Bread makers swear by this kitchen scale that has a special baker's function

My Weigh knows all about measuring and manufactures digital scales for domestic and lightweight commercial use. So, it would seem remiss to exclude such a company from my kitchen scales testing list.

The company produces a large range of scales, not just for food prep, but I decided to test one from the KD Series, the My Weigh KD-800. Unlike other versions I've tested, this kitchen scale has a special percentage weighing feature for bakers.

I put the My Weigh KD-8000 to the test to see if it's worth your money.

My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale: Price and availability

The My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale is currently available from Amazon for $46 with a 18% discount. You can also pick it up at Walmart for $59, where it's advertised as a kitchen and craft digital scale, and is described as "great for baking and soap making."

It's pricier than Escalio's Primo Digital Scale, which is $26 at Amazon, and Etekcity Digital Scale, which is $18 at Amazon, whereas it's similar in price to Zwilling's Digital Kitchen Scale, available at Williams Sonoma for $49.

My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale: Design

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The My Weigh KD-8000 scale looks much chunkier than others that I've tested, especially when compared to KitchenAid's Dual Platform Kitchen Scale and Joseph Joseph's SwitchScale, which are both neat and compact.

When I first unpacked the KD-8000 I thought it looked old-fashioned, without any hint of a intentional retro vibe like Smeg's Contemporary Kitchen Scales.

The base of the scale is quite boxy and has the display sitting at an angle — this makes measurements easy to read.

You'll also find a clear shield that protects the touchpad buttons and LED display from mess. I don't like the appearance of this feature, but if you are messy in the kitchen like me, it does help to keep the display and buttons free from flour and sticky fingers.

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The platform for the scale is set slightly raised above the base and can be removed for cleaning, which is a plus. Underneath you'll find the battery housing, and to the rear, the socket for the power adapter.

The power adapter is included in the box, and has a handy feature allowing you to switch the plug between U.S. and U.K. sockets, without needing a special adapter.

On the rear of the scale, you’ll also find the switch buttons for the sound level and the LED light display, giving you options for either on or off.

If you are looking at the design alone and for a kitchen scale to look pretty on your countertop, this one is not for you. But, let's see how it performs.

My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale: Ease of use

Powering up
With two options to power up, I decided to use the KD-8000's power adapter rather than inserting 3 x AA batteries that you’ll need to supply yourself.

I found the lead cumbersome as it gets in the way and restricts where you place the scale, but it does give you the freedom of not needing to hunt around for the correct size battery. But if you decide to insert batteries, a battery low indicator will display when they are running low.

You’ll need to lift the clear protective cover to access the touchpad before pressing the on/off button. Each time the scale turns on, it runs a super quick diagnostic test, and it displays a countdown. Don’t be alarmed; it only takes about 3 seconds before it resets to zero.

Controls and measurements
You can select the measurement you desire on the My Weigh KD-8000 by pressing the ‘Mode’ button. Here you get five options — grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds and ounces, and pounds covering every possibility.

You’ll also find the Tare function, which resets the scale to zero. It’s a must-have feature when weighing more than one item, and reduces the need to use multiple bowls. I wouldn’t consider buying a kitchen scale without one.

I was impressed to find the ‘Hold’ button, which will appear on the LED display when it is in use. This will hold the current weight setting.

You can also set the weight response speed and the auto-off settings, another feature I haven’t encountered before. Here you can choose the scale response time by selecting ‘nbO’, ‘nb1’ or ‘nb2’, with the final option being the quickest. You can also adjust the display auto-off setting to either stay on until the scale is switched off or remain on for around 2 or 5 minutes.

When I initially tested the auto power off mode, which is designed to conserve energy, it was set on the default mode ‘OFF 2’ and switched off after 1 minute 50 seconds.

Display
The LED display on the My Weigh KD-8000 is clear, and has the added option to switch on a blue backlight. It’s a large display, measuring 3 (W) x 1 (H) inches, so you won’t need to squint to read the measurements. It reminded me of the pull-out display on OXO’s Stainless Steel Food Scale.

However, I found the acrylic protective cover annoying. I instinctively went to press the touch buttons without lifting the protective cover. You can remove the cover by lifting and sliding it off its clips, which will mean you won't have the awkward issue of lifting the flap to access the buttons, but doing this makes the cover pointless!

Platform
The My Weigh KD-8000 has a good-sized platform, measuring 7 inches x 7 inches, and its flat nature is much better than the Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale, which limited the size of bowl you could place on top.

