How To Choose A Kitchen Electronic Scale, Which Is Better: With Or Without A Bowl + Reviews

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

How to choose the right electronic kitchen scale for your home?

An accurate scale is needed in every kitchen. Novice cooks will not spoil the food if they want to cook new dishes. Experienced housewives, developing their own recipes, will pass on reliable knowledge to friends and acquaintances. Electronic digital scales have the highest accuracy. Factories produce many models that differ in shape, size and capabilities. So how do you choose the right kitchen scale?

Content

• 1 What scales for the kitchen to choose?

  • 1.1 By the method of weighing the product
  • 1.2 By weight limit of products
  • 1.3 By measuring principle
  • 1.4 Platform or bowl?

  • 1.5 Bowl material

    1.5.1 Table: Material data for the weighing pan

  • 1.6 What and how do electronic scales show?
  • 1.7 Batteries

  • 1.8 Appearance

    1.8.1 Photo Gallery: Scales made from a variety of materials

• 2 Additional functions

  • 2.1 Calorie counting

    2.1.1 Video: innovative kitchen scale REDMOND SkyScales 741S

  • 2.2 Other important criteria

• 3 Manufacturers of kitchen appliances

  • 3.1 Table: models of kitchen electronic scales and their characteristics
  • 3.2 Photo gallery: appearance of devices
• 4 User Reviews

Which kitchen scale to choose?

When choosing a home scale, there are two main points to keep in mind: what do you plan to weigh and how.

By the method of weighing the product

According to the weighing method, there are hand and bench scales.

In the middle of the 20th century, products on the market were weighed with a balance.

Hand scales are light and compact, they are easy to take to a store or a bazaar to check the seller's honesty. On one side of the body there is a ring, it is taken in hand. On the other, there is a hook for a bag of groceries, with a spring between them. The spring stretches under the action of gravity, the arrow attached to it shows the weight of the product.

Until the 1990s, housewives measured sugar for workpieces on mechanical scales

Table scales are not intended to be carried outside the apartment; they weigh up to 1 kilogram and take up several tens of square centimeters of the table. The product to be weighed is placed on a platform or bowl, which is lowered by gravity, and this shift is indicated by the indicator.

Wall scale, in non-working position the platform rises

If there is no room in a small kitchen, we recommend purchasing a wall scale. Their principle of operation is the same as that of desktop ones. The L-shaped body is screwed vertically to the wall. If the platform is not in use, it can be lifted to make it even more compact.

Scale spoon accurately measures powders

Owners of bread makers will appreciate the spoon scales. The fact is that for baking bread, it is very important to observe the proportions of salt, yeast and additives. If the recipe indicates the weight of the components in grams, then it will not be difficult to measure the powders using a spoon-scale.

By weight limit of products

When choosing a scale for your household, decide what you will weigh. Each device has a restriction on the weight of the product. A scale with a maximum weight of 5 kg is suitable for baking pies and pancakes. If you are preparing jam, then it is better to take a device that can weigh up to 10 kg of sugar.

The weighing accuracy of digital devices is determined by the unit in the least significant digit of the indicator. For a household, an accuracy of 1 g is sufficient. There are also more accurate scales, they are used by professionals - pharmacists, jewelers, chemists and bankers.

Measuring principle

According to the principle of measurement, scales are divided into mechanical and electronic.

The arrow of the SUPRA BSS-4050 scale is deflected in proportion to the weight of the object

In all mechanical devices, the arrow is directly connected to the spring and moves with it. The measuring scale is pre-calibrated in weight units. The heavier the object, the greater the deflection of the arrow. Advantages: the device does not need power supply, there is nothing to break in it. Disadvantages: measurement error (in 25 - 50 g), the spring changes shape over time, the already low accuracy is further reduced.

Electronic hand scales - a steelyard of the XXI century

In electronic devices, instead of springs, strain gauges are used, which convert the deformation of the material under load into an electrical signal. The microcontroller measures the current from the sensor and calculates the weight of the product. Disadvantage: Doesn't work without batteries. Advantages: high weighing accuracy (up to 0.1 grams), clear digital indicator, simple zeroing of readings, additional useful functions are implemented.

