Exceptional value for a functional digital scale at a fraction of typical market prices.
Price vs. rivals
Cheaper
CheaperTypicalPricier
This scale is priced far below the typical range for similar digital kitchen scales, making it a budget-friendly option.
Ease of use
Excellent 90/100
Simple digital food scale with straightforward tare and unit controls and a clear LCD, making it easy for most people to use.
Overview
This Etekcity food scale review gets straight to it: yes, it’s worth the seven bucks. A stainless steel scale that reads grams and ounces up to 11 pounds, has a tare function, and runs on included batteries—for that price, you’re getting exactly what you need without the fluff. It’s for anyone who weighs ingredients for cooking, baking, or dieting and doesn’t want to overpay for a brand name. The catch is that the plastic buttons and basic LCD won’t thrill you, but they also won’t break.
The scale solves the problem of guessing portions or using mismatched measuring cups. It’s a flat, sturdy platform that sits on your counter and gives you a number. That’s it. If you’re on a meal-prep kick or just tired of scooping flour into a cup and hoping, this is the tool that removes the guesswork.
Key Features
11lb capacity with 0.05oz / 1g precision – You can weigh a whole chicken or a single gram of yeast. The resolution is fine enough for most recipes, though if you’re working with tiny amounts of spices, you’ll want to know it rounds to the nearest gram.
Six units of measurement – Grams, ounces, pounds-ounces, kilograms, milliliters (for water), and fluid ounces (for water). Switching between them is a single button press. Handy when a recipe uses grams but your brain thinks in cups.
Digital food scale with tare function – Place a bowl, press tare, add ingredients. It zeroes out instantly and you can layer multiple ingredients without moving the bowl. The tare button is right on the face, large enough to hit with a floury finger.
Stainless steel digital food scale top surface – Wipes clean, doesn’t stain from tomato sauce or beet juice, and feels better than plastic. The bottom is plastic, which is fine, because you’re not flipping it over.
LCD display with auto-off – The numbers are clear and big enough to read without squinting. It shuts off after two minutes of inactivity to save the two AAA batteries included. You’ll likely replace them every six months or so, depending on use.
Compact size – About 7.5 by 5.5 inches. Slides into a drawer or stands upright in a cabinet. Not tiny, but not a counter hog either.
Fit for You
You bake bread and want to measure flour by weight instead of volume—way more consistent results, and this scale handles 500g of flour easily.
You make a smoothie every morning and hate washing a full blender just to weigh your spinach and banana. Tare a glass, dump in ingredients, then blend.
You’re logging calories and need to weigh 3 oz of chicken or 28g of almonds. One tap to switch to ounces, another to grams.
You meal prep on Sundays and portion out snacks into bags. The 11lb limit means you can weigh a whole pot of chili at once.
You want a backup scale for when your fancy digital one dies. At this price, keep it in a drawer and forget about it until you need it.
Uses
Pour coffee beans into the drip machine while the scale sits under the carafe. Tare the carafe, dump beans until you hit 30g, start brewing. The scale reacts quickly enough that you don’t overshoot.
Weigh a bag of cat food to check if you’re overfeeding. The tare function lets you zero the plastic container, then dump the kibble. The 11lb capacity is overkill for a cat’s daily portion, but fine for a 5lb bag.
Check postage on small packages. Place a padded envelope on the stainless steel surface, hit “unit” to switch to ounces, and see if you’re under 13 oz for First-Class. Not a postal scale, but close enough for home use.
Bake a layered cake and measure butter, sugar, flour, and milk in one bowl by taring between each addition. No mess, no extra dishes. The LCD stays visible even if you’re standing over it.
Experience
Unboxing: scale, two AAA batteries already in a little baggie, instruction sheet that you’ll read for two seconds then ignore. The batteries slide into a compartment on the bottom—requires a tiny screwdriver to open the cover, which is a minor annoyance. You’ll probably leave it loose once you’ve installed them.
Setup takes ten seconds. Place it on a flat surface, press “ON/OFF”, and it reads 0.0. The stainless steel top has a brushed finish that shows fingerprints but wipes off with a damp cloth. No crevices for crumbs to hide.
Everyday use: the buttons are plastic, domed, and press with a soft click. They’re not mushy, but they’re not satisfying either. The “TARE” button is the biggest and most responsive, which is good because you use it most. The “UNIT” button cycles through the six modes in a loop. If you only ever use grams, you’ll press it four times each time you turn it on, which gets old. Owners tend to note that you can’t save a default unit. Small gripe, real one.
The scale is stable. Put a heavy mixing bowl on it and it doesn’t wobble. The rubber feet grip the counter well, even on slightly wet surfaces. It does slide if you push it sideways, but that’s true of any scale this light.
Cleaning is a wipe-down. Stainless steel is forgiving. The LCD display is recessed a bit, so liquids can pool around the edge if you’re careless. Just dry it afterward. The one annoyance: the “ON/OFF” button and “TARE” button are close together. You’ll sometimes hit tare when you meant to turn it off. Not a dealbreaker, but you’ll do it once a week.
