Among the most hopeful signs in cookbook publishing is Artisan's agreeing to lead all recipes in the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook, due out next fall, with metric weights (they will include volume measurements second). It's a baking book after all, and no other culinary craft is more dependent on accuracy of measurement than baking. Another hopeful sign was seeing something similar in The New York Times not too long ago, a recipe for chocolate ganache bars that also lead with grams, not cups or ounces. Scribner published my book Ratio, which which really only works if you have a scale.
So when I was hanging out with Todd and Diane talking about great kitchen tools and stupid kitchen tools, I of course had to address the scale. I have four of them at home, two basic kinds, a scale of measuring large quantities and a scale for measuring small quantities. Here's the one I use most for all-purpose measuring, a MyWeigh KD8000; and here's a nifty little scale, which I sell over at opensky, for recipes in the Bouchon book that ask for, say, 5.5 grams of baking powder. Regardless of brand, only buy digital scales.
It's not only that scales offer a more accurate and consistent form of measuring, they make the cooking easier and faster. You just pour the ingredients into the same bowl, zeroing it out each time. The KD8000 even has a percentage button so I can measure that way, pour in the flour, and then hit the percent button which makes the flour equal to 100% and I can pour in 60% water for bread. You don't even need quantities if you have a baker's percentage.
Can't be said enough: scales are one of the most important tools in the kitchen. If you watch the video, you can hear the voice of reason herself.
If you liked this post on Had Something to Say: Kitchen Tools, check out these other links:
- My post on baking a multigrain bread.
- Culinate's Kelly Stewart shares her article on the science of baking.
- Learn about the history of scales.
- Bake something different, try making orange vanilla caneles.
© 2012 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2012 Donna Turner-Ruhlman. All rights reserved
Jim
Using metric weights seems to mess everything up in the sense of adding a seemingly unnecessary conversion task if you wish to compare a recipe since most recipes would be in ounces. I completely agree with the importance of using weight versus volume in baking and I do have a small gram scale for measuring small quantities where grams are more common and clearly better. However, it just seems to me that using, specifically, metric weights for general baking recipes is somewhat pretentious unless there is some real advantage to it that I am not considering? If the recipes were all derived from European recipes and never converted before actual use in the bakery then, while still debatable, I could understand it.
Dave
I prefer a 10 based number system as opposed to a 16 based system - it makes everything make sense when I'm buying a weeks worth of flour ( I know I need 3.5 kg as opposed to 7.7 lbs (123.2 oz!!)). Plus this always puts it into perspective: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ijNPdg-6FxM/TltOLV5Rr8I/AAAAAAAARVU/83p22JGa0As/s1600/196755_460s.jpg
Ryan Silva
Metric is just easier to use, and I think that's good enough reason. It's easier to scale your recipes up or down, and no fractions. If you're going to weigh, you might as well weigh in metric. The only time I think in pounds is for butter, but the conversion is automatic for me now. 28 grams to an ounce (round up to 30 for easier math), 224 grams to a half pound. (Full disclosure: the g/oz button on my scale is stuck on the g setting and I can't switch it back anyway)
Ruhlman
Agree! It's just easier. The ten facto makes percentages and doubling and halving a snap
jeff
i could not agree more. it kills me when i see a recipe calling for 1/2 cup walnuts. depending on how small i chop them, this could be a huge difference. same with grated cheese. i love Keller's books, but they do not offer weights... last weekend i made the gnocci recipe which calls for 1/4c (or whatever it was) of grated cheese. it is the only thing that holds those books back from being perfect!
Ryan Silva
I can't be that precise while cooking, it would drive me nuts. And if you're making pasta, you don't need to be. That's what makes cooking so easy once you learn how to do it. Add as many nuts as you want, darn the recipe!
David
You bet! This is the best comment I ever read on this site.
v
I take it you don't bake much, where, unfortunately, precision is everything...
Kirsten@ My Kitchen in the Rockies
I couldn't survive without my scale. I use an escali. It measures in volume and weight. LOVE it.
Ed
Michael, I was hoping that you were using a MyWeight scale. They are incredibly accurate AND cheap. According to reviews I read at the time they revolutionized the scale business. I have a couple of them. One that I use when making sausage has a detachable face. The face can be pulled out, on a coiled wire, from underneath large containers so it can be read as ingredients are added.