Platform or bowl?

The simplest electronic scales are a circular or rectangular movable platform for weighing an item.

The products to be weighed are placed directly on the platform

To determine the weight, an apple or a bag of flour is placed directly on the platform. It is better not to weigh sugar or cereals like this - it will crumble. Table cleaning, scales and floor cleaning are guaranteed. Bulk food requires a separate plate or bowl.

A wonderful salad bowl is often included

On sale there are electronic scales with their own bowl, which can be removable and non-removable. It is recommended to choose a device with a removable bowl - it is easy to remove and wash without risking damage to the device. This bowl is convenient to use as a dish and mix food directly in it.

Bowl material

The scales are made of metal, plastic and glass.

Table: material characteristics for the weighing pan

Material	Properties
Metal	Stainless steel metal bowls - strong and durable, easy to clean, withstand high temperatures.
Plastic	Plastic bowls - lightweight, available in different colors. However, the plastic scratches over time and can lose its shape in boiling water.
Glass	Glass bowls are very beautiful on the outside, but they are heavy and fragile.

What and how do electronic scales show?

Obviously, the balance displays the weight of the product. Thanks to the built-in microcontroller, the device automatically recalculates and displays the weight in kilograms, grams or pounds. There are models showing the volume of the measured liquid in milliliters.

There are models of scales that display the temperature in the room and the current time. Separate designs even include an alarm clock and a timer.

Digital indicators of electronic scales vary in size - from ten-millimeter numbers to large signs several centimeters high. Some indicators are backlit, but in this case the batteries are consumed faster, "long-playing" lithium cells are not installed in such models.

The scale is off and shows the temperature

Batteries

All kitchen scales use little electricity, therefore batteries are used for power. If the indicator has a backlight, then AA or AAA form factor elements are used. If the scales have a simple liquid crystal indicator, then a CR2032 lithium battery is used - you can simply forget about the power supply, this element is easily enough for a year of operation.

Appearance

Design is an important part of a kitchen appliance. Housewives choose the scales in color and shape to match curtains, furniture and tiles. Factories produce measuring instruments of many colors and shapes: strict high-tech steel cases, wooden vintage platforms, funny cartoon characters.

Photo gallery: scales from a variety of materials

Cute drawings for young cooks

Volumetric pictures for a country house

Country style wooden platform

Strict high-tech style

Additional functions

Calorie counting

Nutrition is vital for special therapeutic diets. A number of scale models help you estimate the calorie content of foods.

Zelmer balances contain a product guide in memory

For example, the Zelmer KS1700 dietary scale contains in memory a list of 999 products with characteristics: calorie content, protein and fat composition. To obtain information about the product at the time of weighing, the user determines the product code from a paper guide, and then dials the code on the scales using the touch buttons.

SkyScale scales communicate with a smartphone via Bluetooth

The physical memory reference of the scales is too small to cover all the food existing in the world, it cannot be updated and supplemented. Redmond engineers brought the product catalog to the Internet. The scale Redmond SkyScale 741S connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and transfers the weight of the product to the Ready for Sky program. To determine the usefulness of food, the user finds the product in the program menu and receives all the information required. Such a "cloud" directory is not limited in the number of products, it is regularly updated and always contains up-to-date data.

Video: innovative kitchen scale REDMOND SkyScales 741S

Other important criteria

When choosing a scale, pay attention to the materials from which the body and bowl are made. These parts will come into contact with food, so they must be of high quality - your health depends on it. The steel should be stainless - shiny and bright, the plastic should not smell like chemistry, it is important to pick up the glass without cracks and chips.

Since food is being prepared around the scale and the user's hands are not always clean, it is important to pay attention to the control buttons. The ideal option is the touch panel, it is very easy to clean, such buttons will never stick.

Kitchen Appliance Manufacturers

Kitchen scales are produced by both small firms (under the brands Vitek, Scarlett, Rolsen, Supra) and large manufacturers - Tefal, Redmond, Zelmer. The cost of the scales varies from hundreds of rubles to tens of thousands.

