Salter Electronic Platform Scale

I had been wanting to update my set of kitchen scales with a more modern version for quite some time but never seemed to get around to it. I had already decided that I was going to electronic scales in the hope that they would be easier and more convenient to use than the more traditional 'pointer' scales, and had half-heartedly had a look around online at a few options, but never made any firm decisions, other than deciding that my new purchase would come from the well-known "Salter" brand. I had heard many good reports about this brand and had many positive reports about the brand online.

By sheer chance, I was shopping in a local branch of Tesco at the end of last year and happened to be perusing the aisles of homeware items and kitchen accessories when I noticed a range of kitchen scales on display. I instantly recognised one of the scales as one I had been researching online - namely, the Salter 1066 Black Platform Scale. Noticing that this particular scale was priced within my designated budget, costing a mere £7.50, I decided there and then to purchase it for myself.

NB* The price of the scale has now been increased to £9 as @ April 2012.

The first trial of my new scale took place in the form of a batch of little cupcakes the following day. A tried and tested recipe that I am extremely comfortable and familiar with seemed like a good place to start. I figured that I should recognise any possible anomalies in the measuring of ingredients process, such is my familiarity with cooking these particular treats.

Oven set at the right temperature, ingredients on hand ready to use, I was all ready to start measuring out my bits and pieces and so removed my new scales from their box, setting them proudly on display on the kitchen worktop. There was no excessive packaging to contend with, and the little rubber 'feet' on the underside of the scale meant that they were entirely still, without wobbling or moving around at all.

The Salter Black Platform Scale requires very little setting up prior to use, thanks to the neat design and electronic display that it has. There is no wobbly tray or bowl to be positioned correctly and no dial to be tweaked to the zero point on the scale, which can be a tricky process at times and can often lead to inaccurate readings with cheaper models - something that any experienced home-baker will tell you can be a crucial point at times! The Salter Black Platform Scale is completely flat as you can see from the picture on the review page here, and it consists of a black, square-shaped surface on the top of the scale, with the mechanism and 'workings' contained within.

The display 'window' for the scales lies at the bottom left hand corner of the 'square' design of the scale. The 'window' for the display is a generous size, and is not so small that it is difficult to see or read correctly. There are two black buttons on the right hand bottom side of the square-shaped scale which I will go into in more detail later in the review. The overall look of the scale is quite sleek and I thought it looked quite modern in its design. It is worth pointing out too that the scales don't feel particularly heavy or difficult to carry.

The only negative point about setting up the Salter scale I have to report is concerning the removal of a little plastic 'isolation tag' which was placed underneath the circular battery, which can be found in its 'housing' on the underside of the scale. The instruction leaflet supplied with the scale gave me the impression that all I had to do was whip the tag off and my scale would be set up and ready to use. Unfortunately however, when I whipped the plastic tag off, I obviously used excessive force or something, because the tag's sudden removal caused the metal battery to come flying out of its enclosure and it landed somewhere on the opposite side of the kitchen! Replacing the battery in its slot on the back of the scale was a tricky process that I struggled with. There was insufficient instruction on how to do this supplied in the instruction leaflet that came with the scale in my opinion. I found that replacing the battery was extremely 'fiddly' and it seemed to keep popping out of the slot. I finally called on my husband to help me and he managed to replace the battery correctly after a minute or so of trying. I can't help but think that anybody with limited mobility in their hands or fingers would have terrible problems with this process, but it is a necessary requirement in order to get the scale properly 'set up'.

Fortunately, actually using the scale fared nowhere near as tricky or time-consuming, and I was immediately charmed by the Salter Black Platform Scale's simplistic design and concept.

Pressing the right hand black button on the bottom of the scale (called the ON-ZERO button) switches the scale on. The numeric display immediately jumps to life and displays a variety of numbers for a couple of seconds, before settling on the 'O' display. This means that the Salter Scale is ready to start measuring, a mere moment after switching on.