When you first unpack the scale, you’ll have to attach the platform to the base, and it can be removed to wash. I was hesitant to remove it at first, as I was concerned about breaking the plastic pegs that fit into the base, but I found the easiest way is to turn the scale underside down and the platform will slide out.

Storage
You can’t ignore that this kitchen scale is on the large side, especially considering it doesn’t even have a bowl. Alternatively, the Joseph Joseph SwitchScale has a bowl that flips over to store on top of the base. It's certainly not sleek and sexy, but it is a kitchen scale and it has a practical function.

Baker's percentage — what's it all about?

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This My Weigh KD-8000 scale is particularly geared to bakers who want to use a 'Baker's Percentage' function, without the hassle of getting stuck with the math.

So what is the Baker's Percentage and how does the feature work? The idea behind the formula is to allow bakers to scale up or scale down a recipe. And instead of using cups to measure ingredients, precision scales are used for precision to give the correct balance of ingredients.

Flour is the base ingredient, measured at 100%, and from here the water, salt, yeast and any additions are based on a percentage of the total flour weight.

So within the user manual, My Weigh gives an example of flour at 100%, water at 65%, butter at 5%, salt at 2%, yeast at 1% and milk at 0.75%. And you can scale the recipe up or down depending on how many loaves you want to make.

I weighed 200g of flour, pressed the '%' button, and it set to 100%. I was then able to keep the percentage setting and add 65% of water.

Although I like to bake homemade bread, this function is one step too far for me, but I can see it being a real benefit for those who have their own cottage bakery going on at home.

My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale: Accuracy

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With all the kitchen scales I test, I use calibrated weights in grams and go through a set of standard tests using individual and multiple weights placed in the center and outer edges of the weighing platform.

I started with the My Weigh KD-8000 by placing a 1g calibrated weight in the center, and just like the majority of kitchen scales I've tested, it didn't register the weight. The only kitchen scales I've tested so far that registered the small weight were Escali's Primo Digital Kitchen Scale and the precision scale on KitchenAid's Dual Platform Digital Kitchen Scale.

However, this wasn't unexpected, and all other weights I tested, including 2g, 3g, 5g, 10g, 20g, 50g, and 100g, all gave an accurate reading wherever they were placed on the scale.

I also found that the readings on the KD-8000 were quick and steady without any fluctuation. In fact, an 'eye' icon appears on the display to indicate that the current reading is stable.

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I continued my testing and placed a 1g, 20g, 50g, and 100g weight on the platform with a total measurement of 171g. The scale was accurate when the weights were placed in the center, but were 1g down when I moved them to the edge.

The My Weigh KD-8000 scale will measure a capacity up to 8kg — the best of the bunch! I carefully applied my weight to the scale until an error message displayed when it reached above 8kg..

If you’ve turned the sound on at the back of the scale, you'll also hear a beeping noise. My Weigh warns that you can permanently damage your scale and void the warranty by overloading it.

I finished my testing by placing a small bowl on the platform, selecting the Tare function and placing a level teaspoon of yeast into the bowl. In this case, the measurement registered at 4g, whereas it measured 3g on other scales.

My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale: Cleaning

One of the main benefits of the My Weigh KD-8000 is that you can remove the platform for cleaning, which makes it particularly helpful if you want to place meats and other proteins directly onto the platform, as you can give it a thorough clean.

Although I don't like the display cover, this can also be removed, and it does help to keep the display cleaner than if it were not there, but this depends on whether you want to keep it in place or detach it.

I'd recommend wiping down the base of the scale with a clean, damp cloth, however, there are no instructions online or within the user manual on the best way to clean the kitchen scale.

My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale: Verdict

The My Weigh KD-8000 Kitchen Scale is not my favorite, but it all depends on what you want out of a kitchen scale. It has a good-sized weighing platform, a clear LED display and a grand capacity to measure up to 8kg. What's more, you have the option to switch between using a direct power supply or batteries.

Although the acrylic cover protects the display I did find it awkward and cumbersome to use, and it needs to be raised or removed to use the touchpad. I tend to use the Tare function a lot, so it proved easier to remove the whole thing completely rather than to be constantly lifting the cover to access the buttons.

That said, you do get a large range of modes to choose from, giving you plenty of scope to work in different units of measurements and the Baker's Percentage feature is a real find if baking bread is your thing.

Price wise, the My Weigh KD-8000 is not the cheapest, but you are buying a precision scale with extra functionality where you can adjust the speed of measurement and auto-shut-off time. Plus, you can switch on a blue LED backlight and a beep alert. On balance you get a fair amount for $46.

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