Every Home Chef Needs a Kitchen Scale: Here's Why

You can often eyeball quantities in cooking, but baking needs consistency. This is where a kitchen scale can help. It is considered a necessity by professional bakers and many home bakers, but you don't have to be making elaborate creations to justify owning or using one. Our pick for Best Kitchen Scale only sets you back about $50, and requires minimal kitchen real estate, so as a gadget gamble, it's not a big one. 

Even a casual baker can put a kitchen scale to good use. From my own personal experience, once you start using a kitchen scale, chances are good you'll wonder how you ever did without one. If you spend any time in the kitchen concocting anything, there's an argument for using the kitchen scale, as its uses go way beyond measuring flour. I consulted Chef Stefanie Bishop, Chef Instructor at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts for her informed take on kitchen scale usage. Here are six reasons you should be using a kitchen scale, according to Bishop.

1. Accuracy in measurement

Understanding how a kitchen scale works is key to understanding its utility. "A scale measures weight as opposed to volume," says Bishop. "This is important because the volume can change with the density of different ingredients." The size of the particles of different ingredients can make for very different outcomes when it comes to what constitutes a "cup."

A cup of flour, for example, can become very imprecise very quickly depending on the brand and type of flour you are using, not to mention the habits of the cook. There are those who are diligent about leveling off ingredients, and then there are those who just eyeball it. (And then there's me, who tends to use the cup itself to scoop the ingredient in question, and use a very imprecise method of smushing it against the inside of the bag to "level" it.) A weighted measure will always give you the same measurement every time, regardless of how haphazard your process is.

Best Kitchen Scales, Tested and Reviewed See at CNET

2. Precision in baking

Having an accurate measurement is most important when it comes to baking. "Baking is often referred to as a science because even small measurement discrepancies can drastically affect the final product," says Bishop. "Unlike cooking, where you can adjust ingredients on the fly, baking requires precise ratios to achieve the correct texture, rise and structure." Once you put the cake, bread or cookies in the oven, there's no adjustment available to you. Grams matter when it comes to rising agents in recipes, or ingredients that must interact with each other to initiate certain chemical processes.

"This precision is crucial for consistency, especially when making delicate pastries like macarons, laminated doughs or soufflés, where even a slight variation can lead to failure," says Bishop.

3. Portioning for even cooking

Chefs on the savory side of the kitchen also rely on kitchen scales even though the chemical processes involved don't necessarily require the same degree of ingredient precision. "A kitchen scale is just as valuable in savory cooking as it is in baking," says Bishop. "It helps when portioning proteins like meat and fish, ensuring even cooking times and uniform sizes." 

Just like in baking, anything you may roast in the oven will be out of your sight for most of the cooking process, so having even, accurately-portioned pieces ensures that every piece of salmon or ribeye has the same level of doneness.

4. Portioning for mindful eating

Whether or not you cook or bake at all, measuring accurate portion sizes of ready-to-eat components can be good for your overall health. "Many people unknowingly consume larger portions than intended when relying on visual estimates or volume measurements," says Bishop. 

Weight loss, weight gain or other health maintenance can be made much easier when you know exactly what you're consuming. According to Bishop: "A scale helps you accurately portion ingredients like proteins, grains or fats to stay within dietary goals," she says. "By using a scale, you can avoid overeating or undereating and develop a better awareness of serving sizes." Four ounces of meat is probably less than you think.

5. Scaling recipes

How many times have you thought to halve a recipe, only to come up against an ingredient that calls for ⅓ of a cup? By the time you're done googling how many tablespoons are in a third of a cup since your measuring cup set doesn't include a ⅙ cup measurement…well, the good news is your oven has probably preheated by now.

"Weighing your ingredients allows you to quickly scale your recipes up or down with a few calculations and makes the process more efficient, saving you time," says Bishop. Case in point: What's half of 3 and ⅓ cups? Now, what's half of 800 grams?

6. Other culinary uses

Once you have a kitchen scale, you may find you put it to use for more than just standard baking or cooking recipes, as many other projects rely on ratios that are easy to maintain with weighed ingredients. "Coffee enthusiasts rely on scales to weigh their beans and water for a perfect brew ratio, ensuring consistency in flavor," says Bishop. "Homemade pasta dough uses a scale to maintain an ideal egg-to-flour ratio," she says. "Scales also come in handy when making fermented foods to balance salt and water, and home bartenders can measure cocktail ingredients by weight for precision, especially when batching large quantities."

Molecular gastronomy, should you also be dabbling in it at home, requires a similar kind of ingredient precision to baking projects.

7. Nonculinary uses

A kitchen scale's uses aren't limited to the kitchen. Small items that are challenging to weigh on a body weight scale can be more easily weighed on a kitchen scale. (And here's a moment to remind you not to put food directly on the scale to be weighed.)

"Outside of food, a scale is useful for weighing postage, portioning homemade soap or candle ingredients, or even tracking portion sizes for pets," says Bishop.

8. Reducing cleanup

Saving you both time and water usage, making a habit of using a kitchen scale can lead to a lot less cleanup required at the end of whatever project you've undertaken.

"When measuring ingredients with cups and spoons, you often need multiple tools for different amounts which leads to more dishes to clean," says Bishop. A digital scale with a tare function eliminates the need for all other measuring implements.

The tare function resets the scale to zero between ingredients, so you don't have to do any quick mental math. "By placing a single mixing bowl or container on the scale and using the tare function between ingredients, you can add everything directly into one vessel, reducing clutter and making cleanup faster," says Bishop. "This is particularly helpful when working with sticky or dense ingredients like honey, molasses, or peanut butter, as you can measure them in the bowl instead of transferring them from a measuring cup."