[PastryAllDay]

Hi all,
Looking for brand recc's since I just got badly burned by some new scales we purchased. Hoping to return them. We have some $$, so able to invest in something that will withstand time and flour.
Any suggestions/ favorites you all have?

Thank you!

 

[chefpeon]

I assume you're talking about digital scales? Maybe I'm too old-school, but I've always used baker's balance scales. They hold up to anything and are always accurate. I use a small digital for extremely small measurements and those run about $30-$40.

 

[JohnDB]

Ditto on the balance bakers scale.
They hold either 8 or 16 lbs at a time....I recommend the 16. Plastic scoop is ok....but expect it to break at some point.

Most do ¼ oz increments as well....just keep the crud off of them and they will measure 10 lbs 4 ¾oz to the gram every day of the week.

 

[retiredbaker]

I still have my cast iron and brass balance beam scale,
7lbs iron weights plus 1lb sliding increment, add a gallon of water for another 8lb.

 

[JohnDB]

 

[chefpeon]

Ha ha! What's wrong with this picture?

 

[PastryAllDay]

Amazing. Thanks all. What a consensus! Definitely makes more sense than the many, many digital scales we have gone through over the years.

 

[JohnDB]

Ha ha! What's wrong with this picture?

Yeah....I saw it after I posted it....
Counterbalance ain't gonna do much good if you don't use it.

 

[Underbelly]

There's a digital scale by MyWeigh cald the KD8000 that has an interesting feature for some bakers. It lets you weigh in baker's percentages. So if you have a bread recipe in that format, you can weigh your 100% ingredient, shift it into % mode, and then weigh everything else in terms of percent.

I know about this because very randomly I helped them design it. When I was getting tech support for a different scale model, I was in the middle of learning to make bread with a pile of professional cookbooks, and asked them if they made a scale that worked with percentages. They said no, but that if I sketched them what the interface would be like, they'd send me a free scale. I did and they did. Years later, when I needed a new scale, I found the one I designed and bought it.

Punch line: I've only used the baker's % feature once in the 10 years I've had the thing. Not actually useful to me. But maybe useful to someone who works with those formulas all day?

It's a little over $50 on Amazon. Capacity is 8000g (not 8000 lbs, as the amazon listing says ... )

 

[chefpeon]

There's a digital scale by MyWeigh cald the KD8000 that has an interesting feature for some bakers. It lets you weigh in baker's percentages. So if you have a bread recipe in that format, you can weigh your 100% ingredient, shift it into % mode, and then weigh everything else in terms of percent.

I know about this because very randomly I helped them design it. When I was getting tech support for a different scale model, I was in the middle of learning to make bread with a pile of professional cookbooks, and asked them if they made a scale that worked with percentages. They said no, but that if I sketched them what the interface would be like, they'd send me a free scale. I did and they did. Years later, when I needed a new scale, I found the one I designed and bought it.

Punch line: I've only used the baker's % feature once in the 10 years I've had the thing. Not actually useful to me. But maybe useful to someone who works with those formulas all day?

It's a little over $50 on Amazon. Capacity is 8000g (not 8000 lbs, as the amazon listing says ... )

Wow! I so could have used that a few years ago!!!! I would have needed more than a 17 lb capacity though. I wonder if they make commercial sizes too?

 

[Underbelly]

Wow! I so could have used that a few years ago!!!! I would have needed more than a 17 lb capacity though. I wonder if they make commercial sizes too?

Not to my knowledge, but maybe someone else has a similar feature?