A kitchen scale is vital for your healthy eating

A digital scale is a measuring device that reads and displays the weight of an object. Unlike an analog balance scale, a digital scale is a high-quality scale that gives a more correct weight reading.

Chefs use digital kitchen scales, also known as digital gram scales, to measure the weight or mass of ingredients, expressed in pounds, grammes, fluid ounces or millilitres. Generally, digital kitchen scales are small, lightweight, and take up very little space on a kitchen counter. Whether you cook dinner every night or occasionally bake for fun, every home chef can benefit from having a digital kitchen scale.

Not only does it make your measurements more precise, but it also cuts down on preparation and cleanup time. Here is how a digital scale can be of help you in the kitchen.

Helps with portioning of food

A digital scale makes it easy to measure and portion out food according to serving sizes. If you are on a diet and watching serving sizes and calories, a great way to keep yourself honest is to use a food scale. Why? Because many people normally eat servings that are much larger than recommended amounts.

A food scale teaches you portion control and keeps you from eating more than you planned. When starting a diet, measuring food is an important part of learning about correct serving sizes.

A food scale will show you that the portion you thought was four ounces may actually weigh eight ounces. That is the kind of mistake that could derail your diet. It is best to measure your food after it is cooked. However, a food scale may also be handy if you are preparing meals using meal plans or recipes that specify certain weights of ingredients. 

In addition to weight, certain, more advanced digital kitchen scales also have the ability to measure and display nutritional data, including the number of calories, sodium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol and fibre in food.

Consistency and accuracy

How many times have you attempted a family recipe and followed the directions precisely, only to have it turn out badly? If this happens to you often, you may be measuring your ingredients wrong.

Achieving consistent, accurate results is one of the main reasons to stop scooping ingredients and start weighing them. The final product is flavor or texture can easily become altered if you lightly scoop or pack the ingredients into the measuring cup.

Levelling off the top or leaving it heaping can change the appearance or size. By weighing ingredients with a food scale, you are much more likely to create a consistent product every time.   

Easy clean up

Does your countertop become cluttered with the teaspoons, tablespoons, dry measuring cups and liquid measuring cups every time you bake? Well, you can cut all these out with a kitchen scale. All you will need is one mixing bowl, to measure all your ingredients.

To measure, set your bowl on the scale and tare it (reset the scale to zero) then, add your first ingredient based on the amount indicated in your recipe, then reset it again before adding the next.

Make the process easier by doing this with both dry and wet ingredients when your recipe requires them to be mixed separately.

A kitchen scale will help your kitchen remain cleaner and more organised by eliminating all those extra tools. Just remember to adjust the scale between each ingredient so you are not stressing about maths while baking.

Measuring liquids and dry ingredients

While liquid measuring cups are far more accurate than their dry ingredient counterparts, it is still a pain to wash two sets of measuring tools. With a scale, you can measure both, and the only cleanup is to wipe off the scale if necessary when done.

Easy conversion

Nearly all modern digital kitchen scales have the option of easily converting food from pounds and ounces to grammes at a push of a button.

Although people may find it a little stressful weighing ingredients in metric units, measuring in grammes makes things precise and much easier when one needs to increase or decrease a recipe amount.

Instead of spending time thinking of how to reduce the recipe by a third cup of flour with a measuring cup or spoon, you will find it so much easier to decrease 40 grammes of flour using your kitchen scale.  

You can get a traditional food scales downtown or supermarkets. You can also get them online and on Jumia they go for as low Shs50,000 depending on the brand, quality and specifications

How to choose one

With so many different types and brands on the market, it can be hard to know which scale is right for you.  There are a few key factors to keep in mind.

Consider the size and capacity of the scale

 Will it fit in your kitchen cabinet or drawer? How much food can it weigh?

Think about the type of display. Do you want a digital or analog scale? Would a backlit display be helpful? Would you like to be able to see the weight in pounds, ounces, or grams?

Consider the price

 Kitchen scales range in price from around Shs50,000 to Shs350,000.  The most important thing is to find a quality scale that meets your needs and fits your budget.

Consider the features that are important to you. Do you need a timer? An auto-shutoff function? A tare function? Take some time to compare scales and find the one that’s right for your needs.

Finally choose an easy to clean finish, such as stainless steel or glass. If possible, pick a scale that doe s not have many crevices where food scraps might get stuck, or water might leak and do some damage. Some scales offer a removable top, which can be cleaned in the sink.

Types

When it comes to kitchen scales, there are a few different types to choose from. The most common type is the digital scale, which uses sensors to weigh your ingredients. These scales are typically very accurate and easy to use.

Another type of scale is the mechanical scale, which uses a spring system to measure your ingredients. These scales can be less accurate than digital scales, but they are usually more affordable.

The battery-operated scales: are more portable and convenient. They are typically less expensive than digital scales but can be less accurate. The main downside is that you will need to replace the batteries regularly.

A big deal for diets

Food scales are great for people who are trying to lose weight, gain weight, or build muscle, usually by using them to track protein, fat, and carbohydrates or calories. 

They give you a better sense of what you need to eat to feel nourished. Most portioning methods rely on labels or visual cues to gauge calorie counts.

Weighing the food before you eat it gives you a specific measurement you can use to know how many grammes of carbs, proteins and fats are on your plate.That can make a difference in the overall effectiveness of your diet.