Why is Weighing Ingredients Accurately So Important?

You may have noticed that these days, many recipes lay out the required ingredients in weight, rather than volume. Why the shift from measuring cups to weighing scales? For one, weighing ingredients is more accurate. In this blog, we’ll outline why accuracy while weighing ingredients is so important, and which professional scales for the kitchen will get you the right results every time. 

Fewer Errors

You may have noticed from cooking or baking shows, or even within your own home that some people have different methods of using measuring cups. Some pour the ingredient, such as flour, right into the cup and others use the measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the bag. Even if both bakers level off the top, their measuring cups may have a different amount of flour in them because the ingredient has been loosely poured in one and densely packed in the other. This is an unintentional, yet common, error in baking, and may cause issues in the final product.

If the recipe calls for 120 grams of flour instead of one cup, the density doesn’t matter, just the weight. This means that there is less chance of an error occurring, which is a relief for stressed and busy chefs and bakers with no time to redo a recipe or make other adjustments to accommodate their mistake. However, your weighing scale can also contribute to errors if the capacity is too high and the readability too low. You want to invest in a high-quality, accurate weighing scale so you don’t have to waste your time worrying.    

Higher Consistency

One of the biggest strengths of a good chef or baker is consistency. For those who repeat the same recipe frequently, whether for themselves or to share with others, you want the resulting food to taste the same every time, with no unpleasant surprises. Weighing your ingredients accurately keeps your final product consistently delicious.

Better End Results

The more accurate your scale, the better your end results will be. Any cheap kitchen scale from a high street store will give you numbers to use, but are you sure that they’re right? Lower quality kitchen scales have higher readabilities, meaning that the chance they’re inaccurate is much higher. You may weigh the same ingredient twice and have different results both times. When you’re following a tried-and-tested recipe, the intent is to replicate an amazing dish as closely as possible, and, in that case, there’s no room for inaccurate results on your weighing scale. Investing in a high-quality scale will ensure that you’re following the recipe as printed, resulting in better food every time.

Which Scale Do I Need to Weigh Ingredients?

When you’re weighing ingredients, you want a highly accurate weighing scale. Depending on what, and how much, you’re weighing, you still have quite a few options within that range. Let’s look at a few scales and balances that are organized based on which qualities are the most important to you.

Accuracy

Kern GAB-N Bench Scale

Capacity: 6kg – 30kg

Readability: 0.05g – 0.2g

If accuracy is your absolute number one goal, look no further than Kern’s GAB-N Bench Scale. The GAB-N offers lower readability than most other bench scales, making it extremely reliable and consistent. With intuitive checkweighing, parts counting and percentage weighing functions, you’re sure to use this scale for more than just simple weighing. With an optional rechargeable battery, you can take this scale anywhere you need it to be for ultimate convenience!  

Waterproof

Adam Aqua ABW-S Stainless Steel Waterproof Scale

Capacity: 4000g – 32000g

Readability: 0.1g – 2g

Adam Equipment’s ABW-S Stainless Steel Waterproof Scale is not only highly accurate, it’s also IP68-rated for total protection against dust and water ingress. If you’re a messy person, or just particularly concerned about hygiene when working with food, the ABW-S is the perfect choice for you. Constructed from premium stainless steel, this scale is extremely easy to clean, saving you time and energy. 

Compact

Kern FOB-S Stainless Steel Bench Scale

Capacities: 500g – 5kg

Readabilities: 0.1g – 1g

If you don’t have a lot of space, your best option is a compact scale like Kern’s FOB-S Stainless Steel Bench Scale. Still highly accurate, this scale frees up your benchtop for all the ingredients you need to weigh. The FOB-S’s compact construction makes it easy to transport from one place to another, while its rechargeable battery guarantees that it will work in perfect order wherever you go. This scale is also ideal for weighers on a budget. Weigh well for less!

If you want more recommendations of scales perfect for weighing ingredients, check out our previous blog Five Bench Scales for Weighing Ingredients. Have questions? Contact the Inscale team at 01908972660.