FEB 11 2018 UPDATE EDIT PBS TV show America's Test Kitchen recently tested kitchen scales and fount a Cuisinart scale (4x more costly) to be first choice, then named this scale as a suitable accurate less costly alternative. I've bought several of these scales as gifts and all are still working fine. NOV 9 2015 EDIT: Both scales are still working fine, and are used regularly. I called the giftee, and there are no problems. I see that Ozeri has another similar scale with a larger surface and a wider front, with buttons on the side. So, upon reflection and unreported originally, I find the narrow front makes it very easy to grip and place upon the cabinet shelf (on seldom used serving dishes). Further, I suspect that the bigger the scale gets the more annoying will be the problem of storage. The original tape I placed over the readout is still intact and clear, and, I like the larger size of the buttons on this model compered with the newer one. My recommendation: get this one. ___________________________________________________________________ Original: 1. The EatSmart Precision Pro Digital at $25 (12/11) and the Ozeri Pro Digital at under $20 scales are IDENTICAL. I have both, having had the Eatsmart for at least three years, and the Ozari I bought as a gift and tested it. One is black with a chrome-finish platform. The other is silver with a chrome-finish platform. The black body looks as if it is black plastic throughout; the silver body finish might possibly have been painted or otherwise applied (It's description says Elegant Chrome, but just the platform and buttons have a chromed finish.) Personally, I prefer the black, available in both brands. 2. The readout is large; you don't need glasses. It is not backlit and is a problem only in a dimly lit room--solved by turning a light on. 3. The clear plastic covering the LED readouts is recessed slightly from the body of the scales. Flour, spices, and liquids could conceivably get on the clear cover and in the corners, creating an annoyance and the necessity of occasionally cleaning the recessed edges. The solution I found was to put a strip of clear packing tape over the whole lens area, flush with the scale body and not pushing the tape down onto the clear plastic. Cleaning is now a simple wipe. 3. The auto-turn-off period after registering a weight or momentarily tapping the weighing platform was within seconds of the three minutes specified, and differed between scales only slightly. This lag between registering a weight and auto turnoff is extremely important; do not buy any scale that does not have such a lag or does not specify a similar or longer lag time! 4. For light weights and for a five pound weight they each gave the same accurate results. A nickel (US) is 5 grams even, and can be used as a test of your sample's accuracy, Use one, then use ten, for 5 and 50 grams, and more if you wish. Regardless of WHERE on the platform I placed a stack of ten nickels, the weight registered the same for both scales. 5. Contrary to one popular review of the Ozeri: a) The scale in fact turns off very easily: CLICK THE TARE BUTTON ONCE TO GET THE SCALE TO READ ZERO, THEN CLICK IT AGAIN TO TURN IT OFF! I confess it took me a month or so of using the scale before that pattern occurred to me. b) Treat the scale reasonably and it will last a long time. My Eatsmart version is still going strong. 6. The 5 1/8" diameter platform is sufficient for most uses, but when using a dinner plate to expand the platform size (taring out the plate's weight) I have to lower my head somewhat to "get at" the reading, because the edge of the plate hides the readout, preventing a reading from directly overhead. A larger diameter platform scale at times would be nice, but such would present a problem for convenient cabinet storage. Using a bowl instead of a dinner plate, or putting a plate on top of a bowl makes the readout easier for large volumes or weights. 7. The scales measure grams in one gram units, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. It measures ounces in units of .05 ounce (1/20 oz.), i.e. .05, 1.0, .15, .20 etc. Pounds are measured in units of .002 pounds. This is as much precision as you could possibly need in a kitchen. 8. The scales work fine with rechargeable batteries. Battery life is reasonable, regardless of the type of AAA battery you use. 9. Both scales came with a book of calorie equivalents. 10. I appreciate the large buttons and the reassuring audible click when they are depressed. Small point, perhaps, but that's how I feel about them. 11. Just the platform and buttons have a chromed finish on plastic. The "chrome" is not hard metal, though the pictures might lead one to think it is. Things I've learned that you may find useful, though not relevant to any particular scale: Using a scale guarantees me a consistent cup of coffee. Measuring coffee by volume can be deceptive, depending on the type of grind and type of roast. If kids argue over who is getting the bigger portions of a particular dish, give 'em the scale and let THEM adjust the quantities for "fairness"!* I've found that standardizing on a cup of flour of 4.8 oz works best with most recipes. If you measure by the level cup, you'll find that a "cup" can equal from 4.3 to as much as 5.4 ounces. 2 grams of loose tea equates with most teabags and the cruder measure of one teaspoon, commonly suggested for one to two cups of tea. *OR, let the complaining child divvy up the food in equal portions, but the non-complainers get to pick before the complainer!
