Digital Kitchen Scale KD8000 - Precise Baking & Cooking Scale for Home Use

We use this scale almost daily for a wide variety of uses such as; making homemade personal care products like soap, lotions, shampoo etc., as well as for preparing foods, baking, cooking, food prep and storage. I bought the scale a little over 2 months ago and while we knew the scale would be handy for many of the things we do and make, we have learned to really appreciate not only the features the kitchen scale is equipped with, but also the care and thought that went into creating this versatile piece of equipment! The scale has performed really well in the variety of ways we have used it, even when compared to a scale from where I work (which is professionally maintained and calibrated frequently), this scale has been right on the mark! The instruction manual is well written and easy to read. It provides clear instructions on assembling and using the scale. I was impressed with how thorough the manual was! I really like the wide, flat weighing platform. It is convenient for weighing a variety of shapes and sizes. I personally like the plastic cover that flips down over the key pad, it protects the keypad from messy spills and protects the keys from getting bumped accidentally and turning the scale off or changing the function or mode. The smooth surfaces and clean lines makes this scale easy to wipe down and keep clean. The bigger overall size takes up a bit more storage space, but is a trade off I am willing to make, because the bigger size allows me to weigh bigger, bulkier items, which is important for how I use the scale. I switched over to weighing my baking ingredients about a year ago and I have found the consistency and quality of my baked goods are much improved. I bake 3-4 loaves of bread at a time which means I am measuring out quite a large mound of flour. The large, flat platform comes in really handy for this, as I can place a light bowl on the platform to hold all the flour!I buy most of my basic supplies in bulk and the scale is very helpful in dividing these supplies for use and storage. For example; I buy large/bulk packs of meats such as roasts, hamburger, chicken pieces, full pork loins and bulk bacon & sausage, as well as other bulk food items like shredded cheese, etc. I use the scale to help me divide the foods into smaller, meal-sized portions, such as specific sized smaller roasts. I use some of the end pieces or any uneven sections and cut it into bite-sized chunks/pieces or thin strips (like stew meat or strips for stir fry or fajitas). The chicken - I divide into meal-sized portions (2, 4 or 6 pieces per pkg), or I cut it into bite-sized chunks or thin strips (chicken nuggets, tenders or strips for stir-fry or fajitas). The full pork loins I cut into smaller (2-3 lb) meal sized roasts or cut into pork chops (as thick or thin as you desire) and again use the ends or uneven pieces for chunks or strips. Bacon I divide into smaller single meal amounts (2-3 strips per person), or package it in 6-12 strips for casseroles etc, I also chop some of the bacon and freeze it in 1/2 to 1 cup amounts so it is ready to throw into pots of beans, soups, etc or fry up to crumble or sprinkle over for toppings. For ground meats like beef, turkey or chicken, I generally divide it into 1 or 2 pound packages, then label and freeze.To weigh the meats, I place a piece of saran wrap or parchment paper on the scale platform, or in a light-weight aluminum pie pan or bowl, then I zero out the weight (explained in the manual) before placing the meat/food on the scale and weighing it. Accurate weights on my package labels means I can quickly and easily pull out just the amount I need, and it makes it easier to calculate the time needed to thaw and cook the food. By packaging in smaller meal-sized quantities, it reduces the amount of leftovers and foods that go to waste. If I have company coming, I can grab as many packages as I need to feed the number of people coming to dinner quite well and never have to worry about having too much leftovers or food going to wastes because everything is prepackaged in perfectly sized easy to use packages so nothing goes to waste unless the freezer fails or the electricity goes out for an extended amount of time. With roasts, knowing the weight makes it quick & easy to calculate how long it will need to thaw and/or cook. I personally freeze my foods using a Seal-A-Meal (it prevents freezer burn and extend the freezer life of my foods. You can pick up a Seal-A-Meal machine on Amazon or if funds are tight, Goodwill often has them for around $10 and Costco has good pricing on the bags or try Amazon, they sell the name brand bags as well as a generic bags that friends have said work well or simple zip-type freezer bags. Just be sure to label the bags with what it contains, weight & date placed in the freezer (I also include a Use By date written in red ink).I really like this kitchen scale, but I did my homework before I bought it. I researched the product on-line, reading everything I could find about it. I read tons of reviews and I went to an app called Camel, Camel, Camel and reviewed the price history so I knew what the average price range was and what a really good price was. After reviewing everything, I was confident that the product was well made and I knew from the price history that the price listed on Amazon was a good value. The Camel, Camel, Camel app allows you track the pricing of multiple specific products that you are interested in or considering for purchase. You can set a target or desired price for each product and the app will send you a notification when the price of the product has reached the target price you set. I highly recommend Camel, Camel, Camel for anyone who values making smart purchases and good deals! After using this kitchen scale for over 2 months, I am very pleased with the product attributes and performance and believe I made a smart purchase. I did not get this product free nor did I get a discount on the price based on my review. As previously stated above, I did use the Camel, Camel, Camel app to help me get a good deal on the product. But I paid Amazon's listed price which was available to everyone. