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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, what about eggs?
The high end of the size range of a large egg as defined by the USDA is 12.5% more than the low end. Plus eggs can lose moisture.
So if you flour tolerance is, idk, 1 gram +/- that darn egg is going to throw off the entire cooking enterprise if you ask me.

It's because the US doesn't have metric eggs. European chickens aren't stupid like American chickens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

IDK but I use a scale and usually have to look at the container to determine grams since many US recipes wont give grams. So 1/3 c on the nutrition label is 30g and I need 1 1/3 cups so 120g but I am the only person I know in the US who cooks/bakes this way.

We do!

We still use measuring spoons for smaller amounts though, because it seems easier to measure out 1/4 tsp than 2g.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use mass because it’s easier, not because I’m worried about being super precise. It’s easier to measure dry ingredients straight into a bowl, and it’s much easier to double/halve/whatever in grams.

Flour is the only thing where I think it could really matter, because flour really does compact so much and so easily.

OMG WE HAVE NOT EVEN DISCUSSED SIFTING YET

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, what about eggs?
The high end of the size range of a large egg as defined by the USDA is 12.5% more than the low end. Plus eggs can lose moisture.
So if you flour tolerance is, idk, 1 gram +/- that darn egg is going to throw off the entire cooking enterprise if you ask me.

This is true. That's why I buy these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use mass because it’s easier, not because I’m worried about being super precise. It’s easier to measure dry ingredients straight into a bowl, and it’s much easier to double/halve/whatever in grams.

Flour is the only thing where I think it could really matter, because flour really does compact so much and so easily.

OMG WE HAVE NOT EVEN DISCUSSED SIFTING YET

Or mesh sizes. Serious cooks have several different mesh sizes depending on the use. I can't understand why Americans still cling to their useless gauge system when it comes to mesh sizes. Metric area measurements are the only sensible units.

[Anonymous]

As if Americans are actually cooking enough for any of this discussion to be relevant. Everyone knows Americans buy all of their food premade and just eat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Bring ignorant to science is why America uses stupid volumes for measurements rather than mass.

sure. If you think of countries that have contributed nothing to science, America certainly comes to mind

US science uses the metric system, lol.

But the general public in the US is ignorant of science. It's not even questionable. That's why they do stupid things like using volumes to measure out solids for cooking.

The general public in every country is ignorant of science, even when using mass for baking. Don't be so obtuse.

--German who uses a food scale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As if Americans are actually cooking enough for any of this discussion to be relevant. Everyone knows Americans buy all of their food premade and just eat it.

So true. This is how we all eat. Why are we even discussing scales and science and 'tare'. 'Tare'? TARE?

[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.

As you, Dear Troll, are concerned with precision with numbers, check your 4 billion people use scales number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

As you, Dear Troll, are concerned with precision with numbers, check your 4 billion people use scales number.

Are we talking scales per family? Or is this like television and each viewer gets counted? If a village shares a well, does that all count as individual scale use or collective scale use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

As you, Dear Troll, are concerned with precision with numbers, check your 4 billion people use scales number.

Go back to making your crappy cakes using cups and other volumes to measure solids like flour and butter, lol.

You can polish off your bad cakes with a nice heaping side of school shootings while you are at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

As you, Dear Troll, are concerned with precision with numbers, check your 4 billion people use scales number.

Go back to making your crappy cakes using cups and other volumes to measure solids like flour and butter, lol.

You can polish off your bad cakes with a nice heaping side of school shootings while you are at it.

oooooohhhhh. This sounds like it goes much deeper than baking measurements. We don't have a specific american-bashing forum only but you can ask Jeff for one. It's better than hiding your animosity and utter disdain for americans in our various fun fora.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

As you, Dear Troll, are concerned with precision with numbers, check your 4 billion people use scales number.

Go back to making your crappy cakes using cups and other volumes to measure solids like flour and butter, lol.

You can polish off your bad cakes with a nice heaping side of school shootings while you are at it.

oooooohhhhh. This sounds like it goes much deeper than baking measurements. We don't have a specific american-bashing forum only but you can ask Jeff for one. It's better than hiding your animosity and utter disdain for americans in our various fun fora.

Cups of butter……..lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As if Americans are actually cooking enough for any of this discussion to be relevant. Everyone knows Americans buy all of their food premade and just eat it.

So true. This is how we all eat. Why are we even discussing scales and science and 'tare'. 'Tare'? TARE?

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As if Americans are actually cooking enough for any of this discussion to be relevant. Everyone knows Americans buy all of their food premade and just eat it.

So true. This is how we all eat. Why are we even discussing scales and science and 'tare'. 'Tare'? TARE?

Needs soggy beans and burnt tomatoes to be classy and English