Escali Food Scale Review

I bake a lot. After my professional training at culinary school, I worked in bakeries and restaurants before bringing my passion home to my own kitchen. One thing you might find surprising? Though I constantly whip up sweet treats, I rarely use my measuring cups unless I’m cooking. Sure, they come in handy when I’m measuring grains and seeds like rice or quinoa, but that’s the extent of their purpose in my repertoire.

Why? They aren’t precise, they clutter up the counter or cupboard, and they just add to the pile of things to clean. The former is the most important, though: The lack of accuracy that comes with dry measuring cups can be a huge issue in baking because it leaves a lot of room for error. We all measure differently, and with the precise nature of baking, this is less than ideal. But that’s where a food scale comes into play: It’s an accurate and easy-to-use kitchen tool that happens to be the most important baking tool I own. 

Escali Kitchen Scale 

A lot of conventional recipes use cups — aka volume — for measuring. I wasn’t really exposed to kitchen scales until I started working in bakeries and attended culinary school, where consistency was always key and mistakes were important to avoid. While at The Culinary Institute of America, I was given a kit of every baking tool I’d need. Inside was the Escali kitchen scale, a seemingly small tool that has made a huge impact on me — so much so that I own two of them. It’s our favorite kitchen scale on the market based on rigorous tests, too. 

I’ve owned these kitchen scales for 10 years at this point, and both are still performing as well as the day I first got them. I use the Escali scale to measure the perfect amount of nearly every baking ingredient, including flour, sugar, eggs, and liquids like milk, salt, water, butter, and oil. Whether I’m tackling a complex recipe or baking my famous chocolate layer cake that I could make in my sleep, I reach for this scale so I know I’m getting consistent, accurate results every time. There are so many ways to go wrong in the baking process, and using this scale ensures my measuring is not one of them. 

I have used a variety of different scales in different kitchens, and this one is by far my favorite. It measures ounces, grams, pounds, and pounds and ounces, which is everything I need. Most often, I use gram measurements since I am not baking in bulk. Plus, gram measurements are the most accurate since it’s the smallest unit the machine reads. But, the ounces and pounds come in handy for making breads, measuring whole fruit for pies, and more. 

The shape of the scale makes it easy to measure because the surface is slightly elevated, allowing bowls to steer clear of the digital display. I find the display clear to read too; the numbers are large enough to grab quick, straightforward measurements. There are just two buttons on the scale for simplicity’s sake: an on and off button and a tare button to bring the weight back to zero. 

Available in an array of colors, this food scale is powered by batteries, though mine are both still trucking without needing a replacement. (I just make sure I turn it off as soon as I’m done using it.). These scales have been through a lot, so I really appreciate how easy they are to wipe down, and I now use them for heaps of other things aside from baking like measuring coffee beans and dividing pasta portions evenly from a whole pack. And, having this scale has allowed me to cut down on my dishes significantly since I no longer have measuring cups and extra bowls to clean. 

I’ll always reach for my Escali scale over any other measuring system for its accuracy. And, the longer you use it, the more you memorize measurement-to-weight conversions for your most-used ingredients. Right now is the perfect time to grab one of your own, while it’s on slight sale ahead of peak baking season. I promise it’ll be the best $25 you spend this month.

Shop More of My Baking Essentials: 

GIR Silicone Spatula 

Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Bowl Set 

ThermoPro Candy Thermometer 

KitchenAid Classic 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer 

Ateco 4.25-Inch Offset Spatula 

At the time of publishing, the price was $25.