Kitchen scales with volume measurement
The use of scales in the kitchen is an opportunity to follow the recipe and calculate the calorie content of dishes. Today, people, and especially women, are obsessed with the figure, diets and dietary restrictions, and the scales help them achieve the desired results.
They are useful for those who follow diets, and for those people who, due to their state of health, do not allow themselves too much during meals. The choice of an appliance for the kitchen is formed on the indicators that the future user requires. In order not to be mistaken, it is worthwhile to understand in more detail the quality of the models presented today in stores.
Types of kitchen scales with volume measurement
Today, scales are being modernized and new functions are being added to their device.
Old-style equipment is more often found only as a piece of furniture.
But, despite the development of electronics and digital technologies, mechanical models are still on sale and are in demand. In everyday life, mechanical and electronic models are used.
- Mechanical – a device whose operation is based on a spring. The pressure force of objects placed on the bowl causes the spring to compress, and the arrow to indicate the weight on the scale.
- Electronic. The technical characteristics of electronic measuring instruments are much more complicated than their predecessors. Sensors are built in here with sensitivity that determines the mass of the product with an accuracy of up to a gram. But for domestic use, it doesn’t matter what is inside, but what matters is what functions this device performs.
Advantages and disadvantages
Each of these models has several advantages and disadvantages in comparison with others. To begin with, it is worth considering the positive aspects of each of the contenders for the purchase.
Mechanical models are different:
- Independence from batteries, and this implies the use of indoors and outdoors. Therefore, you can often find food stalls with such devices in the markets.
- Big weight of weighing in comparison with electronic models. Indeed, most often, for cooking, measurements of kilograms of products are not needed, manufacturers do not even count on large volumes. On mechanical devices, you can weigh both small and large. What is it for in the kitchen? For example, to find out the exact mass of a large volume of purchased products, because buyers often remain deceived.
- Mechanical scales are cheaper.
Electronic:
- Weighing accuracy. Some models have an error of up to hundredths of a gram.
- Additional functions that allow you to find out the mass of products and calculate calories, find out the content of nutrients per weight of the product.
- The values are shown on the digital display. Unlike mechanical devices, where you need to look for the arrow among the scale and look closely at the indicators being determined, only the necessary information is displayed here.
- Memory – the ability to tare or display the weight of each product sequentially.
- Self-shutdown feature saves power consumption or battery life.
But where there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. Kitchen measuring scales also remained imperfect.
Mechanical scales are a high rate of error. Over time, the spring loses elasticity and the measurement error increases. There are no additional features that characterize this model as less attractive.
Electronic, regardless of the fact that they are charged and run on battery power, still depend on the mains. And this is the only disadvantage of such devices.
Characteristics of kitchen scales with volume measurement
The range of mechanical scales is small. The design is standard – it is a bowl and a dial. There are no additional elements here and cannot be. Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail the electronic models, the varieties of which are many.
What characteristics should be guided by when choosing a kitchen unit in a store?
There are a lot of such indicators in total even for such a small item. Each of the features requires a separate and detailed consideration.
- The limit indicator of the weighing mass. For household scales, manufacturers limit this indicator to a value from 2 to 5 kg. Measurement of a large mass is necessary for those who prepare preparations – pickles, jams, compotes and the like, because here, as in a pharmacy, accuracy and following the recipe are needed. For everyday use, a device with an average value of up to 3 kg is also suitable.
- Measurement accuracy. There are no exact measuring scales even in chemical laboratories. Here, errors are measured in thousandths, and for household ones, a run of 1 g is considered normal. Whether it is worth getting so carried away with the accuracy of the mass of products for home consumption is everyone’s business, but it is also worth knowing the fact that manufacturers inflate prices for this equipment. A device with an error of 2 g costs an order of magnitude less, and the user will not feel the difference.
- Measurement of liquid volume. The ingredients indicated in the recipe in milliliters or liters are not always measured accurately. And when using a measure, you will have to independently translate weight indicators into volume (using special mathematical formulas). This will increase mental abilities, but will discourage all desire for dinner. Therefore, in some weights, weight is automatically translated into volume, which is practical and saves the hostess from knowledge of mathematical formulas.
