Why do Americans use volumes instead of mass for baking/cooking?

[Anonymous]

Metric is too difficult for americans.

I love my scale. It makes everything so much easier!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All recipe creators (including American ones) use weighed out ingredients when developing recipes bc it's so much more precise. For the US market they then convert back to volume based measurements.

Weighing and baking is a way better system and even Americans are speaking out in favor of it, eg. Alison Roman on one of her videos.

But it doesn’t make sense to convert back to volumes. Just leave it as mass. Yes, it is way more precise. It makes zero sense to ever use volumes to measure out solids. I worked as a chemist for years.

NP. It does if you're writing for an audience that doesn't have scales. Your experience as a chemist is totally beside the point. Most Americans don't have kitchen scales, and volume measurements are fine for the vast majority of home cooking projects, even baking. Mass is more precise, but does a cake recipe written in cups work? Of course it does, you can tell because Americans successfully make cakes every day.

They make crappier cakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All recipe creators (including American ones) use weighed out ingredients when developing recipes bc it's so much more precise. For the US market they then convert back to volume based measurements.

Weighing and baking is a way better system and even Americans are speaking out in favor of it, eg. Alison Roman on one of her videos.

But it doesn’t make sense to convert back to volumes. Just leave it as mass. Yes, it is way more precise. It makes zero sense to ever use volumes to measure out solids. I worked as a chemist for years.

A scale is 1 more thing to buy and you can still cook with volume. As much as bakers love to talk about how precise measurements need to be, they're full of it. Close enough works in 99% of cooking situation

Omg, owning a scale is a world ending endeavor. How will you ever live if you have to use a scale!!?? Lol, meanwhile, 4 billion other people on the planet use scales and make better food because their recipes are more precise.

Good for them. Americans somehow still manage. If you want to cook by mass, there are plenty of recipes, have at it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might get a more insightful response if you weren’t so hostile about it. I’m sure there is a historical reason for this if you really want to know.

Here you go. Despite the hostile OP I will share this because I love it so much:
https://imgur.com/gallery/imperial-system-S9nYOfZ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All recipe creators (including American ones) use weighed out ingredients when developing recipes bc it's so much more precise. For the US market they then convert back to volume based measurements.

Weighing and baking is a way better system and even Americans are speaking out in favor of it, eg. Alison Roman on one of her videos.

But it doesn’t make sense to convert back to volumes. Just leave it as mass. Yes, it is way more precise. It makes zero sense to ever use volumes to measure out solids. I worked as a chemist for years.

NP. It does if you're writing for an audience that doesn't have scales. Your experience as a chemist is totally beside the point. Most Americans don't have kitchen scales, and volume measurements are fine for the vast majority of home cooking projects, even baking. Mass is more precise, but does a cake recipe written in cups work? Of course it does, you can tell because Americans successfully make cakes every day.

They make crappier cakes.

Because when people think of quality home cooking, England springs to mind?

[Anonymous]

Not everyone has a food scale. Especially before 21st Century. Most have a measuring cup and set of measuring spoons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All recipe creators (including American ones) use weighed out ingredients when developing recipes bc it's so much more precise. For the US market they then convert back to volume based measurements.

Weighing and baking is a way better system and even Americans are speaking out in favor of it, eg. Alison Roman on one of her videos.

But it doesn’t make sense to convert back to volumes. Just leave it as mass. Yes, it is way more precise. It makes zero sense to ever use volumes to measure out solids. I worked as a chemist for years.

NP. It does if you're writing for an audience that doesn't have scales. Your experience as a chemist is totally beside the point. Most Americans don't have kitchen scales, and volume measurements are fine for the vast majority of home cooking projects, even baking. Mass is more precise, but does a cake recipe written in cups work? Of course it does, you can tell because Americans successfully make cakes every day.

They make crappier cakes.

A stunning retort from a first class mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You might get a more insightful response if you weren’t so hostile about it. I’m sure there is a historical reason for this if you really want to know.

Here you go. Despite the hostile OP I will share this because I love it so much:
https://imgur.com/gallery/imperial-system-S9nYOfZ

Thanks for sharing. I'm a physicist, but I've often argued that for day-to-day use English units are more intuitive. A foot is on order of the length of a person's foot. Hot outside in Fahrenheit is ~100 degrees, and cold outside is ~0 degrees...way more intuitive than 40 and -18.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You might get a more insightful response if you weren’t so hostile about it. I’m sure there is a historical reason for this if you really want to know.

Here you go. Despite the hostile OP I will share this because I love it so much:
https://imgur.com/gallery/imperial-system-S9nYOfZ

Thanks for sharing. I'm a physicist, but I've often argued that for day-to-day use English units are more intuitive. A foot is on order of the length of a person's foot. Hot outside in Fahrenheit is ~100 degrees, and cold outside is ~0 degrees...way more intuitive than 40 and -18.

Yes, thank you for reading it. I agree- it's the intuition, the divisibility and the calculating in your head (medieval peasants didn't have iphones or home scales!) that are key. And also, KICKER, for baking when humidity and other things are factors, the exact grams matters diddly squat. Anyone ever make pate a choux and you have to add eggs until "it's right". Those are the real bakers. People who need their grams of flour can bow right out and stop accusing us of "crappy cakes".

[Anonymous]

So I'm a weirdo who does both. It kind of depends on what I'm making. If it's something that requires a lot of precision, like a fussier cake recipe, I'll use the scale. But if it's more casual like biscuits or a cobbler I'll use the cups and more eyeball things.

[Anonymous]

I generally use weight because it's just quicker and easier. I have a reference taped up inside my baking supplies cabinet to remind me of the weight of a cup of flour, brown sugar, etc. so I can convert from standard US recipes. Still use tsp/tbsp for small amounts.

[Anonymous]

Because the ingredients are sold by volume also. Tomato paste comes in 6-ounce cans and guess what.. the recipe calls for 6 ounces.

1 teaspoon of salt is 6 grams. Who's going to remember that?

Everyone has a teaspoon and a cup at home. Not everyone has a scale.

[Anonymous]

I'm a frequent baker and I convert everything to grams and use a scale. It's much easier. Especially for wet ingredients. Fewer dishes, less hassle. Plus it's MUCH easier to multiply or divide a recipe.

But a teaspoon is useful, although I just use my palm. It's difficult to weigh out a teaspoon of salt.

Tip: I put the cups to grams conversion on the containers I use for flour, sugar, brown sugar etc. It's also always on the nutrition label, but not always in a convenient quantity. King Arthur's website has a very handy, searchable chart.

I have noticed that more and more recipe sites and books include the mass measurement, which is helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because the ingredients are sold by volume also. Tomato paste comes in 6-ounce cans and guess what.. the recipe calls for 6 ounces.

1 teaspoon of salt is 6 grams. Who's going to remember that?

Everyone has a teaspoon and a cup at home. Not everyone has a scale.

I don't want to be a betch here but I think you're wrong. 6oz is the mass of the can of tomato paste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We aren't talking about liquids, of course.

But it makes absolutely zero sense to use volumes for measurements when cooking or baking. Tsp of salt? Cup of flour? Tsp of baking powder, etc? What in the bloody hell? I'll never understand why Americans love to cook ass backwards and don't use MASS while cooking or baking. It makes infinitely more sense to use GRAMS of flour, salt, etc. while baking/cooking like the rest of the world does. Why is it so ingrained to use asinine measurements in US kitchens?

Would you like it if we went to England to complain about what you do "incorrectly" or "asinine" We are America and we do things differently. You can cook however you want but please don't be such a jerk on an AMERICAN site!