Ruhlman
My weigh has contacted me to make a Ruhlman scale! How cool is that!
Vicki
Davidi Lebovitz posted an interesting point of view on his kitchen scale earlier this year.
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2012/01/my-kitchen-baking-scale/
EB
As a retired chemist, I am grounded in metric measurements, and much prefer mass over volume. Mass (gravimetric) measurements are inherently more precise than volumetric. As for scales, my workhorse is an Escali Pana (~ $60). It has great capacity (13 lb), good precision (+/- 1 gram/0.1 oz), and a really neat volume feature. It comes with volume equivalent measurements coded and stored internally for ~ 145 common ingredients -- load a container, hit the volume key, punch in the 2-digit code (from the accompanying reference card), hit the tare button, pour what you're measuring and watch the scale move from a tablespoon to fractions and multiples of cups. Re-tare, change the code and keep adding different ingredients, and change between volume and mass display at will. Works really well and very reliable. There's a decent demo video on YouTube.
Mike
To Filmmaker: It's 2012. Your use of random jump cuts, out of focus shots, slow rack focusing and similar techniques combined with grating soundtrack are no longer cool. They simply make the film annoying.
Jessica
I love my scale! A very precise one.
I live in Europe and conversion to cups etc., has always been a pain in the rear. Now I have measuring cups where you measure up any variety of cups, but I will always prefer metric. Some food sites converts cups into metric measurements by the milliliter which is just not helpful. Measuring by the gram is also so much easier when it comes to baking and for (salt) curing.
Paul C
One of the best reasons to measure in metric is that 1ml of water = 1g. This means that you can measure most liquids by weight and you're automatically getting volume as well. if the recipe calls for 500ml of water you can just pour water into your mixing bowl until the scale reads 500g.
Kevin
Metric = better accuracy and consistency
Jim
Better doesn't really matter if the other choice is dramatically more common and good enough.
Ruhlman
But for those for whom good enough is good enough?
twoshoes
hmmm...I find that in my artistic pursuits that measuring in millimeters/centimeters is far more accurate than silly fractions of an inch. the same principle applies to cooking/baking. and this from a lifelong advocate of the english standard shitstem of measurement.
I'm all about simplification of nearly everything I do.
Joel
When I bought my little gem scale on Amazon, the site suggested I might also be interested in a "spice grinder" and some ZigZag papers.
Janice
Here's a great reason to use a scale AND metrics: I recently mucked up David Lebovitz's brownie recipe by using WAY too much butter in relation to the other ingredients--and realized the error before the batter went into the pan (I wasn't THAT dim). Thanks to volume measures and some basic algebra, I just increased the amounts of the other ingredients and came out with a perfect, albeit enormous, pan of brownies. Love my scale!
cybercita
Congratulations on your James Beard Award nomination!
EB
Indeed! Well deserved.
Ruhlman
Thx!
Susan
Flour absorbs moisture from a humid environment that can't be calculated by a scale, so you still have to make allowances. Altitude is also a factor in baking that a scale doesn't help you with. I'm not trying to be a nay-sayer on the importance of using a scale, just pointing out that there is more to cooking than the weighing of ingredients.
JaySeeDub
Hrmmm...I wonder if it could be corrected with a scale though. Use the relative humidity in the area to find partial humidity, then use the partial humidity to find absolute humidity (how much water vapor is in the air by mass). And since we know flour can absorb up to 60% of its weight in water in one hour (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie50131a026), use that info to account and correct for humidity in scale readings.
...I might be over-thinking this. Maybe just stick the flour in a wax paper bag in the refrigerator to keep it cool and dry instead?
Ryan Silva
I bake all the time. I said "cooking", not "baking". It was a reply to a comment about pasta.
Culinary Favorites From A to Z
I have one awful, inexpensive scale in my kitchen. Definitely something I should update!
Fredricka Glasner
I loved this submit and also desired to point out that i truly such as the look and really feel within your internet site. I am utilizing wordpress as well on my weblog but happen to be looking for the template such as this which is much better than what I have. I see the theme is listed about the footer so I'll get a much better appear at it.
Kathy Loesche
Just added this site to my favorites. I appreciate reading your current blogs and hope you keep them coming!
dreamcast roms
You are my aspiration, I have few blogs and very sporadically run out from post :). "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it." by E. B. White.
