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OT - Digital food scales

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Sea2Ski
Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
in EggHead Forum
What scales are people using these days. I believe Santa is going to bring me one. I am not baking (yet), but there have been numerous occasions recently where I needed a decent scale. The event that sealed the deal over the weekend was receiving 2 cookbooks (one Scottish and one Italian) from a European friend where every single recipe I read was by weight.

Some features I think are key, and probably common place now:
  • Easy to convert from grams to ounces while item is on the scale
  • Remembers what I last weighed in when turned on (so if yesterday I weighed in oz, When I turn on today, it will default to oz.)
  • Plug or battery or just battery. I prefer it to be a bit portable around the kitchen
  • Auto off feature
  • Capacity must be above 10 lbs, 15 lbs if possible and most desired.
  • A smaller footprint if possible. I realize the larger the max capacity, the larger the footprint.
  • Price is always a factor. Realistically, I am thinking I should be able to get a decent one $50-$60. If cheaper, even better!

Anyone have any first hand experience with a scale like this? Or have any other suggestions on additional features that I should look for?

--------------------------------------------------
Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
....just look for the smoke!
Large and MiniMax
--------------------------------------------------

Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    No specific recommendations, but a couple comments.

    Cooking by weight really is a much better choice than by volume. Hopefully more recipes will show up that way. Having the scale at hand is nice, but counter space is at a premium for me.

    15 lb capacity seems quite large if you are not in a commercial environment. I would have to keep something like that in a cabinet.

    I have a scale that goes to 5 lbs, and is supposedly accurate to .5 gram. That was a compromise. It has been a little too small for  a few of my baking needs. But it is also not accurate enough for "modernist" measurements down to .1 gram.




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  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
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    gdenby said:

    15 lb capacity seems quite large if you are not in a commercial environment. I would have to keep something like that in a cabinet.


    I agree 15 is pretty big, but I make a good bit of sausage.  I am tired of pulling down the bathroom scale and standing on it to get the weight to a tenth of a lb. If I could get it all weighed in 2 or three batches, that would be great!  5 lbs is not bad, but I would prefer bigger.
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    Make sure it has a tare function. Meaning you put a bowl down on it, hit tare and it reverts back to zero.

    Most are battery powered.

    I actually have two scales. I got one for sausage making originally thinking abuot weighing out meats. Then realized it doesn't weigh out small portions accurately. So I went out and got another one for spices.

    They don't take up much room and I think they were less than $60 total. I'll try and remember to look at which ones I got when I get home. If I can find what box I packed them in. Still not done unpacking, I think I got them both at bed bath and beyond. Although one could have come from amazon.

     

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    Ok, looked real quick and one is the Biggest Loser 6.6lb scale $20 (weighs down to 0.1 oz and in grams for spices) and the OXO good grips 11 oz scale $50 (this one did not measure small amountsthat accurately. Why would you need 1/8 oz intervals?) . Don't forget to take a 20% off coupon with you if you shop there.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited November 2014
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    I have this one.
    image

    It's very accurate and goes up to 11#
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
    edited November 2014
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    Mine is an OXO brand with a handy pull-out display so you can use it for larger size plates or bowls. It measures in both imperial and metric, has the tare feature and has an 11 pound capacity. It runs on 4 AAA batteries and even though it is 13 years old these are the original batteries. I selected this brand and model as it was the top rated one by Cook's Illustrated. I love mine!
    image
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    edited November 2014
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    Oxo makes one rated to 11 lbs.  

    I have the 5 lb version that I use when making burgers to ensure they are all the same weight.  It has a tare function, battery powered, and works great.  The display separates from the body so it can be out of the way.  

    I do use the 1/8 oz readings depending upon what I'm doing.   :)

    Edit:  Looks like this is the same unit that RRP posted.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    The one @RRP mentioned is the same one I have.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    imageimage About 3 years and very happy with it.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • NervousDad
    NervousDad Posts: 307
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    I have the same one as @mickey, it's a fantastic scale. I use it to weigh very small amounts <5 grams and up to 10 pounds of grain very accurate,durable and easy to use. my only gripe is that the text wears off of the buttons, but there are only two so it's not hard to remember what the buttons do :)


    Aurora,OH
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    @NervousDad‌ thanks. Could not remember where we got it. But that was where. Good scale.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,533
    edited November 2014
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    I got a basic Starfrit kitchen scale few years ago, regular $30, discounted to $10, very happy with it.

