Weighing small quantities

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
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I use digital scales for weighing ingredients - which is fine for medium and large quantities like flour, sugar, butter etc. for baking. But when it comes to weighing smaller quantities, they aren't accurate. I place a tiny dish on the scales and zero them. Then add, for example, salt. Most bread I make requires 9g of salt to 500g of flour. But I find I can add quite a lot more salt or take some out when the scales read 9g and the weight reads the same. It also changes according to where on the scales I place the dish.

What do other people do? I'm sure there must be scales specially designed for small amounts. Does anyone have a recommendation?
 
I have an Ohaus Triple beam, and a set of precise brass weights. I believe it can go down to a decigramme.

Never used it for cooking, though.
 
You need to get a better scale. I bought this one to weigh out chemicals for our copykat San Pellegrino water and have been using it for everything rather than the bigger scale we have.
 
medtran49 said:
You need to get a better scale. I bought this one to weigh out chemicals for our copykat San Pellegrino water and have been using it for everything rather than the bigger scale we have.
Click to expand...

Thanks - I looked at the spec for this and will try to find something similar on Amazon UK.
 
If I only need to add a small quantity, I weigh the bowl of whatever I am adding it to first and then just add the small quantity gradually until it weighs the correct amount for everything combined.
I used to have some Weightwatchers scales which were very accurate, but unfortunately I dropped them - something not covered by their guarantee :laugh:
 
Elawin said:
If I only need to add a small quantity, I weigh the bowl of whatever I am adding it to first and then just add the small quantity gradually until it weighs the correct amount for everything combined.
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I used to do that but had same issue of it varying if I put a bit more in or took some out. I think I must just have rubbishy digital scales!
 
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morning glory said:
I used to do that but had same issue of it varying if I put a bit more in or took some out. I think I must just have rubbishy digital scales!
Click to expand...
Mine are just the cheapo Argos ones that are nothing much more than a piece of glass. They can be a bit temperamental, but that usually means they are not quite flat.....
 
Not very scientific.......

I zeroed the scales with the measuring spoon on board then added the peppercorns - 10 grams (the spoon was 8 grams).

kitchen scales pepper s.jpg


I then removed the spoon and zeroed the scales again before adding the peppercorns loose. Same result - 10 grams.

kitchen scales pepper 2 s.jpg
 
You know why you're supposed to put a precision electronic device in rice if it ever gets dropped in water, don't you?
 
buckytom said:
You know why you're supposed to put a precision electronic device in rice if it ever gets dropped in water, don't you?
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I didn't - but I guess any commodity that attracts moisture will be adequate. I use a silica-gel "tub" in my camera bag.
 
I tried another experiment with crown corks (which should weigh the same each). Placing 1 on the "plate" the display didn't register. Add another and it registered 3 grams. One more added another 2 grams and one more brought the total to 8 grams.

[I noticed in @medtran49 's example, the purchase price included "trial batteries". Maybe that is what was included in mine (they were definitely not a recognisable make). I'll conduct more experiments with new Panasonic batteries later]
 
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Yorky said:
I tried another experiment with crown corks (which should weigh the same each). Placing 1 on the "plate" the display didn't register. Add another and it registered 3 grams. One more added another 2 grams and one more brought the total to 8 grams.

[I noticed in @medtran49 's example, the purchase price included "trial batteries". Maybe that is what was included in mine (they were definitely not a recognisable make). I'll conduct more experiments with new Panasonic batteries later]
Click to expand...

I replaced the batteries with brand new Panasonics and the results were similar (with 5 crown corks as I had opened another beer by then).
 
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