Spoon scale, mixed feelings.

While browsing around the ChinaBay site, I came across this little gadget. It caught my interest so much that I decided to order one for a review.
Description and photos after the jump.

I like precision in some things. Maybe it has something to do with my job, maybe something else—I don't know. But labels like “1.5 tablespoons,” “4 teaspoons,” and so on have always annoyed me. I'm used to more specific measurements, so when I saw these scales, I wanted to take a closer look. Maybe I'd like them and be able to use them.
I waited a long time for them. Packages usually take about three weeks, but this one took more than a month. I don't know where it wandered off to, but eventually it made its way to me.

As usual, it arrived in the familiar yellow bubble mailer. The box was dented, though. That doesn't matter for using it, but it wouldn't do as a gift for some domestic goddess you know. Although it does look like it wants to be given as a gift.


The package contained only the spoon and a small instruction booklet. Batteries were listed as included, but there weren't any in reality, even though there was space for them in the compartment. Of course, I shook the package just to be sure—maybe they'd stuck somewhere inside—but no luck. The store gets a fail for that. The product description on the site is pretty vague, though; more on that in the summary.


The instructions are in English, which is already pretty good—not Russian, of course, but still better than hieroglyphs.
By the way, the instructions don't explain the units of mass. They don't list the specifications, either. Maybe they were trying to save on letters, but they could have been a bit more thorough.


According to the store, the measuring spoon scale has a weighing range of up to 500 grams. Versions rated for 300 and 200 grams are also available, with 0.1-gram accuracy.
It comes in five different colors: red, black, yellow, green, and blue. But the store only has the black one.
When I mentioned the 500-gram capacity, my wife asked in surprise what you could possibly weigh in a kitchen spoon that weighed that much. I don't know; I also think 200 grams would have been enough. But extra capacity doesn't hurt, so I might as well keep it. She said the same about the color—she'd have preferred a colored one.
It's 233 mm long and weighs 88 grams with the batteries installed.
The body is plastic, with a metal top half. Whoever thought a kitchen measuring spoon scale should be made of chrome-plated metal, I don't know. While I was running tests, it turned matte from all the fingerprints. It would have been better if it had been matte or colored to begin with.
The measuring spoon scale can weigh in grams, ounces (avoirdupois ounce), grains (troy grain), and carats (metric carat)

A mass of 46 grams is displayed as 46 1.625 710 230, respectively.


On top are the display and three buttons: power (which also serves as Tare), mode (cycles through the weight units), and a button to reset the hold mode. After about 2 seconds of stable readings, hold mode kicks in and the digits stop changing until you press this button or the Tare button. There is no cumulative measurement mode, which is a shame.
You can turn it off manually, or it shuts off automatically after 60 seconds. Both work.


On the back is a compartment for 2 AAA batteries. The cover is secured with a small screw.
By the way, the case feels rather flimsy. As I mentioned above, no batteries were included.


Naturally, I wanted to take it apart.
There’s a screw in the battery compartment; undo it and you can remove the metal top plate. The buttons are rubber and quite stiff, but it’s not a big problem. It could have been worse.


Undo two more screws near the spoon itself and you can get to the innards. The spoon itself isn’t removable, so you have to wash it carefully; the design isn’t sealed.
Inside, you can see the load cell and the scale’s circuit board. I didn’t find anything particularly interesting on it. Why did I take it apart? No idea—probably an engineer’s phobia mania. :)))


Now it’s time to move on to the test measurements. I’ll say right away that I won’t be testing it with precision weights, since I didn’t see the point. I’ll explain why at the end.

Summary.
Pros.
The scale works and measures fairly accurately (as far as I could tell).
The design is quite convenient, and the spoon itself is deep.
The controls are simple and intuitive.
Several standard units of measurement (not important to me, but they may be useful to someone).
The auto-off works, and it doesn't turn itself on (some scales have an auto-on feature that activates when a load is detected in the bowl).

Cons.
No batteries were included, even though the listing said they should be and even showed them in the photo. The description was vague, though: “Pre-installed, not included.” That is, installed in the scale but not included in the package? Unclear.
The construction is a little flimsy, which could affect accuracy.
Because of the design (the measurement is taken at an arm that extends outward), there may be additional measurement error, since the scale should ideally be held horizontally.
The top of the housing is made of chrome-plated metal, so it will quickly get covered in fingerprints and lose its good looks. A matte finish would have been better.
I really miss a mode for accumulating results. Why they didn't add one is unclear: the screen is large, there are plenty of digits, and it could easily have been implemented. It's not clear how to weigh something in several batches.
The spoon is not detachable, so you can't remove it and wash it separately. Actually, that's not quite right: you can remove and wash it, but only once.

Neutral.
The automatic hold mode is a little annoying, though maybe I just haven't gotten used to it yet, since it's convenient in principle…

All in all, it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, it should be convenient; on the other, it has its drawbacks. Time will tell—I need to use it for a while to decide. So far, I like it.
I hope my review will be useful.