I Bought the Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale, Digital Grams and Ounces for We: Here's My Honest Take

I've been using the Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale for several months now for everything from measuring portions for weight loss to weighing flour for baking and dosing coffee. I bought it because I wanted an inexpensive, compact scale that could be used for precise food measurements and store easily in a crowded drawer. After roughly six months of daily and weekly use, here’s what I learned: the things I liked, the things that annoyed me, and whether it earns a permanent place on my countertop.

Why I bought this scale

My main goals were straightforward: accurate grams for meal prep, ounces for recipes, a reliable tare feature so I could measure ingredients in the same bowl, and a large enough platform to hold a cereal bowl or a small mixing bowl. I also wanted something that was easy to clean and wouldn’t take up much space. The Etekcity promised those basics at a price point that didn’t make me nervous to try it out, so I grabbed one and started using it every day.

First impressions and build quality

Out of the box the scale felt lighter than the metal-bodied scales I’d owned before, but not flimsy. The platform is tempered glass — glossy and flat — and the control area has a small LCD with a backlight. The unit feels compact and thin; it’s easy to slide into a drawer or stand on its side in a cabinet. The feet are rubberized and keep it from sliding on the counter. One small thing I noticed immediately: the glass surface shows fingerprints and flour dust easily, so I ended up wiping it down more often than I expected.

Accuracy and consistency

Accuracy is the number-one reason I have any scale in the kitchen, and here’s the short story: for everyday cooking, meal prep, and most baking the Etekcity has been reliably accurate. I tested it in a few ways over the months — weighing a store-bought 100 g calibration weight I had, measuring out cups of flour and sugar and comparing to recipe expectations, and checking coffee doses. Readings were within the level of error I’d expect for a budget kitchen scale: solid for gram-level work and repeatable across repeated measurements.

That said, it’s not a high-end lab instrument. It reads in 1-gram increments (and 0.1-ounce increments in imperial mode), so if you need 0.1 g precision for espresso dosing you won’t get it here. I noticed the scale can be a little jumpy with very light items (under about 2–3 g) — crumbs, tiny seeds, or single pieces of spice. For everything else — 20 g and up — it settled to a repeatable value quickly.

Usability in real cooking situations

Here are concrete ways I used it and how it performed:

• Meal prep and weight loss: I portion out chicken, rice, and vegetables to target calories. The tare function makes this painless: put my bowl on the scale, hit tare, then add food. The display is easy to read at a glance, even when I’m multitasking in the kitchen.
• Baking: I used the scale for weighing flour, sugar, and butter. For most home-baking needs it’s precise enough. It helped me stop eyeballing cups and gave more consistent cookies and muffins.
• Coffee: I used it for pour-over dosing. If you’re used to a precision coffee scale that reads to 0.1 g, you might feel the limitation, but for casual brewing and French press it worked fine.
• Leftovers and jars: The platform is wide enough to hold a small mixing bowl or a jar, and the tare function again is handy for measuring net weight.

Controls and display

The control layout is minimal: a power button, a unit button to toggle between grams/ounces/pounds/milliliters, and a tare button. The buttons are touch-sensitive and respond well, though occasionally I had to press twice if my fingers were wet or coated in dough. The backlit LCD is bright enough to read under kitchen lighting; I appreciated the contrast when my hands were full or when I looked down mid-recipe.

One feature I’ve come to appreciate is the quick unit toggle. I often switch between grams and ounces depending on the recipe, and the scale switches instantly. The unit abbreviations are clear on the display so there’s no guessing which mode I’m in.

Battery life and power

Power-wise, this model runs on two AAA batteries, which were included with my purchase. In my experience the batteries lasted several months with frequent use; I use the scale daily during the workweek and less on weekends. The scale has an auto-off feature that preserves battery life, but more on that below.

Durability and cleaning

After regular use, the scale still looks and performs well. The glass platform is scratch-resistant but will show smudges and flour. I wipe it down with a damp cloth after use; the unit is not waterproof and the control area should not be submerged or rinsed. The rubber feet have stayed in place and the plastic undercarriage hasn’t warped or yellowed. If you’re rough with the glass — dropping heavy metal bowls on it repeatedly — it may not survive, but typical home use has been trouble-free.

Minor annoyances

No product is perfect. Here are the annoyances I encountered:

• Auto-off is conservative. If I’m doing longer prep with multiple small additions (slicing, stirring between additions), the scale sometimes goes to sleep and I have to re-weigh. It saves battery, but interrupts longer workflows.
• The glossy glass shows fingerprints and flour dust very easily, so I found myself wiping it frequently just to keep it looking clean.
• Very light items register inconsistently below a couple of grams. That’s fine for most food uses but matters if you’re trying to weigh tiny amounts.
• Touch buttons can be finicky if your hands are wet or sticky; a firmer press usually fixes it, but it’s not the most tactile experience.

