#Top five digital kitchen scales

Ensure accuracy with every recipe by investing in a pair of electronic scales. We've listed our top five versions.

If you re a keen cook, weighing scales will be one of your most important pieces of kitchen kit, especially if you love to bake where accuracy is essential for good results. When searching for the perfect scales we looked at platform scales, and those with integral bowls or jugs. Most important of all, to get our vote they had to have easy to use controls with a clear unobstructed digital display with readings in grams, ounces, fluid ounces and millilitres, as well as being easy to wipe clean.

Colourmatch digital kitchen scale

If you love colour in your kitchen this range of square platform scales are precise and pretty, and have a weighing range between 1g to 5kg. This has a larger than average display so it is very easy to read, and the touch display for setting it responds quickly and accurately. A lot that we tried were frustratingly under or over responsive. You will find these in colours such as bubblegum pink, jellybean blue and tutti frutti green.

Stainless steel digital scale

This brushed stainless steel scale, with integral bowl, will weigh ingredients from 1g to 5kg. However, the main selling point is the size of the bowl, as so often they are just not large enough, especially if you like to weigh an ingredient, return the display to zero then weight another ingredient on top when you are making a cake for example. At a capacity of 2.5 litres you will find this will suit most recipes, plus the bowl will go in the dishwasher then invert over the base for neat storage. Once you have made your recipe, there is a timer function to alert you when it is ready to eat. There is also a room thermometer.

Slimline digital scale

This is round and so thin it could slip into a cupboard to store on its side with the breadboards. However, it is still large enough to comfortably take a big bowl on top without obscuring the digital display, so many that we tested failed on this point. With readings from 1g to 5kg, and metric and imperial measures for wet and dry ingredients it is simple to use, has a clear digital display and is plain enough to suit most kitchens, whether modern or traditional.

• 33.60, from Stellar Cookware (check online for your nearest stockist)

Heston Blumenthal dual platform precision scale

Designed by Heston and manufactured by Salter, this oblong scale features two stainless steel platform scales in one, which can be used at the same time or singly. The largest scale can weigh from 1g to 10kg (twice the amount of most scales) while the smaller goes right down to just 0.1g from 200g, perfect if you love to cook chef s recipes where they give precise gram measures for ingredients like spices. With backlit digital displays for both scales it is very clear to use. If you are after a single platform Salter scale try Aquatronic Electronic kitchen scale 21.99.

49.99, from Salter

Shell digital scale

We couldn t resist the design of this, as it looks so different from the norm, a perfect choice if your kitchen is modern and understated. With all the benefits of the digital scale, with a graduation from 1g to 5 kilos and large digital display, the shaped, dishwasher-proof stainless steel bowl turns over for storage to create an almost egg-like shape. The bowl on top has quite low sides, front and back, but still takes up to 600g flour at a time.

• 50, from Joseph Joseph website and selected department stores

Do you have a set of digital scales you couldn t live without? Share your product recommendations with us below.