Popthebaker wrote:
>Maggie Glezer wrote:
>>I highly recommend buying a cheap digital scale. Your baking will
>>be faster, cleaner and much more accurate.
>I can't agree more with Maggie's analysis and suggestions.
Same here. Except that very many recipes even in UK nowadays call for
amounts by volume (cups). I have several standard cups but I'd still
rather weigh ingredients on my very cheap digital scale. It weighs in
imperial, metric, will zero, I can use other containers on it and it
will weigh by one gram increments so I can use it as a postal scale.
The problem with even standard cups is that volumes can vary acording
to how loose the (eg) flour is packed, it can also be difficult to
read the level if it's below the rim. Then it has to be washed
instead of having weighed everything in the same container.
>I find there are four indispensable tools in baking: an accurate
>scale, dough whisk, bench knife, and Prolon or Cambro containers.
I have no experience of those things. I use a dough hook in the
Kenwood mixer, I cut dough with a table knife and ... Prolon or
Cambro containers? Never heard of 'em :-)
>Scales with a capacity of 2 Kg (5 pound) have enough capacity for
>the average home baker and run around $30, unless you shop at the
>very high end kitchen stores.
They're much cheaper here. I even have one in the little caravan
(trailer) we have in Wales.
>You can weigh ingredients directly into the work bowl without having
>to clean measuring devices.
Yes. Sorry, I mentioned cleaning not having noticed your comment!
>Word of warning: You will find yourself using the scale for many
>other things besides baking. I use mine to weigh pasta, coffee,
>meat, and even as a postal scale.
I've never weighed coffee (I use a dedicated measure which lives in
the caddy and is never washed!) but I use the scale for vegetables,
ingredients for other things (fat, sugar, fruit, nuts, seeds, grain,
cereal ... you name it) and meat and pasta.
Mary