Cups Vs Scales

[Kelly101]

Hi Guys,
I am originally from Ireland and now based in the US. I notice that in the US bakers tend to use cups as a measure - like cups of flour etc.. instead of measuring things with a scale which is what I did in Europe.

I honestly havent seen any major disadvantage from using cups - I mean the cakes over here are pretty good.

So the question is are we being too precious with our measurements - does precision really matter?

 

[MSoups]

I know that all the chefs/cooks I look up to recommend scales for baking because its more consistent and precise yada yada. I don't know about all that - I use a scale because its about 100 times easier.

Every bake good I have has how much a cup weighs in grams so when I'm baking I just do some quick math in my head and pour it in the bowl. Faster, easier, less clean up and potentially a better result.

Also...Hi

 

[Addie]

Welcome to DC Kelly.

 

[Katie H]

About 20 years ago, at the recommendation of a friend, I began using a digital kitchen scale for ALL my cooking. The first, and most noticeable, benefit is that I use far fewer bowls, cups, spoons, etc. when I'm preparing a recipe. Love that part. I have also found that using a scale is quicker than all the traditional measuring.

My kitchen scale is one of my best friends in the kitchen, plus I use it to equally portion out bulk foods for the freezer and also use it to weigh non-kitchen types of things, such as packages for shipping. I have an Internet account with the postal service and they come right to my door to pick up my prepared packages. I haven't been inside a post office in ages.

Love my little scale.

 

[MSoups]

...plus I use it to equally portion out bulk foods for the freezer

Definitely this! I buy beef and chicken in bulk and freeze them in 1lb baggies. It wouldn't be nearly as easy as it is without my scale.

Fun fact: I'm on my second in less than a year. My girlfriend left the first too close to a burner and melted the battery compartment...so uh yea. Don't do that

 

[Andy M.]

Depending on how you fill a measuring cup, there can be a major weight difference in the weight of a cup of flour. if you sift the flour into the cup vs. spooning flour into the cup and packing it down you get more flour in. Fluffing the flour in the bag, scooping it into the cup and just leveling it off you get a different measure.

Are the differences significant? There is enough of a difference to yield a light fluffy cake vs. a heavy dry cake.

 

[Andy M.]

The weight vs. volume equivalents are given on the nutrition label on the flour bag.

 

[CharlieD]

Me and baking we don't see eye to eye. Or rather I simply have hard time with baking and it is easier for me just to measure everything. My mom on the other hand doesn't even use a cup, she just puts flower in a bowl and starts mixing, always right. Always perfect result. She just feels the dough, the flour, it comes naturally to her.

 

[GotGarlic]

I have a kitchen scale that I use for baking when the recipe calls for it. When I bake using recipes that call for cups, I use a second cup measure to scoop and pour the ingredient into the primary cup measure, then I level it off with a butter knife, so it doesn't get packed. It's always worked for me.

I also use the scale for portioning foods into freezer bags.

 

[bakechef]

Yes, for many home bakers here, cups and spoons are the norm.

I much prefer the scale for most baking. I really enjoy the consistent results that I could never achieve with cups. I still have cups for quick measuring when accuracy isn't all that important.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I have both cups and a scale, and use whatever the recipe dictates.

 

[Katie H]

I never have trouble weighing any ingredient because my scale, Salter brand, came with a 6-page index of most ingredients nearly any home cook uses. If an ingredient isn't on the list I ask my friend Google, then I add the weight to the appropriate section of the index.

 

[CWS4322]

I prefer to weigh the ingredients even if they are in cups, etc. I then can make adjustments to the ratio of liquid to flour, etc. based on standard percentage ratios.