Why Pastry Chefs Measure By Weight to Bake
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the unreliability of volume measurements in cooking, advocating for the use of scales for accuracy. It demonstrates how different scooping methods for flour can result in significant weight variations, affecting recipe outcomes. Examples of measuring chopped walnuts and eggs highlight the inconsistency of volume measurements. The script illustrates the point with brown sugar packed in various ways, showing drastic differences in weight. It concludes with a baking demonstration comparing cookies made by weight versus volume, underscoring the superiority of weight measurements for consistent results.
Takeaways
- 📏 Avoid using volume measurements like cups and spoons for accuracy in cooking and baking.
- 💰 Investing in a scale, even the most basic one, is more beneficial than the most expensive measuring cup.
- 👨🍳 At ICE, culinary and pastry students are taught the importance of using scales from the very beginning.
- 🔍 Different methods of scooping and leveling flour can result in significant weight differences.
- 📝 Recipes that call for volume measurements can lead to inconsistent results due to variations in interpretation.
- 🥜 Measuring chopped walnuts before and after chopping can result in different weights, impacting the recipe outcome.
- 🥚 The weight of eggs can vary greatly, affecting the consistency of a recipe if not measured accurately.
- 🍬 Packing sugar differently can lead to vastly different weights, emphasizing the unreliability of volume measurements.
- 🍪 Baking cookies with weight measurements ensures consistency, unlike those baked with volume measurements.
- 👀 Visual comparison of cookies baked by weight versus volume measurements shows a marked difference in outcome.
- ⚖️ For reliable and consistent results in cooking and baking, using a scale for weight measurements is recommended.
Q & A
Why does the speaker argue against using volume measurements for cooking?
-The speaker argues against using volume measurements because they are inconsistent and can lead to different results each time, affecting the quality and consistency of the final product.
What is the main advantage of using a scale according to the script?
-The main advantage of using a scale is its accuracy and consistency, ensuring that the same amount of ingredients is used every time, leading to a uniform final product.
What is the first lesson taught to culinary and pastry students at ICE regarding measurements?
-The first lesson taught at ICE is to avoid using volume measurements and instead use weight measurements with a scale for more accurate and consistent results.
How does the method of scooping flour affect the weight when measured with a scale?
-Different methods of scooping flour, such as simply scooping or spooning and leveling it off, can result in significantly different weights when measured with a scale.
What is an example of how volume measurements can lead to inconsistencies in recipes involving chopped walnuts?
-Measuring one cup of chopped walnuts can result in different weights depending on how finely they are chopped before measuring, leading to inconsistencies in the recipe.
What is the average weight of a large egg, and how can it vary?
-The average weight of a large egg is about 50 grams, but it can vary widely, resulting in different weights when measured without a scale.
How does the packing method of brown sugar affect its weight when measured by cup?
-The packing method, whether lightly packed, tightly packed, or further packed, can result in a significant difference in weight of brown sugar measured by cup.
What is the main message conveyed by the comparison of chocolate chip cookies made by weight and by volume measurements?
-The main message is that cookies made by weight measurements are consistent and uniform, while those made by volume measurements can vary greatly in size and appearance.
What is the speaker's recommendation for ensuring product consistency in cooking?
-The speaker recommends using a scale for measuring ingredients by weight to ensure product consistency, save time, and make people happy with the results.
Why are volume measurements considered 'the devil' in the context of this script?
-Volume measurements are considered 'the devil' because they are highly unreliable and can lead to significant variations in ingredient amounts, affecting the outcome of recipes.
What is the practical demonstration the speaker uses to show the unreliability of volume measurements?
-The speaker demonstrates the unreliability of volume measurements by comparing the weight of ingredients like flour, walnuts, and brown sugar measured by different methods, showing the vast differences in results.
Outlines
📐 The Inaccuracy of Volume Measurements
The speaker passionately argues against the use of volume measurements, such as cups and spoons, advocating for the precision of weight measurements using a scale. They emphasize that volume measurements are inconsistent and can lead to varying results in cooking and baking. The importance of using a scale is illustrated through an exercise at ICE, where culinary and pastry students compare the weight of flour measured by different scooping methods, revealing significant discrepancies. The video script also provides examples of how volume measurements can lead to different outcomes with ingredients like chopped walnuts and eggs, highlighting the unreliability of these methods. The speaker demonstrates the variability in measuring brown sugar by packing it differently into a cup, resulting in vastly different weights. The conclusion is that using a scale ensures consistent results and avoids errors in recipe execution.
🍪 Consistency in Baking with Weight Measurements
This paragraph emphasizes the benefits of using a scale for consistent results in baking. The speaker suggests that relying on volume measurements can lead to inconsistent outcomes, which can be problematic for both professional chefs and home cooks. They argue that using a scale saves time, reduces waste, and ensures that dishes turn out as expected. The speaker contrasts cookies baked by weight with those baked using volume measurements, showing a clear difference in the final product. The message is clear: for those who want to achieve consistency and satisfaction in their culinary creations, a scale is the essential tool to achieve this.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cut measurements
💡Volume measurements
💡Scale
💡Weight of a scale
💡Culinary students
💡Pastry students
💡Consistency
💡Chopped walnuts
💡Dark brown sugar
💡Chocolate chip cookies
💡Reliability
Highlights
Cut and volume measurements are unreliable and should be avoided in favor of weight measurements using a scale.
