Most kitchen scales weigh 5–22 lb (2–10 kg); pro bakery models stretch to about 33 lb (15 kg).
Shopping for a food scale raises a simple question: how much weight can it handle without error or shutdown? The short answer many cooks meet is 11 lb (5 kg). That’s common, but it isn’t the ceiling. Home baking, coffee, and meal-prep scales span a wide band, from compact units for spice grams to sturdy platforms that hold stockpots. This guide maps real-world capacity ranges, shows what each range suits best, and helps you pick a scale that stays accurate from a pinch of yeast to a Dutch oven full of broth.
How Much Can A Kitchen Scale Weigh? Capacity Ranges Explained
Across the market, capacity clusters in a few bands. Most everyday models top out at 11 lb (5 kg). Many step up to 15 lb (7 kg) or 22 lb (10 kg). Specialty or light commercial kitchen scales reach 33 lb (15 kg). As you climb in capacity, pay attention to resolution (the smallest step the display moves). A higher limit can pair with a coarser step, which matters when you weigh tiny amounts.
Quick Reference: Common Capacity Ranges
Use this table to match your cooking tasks to a sensible limit and step size. It keeps things broad so you can decide fast.
| Capacity Range | Best Uses | Typical Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 lb (1–2 kg) | Spices, coffee, small pastry work on compact platforms | 0.1–1 g |
| 5 lb (2.2 kg) | Light meal prep, single-bowl recipes, coffee dosing | 1 g / 0.1 oz |
| 11 lb (5 kg) | Baking flour, dough, produce, most home recipes | 1 g / 0.1 oz |
| 15 lb (7 kg) | Large batches, big mixing bowls, sheet-pan prep | 1–2 g |
| 22 lb (10 kg) | Stockpots, bulk dough, canning jars, meat trims | 1–2 g |
| 33 lb (15 kg) | Heavy cookware, light commercial food prep | 1–5 g |
| Dual-platform combos | Main platform for bowls, mini pad for tiny doses | Main: 1 g; Mini: 0.1–0.5 g |
| Pocket gram scales | Micro-ingredients, instant yeast, additives | 0.01–0.1 g |
Capacity Vs. Resolution: Why Both Matter
Capacity tells you the ceiling. Resolution tells you how fine the steps are as you weigh. A scale rated for 22 lb can still disappoint if it only steps in 2 g jumps and you bake with gelatin or agar. Pick a limit that fits your heaviest bowl and a step size that suits your tiniest ingredient. That balance keeps recipes tight and repeatable.
Real-World Examples Of Common Limits
Plenty of mainstream kitchen scales sit at 11 lb (5 kg) with 1 g steps. Many brands also sell 22 lb (10 kg) versions that keep the same 1 g step but add headroom, so a soup pot won’t overload the sensor. You’ll also see pro-leaning models around 15 lb (7 kg) or an 8 kg mark designed for bakery work, again with 1 g readability. That pattern lines up with what you’ll find on product pages and manuals, and it reflects how home cooks use these tools day to day.
Answering The Search: “how much can a kitchen scale weigh?”
If you typed “how much can a kitchen scale weigh?” you likely want a number fast. The practical span is 5–22 lb for most home units, with 11 lb being the most common. Need more headroom? Look at 15 lb or 33 lb models that are built for bowls, sheet pans, and small stockpots.
Pick The Right Capacity For Your Kitchen
Baking Day: Dough, Flour, And Hydration
Bread bakers often sit near 11–15 lb. A typical mixing bowl of dough plus bowl weight lands well under that, even for large loaves. If you bulk-ferment in a heavier vessel or portion big batches, 22 lb gives breathing room without giving up fine steps.
Meal Prep: Batch Cooking And Family Pots
Batch cooks stack containers on the platform and tare between items. If you move pots and trays on and off the scale, 22 lb or 33 lb reduces overload risk while you work fast. Look for pull-out or raised displays so a wide bowl doesn’t block the screen.
Coffee And Micro-Ingredients
Espresso dialing and pastry additives call for 1 g steps or smaller. A dual-platform model or a compact gram scale covers tiny doses while your main scale handles bowls and pitchers.
Platform Size, Build, And Display
Platform Size
Large platforms give stability for Dutch ovens and sheet pans. Small platforms fit tight counters, but wide bowls can hide the readout. A pull-out display solves that so you can read the numbers while a big plate sits on top.
Housing And Cleanability
Sealed buttons and a removable top plate make cleanup easy after raw meat or wet dough. Stainless tops resist stains. Plastic tops weigh less and cost less. Either way, flat designs wipe clean faster than ridged designs.
