I tested KitchenAid’s Dual Platform Kitchen Scale, and I won’t be giving it back

If you think kitchen scales are just for bakers, think again. Even the most basic of cooks will need to use one of the best kitchen scales to weigh pasta or rice. And although some ingredients can be measured in cups, a kitchen scale will give you precision when you need it.

I’ve been testing a range of kitchen scales to see how they perform, and with KitchenAid being my favorite brand of stand mixer, I couldn’t pass on reviewing KitchenAid’s Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale. Would the kitchen scale live up the the high standards I’ve come to expect from the brand? Let’s find out.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale: Price and availability

Considering the name behind KitchenAid, I was expecting this kitchen scale to be much more expensive than it is. The list price at Amazon for both the white and black version is $36.49, although at the time of writing, the black version is reduced by 23% to $27.99 at Amazon.

You can also discover the white colorway at Target for $36.49.
It's a similar price to Joseph Joseph's SwitchScale, which retails for $40 at Amazon.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale: Design

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One of the first things you'll notice about the KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale is that it doesn't come with a bowl. Well, don't let this put you off. I've been using a kitchen scale for years that doesn't have a bowl, and it's never been an issue.

On the looks front the scale appears very sleek, and it's easy to pick up and move around without being cumbersome. So, although it doesn't look nearly as awesome as Smeg's Contemporary Kitchen Scale, it's much easier to store, while still having a certain style about it.

The two weighing platforms are in stainless steel and these sit on the plastic base which houses the batteries (underneath), four control buttons and an LCD display. The base will be in either black or white, depending on which option you choose.

The larger scale platform is labeled '1 ' and measures 6.65 x 6.75 inches, while the smaller platform, labeled '2' measures 3.25 x 3.75 inches.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale: Ease of use

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If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know that I'm not one for spending hours poring over instructions before I start to use an appliance. I like gadgets to be intuitive and quick to pick up.

Powering up
This is certainly the case with the KitchenAid Dual Scale. The only issue I found was levering off the battery case on the reverse of the scale. Once I'd added 3 x AAA batteries I was away — but you will need to supply your own. When the batteries run low, a 'Lo' symbol will appear on the LCD display, but I wasn't able to test this function.

Controls and measurements
You'll find four buttons on the front of the scale. Moving from left to right, the first turns the appliance on and off, the second allows you to select metric or imperial measurements (the factory setting is pounds and ounces), the third resets the larger scale to zero, while the fourth resets the small scale to zero.

Weight limit
The large scale will measure up to 11 pounds or 5kg, while the smaller scale will monitor 16 ounces or 500g, before displaying '0-Ld' for 'overload' on the screen. The smaller precision scale doesn't just measure in ounces and grams, but gives ounce measurements with three decimal places, and grams with two decimal places. It's ideal if you need to weigh yeast or other fine ingredients in exact amounts.

Tare function
If you choose to weigh ingredients in a bowl, you'll need to remember to reset the tare button back to zero. Alternatively, you can place the bowl onto the scale before turning the scale on.

I always use the tare function on a scale as I often weigh multiple ingredients at once, especially if I am baking an all-in-one cake. It's a handy function that you'll find on most scales.

Display
I found the LCD display clear and easy to read, and there was no issue of any weighing containing obscuring the view, which I found happened with the Joseph Joseph SwitchScale.

Storage
I don't think I'd keep this scale on display, but it is sleek and slimline and will easily fit into a cupboard, without being cumbersome or heavy to move about.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale: Accuracy

Overall I was impressed with the accuracy of this scale, and even more so by the precision offered by the second, smaller scale, designed to weigh 000.1oz-16oz (0.01g-500g). If you only want a scale to measure items such as pasta, you won't need this precision scale, but I was taken by its added functionality.

Unlike other scales that I've tested that weren't spot on, the KitchenAid main scale registered a 1g calibrated at 1g, with the precision scale measuring it at either 0.99g or 1.01g — but I'm not going to be picky about that! However, the main weighing platform didn't pick up the 1g weight when I placed it away from the center.

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I went on to test different weights on both platforms and the smaller scale continued to perform consistently. However, the larger scale was slightly off, but only by 1g. When I placed a mix of a 5g, 2g and 1g weight on the edge of the platform, it registered 7g, rather than 8g.

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I always place 170g on every scale I test, and on the larger scale it registered as 169g when the weights were placed in the center, and 171g when placed at the edge. On the smaller scale, when the weights were placed around the edge of the platform it registered 170.35g.

What I do need to mention is that the scale didn't fluctuate between deciding on the weight, and gave a reading that settled instantly.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale: Cleaning

The two weighing platforms on this scale are slightly raised, which does cause an issue with ingredients getting caught between the base and the platforms, especially light ingredients such as flour. I didn't see this as a real issue, but it's something to be aware of, and is the reason I knocked half a star of the rating. For best cleaning results KitchenAid advices to wipe the scale with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. It should not be submerged in water or placed in a dishwasher.

You'll also find that the stainless steel weighing platforms get covered in fingerprints. But don't fret, as a quick wipe with a damp microfiber cloth will make the surface shiny again.

KitchenAid Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale: Verdict

The KitchenAid Dual Platform is the one for you if you want a scale to measure precise amounts. I found it particularly useful as I could use both scales simultaneously, measuring flour on the larger scale and yeast and baking powder on the smaller scale.

What’s more, it’s easy to use, accurate, relatively easy to clean, compact and slim. I think it’s a keeper.

The only reason why you might not want to purchase this KitchenAid scale is if you’d prefer to have a scale with a bowl, such as the Joseph Joseph SwitchScale or Eteckcity Digital Kitchen Scale.

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