Scales are one of the most essential bits of kitchen kit, especially for those who regularly cook from scratch or follow meal plans. They might do a relatively simple job, but that doesn’t mean choosing your ideal set is an easy decision.
For instance, think about whether you’ll want them to be visible or stored away. If it’s the former, do you have enough room on your work surface? If it’s the latter, do you have enough storage space? How precise do you need your measurements to be? And if you’re a messy cook, should you go for easy-to-clean scales?
Here, we’ve weighed up eight of the best. You’ll find scales for every budget and need, as well as a useful buying guide that lists the different kinds of scales available and the kinds of people – and kitchens – they suit.
How to buy the best kitchen scales for you
What types of kitchen scales should I buy?
Kitchen scales fall into four basic types.
- With mechanical scales, adding ingredients and so weight to the bowl activates a spring that moves the dial on the display to reflect the correct weight. These scales can usually take a lot of weight and you don’t need batteries, but the spring inevitably gets wear and tear over the years, with ever decreasing accuracy. Even when new they’re not great for measuring really small amounts.
- Digital scales are by far the most popular scales, mainly due to their compact shape and extreme accuracy in measuring, even with miniscule amounts. You can see the weight displayed on the LCD display screen in either grams or ounces and a digital scale can handle fractions of a gram. There’s often an ‘add and weigh’ (also called ‘tare’) function which resets your scales to zero when you need to add more ingredients - and with many of them, you can use your own bowl or jug. Many do added extras, such as doubling up as a chopping board or allowing you to weigh both wet and dry ingredients. The only downsides? You’ll need batteries and the weight capacity is often more limited than with other scales types.
- Balance scales– the old-fashioned type that works a bit like a see-saw, in that you pop the weights on one side and the ingredients in the bowl on the other and wait for them to balance. They will last you forever with no need for batteries, but they are time-consuming and less accurate than more modern scales when it comes to minute amounts.
- Jug scales are great for weighing wet ingredients as well as dry. These use the jug as your bowl, with the weight shown on a digital LCD display, usually found at the top of the handle. Most have an ‘add and weigh’ function so you can weigh solid and liquid ingredients in the same jug to save on washing up. These require batteries, and do check the quality of the jug before you buy.
What about aesthetics?
It’s not just the functionality that will affect your decision, but the design. Mechanical scales are often styled with a nod to the 1950s, making them ideal for a retro look. Balance scales make a statement in more rustic, country-style kitchens. Digital scales look best in modern kitchens, but they suit any style décor to give it a contemporary twist. To be honest, jug scales aren’t made to be attractive, so you might want to just store them away.
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The best kitchen scales to buy
1. Joseph Joseph Tri Scale: The best scales for easy storage
Price:£29 | Buy now from Amazon
The Tri Scale won’t appeal to those who like displaying their kitchen scales as a sign that, yes, they really do cook, but it will appeal to those who genuinely want to measure out ingredients with an accurate and reliable bit of kit that will handily store away into a kitchen drawer afterwards. Folding away into a miniscule version of its unfolded self, this set has a remarkably small footprint, yet it’s not a compromise. It’s just as durable as many bigger machines, is easy to use and has an excellent, easy to read and responsive touchscreen. It’s available in green or white, and you can reset the weight before adding new ingredients to make sure you still get the correct level.
Key specs – Type of scales: digital; Dimensions: 21.3 x 21.3 x 12.2cm; Maximum capacity: 3.5kg; Warranty: 2 years
2. Lakeland Traditional Cast Iron Balance Kitchen Weighing Scale: The best balance scales
Price:£80 | Buy now from Lakeland
Made by Natural Elements for Lakeland, these cast-iron scales with acacia wood base look an absolute picture in a rustic farmhouse style kitchen, or any other kitchen with traditional country décor. Conjuring up images of granny making apple pie in the aga, they are sure to tempt you into creating your own culinary delights, particularly as they have useful modern twists such as a dishwasher-safe bowl which is a handy large size in case you need to cook for the whole family. Best of all, they should last you a lifetime. It’s a shame the weights cost extra to buy, especially as they are a whopping forty quid, but at least you can get them in metric or imperial. Be warned: these scales are seriously heavy.
Key specs – Type of scales: balance; Dimensions: 34cm x 24cm; Maximum capacity: 2kg; Warranty: 3 years
3. Hanson H500 Traditional Mechanical Kitchen Scales: The best mechanical scales
Price:£20 | Buy now from Amazon
We searched high and low for a set of reliable and accurate mechanical scales that look good and are built to last and the Hanson H500 won our top spot. The retro look means you can display them on your worksurface with pride, although they’re not so big that you can’t store them away. The dial is bigger than on some scales tested, showing both imperial and metric measurements – and unlike some mechanical scales, the needle isn’t over-sensitive, hurtling forwards the moment you add the tiniest amount. You can reset the dial to zero if you need to add more ingredients and there’s a decent maximum weight of 5Kg. We also like the fact that the bowl is shallow, making it easier for pouring ingredients in, and that you can pop it in the dishwasher afterwards.