Devon Nazario
A central attribute of your U.S. economic climate may be the financial independence afforded on the non-public sector by enabling the personal sector to help make the vast majority of financial conclusions in finding out the course and scale of what the U.S. overall economy generates. That is elevated by comparatively lower levels of regulation and govt involvement,[54] also as a courtroom technique that normally safeguards residence rights and enforces contracts. At this time, america is house to 29.six million little enterprises, 30% with the world's millionaires, 40% of your world's billionaires, in addition as 139 in the world's 500 most significant firms. From its emergence being an impartial nation, the usa has encouraged science and innovation. Because of this, america has long been the birthplace of 161 of Britannica's 321 Fantastic Inventions, together with products like the airplane, online, microchip, laser, cellphone, refrigerator, mail, microwave, Liquid crystal display and LED technological innovation, air conditioning, assembly line, supermarket, bar code, electric motor, and ATM.
multiquote
You...are...my...hero!!! I cant believe something like this exists on the internet! Its so true, so honest, and more than that you dont sound like an idiot! Finally, someone who knows how to talk about a subject without sounding like a kid who didnt get that bike he wanted for Christmas.
disturbed down with the sickness dawn of the dead
Hi Nice wewebsite. Do you want to invitee submit in mine someday? If so make sure you inform me by way of email or perhaps answer this particular opinion simply due to the fact My partner and my spouse and i actually signed up for notifications and definately will know should you choose.
Buy Provigil online
Youre so awesome, man! I cant believe I missed this blog for so long. Its just great stuff all round. Your design, man...too amazing! I cant wait to read what youve got next. I love everything that youre saying and want more, more, MORE! Keep this up, man! Its just too good.
Sylvester Wittenborn
obviously like your web site but you need to check the particular spelling on a number of of the posts. Several of these are rife together with spelling difficulties and I still find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will surely come back again.
ePromos
Wow! Thank you! I continuously needed to write on my site something like that. Can I take a part of your post to my website?
chevelle tour
come on and get some chevelle merch
Meaghan
Keep functioning ,fantastic job!
Jordan Guagliardo
I desire to show our appreciation for the kind-heartedness giving support to any or all those that have the need for help with within this theme. Your real commitment to finding the message around developed into particularly interesting and also have truly assisted people just like me to go to their goals. The informative help implies a good deal to me and substantially more to my other workers. Regards; from each one of us.
Tanie Kasy Fiskalne
Apple right now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a good start, but it can be currently hampered by the inability to be able to store locally on your own iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps touch rate. If this kind of changes, then it'll somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the particular 10 songs per month it's still a large plus within Zune Pass' favour.
diablo 3 gold secrets
check out these interesting diablo 3 cheats
szkolenia forex
There's noticeably a bundle to comprehend this. I assume you might have created precise good points in features also.
Webminiacz
Thank you, I have just been searching for information about this subject for a long time and yours is the greatest I've discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you certain about the supply?
Filmy z lektorem
Definitely believe that that you said. Your favourite justification appeared to be on the internet the easiest thing to understand of. I say to you, I definitely get irked at the same time as other people consider issues that they just do not recognise about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest as well as defined out the entire thing without having side-effects , people could take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thank you!
Esta Dutel
Wow! This could be one particular of the most beneficial blogs We have ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Great. I am also a specialist in this topic therefore I can understand your effort.
what s anxiety
ny178er With havin so much written content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement? My site has a lot of completely unique content I've either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my agreement. Do you know any techniques to help reduce content from being ripped off? I'd really appreciate it.
Webmini
You have remarked very interesting points! ps decent site.
how to work out lower abs
Woah! I'm really enjoying the template/theme of this blog. It's simple, yet effective. A lot of times it's very hard to get that "perfect balance" between superb usability and appearance. I must say you've done a amazing job with this. In addition, the blog loads very quick for me on Chrome. Superb Blog!
Dee Landaverde
The next time I examine a website, I hope who's doesnt disappoint me up to this one particular. I suggest, I know it turned out my choice to see, but My spouse and i actually imagined youd have got something interesting to say. All My spouse and i hear is a bunch of whining about something that you might fix in the event you werent also busy looking for attention.
Valrie Paravati
I 'm excited to encounter so many constructive details in such cases, we really should have create further more approaches relating to this.
