Food Scale?

JosephBJones24
JosephBJones24 Posts: 5 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
What the best type of food scale to get because I would like to start weighing my meals out? all the ones I keep searching for only go up to 11lbs.... is that enough and also if anyone care share links to food scales would be cool also.

Note***I am also on a budget..

Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,407 Member
    Mine only goes up to 11lbs, and I rarely need it to go higher - only if I'm weighing a really heave pot full of food. 11lbs is a lot of food to be weighing!
  • Sheri2016
    Sheri2016 Posts: 197 Member
    I got one from Amazon for about 10 bucks.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Mine only goes up to 11lbs, and I rarely need it to go higher - only if I'm weighing a really heave pot full of food. 11lbs is a lot of food to be weighing!

    This. I have NEVER actually used it past it's capacity.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    I would look for one that does grams and ounces not so much 11 pounds--lol. I got mine on ebay under $10
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    The only time I ever get close to the limit on my scale is if I'm weighing baking in the heavy glass bowl of my stand mixer. Even if you're doing a large recipe and dividing it you should be fine with that limit unless your cookware is very heavy.

    Food scales are all pretty similar - just get one that tares (resets to zero once there is already something on it, so you can just keep adding items to a bowl or plate without having to do the math) and weighs in grams as well as ounces. If you're on a budget you might want to check the battery situation as well, because some take AAs or AAAs (2 or 4) and some take the more expensive round batteries.

    I love my scale because it has a totally flat surface (touch-screen, no buttons) and is therefore easy to clean and set just about anything on, but it was a little pricier than some because of that (I think more like $30 than $10.)
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    11 lbs! Yea you won't need to weigh anything that heavy. You're going to be using it to weigh in grams and ounces like the others have posted. Mine was maybe $12 on Amazon, has a glass removable/washable top. Only thing I don't like about it is that it really doesn't register grams until I hit 4-5g, after that it's accurate to a gram. But works great. I've made whole pots of soup and been able to weigh it with mine in a glass bowl and never hit the limit. Generally the only time I do that is if I've made a new recipe and want to see how many 1 cup servings it makes.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,106 Member
    Find the biggest and/or heaviest pot you use, fill it with water (not necessarily to the brim, but as high as you would fill it with food). Step on the scale you use to weigh yourself with the pot, and without the pot. If the difference is less than 11 pounds, a food scale that can weigh up to 11 pounds will be sufficient.

    My food scale weighs up to 11 pounds, and I've never needed more. I've filled my dutch oven with stew and it was still less than 11 pounds. I don't make really huge batches of soup in my soup pot, though, which I think would weigh more (I just make moderate batches of soup in two or three quart sauce pans.

    As others have said, get a scale that weighs in grams as well as ounces, and that has a tare (zero reset) button. I really like my OXO. It has lasted a long time (I've been using it for logging for three years, but I used it less regularly before that for several years for baking), and the display panel pulls out from the base so it's easier to read if you're using a large plate or bowl that blocks the display in its normal position.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    The only time I've ever had to weigh over my scale's capacity is when I make stew. I just use multiple containers to weigh it out (my stew serves about 20 so it's a lot).

    Only things you really need are tare function and ability to weigh in grams.
  • Rabbitsocksgardener
    Rabbitsocksgardener Posts: 74 Member
    Can someone explain what food scales are practically used for? I could only think about baking ingredients by weight. Maybe meat? Do people use them on a daily for other things too? I've always been curious.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    beckycumming wrote: »
    Can someone explain what food scales are practically used for? I could only think about baking ingredients by weight. Maybe meat? Do people use them on a daily for other things too? I've always been curious.

    You can weigh all solid foods. The nutrition info is way more accurate per gram/oz than it is per volume measurement (like cups or teaspoons(.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,407 Member
    beckycumming wrote: »
    Can someone explain what food scales are practically used for? I could only think about baking ingredients by weight. Maybe meat? Do people use them on a daily for other things too? I've always been curious.

    It is far more accurate to weigh solids than use cup measures. Think of grated cheese for instance. If you scoop a cup of grated cheese, the amount of cheese in there is far different to if you smoosh a bunch of grated cheese in a cup.

    Calories are a measure of energy per gram. Protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9. By knowing how many grams you are eating of something, you can be far more accurate with your logging.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    beckycumming wrote: »
    Can someone explain what food scales are practically used for? I could only think about baking ingredients by weight. Maybe meat? Do people use them on a daily for other things too? I've always been curious.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1290491/how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,235 Member
    beckycumming wrote: »
    Can someone explain what food scales are practically used for? I could only think about baking ingredients by weight. Maybe meat? Do people use them on a daily for other things too? I've always been curious.

    If it's not liquid, it goes on my food scale. Only way to be even be close to accurate.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,235 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    beckycumming wrote: »
    Can someone explain what food scales are practically used for? I could only think about baking ingredients by weight. Maybe meat? Do people use them on a daily for other things too? I've always been curious.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1290491/how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

    Wooooo. Her example scale is the one I own.

    And I've maxed it out of a couple times. Not very often though. Last time I maxed it was weighing what turned out to be a 17 lb watermelon. Hehe
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