Many people work on 9-to-5 hours choose to prepare food for lunch before going to the office. Some of them think it would be more convenient to do for the whole week but we all know that it requires some planning, calculating, and portioning.
The fact is this task isn’t as easy as it seems. You can easily get lost or forget when dividing and arranging food.
That’s when the best food scale for meal prep kicks in, helping you divide the food precisely and quickly.
Here are the best food scales for meal prep you can buy in 2024:
- Best Overall (Digital Kitchen Scales): Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale
- Best For Prepping Vegetables (Digital Kitchen Scales): Accuweight 207 Digital Kitchen Multifunction Food Scale
- Best For Baking (Digital Kitchen Scales): ZERLA Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale Range From 0.04oz to 11lbs
- Best Overall (Digital Kitchen Scales): Taylor Stainless Steel Analog Kitchen Scale, 11 Lb. Capacity
- Best For Baking (Digital Kitchen Scales): KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scales
- Best For Meat Processing (Digital Kitchen Scales): San Jamar SCMDL5
| 6 Best Food Scales for Meal Prep | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale
| |
Best For Prepping Vegetables | Accuweight 207 Digital Kitchen Multifunction Food Scale
| |
Best For Baking | ZERLA Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale Range From 0.04oz to 11lbs
| |
Best Overall | Taylor Stainless Steel Analog Kitchen Scale, 11 Lb. Capacity
| |
Best For Baking | KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scales
| |
Best For Meat Processing | San Jamar SCMDL5
| |
Best Overall (Digital Kitchen Scales): Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale
- Automatically subtract the bowl weight to only gives you the weight of contents inside – tare function
- Able to accommodate most mixing bowls – large surface
- Easy to use – simple settings and menu buttons
- Wish the LCD display was larger
In terms of digital kitchen scales, Ozeri ZK14-S is the best one on the market. It makes taking measures much easier with a very intelligent function – “Tare”, which will automatically subtract the bowl weight to only gives you the weight of contents inside.
You also can press this button between ingredients to keep adding while it's on the scale, which is ideal for home bakers or Keta dieters.
We love its surface as it permits us to accommodate almost any of our mixing bowls with accurate measurements. In terms of size we think fits the best size to accommodate it in any corner of the kitchen.
If you’re wondering the difference between this and others, it is the simple operations with no more confusing features and menu buttons. Besides, the price of Ozeri ZK14-S is incredibly low.
| Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 8.25 x 1.75 x 6 inches |
Weight Capacity | 11.24 lbs (5100 grams) |
Measurement Increments | 0.05 oz (1 gram). |
Measurement Units | g, lbs, lbs: oz, oz, ml |
Highlight Features | Tare function |
For the crowd who is looking for the best digital kitchen scale, the Ozeri ZK14-S is our Top Pick as the perfect compact, functional, quality, and easy-to-use option.
Best For Prepping Vegetables (Digital Kitchen Scales): Accuweight 207 Digital Kitchen Multifunction Food Scale
- Ideal for prepping vegetables – able to measure to the hundredths of an ounce
- User-friendly & functional - Tare function that stays memorized till you set the empty scale back to zero & 5 measuring units
- Easy to read - backlight and large, bright display
- A bit struggling to clean the space under the platform
- A little slow response
For prepping vegetables, our testers give this digital scale the highest scoring as it’s able to measure to the hundredths of an ounce with high accuracy.
Like other counterparts, it can zero out a plate on the scale and then add the food to get the accurate amount. The Tare function is simple to use and the best thing is it stays memorized till you set the empty scale back to zero.
And, you can do all the above and switch units on the fly from fluid to Lb/oz, from ml oz to grams from the display without flipping the scale over to select units nor doing another tare.
The backlight and large, bright display for easy readout are two big bonuses.
| Accuweight 207 Digital Kitchen Multifunction Food Scale Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 7.87 x 6.42 x 1.46 inches |
Weight Capacity | 5g to 5000g (11lbs / 5000mL / 176 fl. Oz) |
Measurement Increments | 1 g/0.1 oz. |
Measurement Units | pounds, ounces, grams, milliliters, fluid ounces |
Highlight Features | Measurement increments of 1 g/0.1 oz. |
If you want a more accurate food scale for prepping vegetables, we suggest the Accuweight 207.