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
  • Compact, slim profile — easy to store
  • Accurate and repeatable for everyday cooking and baking (1 g resolution)
  • Simple tare and unit toggle — very usable
  • Tempered glass platform is easy to clean and looks modern
  • Good value for the price — includes batteries
• Cons:
  • Auto-off can interrupt longer recipe prep
  • Not suited for sub-gram precision (coffee espresso dosing)
  • Glass surface shows fingerprints and flour easily
  • Touch buttons less responsive with wet or sticky hands

How it compares to other popular kitchen scales

In my experience the Etekcity competes well with these alternatives on price and basic functionality. The OXO is slightly nicer for handling awkward bowls because of its pull-out display, and the Escali wins for simplicity and durability if you want a no-frills tool. The Etekcity strikes a balance: modern looks and a glass surface for the price-conscious buyer.

Buying guide — what to consider before you buy

When choosing a kitchen scale, think about these factors based on how I actually use mine in the kitchen:

1. Accuracy and Readability

Decide how precise you need measurements to be. If you bake frequently and want consistent results, 1-gram readability is usually enough. If you’re dosing espresso or doing very small-quantity baking ingredients (like yeast or spices), you may want a scale that reads to 0.1 g.

2. Maximum Capacity

Most home scales have a max of about 5 kg (11 lb), which is plenty for bowls and most recipes. If you plan to weigh large cuts of meat or large mixing bowls, check the platform size and capacity.

3. Platform Size and Shape

Platform size matters more than you think. A small scale is easier to store, but it may not fit a large mixing bowl. I found the Etekcity’s platform is big enough for my usual bowls and jars, but if you use wide salad bowls or large stand-mixer bowls you’ll want a larger surface.

4. Material

Tempered glass looks modern and wipes clean, but it shows smudges. Stainless steel platforms are more utilitarian and can hide smudges but may scratch. Plastic is inexpensive but can stain.

5. Tare Function and Unit Switching

The tare (zero) function is essential for layering ingredients in a single container. Also ensure the scale lets you switch units quickly if you use both grams and ounces.

6. Auto-off and Battery Type

Auto-off preserves battery, but can be annoying during longer prep sessions. Consider whether the model uses standard batteries (AA/AAA) or coin cells; standard batteries are easy to replace and keep in the drawer.

7. Ease of Cleaning

Look for a flat surface without crevices where flour or sugar can hide. Remember: most kitchen scales are not waterproof — don’t immerse them. Wipe-down-friendly surfaces save time.

8. Display Visibility

A backlit display is helpful in low light or when working quickly. Consider whether the display is readable at an angle if you often look at it from different positions.

9. Durability and Warranty

Check user reviews and the return policy. Some brands offer longer warranties or better customer service. I’ve had no issues with my Etekcity, but it’s reassuring to know a brand will support the product if it fails early.

Notes from my long-term use

After months of use, the Etekcity scale is still part of my regular kitchen routine. I keep it in an upper cabinet and grab it for meal prep and baking without a second thought. The things that have made it stick around are its simplicity, reliable tare, and compactness. The issues that nag me are minor but noticeable: the auto-off during extended prepping, occasional unresponsive touch buttons when my hands are wet, and the need to wipe the glossy glass often.

For someone who wants an affordable, attractive, and generally accurate kitchen scale for home cooking and portion control, it performed exactly as I hoped. For a precision-focused user — someone weighing espresso shots or tiny lab-like measurements — it’s not the right tool. For most home cooks, though, it hits the sweet spot.

Final thoughts and recommendation

In my experience, the Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale is a practical, well-rounded kitchen tool that handles the majority of everyday tasks: weighing ingredients for recipes, portioning food for calorie control, and measuring coffee for casual brewing. It’s compact, looks clean on the countertop, and delivers consistent results for the kinds of measurements most home cooks care about.

If you want precision to the tenth of a gram or a splash-proof model for heavy-duty use, look elsewhere. But if you want a reliable, inexpensive scale with a nice glass platform and straightforward controls, I’ve been happy with mine and still reach for it regularly.

After testing and living with it for months, my honest take is this: it’s a solid, no-surprises kitchen scale that does what you actually need in the kitchen. It’s not perfect, but for the price and daily convenience it provides, I kept it — and I expect I’ll keep using it for a long time.