Big City, Little Kitchen

A kitchen scale is not one of those fun accessories to buy, like a bright spatula or pink Kitchenaid mixer or nesting bowls.  It has no particular aesthetic value, comes in enough permutations to confuse the average buyer, and is electronic (unless you go for the extremely cheap kind that requires mental math and strange manipulations with dials).  I knew I would have to get one eventually, though, and I suspect it was that knowledge that held me back; who wants to buy boring old tennis shoes (need) when you can buy Louboutin pumps (want)?  You get the idea.

Last weekend, however, in spite of all of my objections, I bought a Salter scale.  Happily, I’ve been using it ever since.  In the past, when baking recipes called for nuts or chocolate to be measured in ounces, or produce in pounds, I ended up estimating/eyeballing.  Now, I can precisely measure out pistachios for grinding and chocolate for melting (up to seven pounds!). 

Additionally, if I find an amazing-sounding European recipe, I can use the button on the scale to convert U.S. measurements into metrics.  There’s also a handy button to zero-out the weight of a container on the scale, if I’d like to measure something like flour.

As it turns out, the scale is more of a toy than a nuisance; it’s really fun to weigh things!  And it fits into my workstation perfectly;  I can store it on its side or set bowls on top of it.  All in all, a necessary appliance, even for a little kitchen.