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and are based solely on my experience in using this product. I recommended this product to my sister (who is my best friend) and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting or needing a reliable and versatile larger kitchen scale with the attributes listed below.1. large, flat weighing platform - allows you to use the entire area, can set a light plate, pie tin or bowl on the platform to contain multiple or bulky items.2. bright, easy to read, back-lit weight display.3. allows large capacity (8000 grams) weight, accommodates 5 weight modes - grams, lbs, oz, kg as well as lbs & oz (i.e. 1 lb 3 oz)4. easy to clean- smooth surfaces and straight lines, also the plastic cover/shield protects the buttons/controls from messy ingredients. Also protects the buttons from accidental bumping.5. the percent weighing function is really helpful for preparing foods and cooking. It is also really handy for making soap and personal care products. The percent weighing function is definitely easier, faster and more accurate than calculating everything by hand!6. I really appreciated how well written and thorough the instruction manual was, it really helped to make the product even more user friendly.When the scale arrived, there were a few pieces that needed to be assembled. The instructions were clear and very easy to understand and once I reviewed the instructions it only took me a couple of minutes to complete the assembly. The directions for using the scale's key functions were equally well written, and made it easy to learn to use the functions!I like just about everything about this scale, but the “feet” aren’t level, so it rocks a bit , even on (especially on) a surface I know is level. I will try to remedy that with Shoe Goo or something, but I shouldn’t have to do that.OK, I didn't buy this for baking.....or cooking. But it works great for measuring weight at the gram level. I'm a backpacker trying to find the sweet spot between having necessities with me in the back country, comfort, and carrying the lightest pack possible. So, I finally bought a scale to really find out what my decisions were either buying me or costing me in terms of weight for each individual item.My criteria were......1.) A scale with enough range to handle all my gear. I thought 11 lb scales would be operating too close to their upper limit at times.2.) Gram level capability with reasonable accuracy. I don't need a scientific instrument but I don't want to be off 10% either.3.) A display that can be read with large items on the scale. So a vertical display or detachable display was almost mandatory.4.) Reasonable price. This is a fun thing for me. Curiosity. I wanted something that wouldn't break the bank.5.) Reasonable size. I don't want to take up a closet shelf for a scale I'm going to use 4 times per year.6.) Ease of operation. I did not want to become a scale expert in order to weigh stuff.So how did this scale meet my criteria?1.) 8 kg or ~17 lbs seems to provide plenty of range. The heaviest item in my pack is a 10 lb tent.2.) This provides grams, oz, lbs & oz, and %.....in short more than I need.3.) The display is readable with any of the stuff I need to measure on the scale.4.) I bought this for about $36 on Amazon. It doesn't seem unreasonable at all.5.) The size is actually smaller than I was expecting and the weight is lighter as well.6.) Very simple to operate with 5 simple buttons.So, how does it work? Very well. It's quick and easy to power up and it stabilizes quickly to show the weight of an object. I can weigh stuff fast.The accuracy seems excellent with one caveat. As I've read in other reviews, at the very low end it seems to have a limit of about 3 grams. For instance, if I place one facial tissue on the scale it reads 0 grams. If I add a second tissue, it will read 3 grams. I think this is simply a resolution issue at the very lowest end of the scale's range.For instance, I placed a tube of face cream on the scale and it read 61 grams. I then placed one of the facial tissues on the scale and the reading increased to 63 grams. So it will register the weight of one tissue. I added the second tissue and it increased to 64 grams. So the two tissues together still registered 3 grams. Given this scale can only register full gram changes in weight, I think the 3 gram limit at the lower end is partially due to a very slight inaccuracy at the extreme bottom end of its range and its design capability of full gram resolution. My guess is that the facial tissues weigh something like 1.3 - 1.6 grams each. In short, this scale is accurate enough for my needs. If you need to measure down to 1 gram, simply put a plate on the scale and tare it out before adding your 1 gram of stuff. Limitation eliminated.One nice feature that wasn't part of my criteria is the splash shield that covers the control panel. That seems like it could be very useful if you are working around food. But even for storage, It means the controls and display won't get abused in a cabinet or closet.I'm very happy with this scale.A quality electronic weighing scales for the kitchen, at a very reasonable price. Dead easy to flick through the different units of weight: g, Kg, oz, lbs, lbs oz. The 'tare' button is very useful so you can zero the balance with the weighing container on it.My scales arrived today but without the ac-adapter :( I didn't realise this when I ordered them that this scale is on sale from the same company both with and without the adapter included, but the price is the same. Not happy!!Everything is right about this scale and I love it. I especially like the ‘Baker’s percentage weighing feature’. But I have to subtract one star because the user manual tells you that the scale needs to be calibrated to your location and altitude in order to be precise, and also because the scale may lose its accuracy over time. You have to do that with a 5kg calibration weight!! Where the heck am I going to get a 5kg calibration weight from? At the time of writing this a 5kg calibration weight costs $310 on uline.ca. I can't use a gym weight, because they are not accurate down to the gram. Can't I calibrate the scale with a 20 gram weight or so, which is much cheaper to get? Definitely one star less for this.Arrived promptly and securely packaged. Very pleased with the scales. Accurate and easy to use.Best scales I've ever owned, the bakers percentage function is perfect for my bread baking