Why weighing ingredients is the biggest upgrade in bread baking, and the scales worth buying, from simple to baker's percentage models.
| Award | Product | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out DisplayA readable display under big bowls | See on Amazon for OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display (opens Amazon) |
| Best value | Escali Primo Digital Kitchen ScaleSimple and accurate | See on Amazon for Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale (opens Amazon) |
| Best for serious bakers | My Weigh KD-8000 Baker's ScaleBaker's percentages and big batches | See on Amazon for My Weigh KD-8000 Baker's Scale (opens Amazon) |
| Best add-on | 0.01g Digital Pocket ScaleWeighing salt and yeast | See on Amazon for 0.01g Digital Pocket Scale (opens Amazon) |
| Pair it with | ThermoPro TP19H Digital Instant Read ThermometerChecking water and doneness | See on Amazon for ThermoPro TP19H Digital Instant Read Thermometer (opens Amazon) |
If you buy only one thing for bread baking, make it a scale. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from about 120 to 150 grams depending on how you scoop it, and that difference can turn a perfect loaf into a dense one.
Weighing is also faster and leaves fewer dishes to wash. Here are the scales we recommend.
Best for: A readable display under big bowls
The scale we'd buy first. The display pulls out from under a big bowl so you can always read it, and it holds up to 11 pounds, plenty for any home dough.
Best for: Simple and accurate
A simple, accurate, compact scale that has been a baker's staple for years. Two buttons, a sealed design and a long warranty.
Best for: Baker's percentages and big batches
A scale built for bakers. It holds up to 8 kg, has a removable shield over the display and a baker's percentage mode that does the math for you.
Best for: Weighing salt and yeast
A tiny scale that weighs to a hundredth of a gram, for accurately measuring the small amounts of salt, yeast and other ingredients that big scales round off.
Best for: Checking water and doneness
Bread is done at about 205 to 210°F inside. A fast thermometer takes the guesswork out, and it's just as useful for checking water and dough temperature.
Our picks are based on research, not sponsorships. We compare manufacturer specifications, read long-term owner feedback, and weigh what experienced bakers and baking teachers consistently recommend. We favor gear that's simple to use, built to last and worth the space in your kitchen. No brand pays to be included, and we update this guide as products change.
Bread recipes are written in grams. Look for a scale that reads to at least 1 gram.
A batch of dough plus a heavy bowl can top 5 kilograms. Aim for at least 5 kg (11 lb) capacity.
A large bowl can hide the screen. Pull-out displays or wide platforms help.
Tare resets to zero so you can add each ingredient to the same bowl. All of our picks have it.
Cups vary a lot depending on how you fill them. Weighing gives the same result every time and makes recipes easy to scale.
Not to start. It helps for weighing small amounts of yeast and salt in single-loaf recipes, but most bakers manage fine with a main scale.
A way to write recipes where every ingredient is a percentage of the flour weight. Try our bread hydration calculator to see it in action.
A common estimate is 120 to 125 grams per cup of all-purpose flour and about 236 grams per cup of water. Check your flour brand's website for its own figure.
Answer three quick questions and we'll match you with the right setup for the bread you want to bake.