Weight-Loss Software > Food Weight Scale
Finding the Perfect Food Weight Scale
By Terry Dunkle, DietPower Editor-In-Chief*
To find the perfect food weight scale, look for one that is not only well designed but also measures precisely and carries an attractive price. I've been buying and selling food scales at discount prices for more than a decade. When shopping, I always consider these points:
Accuracy
Electronic scales are more precise than spring scales. Most electronic scales weigh to the nearest 0.1 ounce or 1 gram, but a few resolve to 0.01 ounce or 0.1 gram. Repeatability is more significant than resolution, however. If your scale fluctuates by 0.4 ounce from one reading to the next, obviously it isn't accurate to 0.1 ounce.
Special Features
A good food scale will have a tare button. Pressing this button after you've placed a dish on the scale will zero the display, so that when you put food on the dish, the reading indicates the weight of the food only. Similarly, a good scale will usually have either a bowl to hold liquid food, salads, and such, or at least a lid that doubles as a measuring tray.
Batteries
All else being equal, choose a food weight scale that uses AA or AAA batteries—not "watch batteries," as these are sometimes hard to find and usually more difficult to replace. And obviously, "batteries not included" is not a good sign unless the price is surprisingly low.
Price
You shouldn’t have to pay more than $35 for a food weight scale accurate to 0.1 ounce. Greater precision or portability may raise the price to $50 or more. If you purchase online, allow shipping costs of $7 to $12 for Parcel Post or $6 to $30 for Priority Mail, which varies greatly with distance.
Warranty
It’s easy to find a food weight scale with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty that promises to give you a new scale if the old one goes kerflooey. Don’t accept less.
*Terry Dunkle ia national award-winning medical editor who founded and directs DietPower, Inc., which develops weight-loss software and sells bathroom and food scales.