A scale that weighs ingredients directly in the bowl, in grams or ounces, instead of measuring them by volume. Digital models with a flat platform, a tare button to zero out the container and a capacity of around five kilograms are the kitchen norm. Weighing matters most in baking: a cup of flour can vary by 30 percent depending on how it is scooped, while 120 grams is always 120 grams, and a scale lets each ingredient be added to the same bowl with no cups to wash.
Most recipes written outside the United States give weights, and bread formulas are expressed as percentages of flour weight. A scale accurate to one gram covers everything from flour to yeast; a small jewellery scale reading to 0.1 gram is used for salt in brines and leaveners in precise pastry work.