Best For Baking (Digital Kitchen Scales): ZERLA Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale Range From 0.04oz to 11lbs
- Give extreme accuracy - 0.1g / 0.004oz measurement increment
- Ease of adjustment and use – five measurement units and Tare function
- Ideal for small kitchens – compact design
- Not able to measure in tenths
- The time of the auto-shutoff function is too short
The ZERLA Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale is a good go-to if you’re looking for a scale for baking.
It measures out grams of ingredients quickly with extreme accuracy and provides lots of measurement units with ease of adjustment. It will also quickly set the scale at zero after the container is placed on it by using the tare button.
If you have a small kitchen, this model will be particularly useful due to its compact profile.
The 5-pound weight range is very perfect for standard household needs. Oh, and the batteries are included!
| ZERLA Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale Range From 0.04oz to 11lbs Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 7.87 x 5.91 x 1.69 inches |
Weight Capacity | 5 kg / 11 lbs. |
Measurement Increments | 0.1g / 0.004oz |
Measurement Units | pounds (lb.), ounces (oz.), grams (g), milliliter(ml). |
Highlight Features | 0.1g / 0.004oz measurement increment |
With impressively reliable accuracy, various measurement units, and compact design, the ZERLA Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale is a standout unit for baking.
Best Overall (Digital Kitchen Scales): Taylor Stainless Steel Analog Kitchen Scale, 11 Lb. Capacity
- Good to measure ingredients no smaller than a gram - 1-ounce and 50-gram measurement increment
- Simple to use - self-explanatory design
- Pretty to look at - vintage-styled design
- Bulky and heavy
The Taylor Stainless Steel Analog Kitchen Scale is the scale that anyone that has worked in a professional kitchen has worked with and come to rely on.
With 1-ounce and 50-gram measurement increment, it’s good enough to measure those ingredients that don't need to get down to the gram. Such as family-sized recipes and sausage making.
Using it is very simple as everything is really quite self-explanatory and the surface is large enough to hold a lot of things that need weighing. As using no electricity, it is a timeless classic and much simpler to clean.
Besides, the vintage-styled design makes it pretty to look at even when it is empty.
| Taylor Stainless Steel Analog Kitchen Scale, 11 Lb. Capacity Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 7.8 x 9 x 8.9 inches |
Weight Capacity | 11 lbs (5 kilograms) |
Measurement Increments | 1-ounce and 50-gram |
Measurement Units | pounds, ounces, kilogram, or grams |
Highlight Features | 1-ounce and 50-gram measurement increment |
Reliable, usable, and easily adjustable, the Taylor Stainless Steel Analog Kitchen Scale is a kitchen staple no matter you’re a home chef, cooking enthusiast, baker, or Keta dieter.
Best For Baking (Digital Kitchen Scales): KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scales (Digital Kitchen Scales)
- Ideal for baking in big, family-sized batches – weight capacity of 8 pounds and an extra-large bowl
- Easy readout – numbers visually shown in all pound and ounce and gram metric
- Versatile to fit in any style kitchen
- Messy when pouring into bread maker tin or something like that – round bowl
If you’re into the market for a perfect mechanical kitchen scales for baking in big, family-sized batches, look no further.
This model is praised for its high accuracy and easy-to-read dial in all pound and ounce and gram metric.
We really love its extra-large bowl that can accommodate 8 pounds at a time as maximum.
Regardless, the color is beautiful. It would look perfect in any style of kitchen, whether traditional or modern.
| KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scales Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 11.81 x 7.09 x 7.09 inches |
Weight Capacity | 4 kg or 8 lbs |
Measurement Units | pounds and ounces and grams |
Highlight Features | Weight capacity of 8 pounds and an extra-large bowl |
If you love knowing that you can complete weighing things for baking without the battery running out halfway through, this is it.
Best For Meat Processing (Digital Kitchen Scales): San Jamar SCMDL5
- Easy to clean and maintain - easy-access panel design beneath the scale
- Give precise, quick results – feature pre-drilled tabletop mounting base, 5-pound weight capacity, and grip feet
- Highly accurate measurements - commercial-grade springs
- Expensive
- Some number are a bit confusing to read and requires some practice.
