How to Buy Professional Grade Food Service Kitchen Scales

Where do you start when shopping for a commercial grade food service kitchen scale? When purchasing a scale for your kitchen or restaurant, the options can be overwhelming.

We offer a range of foodservice scales that can be used for a variety of weighing needs including portion control, batching, and even parts counting. In order to determine which scale is best for you, start by asking yourself the following questions.

First, start with basic application questions about how you will be using the commercial kitchen scale. What do you want to do with the scale? What weight capacity are you looking for? What weight increments will you need the scale to read in? For example a hundredth of a pound or a tenth of a pound.  Will you need the scale to read in pounds, ounces, kilograms, grams, or pounds and ounces? Will you be buying or selling over this scale? If so, your scale will need to be legal for trade. Will your scale need to be NSF certified?

mechanical dial scale for food prep

Then, ask yourself more product specific questions about what requirements your scale will need to meet. Do you need a stainless steel scale? Will you be washing the scale down? And if so, how often? How large of a weighing platform will you need? Will the scale need to be readable from a distance? Are there any other functions you’re looking for? Such as Checkweighing, grading, piece counting, etc.

 

Other questions to ask yourself include: Are you looking for a scale with communication capability? Such as USB, Serial, Bluetooth, etc.) Will the scale be picked up and/or moved frequently? Is update speed or filtering a factor in weighing your products? Would a bowl on your scale make weighing easier? If so, do you want the bowl permanently attached? Or do you need it to be removable?

Are Mechanical or Digital Kitchen Scales Better?

We offer a variety of Yamato mechanical and digital scale models. Choosing between mechanical and digital often comes down to personal preferences, yet there are distinct advantages to each option.

Mechanical Scales operate without power, cords, or cumbersome setups. This makes them effortlessly portable. These scales are durable and some can even withstand regular washdowns.

digital portion scale for washdown weighing

Digital Scales are renowned for their accuracy and rapid measurement capabilities. While they require power, they offer versatility with multiple measurement units such as pounds, ounces, kilograms, and gram modes. Furthermore, they often come equipped with advanced features like check weighing, grading, and batching to cater to more diverse needs. Water resistant options are also available.

Answering the questions outlined in this video and considering if you prefer a mechanical scale or a digital scale is a good place to start when shopping for a new commercial kitchen scale. Our commercial weighing experts can help guide you to the right scale model that will best meet your needs. Complete the RFQ form on our website to get started.