a question for cooks/bakers

[Phil Pascoe]

Does anyone use a relatively cheap 5kg (or more) scales that doesn't automatically switch off, or takes a long time to do so? I find it maddening when working to get half way through something and find mine's switched itself off. #-o

 

[marcros]

http://www.hartsofstur.com/acatalog/Kit ... CABLK.html

 

[NazNomad]

Maybe time to switch to mechanical scales? :-D

 

[bugbear]

Over 5Kg?! That's what I call batch baking!

BugBear

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have a Salter digital and I don't have any problem when I'm using it. It does switch itself off, especially when the readout is Zero, but in actual use it is fine. Not sure what the max load is, but it is not a big platen, so I think to get 5kg on it I think you'd have to be baking with lead.
S
(PS, Phil, I'm not suggesting for one moment that your scones are heavy... )

 

[Harbo]

I've got a compact flat Salter that goes to 5kg.
Very easy to use especially when you zero the container weight.

Rod

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The problem I have working from a wheelchair is that the display either needs to be angled, back lit or both. I've got a perfectly accurate scales but half the time I can't see the display. I shall probably bite the bullet and get a balance scales and weights. 5kg is good for parcels.

 

[finneyb]

Use a hand held mirror to read the display - and learn to read the inverted numbers

Brian

 

[Glynne]

Use a hand held mirror to read the display - and learn to read the inverted numbers

Brian

Use 2 and read them the right way up!
(Sorry one scouser having a dig at another).

 

[Rorschach]

If I am worried about the scale switching off while I am putting something into a bowl, I weigh the empty bowl first and jot it down on a piece of paper, then if it does switch off I can always calculate what is in the bowl.

 

[bugbear]

The problem I have working from a wheelchair is that the display either needs to be angled, back lit or both. I've got a perfectly accurate scales but half the time I can't see the display. I shall probably bite the bullet and get a balance scales and weights. 5kg is good for parcels.

When my old digital scales packed up, I was forced to use my partners balance scales.

I nearly went crazy - bowl, not flat surface (everything has to go in the bowl), not able to "zero off" arbitrary containers, not able to re-zero for successive ingredients.

I bought a 10Kg, 1g resolution Salter, £20, which I could (in general) heartily recommaned; except it doesn't address your viewing angle issue though.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Good points.

 

[Glynne]

Joking apart, I know exactly what Phil means.
I'm fully mobile but I do make bread in batches so I'll weigh the flours I use (white, wholemeal & malted) into separate batches ready to mix. Even the huge distance of crossing my very modest kitchen, swapping bowls and circumventing the dog can result in the scales turning off. Not a problem if it's the first lot of flour but it's a real pain if you're just tipping a second lot to get a cumulative reading and the scales turn off. You have to "separate" the flours or tip into a separate bowl and then re-zero and continue.
Never mind about using technology in your processes, I have had to amend my processes to suit the technology. Flour containers open and adjacent to bowls & scales, dog banished to wherever, phone abandoned where I can't hear it, radio on full blast so as I have a reason (note not excuse) not to hear my wife and I'm good to go.
Who said baking bread wasn't technical.