Advice for Buying a Food Scale?

Nedra19455
Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
in Getting Started
I have been reading around here about the importance of using a food scale and I'm thinking I'd better start looking into it. I have been losing for 3 weeks and feel like I'm doing a great job, but I know my progress will slow down eventually, so I might as well start developing better habits now.

So . . .

Any favorites? Ones to stay away from? Features to look for? What level of accuracy is important?

I'd love buying advice!

PS -- Do all food scales come with the ability to "tare" them? Like to put a bowl on the scale, zero it out, and then add the food so you're weighing the food, not the vessel in which the food is prevented from sliding off the scale?
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Replies

  • AnnieSPAJ
    AnnieSPAJ Posts: 11 Member
    I got the glass topped one from Walmart and love it. It does have the tare function.
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
    Get an electronic scale. The others are terrible to read!
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
    I got the glass topped one from Walmart and love it. It does have the tare function.

    The Walmart Brand one? That's the one I have, but just bought it so getting use to it.

    *After posting this, I checked mine. It does. Thanks. Would never have known what "tare" was without this post. So much easier than doing the math in my head.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    use one that measures down to gram measurement.
    get one that tares.
    get one that's easy to use.
    get one that's going to be used regularly. good, easy to read display.

    I use an ozeri that I got from amazon for under $20.
  • Joanwetz
    Joanwetz Posts: 4 Member
    I love the weight watchers scale. Very accurate and easy to use.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    I have a cuisinart, it is great.

    http://www.cuisinart.com/products/kitchen_accessories/scales/kml-10.html
  • autoee
    autoee Posts: 19 Member
    Eatsmart scales had great reviews on amazon, so I bought one. Very simple to use, one button turns it on and tares, the other toggles between grams, ounces and lbs. I opted for the bigger version as there were a few complaints about the smaller scale and not being able to read the weight with a plate on it. 1g accuracy I thought was sufficient.
  • mishtery
    mishtery Posts: 148
    mines a glass top one that you can alter kilos to grams.lbs whatever measurement you need. and electronic is best.
  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    Me too. The one from Walmart. Has a glass top and really accurate. I love the tare feature..good luck.
  • DeliriumCanBeFun
    DeliriumCanBeFun Posts: 313 Member
    I have a cuisinart, it is great.

    http://www.cuisinart.com/products/kitchen_accessories/scales/kml-10.html
    I also have a Cuisinart, slightly different model, and it is great and especially useful for weighing large quantities for recipes or plates of food. I also have a portable scale that I had first and use all the time because I measures down to 1/10g.
  • tmaryam
    tmaryam Posts: 289 Member
    I got this one at Target (it was on sale for $15 when I bought it). I love it!

    http://www.target.com/p/taylor-stainless-food-scale/-/A-14012995
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    I got one with a stainless steel top at Target, it was on sale at the time. I love it!
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    I use a Walmart digital food scale runs on batteries and works great! Only spent $18
  • stupxdgxrl
    stupxdgxrl Posts: 55 Member
    I love love love love my food scale! It's the Perfect Portions - http://www.perfectportionsscale.com/
    It was about $50. It's a scale and Nutrition Facts. Has over 1500 built in foods, can add custom foods. Glass top, easy to clean.
  • postpunkmamma
    postpunkmamma Posts: 4 Member
    I have an epica i got on Amazon, has tare option and measures in pounds, ounces, grams, and kilograms.Has an 11 pound max weight on it.
  • eallen65
    eallen65 Posts: 19
    I recently bought a great food scale from BBB, you can enter food codes (booklet included). Shows all nutrition fact when weighing.
    the make is Perfect Creations costs $40.00 but worth it.
  • jymmeh
    jymmeh Posts: 33 Member
    We bought one from Target, Its made by Taylor, its electronic (Only buy an electronic one, we bought a really cheap analog scale, it was way off and we didnt know it until we got this one) it has a tare feature, measures fluid ounces, actual weight ounces, pounds, milliliters, and grams. Its great and I think it was $29.00 , We love it soooo much.
  • jymmeh
    jymmeh Posts: 33 Member
    We bought one from Target, Its made by Taylor, its electronic (Only buy an electronic one, we bought a really cheap analog scale, it was way off and we didnt know it until we got this one) it has a tare feature, measures fluid ounces, actual weight ounces, pounds, milliliters, and grams. Its great and I think it was $29.00 , We love it soooo much.

    Mine isnt the stainless steel of glass top one, Ours is the bamboo top and easy to clean, just wipe and done.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
    Any digital scale should be fine. Be sure it has a TARE button and can measure grams and ounces (for US). You don't need anything fancy. I bought a perfectly good one from Target for <$15. Someone suggested buying two - one for home and one for on-the-go. If you are not embarrassed about weighing your food in public, then this is a great idea! The scale I got at Target is small and light enough to take on the go (about a 1.5 pounds and smaller than a salad plate). I think I just might go out and get another one to keep at my desk at work! :love:
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I bought this one: [url] http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Glass-Nutritional-Scale-Silver/dp/B00F8LPBBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398307569&sr=8-1&keywords=taylor+slim+glass+top+nutritional+scale[/url]

    It also does the nutritional information, but it only has 1000 foods pre-programmed. You can add another 99. It's super cheap (I got the black one for about $12) and it's great for measuring out 50 or 100 calorie snacks and storing them in little bags in advance.
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
    -digital
    -grams
    -tare

    -preferably glass top

    Got my Taylor one from target for less than $20
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    I got the glass topped one from Walmart and love it. It does have the tare function.

    I second the Wal-Mart one. I had one for a year before my nephew broke it & bought a second one a few months ago.
  • HaraldurB
    HaraldurB Posts: 76 Member
    I bought this one and it works great. If the plate I put on the scale is too big so I can't see the screen I just put a bowl on the scale and the plate on top so it's high enough for me to see the screen clearly. No problem at all.

    http://amzn.to/1jDYZnT
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    I have 2 of them, and should I ever need to replace one of them I would look for the following:

    - Tare function
    - Digital
    - Grams to .1 increments
    - stainless steel or glass

    Don't understand the "easy to clean" thing as a huge issue. I just put a plate in there and hit tare. I mean of course I clean it, but I never put food directly on there.
  • pmr545
    pmr545 Posts: 51 Member
    I have a very thin metal digital scale. A plate or bowl can be set on it and the scale nets to zero... this is my favorite feature. I've been using it for a few years and have yet to need to change out the batteries. I bought it on Amazon... it tucks away behind my kuerig.
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Get one.
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
    I have a cuisine art that works well, but the things I hate are the fact that mine automatically turns off too soon, I wish I had a dedicated on/off button with a LONG auto off timer.

    I also hate that to tare I have to hold down the button for a few seconds since its also the button to switch from grams to ounces. Either a separate button or have the tare be the momentary and the switch be the long hold. You will tare far more often then switch between grams and pounds.
  • BKNeenz
    BKNeenz Posts: 17 Member
    I use this one and love it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E7AZQA/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
    I purchased a Saga digital scale on Ebay for $8 (brand new). You can also set your bowl, plate, etc on it before turning it on and it will weigh just your food. You press a button and it will show grams, lbs, and ounces. I love it!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I bought this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-5000g-1g-5kg-Digital-LCD-Scale-Electronic-Balance-for-Kitchen-Food-Diet-US-/131174063024?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item1e8a955bb0

    Love it love it love it!

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