Weight vs. volume. How do You measure?
- Thread starter emtd
- Start date
shaun-in-to
Well-known member
Weighing is often recommended for baking. I've edited a number of cookbooks whose authors
insist on giving weight measures especially for yeast breads.
When a recipe gives both weight and volume, I find I have consistently better results when I weigh.
However, I find that for most recipes, weighing liquids or eggs or salt and so on just plain silly.
For weighing, I use a grams/ounces electronic postal scale that's almost 20 years old. There are much better ones now. Some you can download nutrition databases into and they'll give you calorie counts and so on.
insist on giving weight measures especially for yeast breads.
When a recipe gives both weight and volume, I find I have consistently better results when I weigh.
However, I find that for most recipes, weighing liquids or eggs or salt and so on just plain silly.
For weighing, I use a grams/ounces electronic postal scale that's almost 20 years old. There are much better ones now. Some you can download nutrition databases into and they'll give you calorie counts and so on.
Thanks for the input. I will probably invest in a scale.
This started with trying to determine how many grams 7 oz of almond paste is. So I couldn't put it in a dry or fluid style container. And somehow I needed to cut away the amount of grams (200) that it was calculated that I needed. It got me doing some reading though.
Thanks again
Betty
This started with trying to determine how many grams 7 oz of almond paste is. So I couldn't put it in a dry or fluid style container. And somehow I needed to cut away the amount of grams (200) that it was calculated that I needed. It got me doing some reading though.
Thanks again
Betty
emtd, be sure to get one that easily converts from ounces to grams. And also
can take at least 5 or 6 pounds. Some stop at 2 lbs and that's almost useless for doughs.
Some of the scales have the conversion switch underneath on the bottom which makes it a pain to change units midstream.
can take at least 5 or 6 pounds. Some stop at 2 lbs and that's almost useless for doughs.
Some of the scales have the conversion switch underneath on the bottom which makes it a pain to change units midstream.
sandi-in-hawaii
Well-known member
Love, love, love my scale! So much easier than using measuring cups!
When I first started, I had to have a calculator handy, so that I could convert the cup measurements into weights.
I made a chart to indicate the weight of 1 cup of the most used ingredients, but I'd still have to use the calculator when the recipe called for fractions of a cup (i.e. 1 cup of sugar = 7 oz, 3/4 cup = ?)
Finally got smart. Made an Excel chart with the weights of 1/4 cup all the way to 5 cups for both my flour and sugar, and taped the chart to the cover of my storage container. Now, if the recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of sugar, I can just look at my chart and find the weight.
I have two scales. I have a Salter Aquatronic, which measures in 1/4oz increments, up to 5 lbs. I love that one, but it's getting old, and the lcd display is losing a couple of markings.
I bought another Salter on sale as a backup, that measures in 1/8oz increments, up to 11 lbs. However, that one is much slower to turn on, and tare, the display is much smaller, and the default measurement when you turn it on is grams. I really don't like this second one, and I'll be really sad when the first one is truly dead.
When I first started, I had to have a calculator handy, so that I could convert the cup measurements into weights.
I made a chart to indicate the weight of 1 cup of the most used ingredients, but I'd still have to use the calculator when the recipe called for fractions of a cup (i.e. 1 cup of sugar = 7 oz, 3/4 cup = ?)
Finally got smart. Made an Excel chart with the weights of 1/4 cup all the way to 5 cups for both my flour and sugar, and taped the chart to the cover of my storage container. Now, if the recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of sugar, I can just look at my chart and find the weight.
I have two scales. I have a Salter Aquatronic, which measures in 1/4oz increments, up to 5 lbs. I love that one, but it's getting old, and the lcd display is losing a couple of markings.
I bought another Salter on sale as a backup, that measures in 1/8oz increments, up to 11 lbs. However, that one is much slower to turn on, and tare, the display is much smaller, and the default measurement when you turn it on is grams. I really don't like this second one, and I'll be really sad when the first one is truly dead.
shaun-in-to
Well-known member
Another feature to look for is a Zero button, aka tare weight setting. This means you can
measure, say, 9 oz of flour into the bowl, then push Zero, and measure in 3 oz of sugar, push Zero, add 4.5 oz of raisins, etc, without having to turn the scale on and off every time. Probably most kitchen/postal scales come with this now, but you never know.
measure, say, 9 oz of flour into the bowl, then push Zero, and measure in 3 oz of sugar, push Zero, add 4.5 oz of raisins, etc, without having to turn the scale on and off every time. Probably most kitchen/postal scales come with this now, but you never know.