Why it's essential for home cooks and bakers to use digital kitchen scales for consistently successful results. Let me convince you!
Why Do I need a Digital Kitchen Scale?
Many recipes use weight measurements, especially in professional baking. A digital scale allows you to easily follow these recipes without the hassle of converting volumes to weights. Don't make macarons and patisserie without it!
Digital scales streamline the measuring process. With the tare function, you can weigh multiple ingredients in the same bowl, reducing cleanup and saving precious time.
It takes the maths out of weighing ingredients. Digital scales eliminate the guesswork and inconsistencies that come with using measuring cups.
Grams or Ounces = Same Language?
As baking in France, rest of Europe and in the UK is measured in metric grams (millilitres and kilos), all my recipes and in my books are also given in grams.
In most recipes on the website, I have added both ounces and cups purely as an approximate guide.
Weight vs Volume
Baking or making patisserie is a science. Let's not get all technical, but yes, it's chemistry and if you change anything from 20g to 50g of flour or sugar in the oven, it can be a disaster. Believe me, I've been there: you'll measure your life before digital scales!
Making macarons or pastries require exact quantities to the nearest gram (or ⅛ ounce), so you'll need digital scales to weigh your ingredients precisely.
Cups are Not Accurate For Measuring Pâtisserie
CUPS are not an accurate enough measurement to enable us to bake or cook consistently well. Especially when it comes to baking pâtisserie like macarons, tarts, ganaches etc. For example:
- One cup of plain (all-purpose) flour is about 125g or 130g. I get conflicting results throughout - so what if I want to use precisely 125g flour? It also isn't the same weight as whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour;
- One cup of almond flour (ground almonds) is 100g - so is NOT the same weight as a cup of plain flour either.
- Likewise, you can't just throw in 4 egg whites and hope for the best that it will be 150g if my macaron recipe asks for it. It may just work, but next time you try the recipe, it could go wrong since 4 egg whites could be anything between 120g and 160g depending on the size and freshness of your eggs.
- Butter: is that 28g or 30g, ¼ stick or 2 tablespoons? Or 1.5 tablespoon for only 20g?
Although some recipes (soups, muffins, pancakes and bread) are forgiving, for baking in particular, measurements have to be precise by WEIGHT, not volume, for consistent, successful results.
I could go on - but do you get the picture? Working in cups also means referring to charts of cups of flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, butter...
It's so much easier in grams.
How to Choose the Best Digital Kitchen Scales
To choose the best digital kitchen scales, here's a quick checklist. Most importantly, these days scales are not expensive.
- The LCD display is easy to read and buttons are large.
- It measures in BOTH metric and imperial weights. If following a recipe in ounces or in grams, you can switch to either at the touch of a button. That way we're speaking the same international kitchen language.
- It's ACCURATE to the nearest gram or ⅛ ounce - and measures liquids too.
- It's full 5kg (11lb) CAPACITY is a lovely feature. Some scales go up to 3kg (9lb) capacity, which is still more than enough for making pastries at home. My last scale would go into overdrive if I placed a heavy glass bowl on it. So having a large capacity is a nice feature.
- A TARE function, which means being able to reset it to zero so you can add and weigh more ingredients in the same bowl. Just switch back to zero to weigh the next ingredient. This economises on washing up!
- Weight is indicated for a whole TWO MINUTES. This is a feature I love compared with my last (and expensive!) scale, since often I'll be measuring out icing (powdered) sugar and I run out towards the end. By the time I get another packet, the scale used to switch off. This scale doesn't thus saves me the hassle of re-weighing;
- If they rely on batteries, check how long it lasts. It should also warn you when you need to change batteries.
Joy M
My old faithful Salter's scales are on their way out and I've been looking for a replacement for a while...these are gorgeous and great that they're so accurate! I love the strawberry colour x
Jill Colonna
Well, you came in at the right time since your name popped up to win the scales - strawberry it is! Bravo, Joy! I've contacted you by email for your address details.
Denisa Wartinbee
These scales are great, especially as I'm at college and it's hard to buy so many different measuring utensils for baking, and this would combine some of them! Love the frosted silver!
Jill Colonna
Hi Denisa,
Thanks so much for entering and lovely choice of colour too. Sorry your name didn't pop up but hope that college life still means you can bake away...
Michelle MacQuarrie
I would finally love a set of accurate scales. The ones I buy never seem to be up to scratch. It will also give me the incentive to make macarons at last which I'd been too frightened to try.
Jill Colonna
Hi Michelle,
thanks so much for entering and although your name didn't come up, I do hope you have enough incentive to get good scales such as these so you have no more excuses to make macarons. They're so much easier than you think - just stick to my recipe and to the letter 😉
Joy
Love the red! It would match my new mixer. Would love to have a new scale.
Jill Colonna
Good choice on the red 😉 I love them too. So sorry you didn't win the giveaway but I do hope you get scales like Terraillon's since they're super.
Sandra Salter
These scales are essential for baking where accuracy is needed. Love the red, so vibrant.
Jill Colonna
Hi Sandra,
Couldn't agree more! Thanks so much for entering and hope you pop back in for future giveaways and more recipes.
Kate Smith
Love the colour of this red one , but with all the other features , especially the 2 min detail , any colour would be appreciated , great for my macarons where accuracy is really important xx
Jill Colonna
Hi Kate,
Thanks so much for entering and glad you like the 2 minute detail too. So sorry that your name didn't come up this time but I do hope you'll look out these Terraillon scales since I'm really impressed with their quality.
Carol Morris
It's obviously a sign, my last set of scales, purchased at the lidl in Croissy have just given up on me today. Would love to win these, would be perfect to go with your book.
Jill Colonna
Hi Carol,
I'm sorry that the giveaway wasn't for more people but I do hope that it's a sign that you'll be united with great scales. I really am impressed with Terraillon's ones (including their jam scale). Thanks so much for entering and hope you're enjoying the recipes in Teatime in Paris! (or Mad About Macarons?) ..
Thomasina
I like the idea of economising on the washing up with these scales. AND I love the idea you are advised when new batteries are needed. White meringue sounds really upmarket but so are these scales which are far superior to the ones I have.
Jill Colonna
Hi Thomasina,
thanks so much for entering. Yes, the names for each colour are rather classy, aren't they? Very impressed with Terraillon so far.
Bea Trundle
It looks & sounds very impressive and would encourage me to do more baking!
Would love the plum colour. 🙂
Jill Colonna
Plum it is! You're name came up to win them. Bravo, Bea!
Debbie Callway
These are gorgeous and with any luck will improve my attempts at making macarons.
Jill Colonna
Thanks for entering, Debbie. I wish I had enough scales for everyone to win but I do hope this encourages you to go for good scales like these. Let me know how you get on with your future macarons!