Depending on what you are weighing, you could possibly choose to place the items directly onto the scale surface, but as the scale cannot be immersed in water (otherwise a terrible fate would meet the important mechanisms contained within) I prefer to place a plastic plate or small bowl onto the scale to avoid the surface getting overly dirty or greasy. This is something that I am particularly aware of as I do a lot of baking, and so margarine and other greasy or sticky ingredients are regular attendees in my mixing bowl. In case of any splashes or spills of flour or other ingredients, I find that a quick wipe-over with a slighlty damp (not wringing wet) cloth works well on the scale.

I have a small plastic square-shaped bowl that I find is perfect for using on my scale thanks to its similar shape. When the bowl is placed on top of the scale however, I need to re-set the scale to zero so that it discounts the weight of the bowl when I am measuring my ingredients. This is done very easily and without fuss by simply pressing and holding the ON-ZERO button for a few seconds. The numeric display then overrides whatever has been weighed beforehand, and the display returns to '0'.

This technique can also be employed if you choose to measure several ingredients in the same bowl or plate. All you need to do is press and hold the ON-ZERO button after the addition of each ingredient and the electronic display will reset itself. This is a very useful tool that not all electronic kitchen scales have, or so I believe. I find that it cuts down on washing up, and with home-baking, most ingredients end up in the same bowl anyway, such as when baking a cake or scones, so I personally find this little trick is quite helpful.

The last feature on the Salter Black Platform Scale is concerning the other black button located at the bottom right hand corner of the scale's surface. The button is quite self-explanatory as it states G-OZ underneath it. This button allows the Salter Scale to convert weight units between metric and imperial. There is only one recipe I use regularly that requires me to change the converter to ounces, and I have encountered no problems with converting the weight or changing it back. It takes only a second or two for the display to change itself and the process is extremely simple.

According to the instruction booklet supplied with the scale, and after a quick scan of the packaging for the product, I can tell you some of the other features of the Salter Black Platform Scale. Firstly, the product comes with an impressive 15 year guarantee, which goes some way to confirming the manufacturers' confidence in the item for me personally.

There is also an 'Auto Switch Off' facility with this particular scale which I have to say is really quite quick, switching the scale off after only one minute after the numeric display shows '0' continuously or after three minutes after the display has shown the same weight. This is a brilliant way to maintain your battery's lifespan and I am certain that I would forget to turn the scale off after every use due to becoming preoccupied with my baking routine. If you choose to switch the scale off yourself however, this is easy to do so by pressing and holding the ON-ZERO button for just a few seconds.

The last point I have to mention is the sleek design and compact look that these scales have. I did touch on this earlier but I feel that it is a real selling point for me personally, as I have limited space in my kitchen cupboards at home. This means that slightly more cumbersome or bulky designed scales such as those with a large bowl or jug supplied with them are a complete no-no for me as I simply don't have the room to store them. With the Salter Black Platform Scale, the scale's depth is only 2.5cm, making it a very 'slim line' design to store as it is so flat. The scale's black square top measures approx 18cm x 18cm, making it very compact. I actually choose to store my scale upright, slotted in at the side of a cupboard, and this is extremely easy to do.

I think it is worth pointing out too that the maximum capacity for the Salter scale is only 3kg which is less than many alternatives available on the market. This is more than sufficient for my baking requirements however, as I seldom weigh ingredients that reach even 1kg. I understand that the weight capacity might be less suited to many consumers own requirements, but I am more than happy with the scale's capabilities, and am happy to loose a little weight from it's overall capacity in favour of a neat, slim line, fairly lightweight little model.

Overall, I am thrilled with my new kitchen scales and can't recommend them highly enough. They are an absolute delight to use and I have nothing negative to report about them whatsoever. I am delighted with my purchase!

The Salter 1066 Black Platform Scale can currently be purchased in larger branches of Tesco for the price of £9. You can also buy a white version online at www.amazon.co.uk for around £10 (info as @ April 2012).