The humble weighing scales have been a trusted piece of kit for cooks and bakers since the 1800s and are paramount for perfecting precise recipes and aiding in weight loss. However, getting one that does exactly what you want can be difficult, particularly if you haven't weighed up exactly what that is yet. That’s why we’ve put together this foolproof buying guide to point you in the right direction.
We've scoured the internet to pull together the best bargain buys from Amazon, John Lewis, Argos and eBay. Whether you’re looking for an electronic, hi-tech digital set of scales for total baking accuracy or a traditional mechanical set with a bowl for adding a touch of vintage to a retro kitchen, we’ve got options here for everyone.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of kitchen scales available and understand how our ranking was determined.
Image | 1 ![]() Heston Blumenthal | 2 ![]() Terraillon | 3 ![]() Salter | 4 ![]() Salter | 5 ![]() Joseph Joseph | 6 ![]() Morphy Richards | 7 ![]() KitchenCraft | 8 ![]() Terrallion | 9 ![]() Salter | 10 ![]() Nedis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Dual Platform Precision Scale | Traditional Scales | Waterproof Electronic Kitchen Scales | Digital Kitchen Weighing Scales | Tri-Scale | 3-in-1 Digital Scales with Jug | Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scale | Macaron | Max Chopping Board | Retro Kitchen Scales |
Features | Dual Base Scales Capable of Weighing Larger Items as Well as Coffee and Spices With Precision | A Timeless Classic in Sturdy Steel That Will Stand the Test of Time | Scales That Can Be Put in the Sink When It's Time to Wash Up | A Fantastic All-Rounder That Will Stand the Test of Time | Scales For Those Whose Space Is at a Premium | Mix Measure and Weigh, All in One Place | A Classic Retro-Chic Set of Scales for the Style Conscious | A Popular French Kitchenware Brand Capable of Measuring Metric, Imperial and Fluid Weights | Scales With a Huge Weight Capacity, Great for Batch Bakers | A Simple, Lightweight and Budget-Friendly Set of Scales for the Casual Cook |
Price | £42.99 | £18.99 | £29.99 | £15.00 | £27.99 | £21.31 | £41.46 | £20.99 | £33.94 | £22.92 |
Style | Digital (3x AAA batteries included) | Mechanical | Digital (3x AAA batteries included) | Digital (1x CR2032 battery included) | Digital (1x CR2032 battery included) | Digital (2 x AAA not included) | Mechanical | Digital (2 x AAA batteries not included) | Digital (3 x AAA included) | Mechanical |
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric and imperial | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric and imperial | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric, imperial and fluid | Metric |
Maximum Weight | 10 kg | 5 kg | 5 kg | 5 kg | 5 kg | 5 kg | 4 kg | 5 kg | 15 kg | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Additional Features | Auto shut down | Mixing bowl | Auto shut down | Auto shut down | Auto shut down | Mixing bowl, auto shut down | Mixing bowl | Auto shut down | Auto shut down | Mixing bowl |
Product Weight | 800 g | 1.5 kg | 349 g | 640 g | 154 g | 862 g | 399 g | 399 g | 1.7 kg | 1.4g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl | Waterproof | Wipe-clean only | Wipe-clean only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl | - | Wipe-clean only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl |
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By far the most common type of scales found in kitchens across the UK nowadays, digital scales are incredibly precise both with and without tare weight (which we’ll talk about later). They’re also much more accurate when it comes to smaller measurements, which serious bakers or those on strict diets will prefer.
Some other points to consider are that they can be more expensive, both in initial price and the fact they will need new batteries every now and then. They also tend to have a lower maximum capacity, which isn’t great if you’re cooking in large batches; however, this isn't always the case.
If you're an avid baker, here are some top quality stand and hand mixers to up your baking game!
If you’re looking for something more traditional as a style statement, how about mechanical weights? A tried and tested robust and durable appliance, they use a dial to show you how much your ingredients weigh and don’t require any niggly batteries or power outlets.
The downside is that they aren’t as precise as their digital counterparts, particularly at lower weights. They’re also often bulky and heavy, making them more challenging to move from cupboard to worktop and less suited to smaller kitchens.
It’s always good to know how much your scales can take before purchasing them. You don’t want to overload and break them or get misleading readings that mess up your recipe. Most kitchen scales will have a maximum weight range of 4-10 kg (141–352 oz).
While cooking or baking at home, most people won’t measure over a couple of kilos at a time. However, it is nice to have some leeway in case you want to whip up a large batch of banana bread for the week or even weigh up a pork shoulder for dinner guests. With all this in mind, we’d recommend picking up a product that can hold up to 5kg of ingredients, as this provides a little extra should you ever require it.
Timing is everything so take a look at our top 10 kitchen timers.
It may seem obvious, but we bet there are a few people out there that have purchased scales, only to get them home and realise they need a calculator to use them. You may come across recipes that use different units depending on their country of origin, so being able to switch the scales to whichever is required is certainly more convenient.
That’s why we’d recommend picking up a set that displays both grams and kilograms and pounds and ounces. Furthermore, if you often make recipes or cakes that use milk and other liquids, look for those that can measure millilitres or fluid ounces, too.
A feature that we hold in the highest regard and that will make your whole cooking experience a lot easier is 'tare'. This is for measuring the weight of a substance inside of a vessel without measuring the vessel itself.
By simply placing your mixing bowl on the scales, it will give you its weight. But if you click the tare button, it will remove the weight of the vessel and return the scales to zero. It also means you can add your ingredients one at a time accurately whilst 'zeroing' between each one, and you won't have to get all mathematical trying to work out your totals.
If you’re in the market for a digital kitchen scale, beware that cleaning can be a little inconvenient because many can't handle a spillage and will become damaged when exposed to moisture. Fortunately, a few are protected from liquid so it's useful to check if the scale is waterproof if you want one that's fully washable or submersible for easy cleaning under running water.
The mechanical scales usually come with the addition of a dishwasher-safe bowl which makes for easy maintenance. So while the scale itself might be wipe-cleaned only with a damp cloth, the waterproof bowl can be put in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.
This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
£42.99
Style | Digital (3x AAA batteries included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 10 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Auto shut down |
Product Weight | 800 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only |
£18.99
Style | Mechanical |
---|---|
Units | Metric and imperial |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Mixing bowl |
Product Weight | 1.5 kg |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl |
£29.99
Style | Digital (3x AAA batteries included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Auto shut down |
Product Weight | 349 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Waterproof |
1036
£15.00
Style | Digital (1x CR2032 battery included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Auto shut down |
Product Weight | 640 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only |
£27.99
Style | Digital (1x CR2032 battery included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Auto shut down |
Product Weight | 154 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only |
£21.31
Style | Digital (2 x AAA not included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Mixing bowl, auto shut down |
Product Weight | 862 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl |
£41.46
Style | Mechanical |
---|---|
Units | Metric and imperial |
Maximum Weight | 4 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Mixing bowl |
Product Weight | 399 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl |
£20.99
Style | Digital (2 x AAA batteries not included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Auto shut down |
Product Weight | 399 g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | - |
£33.94
Style | Digital (3 x AAA included) |
---|---|
Units | Metric, imperial and fluid |
Maximum Weight | 15 kg |
Tare Function | Yes |
Additional Features | Auto shut down |
Product Weight | 1.7 kg |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only |
£22.92
Style | Mechanical |
---|---|
Units | Metric |
Maximum Weight | 5 kg |
Tare Function | No |
Additional Features | Mixing bowl |
Product Weight | 1.4g |
Waterproof/Wipe-Clean Only | Wipe-clean only scale, waterproof bowl |
Written and researched by Lewis Clark
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