The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Which scale to buy?

JWesly1's picture
JWesly1

Which scale to buy?

Hi all, new member but been lurking here for awhile. I am looking to purchase a new digital kitchen scale as I am outgrowing my old one. I bake at least once a week personally, but also bake for a private chef several times a month so I am looking for a scale with a decent capacity. I also want a scale that is quite accurate on the low end for weighing salt and yeast in the few gram range. What scale do you have and or what scale do you recommend. Price point is not a major issue as I am willing to pay for quality.

Here are a few scales I have been looking at.

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Scale-Bakers-KD8000-Weight/dp/B00VEKX35Y

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/avaweigh-pcos20nsf-20-ib-digital-portion-control-scale/334PCOS20.html

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/taylor-te22ft-22-lb-digital-portion-control-scale/608TE22FT.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google...

I am shooting for a fairly professional grade scale and am kinda partial to the lower profile ones but it is not a necessity. Thanks in advance for any advice or recommendations.

David R's picture
David R

If price is truly not an issue, you'll probably get much better satisfaction by getting two scales: one that you keep exclusively for the precision small amounts, and the other for everything else. That gives you the added advantage of being able to get the bigger of the two scales in a larger size.

BreadLee's picture
BreadLee

Someone on this fantastic forum turned me onto the weigh gram scale for salt,  yeast etc. I loved it ever since I started using it.  Incredibly useful and works like a champ.  

Weigh Gram Scale Digital Pocket Scale,100g by 0.01g,Digital Grams Scale, Food Scale, Jewelry Scale Black, Kitchen Scale (TOP-100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y61YW7S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k6W9CbT7PEAKB

breadforfun's picture
breadforfun

Personally I use the KD8000 and I am very happy with it. I chose it for a couple of reasons.  First, the display is backlit. It is difficult to read LCD displays in low light without a backlight. Second, the tilted orientation of the display allows you to read it even with large bowls on the scale. This is not true of low profile scales. Just something to consider, you know what size bowls you typically work with. The capacity is 8 kg or 17.6 lbs. 

Another observation is that you want to use it on the order of a few grams as well as high capacity. The specs for the second one you link to is that the accuracy is down to 0.1 oz. One ounce is about 28.4 gm, so at 2.8 gm, the accuracy is probably not what you are looking for, but it is typical the this type of scale.  Having both ranges in the same scale is something I’ve never seen. You may need a smaller range scale, say up to 100 gm, for the yeast. They are readily available and relatively inexpensive. 

-Brad

JWesly1's picture
JWesly1

i definitely understand that a scale only has a certain tolerance range i.e. a scale can’t weigh ten tons and then be sensitive enough to weigh an ounce. I’m just wondering if a scale can weigh 8 to 10 kg and then still weigh one gram accurately. Maybe if I lowered the maximum capacity to 5kg or even less I would get more accuracy in the lower range. 

https://ussolid.com/5000g-x-0-01-g-lab-scale-5-kg-0-01-g-digital-analytical-balance.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8OPVqZnR4gIVRUSGCh2_OwsxEAQYASABEgIHqfD_BwE

Like check this scale out. Obviously it wouldn’t hold up to the use and abuse of baking but there has to be a middle of the road here. 

Still interested in hearing what scales you guys have and some more recommendations, maybe ones with lower capacity and higher sensitivity. Thanks for all the excellent responses so far.

pmccool's picture
pmccool

by MyWeigh.  Sturdy, high capacity, good battery life and you can get an optional power supply.  Also has a nice transparent shield for the display and keypad to protect from spatters.  

PUl

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

My 1 gram sensitively scale died today at a most inopportune moment, (another good reason to have a .1 gram sensitivity scale as well.) The little guy got me through the formula. Anyway, following the recommendation of wire-cutter reviews and a quick "which scale" search here I have the KD8000 incoming and due to land tomorrow, thanks too Prime 1-day free shipping. I can't wait to try out the bakers % function! This baby is a little big in size but has a massive 17+ pound capability with .5 oz. sensitivity. As mentioned above she is capable of weighing in bakers percentage, that pesky auto shut off can be disabled and, the scale can be user calibrated! All this for less than $50.00, a bargain indeed! If you can wait a day I will do an unboxing and review by weeks end!

