When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?

And how?

Andy
--
Eat first, talk later.

Andy wrote:

> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy

To quote somebody[1] "You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?"

[1] No clue who 'somebody' is/was, but they is/was right.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On 2009-04-19, ChattyCathy > wrote:
> Andy wrote:
>
>> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>
>> And how?
>>
>> Andy
>
> To quote somebody[1] "You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?"
>
> [1] No clue who 'somebody' is/was, but they is/was right.

Use old woodworker adage: Measure twice, cut once.

nb

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy
> --
> Eat first, talk later.

Only when baking.

Dimitri

ChattyCathy said...

> Andy wrote:
>
>> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>
>> And how?
>>
>> Andy
>
> To quote somebody[1] "You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?"
>
> [1] No clue who 'somebody' is/was, but they is/was right.


Cathy,

I remember that quote too! Can't remember either.

Best,

Andy

In article >, Andy > wrote:

> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy

If I bother to measure stuff, there is usually a good reason.
I'll use measuring cups or measuring spoons and level them off.

When it comes to gunpowder for realoading tho', I use a powder scale
initially, then the powder scoop.
That's critical.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

Andy wrote:
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy

That depends. If I am baking, I am pretty accurate* with the
critical ingredients (i.e., not necessarily with the spices etc.),
especially the first time I make the recipe. Otherwise, through
the years I have become increasingly loose about it.

*As a USian, I almost always measure as vs. weigh, so accuracy is
not what it could be.

--
Jean B.

On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:49:45 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
>And how?

Probably not as accurate as I SHOULD... I use measuring cups but
they're almost always heaped instead of carefully levelled out.

Jean B. said...

> Andy wrote:
>> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>
>> And how?
>>
>> Andy
>
> That depends. If I am baking, I am pretty accurate* with the
> critical ingredients (i.e., not necessarily with the spices etc.),
> especially the first time I make the recipe. Otherwise, through
> the years I have become increasingly loose about it.
>
> *As a USian, I almost always measure as vs. weigh, so accuracy is
> not what it could be.


Jean B,

That's a good point!

Flour and stuff is supposed to be measured by weight in most circumstances
but often enough it's just leveled (topped) off in a measuring cup of some
size.

Liquid measures are a different matter, I understand.

Where has all the science gone? Long time passing...

Best,

Andy
--
Eat first, talk later.

Andy wrote on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:57:18 -0500:

>> Andy wrote:
>>> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>>
>>> And how?
>>>
>>> Andy
>>
>> That depends. If I am baking, I am pretty accurate* with the
>> critical ingredients (i.e., not necessarily with the spices
>> etc.), especially the first time I make the recipe.
>> Otherwise, through the years I have become increasingly loose
>> about it.
>>
>> *As a USian, I almost always measure as vs. weigh, so
>> accuracy is not what it could be.

> Jean B,

> That's a good point!

> Flour and stuff is supposed to be measured by weight in most
> circumstances but often enough it's just leveled (topped) off
> in a measuring cup of some size.

In my experience, the vast majority of US home cooks do not weigh
materials at all. For consistency, flour etc. is usually sifted before
measuring. The influence of Fanny Farmer, who introduced volumetric
measurement, is still strong and it works quite satisfactorily.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Kajikit > wrote:

>On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:49:45 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>>When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?

>>And how?

>Probably not as accurate as I SHOULD... I use measuring cups but
>they're almost always heaped instead of carefully levelled out.

These days, I weight almost anything. This has been going on
for several years as my cohabitating parnter follows
Weight Watchers, and I am informally doing something similar.
But the need to use the kitchen scales has become even
more important recently, as economic circumstances are forcing
more economies.

Steve

Steve wrote on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:13:25 +0000 (UTC):

>> On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:49:45 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>>> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?

>>> And how?

>> Probably not as accurate as I SHOULD... I use measuring cups
>> but they're almost always heaped instead of carefully
>> levelled out.

> These days, I weight almost anything. This has been going on
> for several years as my cohabitating parnter follows
> Weight Watchers, and I am informally doing something similar.
> But the need to use the kitchen scales has become even
> more important recently, as economic circumstances are forcing
> more economies.

I can see that weighing things has advantages for dieting and medical
requirements. I weigh out portions of meats with a diet scale but, over
the years, I have gotten rather good at estimating the recommended three
ounces by eye. I have learned the necessary volumes for other things and
small differences don't matter. In general, cooking is not an exact
science and measurement by volume is entirely adequate.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Andy wrote:
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?

If I am baking with a recipe, I am very accurate, otherwise I'm not
overly accurate.

> And how?

For baking:
Measuring flour, I will scoop it (using a scoop or spoon) from the
canister into the measuring cup, then run a flat blade across the top to
make sure it is even. Other powdered stuff like baking soda or powder is
measured in measuring spoons or dry-weight measuring cups and the top of
the measure is leveled.

Liquids are measured in a Pyrex® graduate (the name my mom used for a
liquid measuring cup)I will hold the cup up to eye level to make sure
the liquid is at the line.

For other cooking I am not as anal about leveling off the spoons or cups
or the liquids being exactly on the line.

If it's my own recipe, I hardly ever measure.


--
Janet Wilder
way-the-heck-south Texas
spelling doesn't count
but cooking does

"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:49:45 -0500, Andy > wrote:
>
>>When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>
>>And how?
>
> Probably not as accurate as I SHOULD... I use measuring cups but
> they're almost always heaped instead of carefully levelled out.


Same here, especially the coffee scoop.

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
I rarely measure stuff, other than on a broad level. Water and rice? Sure.
Spices? Nah. Then, I am not a baker. You really have to measure when you
bake.