Angella Peranio
I such as Your Write-up about Khmer Karaoke Celebrities » Somnangblogs Perfect precisely what I was trying to find!.
Najlepsze Strony
Extremely rated post. I be taught something completely new on completely different blogs everyday. Deciding on one . stimulating to read the paper content material from different writers and be taught a little bit one thing from their website. I'd like to use certain of this content material on my weblog you're mind. Natually I'll give a hyperlink right here we're at your web-site. Recognize your sharing.
cheap golf equipment
I am impressed with your one of a kind show inside the particulars and principles on this article. It's evident you have carried out some fairly extensive research. Thank you for the constructive input.
Darmowe Filmy
My eyes eat utilizing all my window. It's a poor beautiful autumn day, as regards to orange-brown departs collecting in big boatloads. Different types on trees act as rooted down in my a lot like. A lot that's about a bunch of their leaves act as gone, each a simple almost properly vacant. barred my window okay matching a tough cool rush of air pumps it's alternate choice vs an infant house.
öáøåâïïê
This design is incredible! You certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost...HaHa!) Great job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
Cristobal Schwiebert
I like this post, enjoyed this one regards for posting .
Madeline Schrag
I got what you intend, appreciate it for posting .Woh I am happy to find this website through google. "Don't be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against not with the wind." by Hamilton Mabie.
16 wheel simulators honda
Hiya, I am really glad I've found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually irritating. A good site with exciting content, that's what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters? I Cant find it.
product reviews
Thanks for the good writeup. It in fact was once a entertainment account it. Look complicated to more added agreeable from you! However, how could we communicate?
Terry Ovdenk
I simply want to mention I am just newbie to blogging and site-building and certainly savored your web page. Almost certainly I’m planning to bookmark your site . You really come with fantastic writings. Bless you for sharing with us your webpage.
Oliver Galimi
Just added this web site to my own favorites. I appreciate reading your current blogs and hope you retain them arriving!
Obdulia Akwei
It is appropriate time to generate some plans for the future and it's time and energy to be content. I've study this post if I could I would like to suggest you few interesting things or perhaps tips. Maybe you can write up coming articles talking about this post. I desire to read more reasons for having it!
fitness.bg
I believe I discovered one thing relating to this on CNN this early morning but then yet again that was ahead of I experienced my early morning espresso so who is aware of lol
Carman Deriggi
Hey right now there! Do you realize if they make any kind of plugins to help you with Seo? I'm hoping to get my website to rank for many targeted search phrases but Now i'm not seeing excellent results. If you know of any please talk about. Appreciate that!
latogatottsagnoveles
Happy to say i use all four plugins mentioned I would also add a security plugin though, for peace of mind with all these hackers around...I use for example WordPress Firewall 2, but there are several good ones available...
Debi recently posted..RN
Zelda Fulling
Hello, greate weblog! All article what i disturbance was in unified of your topic. That's stirring! Why i dont differentiate your blog before? Without delay i be lasting RSS on your organization, and waiting interchange to save in fashion art.
odszkodowania uk
Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I had written and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I'm still new to everything. Do you have any tips for first-time blog writers? I'd genuinely appreciate it.
Shane Germaine
Excellent merchandise from an individual, man. Install Plugins » Somnangblogs I have understand your current stuff previous to and you happen to be just as well magnificent. I enjoy what you might have acquired right here, really just like what you're stating and how you declare it. You make it entertaining so you still look after to retain it sensible. I can't wait to read far more from anyone. This is truly a tremendous Set up Plugins » Somnangblogs data.
öáøåâïïê
I love what you guys are usually up too. This type of clever work and reporting! Keep up the terrific works guys I've added you guys to our blogroll.
uses for boric acid powder
Loved the publish.
cliquez sur le lien
Perfectly composed articles , thanks for entropy.
buy xanax
http://easecushion.com/about-us/ buy xanax dominican republic - order xanax legally online
custom essay
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you, However I
am encountering issues with your RSS. I don't understand the reason why
I cannot join it. Is there anybody else getting similar RSS problems?
Anybody who knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanx!!
Michael Ruhlman
I don't know, we're working on it.
Elisa
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your website?
My blog site is in the exact same area of interest as
yours and my users would definitely benefit from
some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this okay with you.
Regards!
Michael Ruhlman
of course, as long as credited.