Is Using A Scale Better Than Measuring Cups?
Decorating By Phyllis52 Updated 30 Jun 2007 , 8:08pm by lchristi27
Yes...way better IMO...I had a recipe yesterday that called for 16 ounces of butter (which is 2 sticks) but when both sticks were in my bowl on the scale they only came to 7.65 ounces a piece! No wonder my cakes have always turned out off! Yesterdays cakes were perfect!
Yes using scales is much easier and more accurate. Using scales makes it easier to halve or double recipes too. No worrying about tryin to figure out all those pesky fractions. Just ounces. grams and lbs. (which are usually whole numbers or decimals. Always much easier to work with than those pesky 1/2's or 1/3's or even 15/16's LOL.
I bought a really nice digital one that automatically figures out the tare (the weight of whatever vessel you are weighing the product IN) so that you weigh only the flour or water or butter.
I got the scale at wallymart for bout 30 bucks. It's capacity is to 11 lbs. (Even the big ones at work the capacity max is about 10 #s)
I agree. Weighing is so much easier than worrying about using measuring cups. I can place my KA bowl on my scale , set it to zero and begin weighing my ingredients. Every time a new ingredient is added I set the scale back to zero and add the next ingredient. Less dishes to wash up and the scale is much more accurate. I bought my scale at William Sonoma about six years ago and I don't think I could ever part from it. 
Measuring devices vary greatly in their capacity - weighing is much more accurate. Weighing is also less messy. I can weigh out a bunch of ingredients on paper plates and then focus on actually making the cake or icing. If you look at Rose Levy Beranbaum's website, there is only one maker of measuring cups and spoons she recos. I guess if you think about it, many of our measuing cups and stuff are now made in China and they don't even use the same measuring system we do and we expect them to be accurate? Look at all the various methods for measuring flour and the one you choose has a big impact on the amount of flour in say a cup. Many recipes don't tell if they expect the baker to use dip and scoop or some other method.
I switched over to using a scale a while back and thats all I do now. So much easier and clean up is a lot quicker since I don't have a bunch of measuring cups to wash. You'll want to get a digital scale that can weigh in ounces and grams. I find the grams weight to be useful with some of the recipes from our overseas friends. Also, if you can reset it to 0 each time you need to measure thats a great feature. For example, I put my bowl on the scale, reset to zero, weight out my crisco, water, extracts. Then I'll mix that, put bowl on scale and reset to zero and weigh out my powdered sugar. Its great and so much esaier!
I found a scale was necessary for making cookies and weighing out the flour. I was getting inconsistent results with measuring cups from one batch to the next. Finally took someone's advice and borrowed a scale. No problems now, except my mom wants her scale back!
I agree I love my scales. The cakes and breads come out so much better. I would not give up my scales to anyone.
Here's a conversion chart for volume to weight of common baking ingredients:
http://www.fareshare.net/conversions-volume-to-weight.html
And here is my little "hippo" scale that I simply can't function without. One cup of shortening = 7 oz, and I don't have to pay double for the pre-measured sticks or make a huge mess with measuring cups!
http://www.thecozypineapple.com/soehnle-66719.html?productid=soehnle-66719&channelid=FROOG
Is there a chart showing the amount of cake batter in ounces/pounds to put in cake pans? I talked to a friend of mine the other day when I was working on my first tiered cake and she told me that my 6 inch cake pan only needed 6 oz. of batter. I would love to have a chart with those type measurements. I just haven't been able to find one yet on the internet.
Thanks
Sherri
Is there a chart showing the amount of cake batter in ounces/pounds to put in cake pans? I talked to a friend of mine the other day when I was working on my first tiered cake and she told me that my 6 inch cake pan only needed 6 oz. of batter. I would love to have a chart with those type measurements. I just haven't been able to find one yet on the internet.
Sherri
Me too-if anyone know this it would be very helpful!
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