scale recommendations
I have a long wish-list for new kitchen gadgets, but a good scale has just moved to the top. My current scale is a $15 plastic piece-o-junk we received as a wedding gift six years ago (next time around, I'll register for more expensive stuff!).
Can I get a few recommendations from Those Who Know? I really don't know what I'm looking for... Do most scales handle both large and small quantities with accuracy and precision? For example, if I weigh of 500 grams of flour, will the scale be sensitive enough to 10 grams of salt on top? Is digital the way to go? I would love to have an analog scale, but I can't imagine it would be as precise as a digital model. Ultimately, I just want something that will last a good while and will be supported by the manufacturer.
Thanks for your advice.
Eric
There is a lot of discussions of models starting about 1/2 way through this thread. Also try the site search for
there have been several threads on this topic over the last 2 years.
sPh
PS MyWeigh i5000
I recently purchased the Soehnle Digital Scale Model 65055. I really like it, although it is not as compact as many of the scales available. This one is designed to look good sitting out on your countertop. It has a capacity up to 11 lbs. I went with this scale for the review on America's Test Kitchen, the capability and the price.
Using your example of 500g of flour and 10g of salt, this one definitely has that ability. I can't imagine an analog scale having that capability.
Anne
After having used a gram-only digital scale (the brand escapes me) for so long, it died a quiet death and I was faced with replacing it on this side of the pond. Prices varying from $9 - $99 and far too many features were a bit overwhelming. Complicate this with the fact that about 1/3 of my books are in metric and only include weights, about 1/2 in ounces/cups/etc and a couple that show both.
I looked around, tried to stay within a reasonable price range and ended up buying a Salter Aquatronic. I was intrigued by the liquid measure-by-weight capability (perhaps an unneeded bell-or-whistle).
Now that I've been using it a month or so, it seems very functional for my purposes (bread, cake, cookies, etc), has a high weight capacity (5 kg) and I can easily zero it out between measurements to add water or flour.
My only complaint is that the tolerance on the measurements seems very broad, particularly when measuring in ounces. A recipe will give both weight and measure of a particular ingredient, e.g., yeast or salt. I find that if I rely on the ounce-based weight, I will add much more - in some cases double - the spoon-type measurement listed in the recipe. I've taken to adding salt and yeast by measuring with the appropriate measuring spoon, rather than risk adding too much. I must say that I haven't tested this with gram-based measurements. I'm sure a similar problem occurs, but perhaps not to the same degree. It's so simple to correct, that it has not diminished my pleasure in having a scale back again!
Cheers,
MommaT, Novice Baker
There is no advantage to using the scale for the tiny quantities of salt and yeast. I use the scale for flour, liquid sometimes, gooey syrups, brown sugar. But I always use the spoon measures for salt and yeast because the scales (MyWeigh KD-7000 in my case - precise to 1 gram) are just not precise enough for those small amounts.
Rosalie
I recently purchased the Escali P115 digital kitchen scale, and I'm very happy with it. It is compact, measures in grams, ounces, or pounds and ounces, and comes in a variety of colors (I bought terragon green). It retails for about $25 and gets good reviews. The tare feature works well, and the scale itself is extremely simple to use.