Do you need a smart kitchen scale?

Jospeh Joseph

While we're not suggesting you'll use your scales for every single meal, more complex recipes will benefit from being measured out on scales. The cup measurement system is not as precise as actually weighing out ingredients in grams or ounces.

Almost all baking, whether it's making cakes, a loaf of bread, or creating pastry-based masterpieces, requires precise measurements of ingredients. Too little yeast and your bread won't rise, too much baking soda and your cookie dough will taste bitter. Using scales gives you a much better way of being sure you've got the correct mix of elements.

Most digital scales available today can quickly change the unit of measurements from pounds and ounces to grams and kilograms. This means whatever kind of recipes you want to use, with metric or imperial measurements, you don't have to carry out complex conversions before you start cooking. Some also offer timers, so save the need for a separate device.

If you're on a dreaded diet, your scales are your friend from a portion control point of view. It's easy to overeat if you just measure meals by eye, but if you want to shift those pounds, use your scales to lock down your portion sizes and shift that excess weight. Some smart scales even have calorie counting and other nutritional info built-in.

If you're trying hard to ensure you eat your recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day, a set of scales can really help. It is suggested that 80 grams worth of fruit or vegetables make up one portion, but do you know what 80 grams of carrots look like? Or is an orange is 80 grams? Use your scales to be certain your fruit and veg intake is meeting your goals.

Investing in a decent set of smart digital scales is a wise move for more ambitious home cooks and foodie types. While you can certainly whip up some mac and cheese without some, if you want to make your own Pecorino ravioli from scratch, you're going to need a way to measure the various ingredients accurately.