- Mounting the scale to the wall frees up space on the table and protects the equipment from accidental dropping.
- The material of the equipment directly affects the service life.
The kitchen, in the house of even the most careful owners, is a place of increased risk. Here, objects are wet or hot, fall and spill, so strength is necessary for such a device. Today, models with a glass case are presented in stores. Yes, it’s stylish and attractive, but not practical. The plastic housing reduces the weight of the meter and the cost. Strength indicators fall: they deform from high temperatures, plastic cracks, equipment quickly deteriorates. The metal case is the best solution for kitchen equipment, because these devices are not subject to deformation. Stainless materials are used for manufacturing, so no influence of external factors affects the service life.
Attention has already been focused on the choice of material. Another feature in the case is the weighing bowl or platform. A flat platform implies the installation of any dishes on its surface, or the laying out of products on a flat surface. Scales with a bowl are suitable for dough preparation.
But, for such models you need a removable bowl. Then the mechanism will not interfere with its washing and processing.
Buttons, their location and material. For glass cases, touch buttons are typical, which is convenient, and at the same time – no. Why? Food spilled on the buttons knocks down the indicators on the dial, and the bowl on the platform blocks access to the panel. Rubber buttons are long lasting.
And in the event that the entire panel of buttons is protected by a rubber coating, then the surface is sealed and spilled products will not reach the mechanism.
Mechanisms of kitchen scales must be completely covered by the body, platform or bowl of the device. Exposed parts can be damaged and reduce service life.
Volume measurement
The function of automatically converting the weight of a liquid into its volume is not the most common, and it may seem superfluous to many housewives, but these are just prejudices.
Mechanical scales are most often limited in their ability to measure volume or are limited by the volume of water.
But there are also liquids whose density is much higher than that of water, for example, tomato juice or kefir. And how then can a caring and prudent hostess find out the exact amount of necessary ingredients?
Do not be afraid to purchase a product with this function. It may seem that they will be more expensive than analogues without a volumetric meter, but the difference will be small, and the benefits will be noticeable.
Choosing a model with a volume measurement with a flat platform or with a bowl depends on the requirements of the hostess. Before buying, you need to understand that the device with a bowl is limited only by its capacity, nothing more.
The flat platform balance is only limited by measurement limitation. The mass of any dishes will be taken into account as containers, and the volume of liquid will be calculated with maximum accuracy.
The benefits of this function will also be appreciated by young mothers who need to regulate not only their diet, but also the exact calculation of the ingredients for the first feeding of their baby, or to take into account medicines when preparing suspensions.
Faults
- Failures in determining the mass are associated with incorrect installation on a soft surface or rubber coating, as well as if the horizontal plane on which the installation was made was not even. Moving to another place can get rid of this problem. Location near household appliances that generate magnetic fields may interfere with the accuracy of determining the weight of products.
- Uneven distribution of products on the bowl or on the platform makes it impossible to determine the weight. Fluid that will fluctuate will not allow you to calculate its volume. To accurately determine the mass or volume, the stacking of products or the installation of containers should be located in the middle of the platform.
- Incorrectly installed removable parts (bowl or platform) increase the error in the calculations, or the mass measurement is not performed. Correct installation will get rid of the problem.
- In the event that the equipment does not perform calibration, it is worth trying to restart it. The cause of the malfunction is an error in the operation of the storage device.
The operation of measuring equipment is affected by external factors and physical indicators, such as gravity or air currents, and even evaporation from products. But at the household level, these indicators are not so critical.
They are measured in mg, so their value is not shown on the display.
Price category
Should I focus on the price when buying scales? Yes, it won’t hurt. Mechanical models will be cheaper, but among the electronic ones there are also inexpensive models. And here it is already worth referring to the purpose of your purchase.
If infrequent use is planned and additional functions are not required, then you can safely purchase cheap samples without paying attention to the manufacturer.
Design decisions in the design will affect the price. Devices with a simple design will cost an order of magnitude cheaper than those with a colorful interface.
The main thing in making a purchase is taking into account the characteristics of a particular model. There is no need to rush anywhere, and if time is limited today, then it is better to postpone the purchase for the next day.
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