The best digital kitchen scales on test
Ensure accuracy with every recipe by investing in a pair of digital kitchen scales for weighing ingredients. The BBC Good Food test team bring you top buys for all budgets.
We’ve picked products we think you'll love and may earn commission from links on this page. Read about why you can trust BBC Good Food reviews. This page was updated in March 2020.
Unlike lots of American recipes that use cups, most UK recipes use grams and millilitres. Measuring ingredients to the dot is extra important when you’re baking, so if you’re a cake fan or have a super-precise approach to cooking, a set of scales is essential.
Electronic scales are much more accurate than traditional mechanical versions, although we do love the charm of an old-fashioned cast iron set of scales complete with individual weights.
If you’re going to give your scales a bit of a battering, be sure to consider how good the battery life is, plus think about what you’ll be using to measure ingredients as the scales will have to have a big enough surface area to accommodate.
We tested leading brands including Salter and Judge to find the best digital kitchen scales. Read on to find our best buys. For more unbiased expert buyer's guides, visit our reviews section to find 400+ round-ups of everything from slow cookers to coffee machines.
Best electronic kitchen scales to buy
Zing kitchen scale
Best scales for small kitchens
Key features: Easy to use, great value for money and, true to the name, a fresh and citrusy colour.
Measures up to: 5kg
These attractive scales are slimline and easy to store. They’re a safe option for students or those pressed for space.
Available from Amazon (£8.99)
Best… Innovation
Judge solar-powered kitchen scales
Key features: Economical solar-powered function and liquid measurement function.
Measures up to: 5kg
If used regularly, scales can quickly eat up batteries. These solar-powered Judge scales bypass that inconvenience. However they’re not as precise as other scales, so if you often need to measure gram for gram, you should opt for one of the above products.
What we looked for when testing kitchen scales
Accuracy: The most important factor. We were looking for scales that weighed to finite degrees, ideally to the gram.
Maximum weight: Scales can only bear a certain amount of load, so if you’re likely to be measuring large joints of meat or heavy ingredients like potatoes, be sure to check what the scales can handle.
Liquid measurements: Ideally scales will offer a variety of units, and millilitres come in really handy.
Reading panel: We looked for bright, large LED displays.
Ease of cleaning: Scales should be easily cleaned with a quick wipe.
Testing notes
How did we test?
We tested using heavy ingredients in a roasting tin, plus flour to check precision.
What didn’t make the cut?
Scales with small or dark digital displays and those that couldn’t measure to 1-2 grams.
This review was last updated in March 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
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