Some simple dishes only require a couple spoon of this and that, then the food is ready to be served. But, what should we use to determine the exact portion needed to make the delicious meal you crave for? Here is the list of devices that you will want to have in your kitchen in order to determine the precise quantity of each food item you will put in your recipe.
1. Measuring cup
This is maybe one of the most common and needed tool to determine the ingredients. Well, there are 2 different kinds of measuring cup, and of course, different kind comes with different purpose.
Dry Measuring Cup
This tool is apparently an invention of Fannie Farmer who was the director of “The Boston Cook School” and the author of “The Boston School Cook Book” back in 1896. As its name, dry measuring cup was made in order to count dry ingredients such as sugar, salt, flour, or spices. You can find the cup either made of plastic or stainless steel with different sizes, such as ¼ cups, 1/3 cups, ½ cups, or 1 cup.
I think we are all aware of how to use the tool, which is done by scooping the ingredient with the cup and eliminate the excess with another flat tool. By doing this, you are doing a method that actually has a name called “dip and sweep”.
Liquid Measuring Cup
Milk, water, and yogurt are different substances from flour or sugar and therefore, you need the liquid measuring cup to assess those ingredients. You can find liquid measuring cup whether made of glass, metal, or plastic with handle that thanks to the transparent material, helps the user see how much liquid has been poured into the cup.
It is suggested to place the cup on a flat surface to help you quantify the liquid correctly.
While plastic and metal are lighter than glass, they are not heat-proof and are more prone to the odor of ingredients compared to the glass material. On the other side, the glass cup tends to break easily compared to plastic and metal.
2. Scale
To measure the weight of the ingredients, you need a scale. It comes in two different types, analog and digital, with various shapes, such as hanging scale, bowl, or the one with flat surface. It also has various units, such as grams, kilograms, pounds, ounces, so make sure you choose the one with all the units to provide convenience for your cooking needs.
Generally, weighing an ingredient using scale will require you to put the ingredient on the surface where you can see the number shown usually on the lower part of the scale. But, with a hanging scale – which is designed to count the weight of heavy food items like meat or fish, you will have to put the ingredient or food item on the hook attached to the scale and then the number of the weight will be shown on the electronic machine on the other end.
It is suggested to choose digital scale because of its accuracy and reliability, as well as it is faster to use.
3. Thermometer
• Instant-Read Thermometer
The instant-read thermometer is available both in analog or digital style, and is used to provide quick measurement of food temperature. It is best used for measuring the temperature of meat, chicken, soup or salad. You can simply put the instant-read thermometer inside the food while cooking and then take it out as it is not meant to be put in the food during cooking.
• Meat Thermometer
A meat thermometer is akin to the instant-read, but this one is inserted into the food, especially like meat, and it remains there during roasting and you can simply check the temperature on the dial. The digital version is much easier to use as you can set it to notify you when the food reaches the temperature you wish. After roasting, you can leave the thermometer in the meat after taking it out of the oven to monitor its temperature while resting.
• Candy and Deep-Frying Thermometer
Candy and deep-frying thermometer are made of glass and used to measure much hotter temperature of cooking sugar or oil ranging from 148oC up to more than 190oC. You can find the candy and deep-frying thermometer separately, but usually they are combined. Generally, you will find it attached with a clip so it can be put firmly on the lip of the pot.
• Oven Thermometer
When you are baking using your oven, oftentimes, the temperature that the oven shows on the dial is not the correct one. The real temperature inside the oven might be 25 up to 50 degrees higher or lower. There might even be certain parts, such as the corners of the oven that could be cooler or hotter than the temperature shown. This is why, to have the cake well baked, you need the oven thermometer. The thermometer is used by positioning it on the shelf of the oven. If somehow you find inconsistency between the oven dial and thermometer, you can adjust the oven to the temperature you wish, and you will have your cookies nicely done!
• Refrigerator Thermometer
The temperature of refrigerator should be between 0.5o C to 4o C. If it is not cold enough, pathogenic bacteria could grow and jeopardize your food items. To make sure it is on the right temperature, get yourself a refrigerator thermometer. It works just like an oven thermometer, and you can use it by putting it on the fridge’s shelf. You can find a freezer thermometer too in order to measure the temperature of the freezer.
4. Timer
Timing is crucial in cooking in order to have the food cooked at its best condition. This is what timer is for. Just like the other tools mentioned above, timer can be found in two types, analog and digital. With digital timer, you can have the accurate timing because it provides both minutes and seconds timer, while the analog only has the minutes and is normally available to 60 minutes maximum. In addition, with digital timer, you can have many features offered, such as water-proof, and sound options for the alarm.
Another alternative to a timer is an hourglass. This classic model of a timer is not accurate in showing time and it only provides a certain time interval. It consists of sand.
5. Propane Tank Gauge
A propane tank gauge is used for measuring the remaining propane gas in the tank. You can find this gauge in some form.
• Inline pressure gauge (pressure model)
The device calculates the pressure of the gas and show the result to let you know whether the tank is full, empty or low. It is put in between the gas channel from the heater and the valve.
• Analog propane scale
This tool looks and works just like a luggage scale. The only difference is that it has been set up for the weight of the tank. To use it, you can slip the hook through the handle of the tank and pick it up. It will show you the gas remaining in the tank.
• Digital propane tank scale
The tool is round and enough for the tank to be put on top of it. It shows digitally the residual cooking time and the percentage of the gas.
• Ultrasonic propane tank gauge
An ultrasonic propane tank gauge lets you check the remaining content of the propane tank easily without the need to lift it like the scale model one. It's also not required to install the tool like the pressure model. You only need to attach the gauge to the tank wall and make a check. It works by using ultrasonic technology. The reflection wave will tell whether it's empty or not. Therefore, when a propane tank has an excessive weight and too large for you, an ultrasonic propane tank gauge is a perfect choice. For many types of tank, this one is suitable to use.
If you wonder about the best ultrasonic propane tank gauge, we have researched on the web and find people recommending Levelcheck Truma ultrasonic propane tank gauge.
Conclusion
That's it. It's been a long time not blogging. And today, I have a chance to publish this article. Those are the five measuring tools in the kitchen you will commonly find out. You may have other tools in your mind and let me know through the comment section below.