At a Glance#
Product : OXO 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull out Display (SKU 11214800)
Brand : OXO
Best For : Home cooks and bakers who want accurate, repeatable measurements every time
Form Factor : Compact digital kitchen scale, stainless steel platform
Buy Now : View on Amazon
Key Highlights:
- 11 lb / 5 kg capacity with 1-gram precision increments
- Pull-out display prevents shadowing from large bowls and plates
- Zero/tare function for weighing multiple ingredients in one container
- Smudge-resistant stainless steel platform, removable for easy cleaning
- One button toggles the display between US (lb, oz) and metric (kg, g) units
Who Should Buy This#
Weighing ingredients instead of measuring by volume is the single biggest upgrade most home cooks can make. The OXO Good Grips Food Scale makes that transition effortless with a clear display, intuitive controls, and a design that stays out of your way.
Perfect for:
- Bakers who need gram-level precision for flour, sugar, and leavening agents
- Meal preppers tracking macros and portion sizes accurately
- Coffee enthusiasts weighing beans for pour-over or espresso ratios
- Home cooks following international recipes that list ingredients by weight
- Anyone on a diet plan who needs consistent, accurate portion control
Design & Build Quality#
OXO publishes no footprint for this scale - not on the product page, not in the manual - so treat any dimension you see quoted for it with suspicion. What is published is the platform: stainless steel, which resists fingerprints and smudges far better than plastic alternatives, and which lifts off entirely for quick hand washing under the tap.
OXO lists the colour as silver and the material as stainless steel; the black is confined to the display bezel. Build quality feels solid without being heavy. Four AAA batteries are included and load into a compartment on the underside. OXO's manual sets two power behaviours: standby after six minutes of inactivity, with the reading retained, and a full auto shut-off after thirty minutes, which clears it.
The overall aesthetic is clean and modern. It looks at home on a kitchen counter next to professional-grade cookware — a significant upgrade from the cheap plastic scales that dominate the budget end of the market.
Key Features#
Pull-Out Display That Solves the Shadowing Problem#
The defining feature of this scale is the pull-out display. When you place a large mixing bowl, dinner plate, or sheet pan on the platform, the display slides forward so you can still read the numbers. That sounds minor until the bowl is a 12-inch mixing bowl covering the screen and you are lifting it repeatedly to check the reading. OXO eliminates that frustration entirely.
The display itself uses large, high-contrast numbers that are easy to read at a glance. A dedicated backlight button lights it for dim kitchens; OXO shuts the backlight off again after thirty seconds to protect battery life. The pull-out unit is held in its retracted position by magnets.
Zero/Tare Function for Seamless Multi-Ingredient Weighing#
Press the zero button to reset the reading after placing a container on the scale. Add your first ingredient, note the weight, press zero again, and add the next ingredient — all in the same bowl. This eliminates the need for multiple measuring cups and dramatically speeds up recipe prep.
That matters when you are working through a recipe with 8 or 10 ingredients in rapid succession.
Precise 1-Gram Increments#
With 1-gram resolution up to 5 kg (11 lb), this scale handles everything from a pinch of yeast at 3 grams to a full batch of bread dough at 2 kilograms. OXO rates the readout accuracy at plus or minus 1 gram (or 0.1 oz).
That resolution is what matters for baking, where 5 grams of baking powder versus 7 grams can change whether your cake rises properly.
Unit Conversion at a Button Press#
One button toggles between US units (lb and oz) and metric (kg and g), and OXO says you can press it at any time during weighing. No menu diving, no holding buttons for three seconds — just tap and switch. This is genuinely useful when toggling between American recipes (ounces) and European ones (grams) in the same cooking session.
Where It Earns Its Place#
Baking: Weighing flour in grams instead of scooping cups removes the biggest source of inconsistency in home baking. A cup of flour can vary from roughly 120g to 160g depending on how it is scooped; a scale removes that variable entirely.
Coffee: A 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio is trivial to hit. Weigh 20g of beans, tare, pour water to 300g, and the ratio is the same every morning.
Meal prep: Portioning chicken, rice, and vegetables to specific macro targets takes seconds instead of guesswork.
Cleaning: The stainless platform lifts off the base for washing. OXO's manual is explicit that neither the platform nor the base goes in the dishwasher.
Limitations: The scale does not connect to any app via Bluetooth — it is a standalone instrument in that sense. For most people this is a non-issue, but if you want automatic macro logging, you will need a smart scale. The 11-pound max capacity also means you cannot weigh a full Thanksgiving turkey, but that is an edge case for a kitchen scale.
OXO vs. The Competition#
| Feature | OXO Good Grips | Escali Primo | Amazon Basics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 11 lb / 5 kg | 11 lb / 5 kg | 11 lb / 5 kg |
| Precision | 1 g | 1 g | 1 g |
| Pull-out display | Yes | No | No |
| Platform material | Stainless steel | Plastic | Stainless steel |
| Tare function | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backlit display | Button-activated | No | No |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range | Budget |
The OXO costs more than bare-bones alternatives, but the pull-out display, stainless steel platform, and overall build quality justify the premium. If you bake regularly or cook daily, the ergonomic improvements are the reason to pay the premium.
Pros & Cons#
Pros:
- Pull-out display stays visible under large bowls and plates
- 1-gram precision across the full 11 lb range
- Stainless steel platform resists smudges and cleans easily
- Instant tare function speeds up multi-ingredient recipes
- Compact footprint fits in standard kitchen drawers
Cons:
- No Bluetooth or smart app connectivity
- Runs on four AAA batteries, with no USB recharging
- Higher price than basic plastic alternatives
- 11 lb max may not suit very large batch cooking
Frequently Asked Questions#
Does the OXO food scale measure in milliliters for liquids? No, it measures weight only (grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds). For water-based liquids, 1 mL equals approximately 1 gram, so you can use the gram reading as a close proxy.
How long do the batteries last? OXO does not publish a battery-life figure. Four AAA cells come in the box, and the six-minute standby plus thirty-minute auto shut-off are what conserve them between sessions.
Can I wash the stainless steel platform in the dishwasher? No. OXO's manual says not to put the platform or the base unit in the dishwasher. The platform lifts off easily and cleans quickly under running water with mild soap.
Is this scale accurate enough for espresso dosing? Yes, for standard espresso dosing (14–20g). However, if you need 0.1g precision for competition-level work, you would want a dedicated coffee scale with finer resolution.
Does OXO offer a warranty? Yes, the OXO Better Guarantee covers defects in materials and workmanship. Contact OXO directly for repair or replacement if you experience any issues.
Final Verdict#
The OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Food Scale does exactly what a kitchen scale should do: deliver accurate, readable measurements without getting in the way. The pull-out display alone sets it apart from every competitor, and the stainless steel platform adds a durability and cleanliness advantage that plastic scales simply cannot match.
If you cook or bake at home with any regularity, this is the scale to buy. It is not the cheapest option, but it is the one you will still be happy with three years from now.