kitchen scales - any recommendations?

laughingtoaster

Can anyone recommend a reliable kitchen scales for home use?

I have one of those mechanical 5kg scales where you have to constantly adjust the wheel to 0. If you lift of the pan or bump into the scales then it has to be reset again.

Dizzyblonde

I bought an electronic scales last year and it's really good. It's a bit like THIS one. Electronic scales are much more accurate then the old ones.

I have an electronic one too. Very accurate, but positively eats batteries. It tends to suddenly die in the middle of add-n-weigh. :mad:

Magic Monkey

Seconded the Salter electronic scales. I have this one that takes up a small amount of space, you can reset to 0 at the touch of a button, and has a long battery life.

Some scales have an "auto shut-off" function, even when you're using the add-n-weigh function, which means it only stays paused at whatever weight you've added for maybe 2 minutes, then powers off, so you've gotta be quick.

As an aside, I find having a set of graduated cups handy when you're dealing with US recipes, as it saves having to convert many different ingredients from cup to ml/grams, i.e. 1 cup flour = 125g, 1 cup sugar = 200g, 1 cup liquid = 250ml, etc.

laughingtoaster

thanks for your help, will get the salter weighing scales linked by Dizzyblonde from argos tomorrow.

I don't seem to be able to thank people officially, maybe I have to meet a quota for postings before this is enabled?

Macha

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/8422219/c_1/1|category_root|Kitchen+and+laundry|10391133/Trail/searchtext>SALTER.htm

I have this one and it's great. Small, clean lines, easy to wipe down, a few different measurements (ie fl oz, gr, lbs) and quite cheap.

I'd say any of the salter kitchen ones are a good bet.

olaola

As long as you're measuring everying on the same scales - the accuracy isn't as important. I have a cheapo Tesco value mechanical scales which is great tbh!

noby

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Electronic scales are much more accurate then the old ones.

Careful what you claim there - a digital scales might be more accurate to read, but it doesn't mean old ones are less accurate.

I use this type:

Magic Monkey wrote: »

As an aside, I find having a set of graduated cups handy when you're dealing with US recipes, as it saves having to convert many different ingredients from cup to ml/grams, i.e. 1 cup flour = 125g, 1 cup sugar = 200g, 1 cup liquid = 250ml, etc.

When using those type recipes I use a cup, funnily enough.

Alun

noby wrote: »

Careful what you claim there - a digital scales might be more accurate to read, but it doesn't mean old ones are less accurate.

Exactly ... to be pedantic they are more precise (as in you can read the result off them with more precision), but that doesn't necessarily imply that they're more accurate (although they could be).

As an example, it may say something weighs 1.234kg (to a precision of 1g), but if the thing actually weighs 1.250kg, you're just being deceived by the shiny digital display. So, just because you can display down to 1g, that doesn't mean it's accurate to 1g). The same goes for any measurement device really, not just scales.

Magic Monkey

noby wrote: »

Careful what you claim there - a digital scales might be more accurate to read, but it doesn't mean old ones are less accurate.

I use this type:




When using those type recipes I use a cup, funnily enough.

Once that cup holds 240-250ml then it's fine. Initially, I thought that any tea cup/mug will do, which isn't the case, resulting in lots of mis-measured ingredients. Having the set is handy though when you're dealing with 1/8's and 1/4's of cups.

noby

Most cups are pretty standard in their size, and I always try to use the same type, for consistency.

Dizzyblonde

noby wrote: »

Careful what you claim there - a digital scales might be more accurate to read, but it doesn't mean old ones are less accurate.

I use this type:

I get your point, but not everyone will have a scales like yours because of the cost/space issues. I was really comparing electronic scales with the plastic ones with the pointer, which don't tend to be very accurate.

noby

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

the plastic ones with the pointer, which don't tend to be very accurate.

Again with the assumptions. I was talking about the plastic ones.
I just happened to show a picture of what I use then (which wasn't that expensive, and doesn't take up any more space than any other scales (it's not one of those big ones for weighing out quarters of sweets)).

rubadub

noby wrote: »

Careful what you claim there - a digital scales might be more accurate to read, but it doesn't mean old ones are less accurate.

I like being exact in some things, a good mechanical one is probably more accurate since the loadcells in digital scales can go out of calibration and if there is a weak battery it can give false results, the mechanical spring based ones are fairly crap, but good ones are out there, a good digital is cheaper thoguh. But mechanical ones are far more hassle to use if you are weighing lots of stuff. You have to look at your little wieghts and count them up etc. I especially like the digital ones for cooking for 1, i.e. smaller weights. Also most will have a tare/zero option. i.e. you can add 20grams of milk (1g~1ml), zero, 30grams of flour, zero, 15grams raisins etc. Multiple ingredients all easily mixed in one bowl.

my digital scales has a weighing bowl that doubles up as the mixing bowl. It can be removed and used on its own too, due to the zeroing of the digital scales.

Some digital scales incorporate food listings and can calculate calories, fat, protein, carbs, or some are based on WW points.

As recommended, Salter is probably the best of the readily available brands.

noby wrote: »

Again with the assumptions. I was talking about the plastic ones.

Nothing wrong with assumptions, most people do have the crappy spring/coil based mechanical ones. Just like I guess you assumed we are all talking of €20-30 kitchen digitals. I used to have a lab grade self calibrating digital that went to 0.001g, you could weigh hairs on the thing!

You can check your scales by using new coins of which the weight is fairly standard.

noby

rubadub wrote: »

Just like I guess you assumed we are all talking of €20-30 kitchen digitals.

I made no assumption on price; just replying that the one I use didn't create a cost issue. In fact it cost little more than the Salter one linked at the top of the page. I just don't like the "Digital=good, Analogue=Bad" conclusions people seem to be jumping to.

Dizzyblonde

noby wrote: »

I just don't like the "Digital=good, Analogue=Bad" conclusions people seem to be jumping to.

I was just going on my personal experience - I've never had an accurate analogue scales and the digital one I have only cost €14 in a sale yet it's marvellous for even tiny amounts.