Using a Cooking Scale
Cooking can be a lot of fun, if you have the right tools. A cooking scale is a device that is not used all the time but which can come in very handy at the right times. A lot of people know that you should use a cooking scale mostly when you are baking, and they work better in a lot of situations than measuring cups.
One of the main reasons you want to use a cooking scale is for precision. Especially for larger quantity recipes, you will want to make sure that you have the exact right amount of each ingredient. When you use measuring cups they are accurate but not nearly as precise as scales. When a cup of flour is measured on a scale for instance, it is possible to add or take away flour until the scale measures the exact amount that you are looking for.
When you use measuring cups however, you are more going with an approximate amount and although this may not seem like that big of a deal it can have a major difference on the final result.
Repeatability is another benefit that comes from using a cooking scale, as once you have figured how much of an ingredient to put into a recipe, with a scale the next time you make the same recipe you will have a much greater chance of ending up with the exact same results as last time.
Types of Scales
There are actually a few different types of cooking scales. There are three in particular: balance, mechanical, and digital. A digital cooking scale will typically be the most expensive, but also the most convenient and easiest to use. A good digital scale will provide easy to read measurements with high precision and they work based on an electrical component strain gauge.
Balance scales operate by performing comparisons between known masses and the object to be weighed, and the mechanical scales use a platform mounted on a heavy spring to measure weight. The only problem with these scales is that springs are really not ideal because they may change compression rates over time.
Diet Scales
You can also purchase a diet cooking scale, which helps when you are trying to lose weight or just get in shape. These scales are fantastic and very accurate and help you to make sure that portion sizes are accurate and are a great kitchen staple for anyone who is concerned with their health.
