb
- Weighing surface
- Tempered glass, 9 x 6.3 in
- Measures liquids (ml)
- Yes
#4OXO Good Grips 5 lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
$30–$50
OXO’s pull-out display in a smaller, slimmer scale: a meter on the screen shows how much of the 5 lb capacity is left, and the thin base slips into a drawer. Four AAA batteries come with it.
What owners say: Consistent readings and the pull-out display, handy over large mixing bowls, are what owners praise, along with its small footprint; some wish it switched itself off sooner.
Heads up: It tops out at 5 lb, so it suits portions, spices and coffee more than a heavy bowl of bread dough.
A closer look: Weigh straight onto the platform, onto a plate or into a bowl, and press zero between additions; the backlight is optional, so leave it off in a bright kitchen to save the batteries. The platform lifts off for washing by hand, which keeps water away from the electronics underneath.
- Pull-out display
- On-screen capacity meter
- Slim enough for a drawer
- Optional backlight
- 4 AAA batteries included
Best for: Kitchens short on drawer space
- Capacity
- 5 lb
- Weighing surface
- Plastic, removable
- Measures liquids (ml)
- No
#5Amazon Basics Digital Kitchen Scale (EK3211)
$10–$20
A slim stainless steel scale that weighs up to 11 lb and switches between pounds, ounces, grams, fluid ounces and milliliters, with batteries in the box.
What owners say: Owners like how compact it is and the large display, and use it for baking and calorie counting; accuracy splits them, and the screen can be hard to read in bright sunlight.
A closer look: It needs about 2 grams on the platform before it registers anything, so a pinch of yeast or salt is better measured with a spoon. The fluid ounce and milliliter modes help with milk and water: set a glass measuring cup on top, press tare and pour.
- Registers from 2 grams
- Pounds, ounces and grams
- Wide LCD screen
- 2 AAA batteries included
Best for: Liquids and dry ingredients alike
- Capacity
- 11 lb
- Weighing surface
- Stainless steel
- Measures liquids (ml)
- Yes
How they compare
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| Feature | #1OXO 11 lb | #2Etekcity with bowl | #3Nicewell 22 lb | #4OXO 5 lb | #5Amazon Basics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with a bowl | Biggest capacity | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $30–$50 | $10–$20 |
| Capacity | 11 lb | 11 lb | 22 lb | 5 lb | 11 lb |
| Weighing surface | Stainless steel, removable | Stainless steel, with a bowl | Tempered glass, 9 x 6.3 in | Plastic, removable | Stainless steel |
| Measures liquids (ml) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Best for | Bakers with big bowls | Small amounts and portion control | Batch cooking and mailing packages | Kitchens short on drawer space | Liquids and dry ingredients alike |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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