The San Jamar SCMDL5 is a great tool for meat processing.
It highlights commercial-grade springs for highly accurate measurements in an environment where a digital scale comes in useless.
The pre-drilled tabletop mounting base is very handy, in combination with 5-pound weight capacity and grip feet for precise, quick results. Note that it is able to display in kilograms, grams, ounce, and pounds for proper portioning.
The biggest selling point is the tare function which allows for measuring various items in a single container. Last but not least, the easy-access panel design beneath the scale is a big bonus for easy cleanup as it requires no disassembly at all.
| San Jamar SCMDL5 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 7.5 x 9 x 7.5 inches |
Weight Capacity | 5 pounds |
Measurement Units | (lb / oz) and metric (kg / g) |
Highlight Features | Easy-access panel design beneath the scale |
If what you need is a durable, highly accurate, and convenient mechanical scale for meat processing, look no further than the San Jamar SCMDL5.
How To Choose The Best Food Scale for Meal Prep?
Precision
You can try portioning with your hands and eyes, but it can’t be as easy, quick, or precise as using a scale. And a digital scale with high precision will help you perfect this task.
A scale with smaller units will offer higher precision. For example, a scale that can weigh to a tenth of a gram will be very accurate.
Portion Control
Fresh food is not pre-weighed so when preparing meals, you have to divide it into portions on your own.
This is why you need a food scale.
By weighing the food, you can get the exact amount of food you need for a day’s meal, which helps you control your portions more efficiently.
Reproducibility
This factor is important in perfecting your recipe. With a good food scale, you will know exactly how much of every ingredient you added to a dish. Then, you can adjust the amount and ratio of the ingredients to make the recipe better and better. And this can only be achieved if you have the right food scale in your kitchen.
Weight Conversions
You have to converse units of weight when a recipe uses different or unfamiliar units.
A digital food scale is the best choice regarding this factor. It handles weight conversions quickly and accurately while you can focus your mind on cooking.
Which Brands Make The Best Food Scale for Meal Prep?
Taylor
Founded in 1851, Taylor is a brand well-known for accuracy, which is also its top priority when making a product. That’s why you can put your trust in it when buying a food scale. Besides scales, it also offers thermostats, in case you’re interested.
KitchenCraft
This 170-year-old brand has grown over nearly two centuries and is now present in every household across the UK. It offers tableware, kitchenware, along with other home products.
San Jamar
San Jamar stands out by making every aspect of its products based on customer insights. No matter if it’s food safety, personal safety, counter service, or washroom product, the brand listens to the challenges customers are facing, finds the problem, and innovates its products to address those challenges.
FAQs
What is a food scale good for?
A food scale offers many benefits, including:
Consistent, accurate measurements.
Help count calories and determine real serving sizes.
Encourage you to eat healthier.
Encourages mindfulness when you eat out.
Make it easier to cook and bake.
Easy to use and convenient.
How do you weigh meals for meal prep?
First, you need to decide the total amount of food you want to eat for a meal. Then, there are a few ways you can portion your meal, for example, 50% veggie, 25% protein, and 25% starch.
You can also divide the meal into three equal parts for veggie, protein, and starch, or you can portion 50% veggie, 35% protein, and 15% starch.
Next, based on the percentage and the total amount, you can calculate the amount of each food and weigh it with a digital scale.
How many ounces should I meal prep?
Normally, you can have 5.5 ounces of meat, 8 ounces of veggie, and more than 4 ounces of whole-grain for a meal. In total, that makes 17.5 ounces of food for one meal plus 24 ounces for fluid.
How do you clean a food scale?
Clean your scale every day.
Use a small brush to sweep residue off the scale.
Clean the pan, around the scale carefully with a clean, moist wipe.
Remove the pan for more thorough cleaning.
Is it bad to store a scale on its side?
Due to its robust system, a scale should remain fine being stored on its side. But if you are careful and have more space, you should place it horizontally as usual.
Conclusion
Preparing meals once a week helps you save lots of cooking time. However, it can take a lot of your time if you don’t have the best food scale for meal prep.
Getting a good scale from a renowned brand can help you weigh food precisely and quickly, making meal prep easier and more efficient.
It’s also crucial to properly clean your scale, so follow our guidelines closely.
Jane Orta
