The Best Kitchen Scales

If you’re going to be cooking or baking professionally, or scaling ingredients in large batches, investing in a scale with a separate or pull-out display is a must. The benefits cannot be overstated: You don't have to worry about a large bowl obstructing the display’s view, and oftentimes, they’re easier to clean. The cherry on top? There are no cords or wires.

Throughout my culinary career, I’ve used scales with displays that detach from the base but are still connected with a cord. They’re great to use, but the Atogou’s display is a completely separate piece of equipment and connects to the scale’s base through a wireless connection. Just press the power buttons on each and they will connect immediately. It’s an intuitive process from there.

A separate display has several benefits. It’s not covered or overshadowed by bowls or containers used for weighing, and you get to put the display wherever is convenient in your kitchen. The display even has magnets on the back so you can place the display on a fridge or metal surface while scaling ingredients on your countertop. This is very exciting! I’ve worked in plenty of awkward kitchens with limited space, so a separate display allows more convenience than a bulky scale. A display that can also stick to a fridge also means no more straining your neck and hunching your back to try and read the scale (Can you tell my body has endured years of wear and tear in the kitchen?)

This little scale can weigh up to 33 pounds in increments of pounds, grams, and ounces. That being said, the scale itself is small, measuring 5 x 5 inches, so depending on what you’re scaling, you may need a larger surface area. Both the scale’s display and base require two AAA batteries, which are provided.

I'm a baker with 10 years' experience in the industry, and my preferred kitchen scale for baking is the My Weigh. It's larger and bulkier than any other on this list, with a large, bright LCD display screen and the ability to weigh up to 17 pounds. With a height of just over 7 inches, the My Weigh has a base that's angled toward the viewer, so the display is bright and easy to read. Because the scale is raised, you can conveniently scale ingredients into large bowls without them hiding the display.

The display screen is protected by a plastic shield, making for easy cleanup. It also prevents food from gathering in the cracks surrounding the screen. The metal stainless steel plate is removable for easy cleanup as well. Despite its large size, the scale is still fairly lightweight, so it’s accessible wherever you need it in your kitchen. My Weigh delivers a fast, accurate read, but you can adjust the response settings to determine how long your screen stays on before powering off by itself. Although it’s battery-powered, it comes with an adapter as well. I’ve personally used my My Weigh for more than five years now and have only had to change the batteries a couple times.

If you're looking for something with a modern edge, this Oxo scale is a stylish alternative to the many plastic and bulkier options. It's made of glass and consists of a single platform surface for a slim aesthetic that's also convenient for storage. It can also weigh up to 11 pounds.

But it’s not all about appearances with this one. A two-button system makes it incredibly easy to use with metric options including pounds, ounces, grams, and kilograms. However, the Good Grips stands out from others with the option to weigh in milliliters as well. A large digital display with backlight makes for easy reading. With other scales, cleaning may involve digging into the nooks and crannies of the surface plate or display screen, but Oxo’s glass surface scale is clean with a single wipe.

If you’re looking for a safe bet, you can’t go wrong with Ozeri Pronto’s scale. The model is comparable to the Escali—lightweight, oval-shaped, and compact—but available at a modest price.

This simple scale reacts quickly and accurately to any weight being measured. The unit button converts between pounds, grams, ounces milliliters, and kilograms and can read precisely down to a single gram. The entire scale can weigh up to slightly more than 11 pounds. To help with the scale’s shelf life, the auto-off setting allows it to turn off by itself. The digital display is easy and crisp to read. Overall, it’s convenient and gets the job done, making it a great starter scale whether you're using it for meal prep or as a coffee scale.

If you’re looking to revolutionize your kitchen experience, it may be time to invest in a dual platform scale. This two-in-one model combines two weighing platforms—one that can weigh up to 11 pounds in units of pounds, ounces, and grams, and a smaller one that can weigh up to 1 pound in grams and ounces. KitchenAid’s model maintains the compactness of a single platform scale while offering two.

The duality of this scale is hard to beat because you can weigh two things at the same time. The incredibly accurate smaller scale, which can weigh down to 0.01 grams, I particularly enjoyed for weighing ingredients like vanilla extract and baking powders in smaller increments. The display is easy to navigate with a tare button designated for each scale. Another button changes the measuring units on both. The large display screen is clearly defined for easy navigation. It’s backlit as well, making it easy to read. The stainless steel platforms are easy to clean and provide a polished look to your kitchen. While I was scaling for my banana bread, it felt like a stunner piece of equipment that took my baking game to an advanced level.