David R's picture
David R

Right there is the one-scale problem in a nutshell: sensitive to half an ounce. If you try to weigh half an ounce of yeast, your big scale could conceivably still read zero. In 15 pounds, half an ounce is neither here nor there, but you're not always weighing 15 pounds.

pmccool's picture
pmccool

The KD8000 is sensitive to 1 gram. 

Paul

David R's picture
David R

Ah I think I get it... The reading in ounces is much less precise?

IMO just another good reason to eliminate the pounds and ounces system. (There are a ton of other good reasons - see, you're stuck trying to guess if it's a short ton or a long ton - but I don't have an ounce of sympathy for the system, neither troy nor avoirdupois.) ? (OK a little sympathy for the British having to rename their money to AboutHalfAKilo. ?)

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Btw. my small quantity scale is accurate to .01 gram not .1 gram. Smile.. Should I need to replace it I will look for one accurate to .001.  That is if the cost is not exorbitant.  I read in a recent post that 1/1000 of a gram sensitivity are now affordable.  Still no sign of my pending Amazon delivery.

David R's picture
David R

I guess if it doesn't cost a lot extra... But there aren't many household uses for thousandth-of-a-gram sensitivity... Unless you're the personal trainer for a flea who's trying to lose weight. ?

Steve Petermann's picture
Steve Petermann

I think the reason to buy a scale that has a reported resolution beyond what you would need is that even if it is not really that accurate at the finer resolution, it will probably be accurate enough for the resolution that is needed.

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

According to the internet a "quarter" (USA 25cent piece) weighs 5.67. Both my small quantity scale and the new one are close enough for rock and roll! As we know the My scale has a 1 gram sensitivity. My small scale claims .01 sensitivity. In case you cant see the display:

New 17lbs capacity. - 6 Grams

Small quantity scale - 5.69 Grams

Smile, later I will play with my new toy!

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

WOW Will! Isn’t it amazing the accuracy of these relatively inexpensive digital scales!

As most stated 2 scales are best. One for light weights with a resolution of .01 grams and a larger for 1.0 grams. The good news in they are both very affordable. In my experience the smaller scales fail much quicker than the larger ones. The distributor of my smaller scale has replaced it when I notified them of failure.

Here are my choices. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EPO9M2Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009EUPMFK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

NOTE- the KD8000 is a favorite among avid bakers. The reason I opted for another scales is because the KD8000 is about 3.5” high and my scale is just over 1” high. This is important for me because the scale is stored in my cabinet standing on it’s side. My large scale has had continuous use for over 4 years with no trouble. I estimate 2 years or so use from the smaller one, but they are cheap.

HTH

Danny

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Remember when a scientific calculator was a high ticket item? Now they are give away items! My little scale is very cool becuse of the pacaging it casme with. I have to make the pizza. I will elaborate later!

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

Let us know how you like your scales.  I have this one.  https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B013WU0CZW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1    Very inexpensive, the base is low and very large, so even the Ank bowl does not obstruct the display, and the resolution is 1 gram.  Two minor problems, first, when you start, it does not measure the first 2 grams.  So if I set it to zero and start slowly adding salt, it reads zero until it jumps to 3.  Other readers say the same, so it is not just mine. You can work around it, but it is an odd quirk.  The second, and more annoying, is that there is a delay - maybe a few seconds, from when you stop adding an ingredient until it registers the weight.  So again, if you are adding salt, once you get past 3, you add a little more, then stop and wait for it to register, then do it again -  and I would much rather watch the digits climb as the ingredients fall into the bowl.    BTW,  I agree with the suggestion to buy a smaller scale for smaller measurements.  If the scale reads 3 grams, it could be anywhere from 2.01 to 3.99 ( depending on the software and how it determines what to show ) and that could mean you are short by nearly 50% to over the recommended by 33%. 

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

is common of many similar scales. That is why I opted for a more sensitive small scale along with the inexpensive flat 1 gram resolution scale. My old flat scale served me well. However having a huge glass bowl on it and tiring to weigh yeast was always an adventure. My bowl did block the display. For that reason this time around I opted for the larger foot print KD8000. I have had this tiny 500G @ .01g sensitivity scale for over a year and love it! It came with a very cool two piece plastic storage box, the base fits in the larger box then the smaller box fits over the top. I can store it in a draw with no chance of damaging the delicate mechanisms! I am already thrilled with the new KD8000. the disposable and the removable stationary display protections are a very nice touches. I love to tinker with formulas so I think I will make plenty of use of the bakers % function. More on this later, once I learn how to utilize it.