Andy wrote:
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?

It depends on what I am cooking. If I am baking I tend to measure
carefully. When it comes to meat and vegetable dishes I approximate
very roughly and adjust.

On Apr 19, 2:49�pm, Andy > wrote:
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy
> --
> Eat first, talk later.

I use a digital scale for measuring out flour. It's a must when you
need to measure out large quantities accurately. For other
ingredients I just use standard measuring untensils. The only thing I
don't measure out accurately is vanilla. A little extra vanilla never
hurts.

On Apr 19, 2:49*pm, Andy > wrote:
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy
> --
> Eat first, talk later.

Baking? I strive for accuracy.

Other dishes, not so careful. But I still love my measuring glass -
used it today to measure out water for bread, honey for bread, brandy
for a sauce.

l, not -l wrote:
> On 19-Apr-2009, Andy > wrote:
>
>> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>
>> And how?
>>
>> Andy
>
> Baking - measure accurately, by weight.
> Everything else - close enough is good enough,
> pinch/scoop/fistful/eyeball-it/etc.
Same here

In article
>,
wrote:

> On Apr 19, 2:49*pm, Andy > wrote:
> > When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
> >
> > And how?
> >
> > Andy
> > --
> > Eat first, talk later.
>
> Baking? I strive for accuracy.
>
> Other dishes, not so careful. But I still love my measuring glass -
> used it today to measure out water for bread, honey for bread, brandy
> for a sauce.

Same here. I rarely bake anything, but when I do, I try to be as
accurate with measuring the ingredients as possible. With other types of
cooking, I just go by taste.

When I was a kid, I had a friend who's parents were both as obsessive as
you could get compulsive. They worried about germs, dirt in their house,
and measuring ingredients for recipes. Even if they made a can of soup,
they would obsess over how much water to add to the pot. Not me.

On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:49:45 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
>And how?

if its baking, to the nearest few grams on the scales, otherwise BSH
(British standard handfuls) or for small items soupcons.
--
Mike

On Apr 19, 2:49*pm, Andy > wrote:
> When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>
> And how?
>
> Andy

Depends. Baking, I have a scale and weigh flour, sugar, and liquids.
Improved my baking greatly.

Daily diet: I have a variety of containers. Some are accurate gauges
of the amount of food they hold (1 cup, 2 cup, etc.) so I don't weigh
the stuff going into those. Other things, like sauces and portions of
meat, I will measure or weigh.

That post-Passover-pigout cost me 3# and several weeks of strict
dieting. I hate it!

maxine in ri

It is interesting to measure your measuring equipment. My favourite 2
cup measure (used primarily for liquids) is exactly on at the 2 cup (8
oz/500 ml) level, but when filled only to the 1 cup level it actually
contains 5 oz. That 20% difference has a drastic effect if you are
making bread and are aiming for loaves of a particular weight. My
scale is accurate to 1 gram (about 1/28 oz).

The current issue of Cooks Illustrated points out that one cup of all
purpose flour, unsifted, is 5 ounces. Sifted it is 4 oz. Again, a
potential 20% error if you are following a recipe. That explains why
most bread recipes we see here are vague about the exact amount of
flour, while professional recipes are always by weight and are
anything but vague.

I also use metric, but that would likely be another long thread.

Ribitt

"ribitt" wrote
> It is interesting to measure your measuring equipment. My favourite 2
> cup measure (used primarily for liquids) is exactly on at the 2 cup (8
> oz/500 ml) level, but when filled only to the 1 cup level it actually
> contains 5 oz. That 20% difference has a drastic effect if you are
> making bread and are aiming for loaves of a particular weight. My
> scale is accurate to 1 gram (about 1/28 oz).
>
>
Your meauring cup is correct, 1 cup of flour (volume) does indeed weigh ~5+
ounces... 3 cups = ~1 lb or ~16 ounces. Professional bakers don't measure
ingredients, their recipes are built around standard packaging content...
professional cooks the same. Most all staple ingredients are packaged on
standards based on the quantities typically needed by professional's bulk
recipes

On Apr 20, 11:15*am, "Michael \"Dog3\"" > wrote:
> maxine > *news:2c9e3bda-4075-4042-8b54-
> : in rec.food.cooking
>
> > That post-Passover-pigout cost me 3# and several weeks of strict
> > dieting. *I hate it!
>
> I have a terrible weakness for matzo crackers. They aren't the worst things
> one could snack on, but they aren't the best either. *I think it's what I
> gob on them that does me in ;o) *Currently I'm taking a huge smear of
> Philadelphia spinach and artichoke cream chees and plopping it on a matzo
> to snack on. I have another full box of them left. I'm sure I'll be
> snacking on them while watching the tube tonight
>
> Michael

The whole wheat are actually fairly good for you, except when you
slather them with butter and a liberal sprinkle of salt.<g>. I'd ship
you all the rest of the matzo in the house, but DH would shoot me and
demand more. He likes his with a layer of cheese melted on top, an
then spread with mustard.

With me, it was a bag of chips, a cinnamon bun, and then the next day
cheesits, altoids, and fish&chips. That, plus all the salt in
restaurant food and the chips, and one last piece of matzo with butter
and salt, and I'm waddling.

maxine in ri

"MikeT" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:49:45 -0500, Andy > wrote:
>
>>When it comes to measuring, stuff, how accurate do YOU get?
>>
>>And how?
>
> if its baking, to the nearest few grams on the scales, otherwise BSH
> (British standard handfuls) or for small items soupcons.
> --

AIUI, the British Standard Hand is that which will encompass the British
Standard Breast{;-)