How to Use a Kitchen Scale Like a Pro

A digital kitchen scale is easily the best tool in your kitchen, but a lot of people only use it for the absolute basics.

Once you learn how to use the zeroing functions, swap units on the fly, and keep it from getting confused by drafts or uneven counters, your baking is going to get a lot easier and much more accurate. Let's look at how to use your scale like a chef.

Step 1: Get Cozy with the Tare Button

"Tare" is just a fancy word for subtracting the weight of your empty bowl or cup. When you hit it, you are telling the scale to ignore that bowl.

Here is the easiest way to use it:

1. Put your empty mixing bowl on the scale. You will see the bowl's weight pop up (say, 420g).
2. Press the Tare (or Zero) button. The display will reset to 0g.
3. Pour in your ingredient (like 200g of sugar) until the screen hits 200g. Easy.
4. Press Tare again. It goes back to 0g, and you can add your flour or oats right into the same bowl. Less dishes to wash!

Step 2: Watch Your Units

Most scales weigh things in a few different units. You can flip through them by clicking the Unit or Mode button:

Watch Out for These Easy Mistakes

Digital scales are pretty sensitive. A few simple things can easily mess up your readings:

• Crowded Counters: Make sure your scale isn't touching a nearby wall, cookbook, or toaster cord. If something nudges the scale, it will throw off the weight.
• Soft Mats and Towels: Don't put your scale on a silicone baking mat or kitchen towel. It cushions the feet, which absorbs some of the weight and makes the scale read lighter than it actually is.
• Overloading: Most home scales max out at 11 pounds (5 kg). Pushing past that limit can throw off the calibration permanently.

Skip the Math

You don't need to do fractional math in your head.

Use our free Unit Converter to swap decimal ounces or pounds into grams instantly, so your recipe matches your scale perfectly.

Other Helpful Tools

Here are a few more converters to make your kitchen prep easier:

• Unit Converter — Convert weights between grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds.
• Ounces Converter — Convert dry ounces to metric values.
• Cups to Grams Converter — Switch volume recipes to scale weights.
• Recipe Scaler — Scale baking ingredients up or down.

The Bottom Line

Using a kitchen scale is the fastest way to level up your baking. Once you master the tare button and keep the scale on a hard, flat surface, you'll work faster, clean up fewer bowls, and get perfect results every single time.