Even a cheap scale is better than the most expensive measuring cup for accuracy.
At ICE, culinary and pastry students are taught the importance of using scales from the very first lesson.
Different scooping methods when measuring flour with a cup can lead to significantly different weights.
Measuring chopped walnuts by volume can result in a 26 gram difference compared to weighing them.
Weighing ingredients like eggs and walnuts ensures consistent results every time, regardless of size or chop.
Volume measurements of brown sugar can vary wildly, from 129 grams loosely packed to 214 grams tightly packed.
Using a scale for brown sugar ensures the exact amount needed for a recipe, leading to consistent outcomes.
Comparing chocolate chip cookies made by weight vs volume measurements shows a marked difference in size and consistency.
Cookies made by weight are uniform and consistent, while those made by volume measurements vary greatly.
Using a scale for all measurements is the key to achieving consistent, high-quality results in baking.
Inconsistencies in volume measurements can lead to wasted ingredients and time, as well as dissatisfaction.
The importance of using a scale is emphasized from the very beginning of culinary education at ICE.
Examples of measuring flour, walnuts, eggs, and sugar demonstrate the unreliability of volume measurements.
Weighing ingredients eliminates guesswork and ensures precise, replicable results in cooking and baking.
The transcript provides a clear argument for why weight measurements using a scale are superior to volume measurements.
The practical demonstrations and examples given in the transcript effectively illustrate the benefits of using a scale.
Transcripts
Today we're here basically for me to convince you that you should never use cut measurements or
volume measurements as long as you live. They're the devil. We're also specifically focusing on
the difference between volume measurements, the amount of space that something takes up, and also
the weight of a scale, which is more accurate. An investment in a scale — even the cheapest
scale — is better than an investment in the most expensive measuring cup. When we're here at ICE
it is the first lesson that is taught to both the culinary students and the pastry students.
One of the first exercises they had to do today was take flour and scoop flour in different ways
using a measuring cup and then put it on the scale to see the differences. Just doing it like that
the measurement comes out to 137. Instead of scooping they took flour, spooned it into it,
leveled it off and then weighed that. This one right here is 123. so just the very fact that
you're taking a slightly different method every time you're measuring flour gives
you very different results. So to illustrate further let's take some examples of what people
measure when they're measuring a home recipe or from a recipe book. The recipe says measure one
cup of chopped walnuts. Does that mean that you measure the walnuts after they're chopped? How
finely chopped? You really don't know that and what happens is you'll get different results
every time. What if you measure your nuts and then chop them as the recipe tells you?
If you take one cup that comes out to 94 grams.
If you've chopped your nuts before slightly, that comes out to 120 grams.
As you guys can see, there's this huge difference by just what you're using. Now if your recipe told
you measure 120 grams, no matter what, chopped or whole, you'll get 120 grams of walnuts.
Sometimes a recipe will say measure two large eggs the average egg okay is about 50 grams
and they could actually vary really wildly. So if you measure two eggs one time you could come
up with 95 grams. If you could measure two eggs another time you could come up with 105 grams. So
as simple a thing as not using a scale, even for eggs, will give you a very, very varied product.
Here's some dark brown sugar and we'll just fill it up to the top, okay, and a proximal cup.
To start off with, we come up with 129 grams. Okay, basic simple cup measurement. The next one,
if we do a lightly packed — just press it in gently — we level it off. Okay, let's see what the
difference is here, and on this one just lightly packed: 184 grams. That's a huge difference.
Next one: tightly packed and by the way everyone does different things and
everyone puts different pressure on this so it's going to be different for every single person.
Further packed and we come up with 214. It's like the perfect example that every single
thing you do and every single cup you use is going to give you a different product.
They're 100% unreliable. If that recipe tells you 200 grams of brown sugar, that's it. You're done.
It's easy, you'll never make a mistake and your products will come out the same all the time.
These are some chocolate chip cookies that were done this morning,
so these right here are according to the recipe and these were done by weight.
These are the same exact recipe, but these were done by volume measurements,
these were done by cup measurements — teaspoons, tablespoons. We're going to bake this and then
we'll compare later the original and then we'll be able to see the difference. All right, perfect.
Our cookies are out of the oven and if you take a look, this is by weight and these two here
were done by students by cup measurements so there's a marked difference. If i was doing
this by weight measurement they will come out like this every single time without question
working with grams or weight as compared to volume measurements. There's just tremendous difference
so if you want your product to be consistent, come out proper, save dishes,
save yourself a whole bunch of time and make people happy, using a scale is the way to go.
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