Kitchen

[AuntMame]

I was watching some videos from America's Test Kitchen in which they reported how they had measured many brands of dry and liquid measuring cup sets in order to determine how accurate their measurements were. Sadly, many were not accurate at all. Some of the dry measuring cups were as much as 2 tablespoons short in the cup measurement. 

For years I suspected that my measuring cups--plastic ones from the grocery store--might not be accurate--but soldiered on in spite of it. I broke down and bought a set of the dry measuring cups recommended by ATK--OXO's. 

I also bought a new set of measuring spoons that they recommended as accurate--Cuisipro. 

I tossed out all my old lousy inaccurate measuring cups and spoons. 

Omigosh, the new measuring cups and spoons make quite a difference! I make lots of bread in a bread machine and often have troubles with too-wet dough, too-much rise, etc. The latest loaf came out perfect.  

I made muffins and those came out especially good too. Even DH noticed. 

I realize that having accurate measuring cups and spoons is a really basic thing, but for years I was too cheap to buy new ones. If you've been putting off such a purchase I highly recommend that you don't hesitate. 

[Sooner]

@AuntMame I am glad you are happy, but my experience is in most cases accurate measuring is to be taken with a grain of salt in baking. Yes, it is a good place to start for sure.  And yes, tools should be accurate. 

One issue is flour varies more than you would think.  Where was it grown, how it was milled, weather and shipping--how much settling occurred, etc.  

The humidity and weather are also a bigger factor sometimes.  So my experience is no matter what you do if you don't know how to judge the batter or dough and adjust, you are not going to get the product you want--no matter how accurate your measurements were.

[Carmie]

I use an electronic kitchen scale.  It weighs in pounds, ounces, grams, fluids ounces and mils.

I bake a lot.  This type of scale is perfection.  I have had it for years and have never changed the battery.  It gets used almost every day.

Sometimes I use a liquid measure or dry measurement cups with the scale to see how accurate they are....they are always off, by a lot.

[AuntMame]

@Sooner You are probably right. I use different flours and I know it makes a difference. But I was just blown away with how well my bread-machine bread turned out this weekend after years of disasters. Figured it must be the measuring cups. I hope I can replicate the success in future loaves. 

[AuntMame]

---

@Carmie wrote:

I use an electronic kitchen scale.  It weighs in pounds, ounces, grams, fluids ounces and mils.

I bake a lot.  This type of scale is perfection.  I have had it for years and have never changed the battery.  It gets used almost every day.

Sometimes I use a liquid measure or dry measurement cups with the scale to see how accurate they are....they are always off, by a lot.

---

What is the brand of electronic scale that you use? I've been wanting to buy one but have been overwhelmed by all the reviews. 

[jlkz]

@Sooner @Carmie 

One of the biggest arguments with DH occurred when we were using the pasta making machine.  He wanted to make regular thickness spaghetti.  My "job" was to cut the pasta as it came out of the extruder.  I kept having problems which annoyed him.  So I asked how much water did you use.  His answer: what the recipe called for.  That was the problem as it was heavily raining !

He's not Italian; I am an grew up making pasta and gnocchi from scratch.  I know the weather / humidity can definitely mess with the outcome.

After that wonderful day ( sarcastically said ), the pasta maker was washed and put back in its original box, never to see the light of day if I had my way.  And, I have, lol !

[AuntMame]

When I make pie crust I never measure the water. The amount varies greatly depending upon the flour, the humidity, etc. 

[Kachina624]

@AuntMame.  Good information.  Thanks for posting. 

When I was majoring in home ec in college at Drexel University, they emphasized the importance of accurate measurement.

[Sooner]

@jlkz I love that story!  What is it about men and the rules for cooking?  My husband kept going "by the recipe" until one day I yelled "stop using a recipe!  Just cook it!" He did and tonight made the best beef soup I ever had--without a recipe!  

Once day a long time ago I took off work to make pasta with my new pasta roller.  I was at the center island rolling out more and out of the corner of my eye saw the pasta waving as it was drying on the pole put over two chairs.  Didn't think much about it, thought it was the hvac on blowing.

I started toward my improvised drying rack with another batch  when to my horror saw that the "waving" pasta was, in fact, caused by our Siamese cat slowly weaving back and forth under the drying rack brushing my beautiful long strips of pasta with his upturned tail.  

[Sooner]

---

@AuntMame wrote:

@Sooner You are probably right. I use different flours and I know it makes a difference. But I was just blown away with how well my bread-machine bread turned out this weekend after years of disasters. Figured it must be the measuring cups. I hope I can replicate the success in future loaves. 

---

@AuntMame I'm sure you will be fine!  Although you do need to know what you are doing, I think relaxing and adjusting the dough is not as scary as some would make us believe.  That being said, I do love new kitchen stuff and share your excitement and enthusiasm for new measuring equipment.

Coming from someone who has and uses two of those flat little kitchen scales.  I weigh almost everything I eat it seems or measure it.  One scale tares easier than the other, and hubby uses it for making bread machine packets with everything but water and yeast.  

And no, it is all mixed up and not salt only on top and yes it works fine!  We do whole wheat loaves with 1/4 cup or less bread flour.  We just dip a little white flour in the cup and then put the rest whole wheat.  Makes a difference!