In the world of making, an “all-purpose” scale will be a scale that balances precision with a relatively high maximum weight, at a price point that works for you. It is unlikely to be truly all-purpose if you make a wide variety of projects in all kinds of batch sizes (5g eyeliner to 2kg soap and everything in between!), but it’ll be your 80%-of-the-time scale.
I recommend precision down to at least 0.1g (though 0.01g is better), and a maximum weight of at least 500g. As the maximum weight goes up and the precision improves, the price will increase.
I started with a Smart Weigh Digital Pro Pocket Scale 0.1g x 2000g (USA / Canada). This little scale worked well but tended to break within a year, so after I went through a few of those, I upgraded to something more expensive.
For several years my workhorse scale was the My Weigh iBALANCE 700 (this scale seems to be discontinued as of 2026), and it has been going strong since 2017. It is precise to 0.1g and has a maximum weight of 700g. It also plugs in, so it doesn’t shut off automatically after a certain period of time, and that’s amazing. This scale works for the vast majority of the things I create. I use a precision scale with a lower maximum weight for tiny batches and ingredients that need to be measured very precisely. I use a less precise kitchen scale (1g accuracy, 5kg maximum weight) to make soap.
In 2020 I purchased a Jennings TB 500 (USA) (0.01g precision, 500g maximum weight), and that has been my “all purpose” scale ever since. Its maximum weight is high enough that I can use it to make batches up to ~300g, and precise enough that I can weigh out cool down phase ingredients (and other ingredients with low, precise usage levels).
Remember that the maximum weight a scale can handle includes the containers that you’re weighing ingredients into! A 250mL beaker typically weighs around 100–120g, while a 250mL Pyrex-style measuring cup can weigh 2–3x that. That means you could use a 250mL beaker on a scale with a maximum weight of 200g (to weigh out no more than 80–100g of ingredients), while you couldn’t use a Pyrex-style measuring cup of the same size.
To learn more about what to consider when purchasing a scale, please read this.
