A kitchen scale is a crucial item in any kitchen for precise measurements of ingredients.
A well-equipped kitchen requires the right tools, and that's where A Guide to Furnishing Your Kitchen comes in - a series designed to assist you in choosing the right small appliances for your kitchen while eliminating unnecessary ones.
Cooking and baking can be compared to a science; it involves precise measurements, weighing, monitoring temperatures, and record-keeping. One of the most important tools for accomplishing this is a digital scale.
A digital kitchen scale is an absolute necessity, as it allows you to accurately measure ingredients, monitor serving sizes, divide cake batter evenly across multiple pans, and even assist in identifying the source of a recipe's flaws. Despite what you may think, this tool is useful for home cooks as well.
While industrial kitchens may need sturdy, high-capacity scales, consumer-grade scales are typically more compact and affordable. However, there are many kitchen scales with stylish designs, easy storage, and high precision.
Key Functions
Tare Button
Digital kitchen scales, no matter the price range, will have at least two buttons - an on/off/tare button and a unit button. While you're familiar with turning on and off an appliance, "tare" may not be a term you use often.
When measuring ingredients such as flour or eggs, you don't pour them directly onto the scale platform. Instead, you place them in a bowl, which has weight. To prevent doing the math yourself, "taring" the weight of the container allows you to weigh only the ingredients you're adding, not the container weight. It's useful for measuring multiple ingredients in the same bowl.
Unit Button
The unit function is more straightforward and practical. Pressing this button allows you to switch between measuring units such as ounces, grams, pounds, and ounces (for larger measurements). The scale will handle all unit conversions. Weigh flour in ounces, then switch effortlessly to grams for the salt, or vice versa.
How to Choose the Best Digital Kitchen Scale
Though digital kitchen scales generally have a similar appearance - a large center weighing platform and a small digital display with a button on either side - there are key features that distinguish them from one another.
Consider the Following Scales:
- OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale
- Taylor Digital Kitchen Scale
- Escali Nutro Digital Food Scale
Displays Easy to Access
Compact home scales have a small form factor, often standing only six inches in diameter and low to the countertop. This shape is ideal for storage, but larger bowls or trays can hinder access to the display, making it difficult to switch units or see the weight.
Select a scale with a detachable display, one that's tilted downward (for more comfortable viewing under a bowl), or one that features a forward-facing screen. Detachable displays usually have a retractable cord, allowing you to pull it away from the scale enough to see the readout. Additionally, backlit screens are beneficial, as it can be challenging to see the display under a bowl or sheet tray.
Easy-to-Clean Platform
My kitchen sees a lot of flour and grease, both from me and not from children. It's necessary to have a scale that's easy to clean, which typically includes a stainless steel housing that can be wiped down. However, the platform - the part most susceptible to spills and grime - should have a removable cover. These are often lightweight, thin, and made of stainless steel, Easy to slide on and off.
Consider the Weight Capacity
With the various sizes and weights of food items, it's crucial to consider the weight capacity of the scale you choose. Check the manufacturer's specifications to ensure your desired scale can accommodate the heaviest ingredient you plan to weigh.
Note: The original text ends here, but we added this note for you.
So, there you have it. These are the important factors to consider when selecting the best digital kitchen scale for your culinary creations. Embrace the science of cooking and baking, and reap the rewards of consistent measurements and more successful recipes with a high-quality scale.
Note: The main idea of the story was to help people choose the right digital kitchen scale. To achieve this, it discussed the essential features, mentioned the basic functions of a digital kitchen scale, and provided recommendations of various models. Additionally, it explained the importance of the tare and unit functions and how they improve the cooking process. The story was intended to be informative and engaging, making the user feel more confident when making their decision. Finally, the text included information about the weight capacity, which ensures that the user's selected scale is suitable for their needs. If you need any help or have questions, feel free to ask. We'd be happy to assist.
After you get used to measuring ingredients in the same container, it's hard to go back to using multiple bowls. That's why the "Err" on your scale is so frustrating when it pops up, indicating you've reached the maximum weight limit. When you're shopping for a food scale, check the maximum capacity to avoid this problem. You might think a 3- or 4-pound scale is enough, but making double batches of cookies or stews could push you past the limit. Although you don't need a scale that can handle 400 pounds, if you have the option, go for something around 10 pounds.
Kitchen scales are already calibrated, so you don't have to worry about it at home. As long as you've put in the batteries, the scale is ready to use. Now you can finally try out those metric recipes you've been excited about.
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Source: lifehacker.com
