Review on Taylor Precision Products USB Rechargeable Digital Kitchen Food Scale, 11 lb Capacity, Dishwasher Safe Tray, Cord Included by Keely Allred

This is a small, compact scale that doesn't take up too much space. I have purchased many different types of Taylor thermometers and several different scales (analog and digital) over the years and this brand has always been a trusted brand for me. I have always been very satisfied with the quality and durability of their products. My current kitchen runs on batteries, but I never have fresh batteries on hand when I need them and I really liked the idea of a rechargeable unit. I ordered this to use in soap making but it is not big enough for my purposes. It will handle the weight fairly easily, but most of the items I want to measure make it difficult to see the readings. I don't want to use the hold button and delete the item so I used this for the kitchen. I charged the battery before testing the scale; The instruction manual said it would take about two hours, but it went much quicker - about 25 minutes or so. There is a small flashing light to let me know that charging is complete and there is also an indicator when it needs to be charged again. The kit includes a USB cable but no power outlet module. I believe this scale to be fairly accurate (I weighed several items of known weight to verify). This gives an accurate reading without too much fluctuation. I like the removable tray which makes handling potentially dirty items a lot easier. What I'm not particularly interested in are the control buttons - I can't read them at all at first and had to refer to the picture on the box to get started. Maybe I'll add a few little labels over time, but for now there are only four pieces of tape telling me which button controls on/off, tare, hold, and units of measure. I'm sure I'll remember which is which after using it for a while, but it looks like it could use some improvement. I also don't like the idea that the internal battery cannot be replaced and the device has to be scrapped at the end of its life (hopefully in the future). I think it's a well made tool and with a little care it will last a long time. The box is too big to use for storage (at least in my small kitchen) and the boxes never seem to last long in my house anyway. I have a safe place to keep this, but I seem to be the only one who can return the items to their assigned home. I have to be careful that family members don't hide it in a closet that's on its side or pile things on top of it if that's the case. The current price of $21.99 seems reasonable (I took off a star for those damn buttons).