Battery life is decent. With moderate use (maybe 15–20 weighings a day), the included batteries lasted about four months for most people. When the display starts dimming, replace them. The auto-off after two minutes saves power but can be frustrating if you’re mid-recipe and step away to grab an ingredient—you come back to a blank screen and have to hit tare again.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Price – Under seven dollars is absurd for a functional digital scale. You’d spend more on a latte. It works as well as scales costing three times as much.
Accuracy for the money – Reads to 1g / 0.05 oz. That’s enough for 95% of home kitchen tasks. You’ll notice it rounds up from 0.5g, but for baking and meal prep it’s fine.
Tare function is fast – Press and it zeros instantly. No lag. You can weigh multiple ingredients in one container without resetting.
Easy to clean – Stainless steel top, no cracks. Splashes wipe off. Just avoid submerging the whole thing—it’s not waterproof.
Cons
No memory of your last unit – Every time you turn it on, it defaults to grams. If you prefer ounces, you’ll press the unit button four times every single time. It’s a minor chore that adds up.
Plastic construction on the bottom and buttons – It’s not a premium feel. The scale flexes slightly if you press hard on a corner. It’s sturdy enough, but don’t drop it.
Battery cover requires a screwdriver – The one Phillips screw is tiny. You’ll need a small screwdriver to change batteries. Not the end of the world, but inconvenient.
Auto-off timer is fixed at 2 minutes – You can’t adjust it. If you’re doing slow meal prep, the scale will blink off mid-task. You learn to hit tare again quickly.
Advantages
Compared to other budget kitchen scales, the Etekcity food scale vs Ozeri argument usually comes down to price and feel. The Ozeri scales often have a glass top (which can break) and a slightly nicer button interface, but they cost twice as much. This Etekcity model uses stainless steel, which is less slippery than glass and won’t shatter if you drop a can of tomatoes on it. The buttons are the weak point, but the trade-off is a functional scale that costs a third of the Ozeri’s price.
If you’re looking for the best kitchen scale for dieting, this one meets the core requirements: precise grams, easy tare, and compact storage. Dieting doesn’t need Bluetooth or app sync—it needs a reliable number. This delivers. The lack of a removable platform or USB charging keeps it simple and keeps the cost low.
It’s also one of the few scales at this price point that includes batteries. Small thing, but nice.
Who Should Buy
Buy it if you need a no-fuss digital scale for basic kitchen tasks and don’t want to think about it again. It’s cheap enough to replace if lost or broken.
Buy it if you’re starting a diet and want to weigh portions. You don’t need fancy features. This gets you accurate numbers for your food log.
Skip it if you need extreme precision (e.g., 0.1g for espresso or supplements). This scale rounds to 1g, so it won’t reliably measure a single gram of coffee powder.
Skip it if you hate pressing a button four times to change units. If you mostly use ounces, look for a scale that remembers your last setting. The Etekcity doesn’t.
Skip it if you want a scale that feels premium on a marble countertop. The plastic bottom and budget buttons might look out of place in a high-end kitchen. For that, consider a Ozeri or a MyWeigh.
FAQ
Is the Etekcity Food Scale worth it?
Yes, absolutely. For under seven dollars you get a stainless steel top, accurate 1g resolution, a responsive tare function, and six unit options. It’s one of the best values in the category, even with a few minor annoyances.
How does it compare to a glass-top scale?
Glass tops look nicer but can crack if you drop a heavy bowl. Stainless steel won’t shatter and is easier to clean sticky messes from. The trade-off is that stainless shows fingerprints more. Neither is objectively better, but for durability, the steel wins.
Is Etekcity food scale vs Ozeri a fair comparison?
Both brands sell reliable scales. Ozeri models tend to have a more polished interface and often include a backlit display or removable bowl. Etekcity focuses on raw function at a lower price. If you value simplicity and saving money, go Etekcity. If you want nicer buttons and a warranty, Ozeri.
What kind of batteries does it use and how long do they last?
It uses two AAA batteries, included in the box. Expect 4–6 months of daily use before you need to replace them. The auto-off helps. Changing them requires a Phillips screwdriver for the battery cover door.
Is the stainless steel digital food scale safe for measuring dry ingredients and liquids?
Yes. The flat stainless surface handles dry ingredients fine. For liquids, use a bowl on top and tare the scale. Do not pour liquid directly onto the scale, as the seam around the display is not sealed and liquid could seep inside.
Can I use it to weigh things over 11 pounds?
You shouldn’t. It maxes out at 11 lb (5 kg). Exceeding that can damage the internal sensor. The scale will display “Err” if overloaded. For larger weights, you need a heavier-duty kitchen scale.