Key specs – Type of scales: mechanical; Dimensions: 25.2 x 20.8 x 22cm; Maximum capacity: 5kg; Warranty: 10 years
4. Morphy Richards 3-in-1 Digital Kitchen Jug Scales: The best jug scales
Price:£15 | Buy now from Amazon
Morphy Richards’ 3-in-1 jug scales have all the benefits of other digital scales - they’re accurate and have an LCD display and tare function - but they allow you to weigh, measure and mix all your ingredients in one handy jug. If you’re short on kitchen space, you won’t need any other jug. It’s precise enough for the most perfectionist of bakers and the bowl comes out of the base for easy washing up. That said, it can be tricky to remove and click back in – not great for those who have problems with strength in their hands or wrists. The only other downside is that the screen has a low viewing angle, which means you sometimes have to lean down to see what it says or make any adjustments.
Key specs – Type of scales: digital; Dimensions: 21.3 x 29 x 12cm; Maximum capacity: 5kg; Warranty: 2 years
5. Salter Max Chopping Board Digital Kitchen Scales: The best scales for busy cooks
Price:£28 | Buy now from Amazon
Another set of weighing scales that doubles up as another handy kitchen accessory, this one lets you chop and measure on the same surface. This is brilliant for recipes that require a specific amount of chopped ingredients and saves you the bother of having to pull out a chopping board first. As with other digital scales, you can use it with mixing bowls of any size, or even your food processor bowl, thanks to the large surface area and maximum weight; at 15kg, the Salter Max Chopping Board goes much further than most domestic kitchen scales, yet it isn’t huge to store. Other benefits include the tare function to measure multiple ingredients in the same bowl, a function for measuring liquids in ml or fl oz too, plus the large illuminated display. It’s not waterproof, however, which means you can only wipe it clean afterwards. This isn’t ideal if you’ve been weighing and chopping something like raw meat, although the glass surface is at least hygienic.
Key specs - Type of scales: digital; Dimensions: 37 x 28 x 4cm; Maximum capacity: 15kg; Warranty: 15 years
6. Terraillon Macaron: The best digital scales
Price when reviewed:£25 | Buy now from Amazon
Terraillon are a household name in France, where they’re easily the best-known kitchen scales. Founded in 1908, most French people would tell you their grandmother owned one. Yet granny-esque these modern glossy looking scales are not, and we think the brand’s latest digital offering stands out for affordability, accuracy and ease of use too. Available in seven gorgeous colours, they are lightweight, with a large surface area and easy-to-read display, as well as non-slip base. The rest button (tare function) works well and the handle at the back makes the scales transportable and easy to store.
Key specs – Type of scales: digital; Dimensions: 20.2 x 22.1 x 2cm, Maximum capacity: 5kg; Warranty: 15 years
7. Salter Bluetooth Interactive Bluetooth Kitchen Scale and Thermometer Bundle: The best Bluetooth scales
Price:£80 | Buy now from Salter
If you’re wondering how Bluetooth technology could possibly enhance a set of kitchen scales, let us tell you. You download the Salter Cook app, then convert your favourite recipes from the web to create your own personal digital cookbook. This comes in an easy-to-follow format, and you can then team it up with your scales, which are set-up ready to measure each recipe’s ingredients. You can manually enter your own recipes too, as well as adjust portions to scale ingredients qualities, and there’s an ingredients list function with strike-through. What’s more, the Salter Bluetooth Interactive has the same add and weigh tare functions as most digital scales along with an aquatronic function for measuring liquids. The display is easy to read and the scales look good, and while the rival Drop scales has the more fun and interactive app, we think the Salter works better for more serious chefs. The bottom line? Good scales, fantastic app.
Key specs -Type of scales: digital; Dimensions: 17.5 x 17.5 x 2cm; Maximum capacity: 10kg; Warranty: 15 years
8. Salter Waterproof Digital Kitchen Scale: The best waterproof scales
Price:£30 | Buy now from Lakeland
If, like us, you long to bung your kitchen scales into the washing up bowl with the rest of the mess you’ve made from cooking, then you’re going to love this set; it can be immersed in water for up to half-an-hour. The black design with curved edges and touch-sensitive buttons looks classy and the tare function works a treat, meaning you can keep adding ingredients without starting all over again. You can also measure liquids with no need for a measuring jug by changing the scale to ml or fl oz. The LED display is also nice and large. Not just great digital scales, these are an absolute godsend for clean freaks.
Key specs - Type of scales: digital; Dimensions: 22 x 22 x 4.5cm; Maximum capacity: 5kg; Warranty: 15 years