Display And Controls
Big, high-contrast screens reduce reading errors. One-button tare, one-button units, and a longer auto-off timer reduce frustrations mid-recipe. A memory that sticks to your last unit setting is handy when you switch between grams and ounces all day.
When A Higher Limit Helps
Large Bowls And Cookware
A heavy glass bowl plus sourdough can exceed 11 lb. A 22 lb model keeps you in range, and a 33 lb model lets you weigh a pot before and after reducing stock to track water loss.
Bulk Buying And Butchery
Breaking down large cuts or dividing bulk items often adds up. A sturdier scale makes the process smoother and avoids overload warnings that reset your tare mid-task.
Accuracy, Tolerance, And Class
Weights-and-measures rules define how devices should perform in use. Kitchen scales sold into the market follow the same baseline concepts set for weighing devices, including suitability and consistent performance over time. If you want a deeper dive into device classes and tolerances used by regulators, see the latest NIST Handbook 44. The language there guides how states evaluate devices for accuracy and repeatability.
Capacity Trade-offs You’ll Notice
Resolution Can Get Coarser As Limits Rise
Some higher-capacity models step in 2 g or more. That’s fine for roasts and dough balls, less fine for spice blends. If you go big on capacity, pair it with a small pocket scale for tiny weights.
Auto-Off Timers And Tare Memory
Longer timers help when you stir, rest batter, or pull a tray from the oven. A scale that keeps tare and unit settings after a short sleep saves time and avoids rework.
Power And Batteries
AA or AAA cells are common. Button cells keep footprints small. Rechargeable units exist too. If you bake often, a model with common batteries keeps your scale ready without a charger hunt.
Real Product Benchmarks For Capacity
You can sanity-check your choice by looking at a few well-known models and their stated limits. These examples show how brands group around the ranges covered above.
| Model Snapshot | Max Capacity | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| OXO Good Grips Stainless Scale (pull-out display) | 11 lb (5 kg) | 1 g / 0.1 oz |
| OXO Good Grips Stainless Scale (large-capacity) | 22 lb (10 kg) | 1 g / 0.1 oz |
| Escali Arti Glass Food Scale | 15 lb (7 kg) | 1 g |
| My Weigh KD-8000 Bakers Scale | 8 kg (17.6 lb) | 1 g |
| Brecknell 405 Bench/Kitchen Variant | 6–15 kg options | 1–2 g |
How To Choose Your Capacity
Step 1: Weigh Your Heaviest Setup
Put your go-to mixing bowl or pot on a bathroom scale. Add the typical food you’d measure inside it. Add a buffer of 10–20%. That number is your target capacity.
Step 2: Confirm The Smallest Step You Need
Daily cooking does well with 1 g. Espresso, hydrocolloids, and spice rubs can need 0.1–0.5 g. If your main scale tops out at 22 lb with 1–2 g steps, a pocket gram scale fills the gap for tiny amounts.
Step 3: Pick Features That Protect Accuracy
- Pull-out or raised display: stays readable under large bowls.
- Sealed buttons: resists splash and dust.
- Removable top plate: fast cleanup keeps the sensor free.
- Long auto-off timer: fewer lost readings mid-recipe.
Care And Calibration Basics
Use And Storage
Don’t overload the platform. Keep it dry. Store it flat. A short press of tare between ingredients keeps the sensor happy and your numbers clean.
Quick Accuracy Check At Home
Use a sealed 1 kg calibration weight if you own one. No weight? Sugar bags and flour sacks vary, so they’re not reliable. Coins can work in a pinch if you stack the exact count based on mint specs, but a real weight tells you more.
When To Replace
If readings drift, buttons stick, or the display dims even with fresh batteries, it may be time to move on. A small bump in build quality often buys years of trouble-free use.
Notable Models And Pages To Check
Product pages and manuals list limits clearly, plus step size, platform size, and timer behavior. Brand pages can also explain design touches, like pull-out displays. See the OXO 11 lb unit’s product page for specs and the pull-out display details, and look at bakery-leaning models near 8 kg for bigger batches. A quick read of the latest Handbook 44 gives context on how regulators view device suitability and tolerances, which helps when you need rock-steady measurements.
Bottom Line On Picking Capacity
For most home cooks, 11 lb covers daily work. If you batch cook, can, or weigh heavy cookware, 22 lb makes life easier. Bakers who mix in big bowls or portion large dough batches may like 15 lb or 33 lb. Keep an eye on resolution and display design, and you’ll land on a scale that fits your kitchen without fuss.