Table: models of kitchen electronic scales and their characteristics

Model	Weighing limit, kg	Weighing accuracy, g	Design	Battery type	Additional functions	price, rub.	Comment
Rolsen KS-2907	5.0	1.0	Glass platform; LCD indicator.	CR2032	Measurement units: grams, kilograms, ounces. Zeroing the tare weight.	800	Inexpensive kitchen scale, not very accurate.
Polaris PKS 0832DG	8.0	1.0	Glass platform; LCD indicator; touch buttons.	CR2032	Measurement units: grams, kilograms, ounces. Zeroing the tare weight. Volume measurement. Battery charge indicator. Overweight indicator.	1200	Inexpensive scales with an interesting appearance. Disadvantage: fast battery drain.
REDMOND SkyScales 741S	5.0	1.0	Glass platform; Backlit LCD indicator.	3 AAA elements	Measurement units: grams, pounds, ounces. Zeroing the tare weight. Volume measurement Overweight indicator. Communication with a smartphone.	2500	The main feature is the transfer of product weight to a mobile application with a huge product directory. Disadvantage: high price.
REDMOND RS-721	10.0	Up to 5 kg - 1.0 g, up to 10 kg - 2.0 g	Wooden platform; touch buttons; The LCD indicator is hidden in the body.	CR2032	Zeroing the tare weight. Automatic shutdown. Overweight indicator. Low battery indicator.	1700	The scales take up to 10 kg. Interesting case and platform design.
Maxwell MW-1451	5.0	1.0	Round body; plastic removable bowl with a volume of 0.8 liters.	CR2032	Volume measurement for water and milk. Zeroing the tare weight. Automatic shutdown. Overweight indicator. Low battery indicator.	900	Inexpensive scales with a plastic bowl. The volume determination function takes into account the type of liquid (water / milk).
REDMOND RS-M731	5.0	1.0	Round stainless steel platform; Backlit LCD indicator; there is a hook on the body for hanging on the kitchen rail; touch buttons with sound.	3 AAA elements	Units of measurement: grams, milliliters, ounces. Zeroing the tare weight. Automatic shutdown. Overweight indicator. Low battery indicator.	1400	A unique design feature - the scales can be hung on a kitchen rail.
REDMOND RS-M711	5.0	1.0	Round stainless steel platform; mechanical buttons; LCD indicator.	CR2032	Units of measurement: grams, milliliters, ounces. Zeroing the tare weight. Room temperature indication.	1500	Compact and high quality model for the kitchen. Disadvantage: the plate covers the numbers on the indicator.
Scarlett IS-565	5.0	1.0	Glass platform; large backlit LCD screen; touch buttons.	3 AAA elements	Thermometer. Timer. Battery charge indicator. Evaluation of the calorie content of products.	1400	Scales with a bright screen and touch buttons. Disadvantage: products for nutritional assessment have to be searched for in a book and a three-digit number entered into the scale.
Supra BSS-4095	5.0	1.0	Round stainless steel body; removable steel bowl with a volume of 2.5 liters.	Krona type	Thermometer. Timer. Battery charge indicator. Overweight indicator. Zeroing the tare weight.	1400	High-tech scale with a large steel bowl. Disadvantage: an expensive Krona battery is used, which is not included in the package.
Mystery MES-1814	3.0	1.0	Round glass platform with built-in clock; touch buttons.	3 AAA elements	Clock. Battery charge indicator. Overweight indicator. Zeroing the tare weight.	1000	Interesting design - scales and clock in one case. They are hung on the wall, do not take up space.

Photo gallery: appearance of devices

Mystery MES-1814

Supra BSS-4095

Scarlett IS-565

REDMOND RS-M711

REDMOND RS-M731

Maxwell MW-1451

REDMOND RS-721

REDMOND SkyScales 741S

Polaris PKS 0832DG

Rolsen KS-2907

User reviews

There is always work to do for electronic scales in the kitchen. A precision instrument will measure flour, sugar and milk so that even the first pancake will not come out lumpy. Constructors, together with designers, have developed hundreds of scale models for any task, suitable in shape, color and size for any interior. It remains only to choose the product that suits you personally.