Update 3/24/12: Congratulations, Sofia! You are the randomly selected winner. Thanks to everyone who entered.
Using a kitchen scale is simple: turn it on, place a bowl, zero the scale, then add your ingredient. Easy. But why you should use one is a different story.
Start with flour. If there’s one reason to get a kitchen scale, it’s flour.
At your next gathering, ask ten people to scoop a cup of flour. You’ll get entertained and you’ll quickly see the wide variation in how people measure. Some pack flour down, others dip and shake, and a few may level with a knife. The most consistent way to measure flour is by weight—using a scale.
I delayed buying a scale for a long time because it seemed like an extra step. I worried it would replace measuring cups and ruin the feel of baking. I also grew up in the U.S., where recipes call for cups—so seeing “205 grams” felt alien. What size bowl do I need? How do I translate this? I imagined feeling lost in the kitchen.
I was wrong. I calmed down and bought one of the cheapest scales I could find.
Measuring turned out to be fun. For example, did you know a bottle of nail polish weighs 53 grams?
Or that a letter can weigh exactly one ounce—no trip to the post office required.
I won’t reveal the weight of that bourbon bottle—you might figure out how much is missing. But a scale does make it easy to tell if someone’s been sneaking from your stash.
First things first: turn on the scale and place your container on top.
Press “Tare” or “Zero” so the scale ignores the bowl’s weight.
Scoop your flour into the bowl. You don’t need a one-cup scoop anymore—if your recipe calls for 500 grams of flour, simply weigh until you reach 500 grams. No guesswork, no leveling with a knife.
Using a scale improves consistency and results. Baking becomes more predictable, and you’ll waste less time and ingredients. Digital scales are precise and small enough to store near your prep area, so they quickly become part of your routine.
Bonus: you can win a new Escali Primo Digital Scale in the giveaway hosted here on Butter Me Up Brooklyn.
To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what you’d like me to bake next.
I’ll attempt the winning suggestion and the commenter selected at random will receive a brand-new scale.
Comments close March 24th at 5 p.m. (EST) and one winner will be announced by 7 p.m. (EST) on this post. The prize is sponsored by Butter Me Up Brooklyn. One entry per person.
Anyone may enter, but the winning shipping address must be within the contiguous United States. If you live abroad, you may have the scale shipped to a friend in the U.S. Please leave a valid email so I can contact the winner to arrange shipping. The winner will be selected at random.