Cooking is a science and the right scale can significantly impact your performance in the kitchen. Cooking is an exact process, with measurements that matter. Cooking without measuring ingredients can be dangerous to you and to those eating what you served them. What’s more, using too small of a scale could lead to wasted food if not enough gets cooked while using too large of a scale could mean extra expense due to buying more than necessary at one time.
It’s important to find the right balance between efficiency and cost-effectiveness when choosing which scale fits your everyday cooking needs. In this article, we will give you four tips on how to choose the right scale for your needs.
Decide the maximum capacity you need
When choosing a scale, it is important to decide the maximum capacity you need. This is determined by the size of the pot or pan you are cooking in and the amount of food you are cooking at one time. If you are overcrowding your pot or pan with too much food, the scale will not be able to accurately measure the weight and could give you inaccurate readings. There are many types of scales on the market but for best performance consider finding a company that specializes manufacturing scales designed to weigh food. Keep in mind that there are different types of scales, from the kitchen to the bathroom that have different purposes and it is not the same whether you are measuring tens of grams for the perfect flower mix, or are monitoring your weight journey every morning in the bathroom.
Consider what type of measurements you need.
There are two types of measurements: metric and imperial. Most scales measure in metric but there are a few that measure in imperial. If you are unsure which type of measurement your recipe calls for, you can either convert the measurements or purchase a scale that measures in both metric and imperial.
The metric system is the most common system of measurement and is used by most countries in the world. It measures in milliliters (ml) and grams (g). The benefit of using the metric system is that it is a decimal system, meaning that any number can be divided into tenths, hundredths, and thousandths. For example, if you need to measure 1.5 liters of water, you would divide 1.5 by 1000 to get the answer of 1.5 milliliters.
The imperial system is the older measurement system used in the United States and Britain. It measures in ounces (oz) and pounds (lb). The benefit of using imperial measurements is that they are more intuitive for some people because they are based on multiples of 12. For example, if you need to measure 2 cups of sugar, you would multiply 2 by 8 to get 16 ounces.
When measuring ingredients, it is important to use the same type of measurement throughout the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for cups, make sure that you use cups to measure all of the ingredients. If a recipe calls for grams, then use grams to measure all of the ingredients. Using different types of measurements can throw off the recipe and could result in an incorrect final product.
What type of surface will you be using the scale on?
Scales come with two types of surfaces, a flat surface or a platform scale. A flat surface scale is designed to sit on a level surface like a countertop in your kitchen. A platform scale has a platform where the item to be weighed is placed on top of which results in more accurate readings because it removes any potential errors caused by uneven surfaces. If you are unsure which type of scale you need, consider the surface you will be using it on most often.
Think about the features you want
When choosing a scale, there are a few features to consider. Some scales come with a tare function which allows you to subtract the weight of the container or vessel you are using to measure the ingredients in. This is helpful because it removes the weight of the container from the total weight making it easier to get an accurate reading. Other scales come with a timer that can be set to alert you when a certain amount of time has elapsed. This can be helpful when cooking something like pasta where you need to cook it for a specific amount of time.
Ultimately, the scale you choose should be based on your needs and what type of measurements you need to make. If accuracy is important for your baking recipe or if you are using a scale in an area with uneven surfaces, then a platform scale would work best for measuring ingredients accurately. On the other hand, if it’s mostly just weight that needs to be measured like when cooking food or monitoring your weight journey every morning, then a flat surface will suffice. It all depends on what features matter most to you and how often you use the scale so think about those things before making this purchase decision.