When it comes to cooking, precision is key. After all, you don't want to end up with a cake that's as hard as a rock or a soup that's as bland as storebought low-sodium stock. That's why it's important to pay attention to how you measure your ingredients. But should you go by volume or weight? Let's weigh (pun intended) the pros and cons of both methods.
First up, grams. These little guys are the more accurate option, particularly for ingredients that vary in density. Take sugar and flour, for example. A cup of sugar weighs significantly more than a cup of flour, so if you were to use volume measurements to compare the two, you might end up with a recipe that's completely off balance. With grams, however, you can get a more precise measurement and increase your chances of success in the kitchen.
However, using grams does have its drawbacks. For one, you'll need a kitchen scale, which not everyone has. And if you do have one, it can be a bit of a hassle to pull it out and weigh every single ingredient in a recipe. Plus, if a recipe calls for a lot of different items, you'll have to weigh each one separately, which can be a bit more time-consuming.
Regardless of the above, I always recommend measuring by weight with a digital scale. It really doesn't take that much more time, and it almost guarantees consistency and great results when cooking. In case you are interested in giving it a try, this is my go-to scale.
volume measurements aren't as accurate as weight measurements
On the flip side, we have volume measurements. These are great for those times when you want to throw something together quickly and don't feel like dragging out the kitchen scale. They're also easy to estimate – if a recipe calls for a "pinch" of salt, you can eyeball it without having to do any fancy math.
But here's the catch: volume measurements aren't as accurate as weight measurements. This can lead to variations in the finished product, particularly for ingredients that have different densities. So while volume measurements might be more convenient, they might not always give you the best results.
| GRAMS Pros of measuring in grams:
Greater accuracy, particularly for ingredients that vary in density
Allows for precise measurement, which can be important for achieving desired results in a recipe
Cons of measuring in grams:
Requires a kitchen scale, which not everyone has
Slightly more time-consuming, particularly if a recipe calls for a lot of different ingredients that need to be measured separately
| VOLUME
Pros of measuring in volume:
Easier to estimate and can be done quickly without a kitchen scale
Convenient for when you want to throw something together quickly or don't have a kitchen scale on hand
Cons of measuring in volume:
Not as accurate as weight measurements
Can lead to variations in the finished product, particularly for ingredients that vary in density
May not always give the best results
So there you have it – the pros and cons of cooking with grams versus volume.