Scales for catering and commercial kitchens

In the kitchen: portioning and recipes

An equal portion means an equal cost price. A kitchen scale or compact bench scale with a readability of 1 gram is enough for portions and most recipes; for bakery and patisserie, where yeast, salt and raising agents matter to the tenth of a gram, choose a version that reads to 0.1 gram. Watch the capacity: a 3 kg scale reads more finely than a 15 kg one, and a bowl weighing half a kilo counts too.

Washable and stainless

In a kitchen, things get spilt and rinsed. So choose a housing rated IP65 or higher and a removable stainless steel pan; stainless steel bench scales are grouped separately. A scale that cannot cope with water will break within a year in a commercial kitchen, and that costs more than the difference in purchase price.

Selling by weight? Then verified

Ice cream by the scoop is not weighed, but ice cream per 100 grams, cheese at the counter, sweets, nuts, a salad bar or a takeaway meal by weight are. Then the weight determines what the customer pays, and the scale must be verified and carry the green M mark. That is what retail scales are for, with or without price computing and receipt printer. Which versions can be supplied verified is shown under verified scales; an explanation is given under what is a verified scale.

Cordless

At a buffet, in a food truck or at an on-site catering event there is no socket. Battery-powered bench scales run on a rechargeable battery or ordinary batteries and last for dozens of hours.

Maintenance

A kitchen scale goes to our workshop and is usually back within a week, calibrated and, if necessary, repaired with original parts. After repair of a verified retail scale, re-verification is arranged through the manufacturer. See verification, calibration and repair.