    - 5 kg/ 11 lb capacity - for sausage making I just weigh 5 Kg at a time.
    - 9V battery
    - instant metric/imperial switch button
    - tare function
    - low battery and overload indicators
    - remembers your metric or imperial preference
    - auto off
    - 1g/ 0.1oz accuracy

    - thanks to this thread, I just checked and realised it also has temperature display (no big deal) and timer function (will be useful since I often wish there's more timer in the kitchen or a user-friendly timer that's not in the kitchen).
    canuckland
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  • stompbox
    stompbox Posts: 729
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    We have one from Williams Sanoma that is great.  I think it caps out at 15lbs, I wish it went higher as I am a homebrewer too so I use it to weigh out grains for the mash.
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  • XC242
    XC242 Posts: 1,208
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    I have the OXO like @RPP and @Griffin‌. Works great for my needs.
    LBGE (still waitin' for my free T-Shirt), DIgiQ DX2 (In Blue, cause it's the fastest), Heavy Duty Kick Ash Basket, Mc Farland, WI. :glasses:  B)
    If it wasn't for my BGE I'd have no use for my backyard...
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    I have a Biatch model. It washes my truck while giving me a back rub. Ok, I've been afternoon drinking. I have a $20 BBB scale that works great.
    I did have a neighbor come over and ask me to store his scales for a while. ... :((
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,670
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    I use the one on the left for small quantities like curing salts and the one on the right for meat and flour. The one on the left can be calibrated, the one on the right cannot but so far it is accurate and it was cheap (10-20$).

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    If the scale has auto-off, like many of them do, check the amount of time before it shuts off. Some will shut off really quickly. I had one that would sometimes shut down before I finished measuring an ingredient if I delayed too long. For example, measuring out flour and needing to open a new bag to finish could take too long. The one I have now has a three minute delay. The old one shut down after one minute.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
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    I have 2 scales, one is spring and goes to like 20 lbs, the other is digital and goes to 4 or 5 lbs.
    In OZ, it only has 1/8 oz resolution.  My son used it for a science fair project, it would have been better if it could read down to 0.01 oz resolution. 
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • SeahawksEGGHead
    SeahawksEGGHead Posts: 289
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    Mickey said:
    imageimage About 3 years and very happy with it.

    I have the same one, very happy with it.
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,533
    edited February 2016
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    @paqman, are you still happy with the AWS-100? I'm thinking of getting the larger version AWS-1000.  It'll be a lot easier to assemble my favourite curry recipe that calls for more than a dozen spice ingredients.
    http://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-Signature-AWS-1Kgm/dp/B003STEJ4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454786433&sr=8-1&keywords=american+weigh+scale+silver+1000
    canuckland
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,670
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    @Canugghead absolutely! I use it 2-3 times a week and it is still going strong.  If you need gram level precision, Costco.ca sells a bamboo scale made by AWS for 32$.  It has a larger plate...  The one I have is really small.

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,533
    edited February 2016
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    @paqman Just visited costco website, the AWS bamboo scale looks good but I already have a Starfrit with similar precision/capacity, I need a smaller more sensitive one. The AWS-1kg is slightly bigger than AWS-100, I also like that it uses 2 AAA instead of specialty lithium or CR-type batteries. Thanks for your input, going to pull the trigger.
    canuckland
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,350
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    I'd also recommend the Oxo scale RRP mentioned. I have a few scales but that OXO has a couple features that I find really useful:

    1. - the pull out display is very handy when setting a large plate on the scale as you can still actually see the display.

    2. - longer period before it times out and shuts off. A couple of my other digital scales time out/shut off pretty quickly (like 30 seconds or so). This one will keep the display alive for 6 minutes before the display turns off but if you touch it it turns back on and still keeps the weight in memory. It only shuts off and loses memory after 30 minutes which I find invaluable as I can sometimes be a slowpoke when getting out and pouring ingredients .

    While this one only handles 11 pounds Oxo does sell the same type which handles 22 pounds but it costs about $20 more.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,491
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    I have a My Weigh KD-8000:

    It does up to 6000 grams (17.6 lbs), does have a 9V adapter input (I've been using the original batteries for easily 10 years so far), and also does "baker's percentages", which no one's mentioned yet but very useful if you're into pizzas.  
    At $88 its a bit higher than what you're looking for, but meets all your other requirements.  
    _____________

    Tin soldiers and Johnson's coming...


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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,350
    edited February 2016
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    Botch said:
    I have a My Weigh KD-8000:

    It does up to 6000 grams (17.6 lbs), does have a 9V adapter input (I've been using the original batteries for easily 10 years so far), and also does "baker's percentages", which no one's mentioned yet but very useful if you're into pizzas.  
    At $88 its a bit higher than what you're looking for, but meets all your other requirements.  
    Yikes!! I bought one of those in 2013 and it only cost $35.


    EDIT

    looking at Amazon I see that at the moment those are only being sold by third party vendors (who routinely charge ripoff prices).

    Looking around I see one can find them on eBay for a reasonable price:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Weigh-KD8000-DIGITAL-BAKE-KITCHEN-FOOD-SCALE-17-0-1oz-Stainless-Steel-NO-AC-/361339142751?hash=item54217dc25f:g:nmwAAOSwPcVVn~Qn
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    @Sea2Ski I just got the same one as @Botch .  Got it wednesday from amazon for 38.91.  I'm sure the price will level out, you know how twitchy amazon pricing can be.

    I really like it and especially love measuring by weight.  Cooking in grams is so much quicker.  I did a bunch of research,  and so far I've been very happy with my purchase. 
    Phoenix 
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