When it comes to cooking and baking, there’s some wiggle room for pinches, dashes, and ingredients “to taste.” Most of the time, however, you need very specific measurements if you want to guarantee a delicious, consistent product time and time again — even if you’re following a recipe. A kitchen scale isn’t just a baker’s crutch, either: They can have plenty of useful extra features.
Using our smart gadget reviews and research, we’re ready to recommend several scales that are a perfect fit for the modern kitchen, starting with the brilliantly designed Drop Connected Kitchen Scale.
Drop Kitchen Connected Scale
The Bluetooth-enabled Drop and its companion app give you access to hundreds of recipes and interactive, step-by-step tutorials. The app connects with an array of devices, too. These visual guides, which provide you with prep and baking times, are incredibly helpful for beginners and seasoned kitchen pros alike.
A little low on a key ingredient? Don’t bother asking a neighbor for a cup of sugar, as the Drop allows you to readjust your recipe for both ingredient limitations and portion sizes. The automatic progress feature and the scale’s wireless button also allow you to keep your hands off your device and work to minimize cross-contamination during the messy preparation process. The biggest drawback is there’s no display on the device itself, so you’ll need your phone.
Greater Foods Nourish Digital Kitchen Scale
Accuracy is the name of the game when it comes to kitchen scales and other kitchen tools, and the Nourish Glass Top comes with four sensors to ensure a measurement within a 10th of an ounce when dealing with quantities as high as 11 pounds. The high-contrast display, durable glass surface, and touch-sensitive buttons round out a sleek, no-nonsense design.
The tare-zero function makes measuring ingredients in a bowl or similar container a cinch, and the device also provides nutritional information about the product you’re measuring. The device comes pre-programmed with nutritional data for up to 2,000 individual items, enabling you to easily track and cut back on calories, fat, and other problematic components of your diet.
Etekcity 11-Pound Digital Scale
Precise, strain-gauge sensors ensure accuracy every time with the Etekcity digital kitchen scale. The device’s stainless-steel design adds durability as well as a welcome, modern aesthetic. The scale’s digital readouts are clear and convenient given the backlit LCD and large typeface, and a built-in temperature sensor and timer add even greater functionality. The design also includes a detachable bowl, which you can easily stow between uses to help maximize countertop space. You can also use the scale to quickly calibrate mugs, plates, and bowls from your cupboards for reliable, versatile weighing.
Escali Primo Precision Food Scale
Are your cluttered counters not always the best spots for sensitive electronics? The Escali Primo is designed to be the most durable scale you can find, with a spill-proof, compact design, fully sealed buttons that are protected against liquids, and a lifetime warranty. The scale can handle up to 11 pounds, has a built-in tare feature, and is ultra-easy to use (there are only two buttons). If you need a scale that’s made to last, this is your best bet.
Ozeri Touch II Digital Scale
The Ozeri Touch II is one of the more unique scales on our list. The device’s antimicrobial properties prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria and are baked directly into the material, which adds a level of protection that won’t disappear when you go to wash the scale.
The Ozeri Touch II is as accurate as it is sanitary. The four high-precision sensors gauge ingredients down to a 20th of an ounce and do so while accommodating up to 18 pounds. The backlit LCD display is also clear and concise and pops against the scale’s turquoise surface. Other features, such as the low-battery indicator and the scale’s ability to automatically shut off after several minutes of inactivity, come standard.