You can calibrate some scales, such as the My Weigh KD8000, using lab weights, but since heavy calibration weights tend to be far more expensive than a kitchen scale, that isn’t a practical option. Though some scales we tested did not support recalibration, we found that none were off by more than 2 grams, even with heavier weights. However, since it offers a capacity of 60 pounds and reads in increments of 2 to 5 grams, it’s not as precise as we wanted for this review. It is characterized by being a basic scale, without too much sophistication except the essential features. gram resolution, 7 weighing units, backlit display, stainless steel platform and more great features come standard with this portable scale.

Although most kitchen scales aren't designed to weigh minuscule quantities of ingredients, such as a teaspoon of salt or baking powder ( Stella has written about this in-depth), we decided to run a test to see if any of the scales could handle it, the assumption being that if a scale could accurately weigh a small amount, it would likely be more adept at measuring a pound of sugar. Maximum capacity of at least 11 pounds (6 pounds for pocket scales): Most whole gram kitchen scales can handle up to 11 pounds or 5 kilograms. Cookbook author Peter Reinhart told us that for years he has happily used a cheap food scale that offers only an on/off button and a tare feature. Our favorites have stood the test of time: For several years, they've been consistently used in the Serious Eats test kitchen and in our homes.For weighing very small amounts very precisely—such as espresso, spices, or leaveners—you’ll want to invest in a more sensitive digital pocket scale. Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale: This scale was unable to measure smaller ingredients and failed at our first test of measuring a 2g penny. We’re not really sure what “print” means (the instruction manual doesn’t help), but it’s easy to ignore. Next to that number will be a unit of measurement, which could be pounds (lbs), ounces (oz), kilograms (kg), or grams (g). Consistently accurate, with a functional design and practical extras, this OXO Stainless Steel Scale came out on top again and again in every round of testing.

It’s actually a somewhat involved process (link to PDF) and the manual’s instructions are a little bit unclear: They direct you to hold down the “HOLD” and power buttons simultaneously without specifying that this will only work when the scale is off. inches, it’s a bit smaller than our other picks but bigger than most pocket scales, making the screen easier to read when you’re using a larger bowl. Readings were off by a whole gram or more, depending on where on the platform you placed the weight.

It is useful if the weight of the container is known and you want to weight both recipient and product altogether. Tare button: Taring allows you to subtract the weight of a mixing bowl and report only the net weight of the ingredients.

Also, although you can’t disable the auto-off function on the Escali, our testers found that the preset four-minute auto-off feature provided enough time to weigh ingredients.

Most of the scales we tested shut off after about two minutes, so that extra bit of time will be helpful for recipes that require a lot of multitasking. It has the ideal capacity for home and pro use: It’s capable of accurately weighing ingredients between 1 gram and 5 kilograms (or about 11 pounds). It needs four AA batteries to run but can also be powered by an AC adapter—all come included in the box. g., 1 pound 2 ounces versus 18 ounces); and you can also see kilograms and grams, or just grams (3kg 15g versus 3015g).