How to Read Kitchen Scales in Grams
Among all the kitchen essentials you can buy, many people seem to forget the importance of a kitchen scale. Cooking can be a relaxing process in which you can get creative and wild by trying out new recipes that result in diverse and healthy dishes. That is why investing in a proper kitchen scale can go a long way towards your successful cooking adventures. Whether you are looking to become a professional cook or baker, or you do it out of enjoyment in a home environment, a kitchen scale will allow you to measure portion sizes and the number of ingredients needed, and thus get those recipes right on point.
Out of all the different types of scales, the most popular one seems to be a digital food scale that usually comes with an array of weighing modes and features. Bearing this in mind, there are a few points you need to consider when looking for a kitchen scale. Maybe the most important one is for the scale to offer different unit measurements.
While some recipes point out the required amount in oz. and lbs., you are better off with a scale that includes kg and g units as well. If that is the case with the scale you have in mind – go for it. Still, there is one question that remains and that is how to read kitchen scales in grams.
The Benefits of Owning a Kitchen Scale
Before we answer the above-mentioned question, we want to introduce a few benefits that come with owning a kitchen scale. First, investing in a digital scale is an inexpensive and convenient way to improve your healthy eating habits.
Additionally, it looks good on a kitchen counter and features a sleek and slim design, storing it shouldn’t take much space. Apart from this, with a proper scale, you will be able to control your portion sizes and improve your meals by keeping them light and with the right balance of nutrients.
Measuring your meals before will also result in you being more conscious of ingredients when you go out to eat in a restaurant. Last but certainly not least is the fact that the cooking and baking process is going to be much easier with a kitchen scale.
Any scale that includes a few different units, and a number of modes (tare, negative), will help you skip the stress that you had while you were measuring ingredients using tablespoons and cups. A percentage weighing feature can also go a long way if you are a baker and you are tired of adjusting those bread recipes.
Reading a Kitchen Scale in Grams
The answer on how to read kitchen scales in grams depends on the type you went for. While we recommend getting a digital one, there are two more types that we see as a reliable — a mechanical scale and a triple beam scale. With this in mind, reading a kitchen scale is different for all three types.
Starting off with a digital food scale, the first thing that you want to do is to put the relevant object on the measuring platform. You should know that some models have a few seconds delay before they show the result on the readable LCD display. Once you put the object onto the platform, wait a few seconds till it stops on a certain number. You should consider measuring the same object a few times in order to get the most accurate result. Reading grams in decimals shouldn’t be hard either — if the display points out to 1.3 grams, count that as 1 and a 1/3 gram.
As for the mechanical scale, repeat the same first step that we mentioned in the section above. The main thing you should observe when using a mechanical scale is the position of the dial pointer. For example — a pointer that is between 1 and 2 kilos, and sits on 30 grams, measures as 1 kg and 30 grams.
Last but not least, with a triple beam scale, it is all about examining the position of the bottom, the middle, and the top beam. What you should know is that the top beam shows the value of the 100s, the middle one shows the value of the 10s, while the bottom one measures the single increments.
Conclusion
There are a number of different food scale types that have different designs and mechanics. Still, as long as you are familiar with the product and the main features (LCD display, dial pointer, beams), reading in grams shouldn’t be a problem.