The tare function on a scale resets the display to 0 while something is already sitting on it, so the next number you see is only what you add. Put a bowl on, press tare, add 120 g of flour, and the display reads 120 g, not the bowl plus the flour.
| Step | What you do | What the display shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Place an empty bowl on the scale | The bowl's weight |
| 2 | Press tare | 0 g |
| 3 | Add 1 cup of all purpose flour | About 120 g |
| 4 | Press tare again | 0 g |
| 5 | Add 1 cup of granulated sugar | About 198 g |
What tare actually does
Tare doesn't make the bowl weightless. The scale still feels everything on it. It simply remembers the current weight and subtracts it from what it shows you. That's why you can weigh several ingredients into one bowl without doing any math.
One thing to keep in mind: the container still counts toward the scale's maximum load. If your scale weighs up to 500 g and your bowl weighs 300 g, you only have 200 g left for ingredients, even though the display says 0. Light containers give you more room.
How to use the tare function on a scale
- Set the scale on a flat, steady counter and turn it on with nothing on it.
- Place your bowl, cup or spoon on the scale and wait a second for the number to settle.
- Press tare. The display should read zero.
- Add your first ingredient slowly until you reach the weight you need.
- Press tare again before each new ingredient, so every one starts from zero.
- When you're done, remove everything and check that the scale goes back to a sensible reading.
Smart ways to use tare in the kitchen
One bowl recipes. Pancakes, muffins and quick breads can go into a single bowl. Tare, add flour, tare, add sugar, tare, add baking powder. Fewer dishes and no measuring cups to wash.
Weighing what you take out. Put a whole jar of honey on the scale, press tare, then spoon some out. Many scales show a negative number equal to what you removed. It's a tidy trick for sticky ingredients, since you never have to scrape a measuring spoon.
Coffee and tea. Set your mug or brewer on the scale, tare, and add grounds or leaves. Tare again before pouring water if you're brewing by ratio.
Small spoon measures. With a spoon scale, tare the empty spoon, scoop salt, then press tare again and add pepper on top. You get two exact amounts in one spoon.
Common mistakes
- Pressing tare too early. If the bowl is still wobbling, the zero can be slightly off. Wait for the number to settle.
- Forgetting to tare between ingredients. Then you're reading a running total and have to subtract in your head.
- Taring with something in the wrong place. If you rest a spoon on the bowl's rim when you press tare, then lift it off, the reading drops below zero.
- Ignoring the maximum load. A heavy stoneware bowl eats into the scale's capacity, even after tare.
A practical tip: for teaspoon size jobs, a MeasureMate digital measuring spoon puts the scale right in the handle. It scoops and weighs in one step, reads in 0.1 g steps, and the tare button zeroes the reading whenever you want to start fresh. It weighs up to 500 g, which is plenty for spices, leaveners, coffee and tea.
Quick questions
What's the difference between tare and zero?
On many scales it's the same button. Some scales have both: zero resets an empty platform, and tare subtracts a container so you see only what's inside.
Does tare reduce how much a scale can weigh?
Yes. The container still sits on the scale, so its weight counts toward the maximum load even though the display reads zero.
Why does my scale show a negative number?
You pressed tare and then took something off. The scale is showing how much was removed, which is handy when you weigh by subtraction.
Weights based on the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart.