Vintage Kitchen Scales

One unusual appliance you can bring into your kitchen is a vintage kitchen scale.  Kitchen scales have been used by homemakers for hundreds of years, and varied wildly in their make and style over the years.  Even given the differences in style, there are clear signs of progress when one looks at scales across the years.  Most recently, cast iron scales have become particularly interesting to collectors of vintage kitchen scales.  They are both practical and interesting appliances to have in your kitchen, whether you need to weigh baking supplies or simply have a conversation piece on the counter.

The original kitchen scales in the style we are used to date back to the Victorian period, in the 1800s.  At that time, cooks used either balance scales or mechanical scales.  However, the normal family did not own a kitchen scale – only wealthy homeowners were able to purchase such luxuries.  Collectors of vintage kitchen scales often look for kitchen scales such as the Victorian scales when they want to find an “authentic” antique scale.

Over the years, kitchen scales have progressed greatly.  A new and attractive scale was introduced in the mid-1930s, the Depression era, to measure out baking ingredients.  By the 1950s, every American kitchen had a mechanical kitchen scale to measure out necessary ingredients.

Cast iron scales are some of the most popular vintage kitchen scales for collectors to find.  Their durability is impressive; even when used on a regular basis, cast iron scales will last for generations without a problem.  This excellent craftsmanship makes cast iron scales ideal for collectors who do not just want to show off their newly acquired antique, but also want to use it regularly in their own homes.  Think carefully about how you want to use your antique before you go out to shop for it.