Digital Scale Decision

[hockman4357]

I am in the process of acquiring the necessary equipment to make pizza at home.  This will be my first effort at home pizza making, and I am pretty pumped! 

I have been looking at digital scales.  It seems that many folks utilize one scale to measure larger quantities and another for very small quantities.  The My Weigh KD 8000 looks like a nice choice for larger quantity measuring while the American Weigh Black Blade Digital Pocket Scale, 1000 by 0.1 G looks like a pretty good choice for measuring smaller quantities.

Please let me know if I am heading in the right directions with these choices or if there are some better alternatives to consider.

[breadman_nz]

That's the way I went. Most home baking needs scales with a 3 or 4 kg capacity, so you can tare with a bowl, and still be able to weigh enough of the bulk ingredients like flour and water. At the other end, you want the precision to measure 0.25 grams of instant yeast accurately.

Although you can get scales and precision balances that measure up to a few kilograms with 0.1 or even 0.01 (or even 0.001....) gram precision. These start getting incredibly costly in proportion to the precision - and are not really intended for baking, so much as scientific / lab use.

Of course if money is no object, by all means go for an all-in-one. Otherwise, a two scale set up is cheap and easy enough.

[Botch]

I haven't bothered with a second scale that measures really small quantities; I feel the age/quality of your yeast probably has a bigger effect on the dough than a 7/100-gram difference...

[dmcavanagh]

Here's what I use for all my baking and pizza making http://www.amazon.com/Escali-Primo-Digital-Scale-Warm/dp/B0007GAX04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314497032&sr=8-1 , won't break the bank either.

[Mmmph]

I use the OXO Good Grips Stainless Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Stainless-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B000WJMTNA/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314497433&sr=1-6

For fine measurements, I use the American Weigh Signature Series Black Digital Pocket Scale
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Signature-Digital-Pocket/dp/B002SC3LLS/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314497519&sr=1-2

[breadman_nz]

I haven't bothered with a second scale that measures really small quantities; I feel the age/quality of your yeast probably has a bigger effect on the dough than a 7/100-gram difference...

True enough. However, whilst yeast age and activity, and of course desired dough temperature and proofing environment all have a bearing on the finished product - I don't see any need to add to our already burdensome variables by mis-measuring the yeast.

In home recipe quantities - instant yeast (not as variable a product as fresh yeast or even active dried yeast) is often calculated at weights of around 0.3g - especially for poolishes and other preferments. Using a 1g scale, there's just no way you're even getting close to the requisite precision. One may as well be using volumetric measurements (eeeew). Example - a ciabatta recipe I made today called for 1/8th of a teaspoon of instant yeast.  I was making a half batch, so 1/16th of a teaspoon. Fortunately, this is a simple measurement using a precision scale (and converting from tsp to weight: http://convert-to.com/537/instant-dry-yeast-converter-and-nutrition-information.html) of 0.18g. In such scenarios, a "tiny" 0.2g difference would represent 100% too much yeast, or, to put it another way, you've just doubled the yeast that the formula called for.

A cheap set of jeweler's digital scales, capable of measuring 2-300g at 0.1 or 0.01g precision, is dirt cheap & are readily available.

[Jackie Tran]

Mmmph, we are using the same 2 scales!   I bought the bigger OXO scale 2 years ago and finally just got the smaller one.  Not sure why I waited so long on the little guy.  It's defintely useful for yeast including cake yeast, salt, and sugar amounts as well.  Especially partial gram amounts.  Plus, as mentioned, it is dirt cheap.  Do yourself a favor, get the smaller scale as well.

Chau

[JConk007]

I use the escalii DMC scale combined with  the little guy scale for yeast.Like chau said its cheap like $8 bucks.
John

[Mmmph]

@Chau - Cool...I got the little one when John D started his Keste Clone thread. It's a great, inexpensive little scale.

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,12606.0.html

[RobynB]

I have the My Weigh KD8000 scale that does bakers percentages (though I've never used that function)  http://www.amazon.com/My-Weigh-Digital-Weighing-Scale/dp/B001NE0FU2/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314890326&sr=1-1   and for the small measurements I recently bought the American Weigh AWS-100  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012LOQUQ   I'm pretty happy with both.  The My Weigh scale is known for having the splash-guard over the digital readout breaking, and mine was no exception, but it's fine without it. 

[hockman4357]

Thanks so much for all the feedback!  I am still leaning toward the My Weigh KD 8000 to weigh larger quantities.  For weighing smaller quantities, I have narrowed it down to either the American Weigh AWS-100 (100 by .01 G) or the American Weigh AWS-1KG (1000 by .1 G) scale.  When making pizza, is there any particular advantage/disadvantage associated with a 100 by .01 G scale versus a 1000 by .1 G scale?  Thanks again for all the help and advice in making this decision. 

[hockman4357]

Any thoughts on the American Weigh AWS-100 (100 by .01 G) versus the American Weigh AWS-1KG (1000 by .1 G) scale.  When making pizza, is there any particular advantage/disadvantage associated with a 100 by .01 G scale versus a 1000 by .1 G scale?  The My Weigh KD 8000 for weighing larger quantities is under $40 on Amazon at this time.  I am close to pulling the trigger.