Final Verdict
The Etekcity Food Scale is a practical, no-drama purchase. It does what a digital kitchen scale should do—weigh things accurately up to 11 pounds in grams, ounces, and other units—without charging you for a brand name or flashy features. The stainless steel surface is a real plus at this price. The downsides (no unit memory, screwdriver for batteries, two-minute auto-off) are real but minor for the money you’re saving.
If you’re buying your first kitchen scale or replacing a broken one, get this. If you already own a scale and are happy with it, there’s no reason to upgrade. The one thing to keep in mind: if you weigh things in ounces more often than grams, you’ll press that unit button a lot. That’s the only honest reason to pay more for a different model.
The Etekcity Food Scale sits in a weirdly sweet spot: it costs less than a decent sandwich, yet it does the job for most home cooks and dieters. At just shy of seven dollars, it’s the cheapest digital scale you can buy from a known brand that doesn’t feel like a toy. But cheap doesn’t always mean best—sometimes you’d rather pay a few bucks more for better feel or a bigger display. Below I’ve lined it up against three real alternatives so you can see exactly where that $6.98 gets you, and where it doesn’t.
Product
Price Range
Key Strength
Key Weakness
Best For
Etekcity Food Scale
Budget (around $7)
Cheap, reliable tare function, accurate to 1g/0.05oz
Small LCD, plasticky feel, and the batterie cover pops off easly
Anyone on a tight budget who needs a no-fuss scale for baking or dieting
Slightly bulkier, no auto-off option (it stays on until you turn it off)
Regular bakers and meal preppers who want a scale that survives spills
Greater Goods Digital Scale
Mid-range (around $13-18)
Large backlit display, silicone top for grip, includes two weighing modes
Plastic body flexes a bit under heavy loads near 11lb
People who weigh big batches and need to read the numbers from across the counter
Etekcity Food Scale vs Ozeri Pronto
The Ozeri Pronto is the closest rival in price—about double the Etekcity, but still under fifteen bucks. You get a much bigger LCD (the digits are almost comically large) and touch-sensitive buttons instead of theEtekcity’s physical membrane ones. That sounds like an upgrade until your hands are greasy from kneading dough and the touch panel stops registering. TheEtekcity’s buttons, while cheap-looking, always click. Trade-off: you lose the sleek look but gain reliability when things get messy. For dieting and portion control, both scales measure within the same margin (0.05oz), so accuracy isn’t the difference. What is: the Ozeri runs on a CR2032 coin cell that lasts forever but you can’t replace easily mid-recipe; the Etekcity uses two AAA batteries that come included and you can swap in seconds. If you want a clean, flat scale that looks good on your counter, grab the Ozeri. If you just want something that works every time and costs half as much, the Etekcity is the smarter bet.
Etekcity Food Scale vs Escali Primo
The Escali Primo is the gold standard for “it just works” in home kitchens. It costs two to three times more than the Etekcity, but the build is night and day. The Primo’s buttons are sealed under a continuous rubber sheet—no crumbs get inside, ever. The Etekcity’s seams let flour into the battery compartment after a few months of frequent baking. The Escali also uses a stiffer platform that doesn’t bounce when you drop a chunk of butter on it. Is that worth an extra $10-12? If you bake every weekend and hate replacing scales, yes. But for someone who just needs a digital food scale with tare function for dieting or occasional meal prep, the Etekcity holds up fine—just wipe it down carefully. The Escali’s downside: no auto-shutoff, so you’ll drain batteries if you forget. The Etekcity turns itself off after two minutes, which is perfect for forgetful dieters. So the best kitchen scale for dieting? That depends on how much abuse it will take.
Etekcity Food Scale vs Greater Goods Digital Scale
Greater Goods targets the same 11lb kitchen scale grams and ounces audience but adds a backlit display and a soft-touch silicone top. The Etekcity’s LCD is bare and unlit—fine in bright light, miserable if you’re weighing ingredients in a dim pantry. The Greater Goods scale’s numbers glow white, making it the better choice for early-morning bakes or evening meal prep. The silicone pad also stops slippery bowls from sliding, a detail the bare stainless steel of the Etekcity doesn’t offer. But that silicone traps sticky stuff; you’ll have to peel it off and wash it occasionally. And the plastic frame of the Greater Goods scale flexes audibly when you push it near the 11-pound limit, while the Etekcity’s metal platform stays flat. For $12-18, the Greater Goods is a solid alternative if visibility matters more than raw durability. For the lowest price point, stick with the Etekcity—it’s still a perfectly fine stainless steel digital food scale for the money.
So, is the Etekcity Food Scale worth it? Yes—if you’re cost-conscious, don’t bake daily, and need a no-frills device that measures grams and ounces correctly every time. It gets the job done for dieting and basic cooking. But if you’ve got ten extra dollars, the Escali Primo will outlast three of these, and if you want a scale you can read in the dark, the Greater Goods model wins. Pick the Etekcity as your starter or backup scale; upgrade to the Escali when you’re ready to commit to the kitchen long term.
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