I really, really struggle reading scales on a measuring jug or in a measuring spoon. I just can’t gauge if it’s on the level or under/over it because my spatial awareness and depth perception is awful. As a result I screw things up.
Any ideas? Are there better ones I could buy?
How much stuff are you measuring? What quantity? I find a range of measuring spoons good for small measures. So, you fill it to the top and level and they come in a range of sizes that stack, often on a chain so they don’t get lost or separated.
Measuring cups and jugs are absolute bs. Theres no consistency within them, not just across brands but within the same brand and model too.
I recommend going by weight. Get a kitchen scale. Life saver. Much more convenient too!
So I look for a scale that measures liquid by weight? How much should I spend to get a good one?
You should expect to spend 10-20$/€ on a decent scale. Costlier scales often offer specific features, but in general use they’re comparable.
A scale accurate to a gram can be a bit loose for ingredients like agar, cream of tartar, gelatin, etc. That said, my nearly decade old home scale is only accurate to the gram and I don’t plan to replace it. Scales accurate to a tenth of a gram are pretty common at reasonable prices at this point.
There isn’t really isn’t much call for the level of precision this person is suggesting in most recipes. Liquids mostly aren’t going to vary in volume enough to warrant the effort of converting recipes you find. Solids that flow, like sugar and flour are better measured by mass using a scale if you’re baking. Oxo makes a scale that I’ve been pretty happy with (slim, precise, and has a detachable face so that you can read it even when there’s a big bowl on top). The OXO brand also has some very easy to read volumetric pictures of various sizes. For lots of uses (like water/rice or water/oatmeal ratios) a measuring cup is still going to be good enough. Even if you feel like you can’t read the level all that precisely, it’s probably going to be close enough for the vast majority of recipes.
I agree with this.
If I am measuring “for real” I use a scale and grams. Mine can also do ounces & pounds.
If I am measuring in a measuring cup, my kids laugh at me but I crouch down so the liquid is at eye level so that I can see it better. And most things don’t need to be all that exact. The ones that do, convert them to weight measures.
Yep going by weight is the best. I’m not sure about the cost for where you live. If you’re in the us, just get oxo. Everything by oxo is always good. I swear I’m not sponsored.
Or you could check the atk website, they do good testing for what’s good.
I agree that weight is the best way to go, however not all recipes use weight and some conversions do not work well. An adjustable measuring device like this may help: https://www.oxo.com/2-cup-adjustable-measuring-cup.html
This style might help as well, since there are two or three points of reference:
https://www.oxo.com/1-cup-angled-measuring-cup.html
We have the set with 1, 2, and 4 cup versions, and really like them.
That’s amazing! I had no idea they existed
I don’t know if it’d be the best solution, but if you’re not aware of the ones you can read from above, looking down into them, they might be an option worth considering :)
I hope you find something that works well for you! ☺️
That’s excellent thanks 😊
Yay, glad it was a helpful suggestion! ☺️
Hope you have a lovely day!
Baking? Use scales and weigh your measurements.
Cooking? Doesn’t matter if you’re off on your measurements by some degree.I prefer weighing everything (on a digital scale), much more precise and easier to handle especially when baking. You can even get a milligram scale for the small stuff.
How much is it worth spending? I can spend up to £40 cos I’m sick of wasting food. Don’t know if it’s worth that
My scale was like £10 from some local store, and I found the milligram scale on AliExpress for like £5
I’ve never cared too much about above/below on the line, I rarely find it matters too much. Swapping tablespoons for teaspoons will matter, but a little over/under won’t.
Maybe just get a good set of nesting measuring cups so you can always fill to the right size cup?
I have a set of these that I like, but I have no idea how they’ll go for you:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Joseph-40019-Measure-Measuring-Multicolour/dp/B00LMCW576
I think it’s in combo with the other dyspraxia errors I do, it all ads up to too many mistakes. Difficulty with cups is I just can’t keep track of the amount I’ve put in so I’m best all in one.
That makes sense, hopefully the scales suggestion pans out. I’d look for one with a big range of weights (up to 5-10kg), and physical buttons instead of touch. I have touch buttons and they suck. They trigger if a metal bowl gets close, and dont work well when I do try use them.
