It’s hard to overstate the convenience of a solid kitchen scale for home cooks. Digital kitchen scales open up a new world of possibilities when it comes to upping your cooking or baking game, allowing precision in measuring ingredients, consistency in recipes, and efficiency in the kitchen. As more and more recipes are converted to grams (my favorite measuring metric), there’s no reason to put off investing in a digital scale, especially with how affordable these gadgets can be.
Most—like our top pick, the Escali Primo ($30)—come with AA or AAA batteries and are a breeze to use. Unlike a mechanical scale, a digital scale allows you to tare (we explain what this means further below) the weight to 0 when weighing an ingredient. You don't need multiple spoons and measuring cups, so a scale cuts down on dishes. The biggest benefit is the ability to measure ingredients by weight instead of volume. This is particularly important with baking. Ask a group of bakers to scoop and level a cup of flour and the results will vary. Ask them to measure 120 grams of flour—the equivalent of one cup—and each will yield the same amount. A scale is a useful kitchen tool for everyone, baker or not, and these are my favorites.
Be sure to read our other kitchen guides, including the Best Chef's Knives, Best Cookware and Tools for Small Kitchens, Best Food Processors, and Best Stand Mixers.
Updated June 2025: We've added scales fromTaylor and Atogou and updated links and prices throughout.