Why I love my OXO kitchen scale

Brandt Runge is a business correspondent for EdgeWhich means, he says, “I spend my time trying to find good deals and the best gear to recommend to our readers.” It also keeps Edge‘s wearables buyer’s guides are up to date, but he adds: “My role requires me to cover a little bit of everything,” including deals on subscriptions. “Products are constantly being released, so every day is a little different.”

He volunteered to tell us about his favorite kitchen scale: the OXO 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull Out Display.

When (and why) did you get this kitchen scale?

I come from a long line of bakers who measure everything by feel because recipes are passed down from generation to generation. I’m the first person obsessive enough to care about exact weight and proportions when baking, which has resulted in me receiving confused looks from my family rather than approval. But the results speak for themselves – my baking is more consistent because the same amounts of ingredients are used every time. This isn’t necessary, but I also weigh out portions of the cookies so that each one is the same size, which is extra extra.

I’ve owned this scale for many years, and liked it enough to get another one to keep at my mom’s house when I bake there.

There are loads of kitchen scales out there. How did you choose?

I particularly like the OXO scale because its magnetically attached digital display can be pulled away from the scale, which is very useful when I’m measuring a bunch of ingredients in a large bowl. Instead of moving the bowl, which would skew the measurements, I removed the screen, which remains attached to the base with a thin cable (so I have to be a bit gentle).

As I mentioned earlier, I have used a scale for years and it has never let me down. Its screen is large and easy to read. The buttons are tactile and press with a satisfying click even if they’re covered in flour. It doesn’t have an IP rating, but the liquid ingredients have splashed on the top of the scale dozens of times, and I’ve had no issues. In fact, they require very low maintenance and operate for several months before their batteries need to be replaced. It’s one of those devices that says, “You only have one job,” and it performs great.

Is there anything you could improve if you could?

So, we’re getting into really nerdy territory here, but here’s the scenario when I use a different metric: making pizza. Some scales have two platforms: one for larger amounts of ingredients, and another that can accurately weigh very light amounts of ingredients (such as a teaspoon of dry yeast). When making pizza, all of your ingredients should be in proportion, grams to the amount of flour in the dough. (Homemade pizza dough is an incredibly deep rabbit hole—save yourself and start your homemade pizza journey with store-bought dough.)

I also think it would be interesting if the scale had a rechargeable battery, but only if it could be removed and replaced to avoid having to throw away the entire scale once the battery deteriorates.

Any other cooking/measuring tips?

If you are transitioning from using volumetric measurements (such as cups of flour), it is important to be able to convert that to grams or ounces if the recipe does not provide that information. There is conflicting information about how many grams are in a cup of flour, but the general consensus is 120 to 130 grams. However, if the recipe is not developed with weight measurements in mind, things can get a little funky.

My advice is to find recipes that list ingredients by weight, and look around to see if the ingredient packaging or website offers instructions on converting from volumetric measurements. For example, King Arthur Baking Company says that a cup of their flour converts to 120 grams (the information is actually printed on the bag, which is very helpful).

Before long, you’ll be able to convert the measurements in your head, and you’ll be able to tell people at cocktail parties that a stick of butter weighs about 113 grams. (I swear I’m a really fun party guest.)