question for British people

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  • KSJ75
    KSJ75 Posts: 9
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    I use my kitchen scales... My husband says I'm a calorie freak as I weigh EVERYTHING so I can calculate the calories :laugh:
  • kbeech06
    kbeech06 Posts: 328 Member
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    LOL, I'm an American living in the UK. Depending on what recipe I am making depends on what I use. Some of my favourite recipes are in cups, teaspoon, tablespoon, etc. Recipes from here are all in grams. I do have a scale (wish I had a better one) and I have gotten used to using it. We are planning on moving back to the State within a year or so...and I plan on using a scale when we go back. I think its just more accurate way of measuring.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
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    Canada here. We use mostly cups. Generally cups interchageably for liquid and dry measure.
    Measuring spoons for smaller amounts. It always works. A cup is an eight ounce measure.
    Tablespoon is 15 mls. Teaspoon is 5. Don't know what that is in grams. My scale doesn't register that low.
    Other food I use a scale for. Things that won't fit into a cup.
    There's never been a problem using these measures for baking.
    When Canada went metric more people got scales.
    Mostly dieters. Home cooks. Not so much. Cups do for everything.
    As usual the States is still the only hold-out.
    Cheers!
  • Bobhunter624
    Bobhunter624 Posts: 22
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    York UK here yes we have kitchen scales as well.

    p.s. I do use an egg-cup for when I boil myself an egg......

    enjoy the journey I know I am.:drinker:
  • rachlat
    rachlat Posts: 23
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    I went and bought a set of US measuring cups and actually spent a bit of time doing conversions on foods that I use a lot. It took a bit of time but because I was serious about using MFP I felt I had to do it. With stuff like carrots though, I just use the cups
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
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    I use my kitchen scales for everything. Cups must be such an inaccurate measurement especially for things like chopped veggies or fruit!

    I left my scales at my boyfriend's yesterday (I'd visited for a few days) and I shall be lost without them until he can bring them back Friday night!
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    I use scales, because I have no idea what a "cup" measurement is.

    Also, found out that what I was using as a "tablespoon" was actually a much larger dessert spoon. God damn spoons. Y U come in so many sizes and shapes?
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
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    I weight everything! I do have a set of "cups" and proper measuring spoons too which are a great help.
  • sussexbythesea
    sussexbythesea Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Scales all the way otherwise how could I weigh 20g cheese? Not in a cup surely?
  • nomesw84
    nomesw84 Posts: 101 Member
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    I have measuring cups and scales but I find using the scales easier as no messing around trying to get a level cup of something which isn't flat!
  • schnubbeline
    schnubbeline Posts: 4
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    Germany here :)

    All of our recipes are in grams and we don't use cups at all. I lived in the US for one year and prefer the cups system.
  • TheKeithEllis
    TheKeithEllis Posts: 155 Member
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    We have plastic measuring spoons and digital scales in our kitchen, I prefer the scales, but cups have their uses too.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I'm not British but am living in Scotland at the moment. I mostly use a scale. I was using a scale back when I lived in the states, too. It's actually much easier to accurately measure using a scale, and you don't have to dirty a bunch of different measuring cups and spoons.

    I did bring my measuring cups and spoons over from the US, so I have those in a drawer...but honestly, the scale is just much simpler.
  • sunshineaims
    sunshineaims Posts: 13 Member
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    British here, and its got to be scales and grams all the way- I have one American cookbook but I have taken to converting and noting the mesurements.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    dear British people,

    In British cook books, and even here on MFP, when you talk about food you use grams. So does everyone have a kitchen scale, or do you just know off the top of your head how many grams are in standard measures like one cup of flour?

    I've always owned kitchen scales and couldn't cope without them! I would say that I would measure ingredients exactly (in grams or ounces) when baking and making a new recipes, but for some in the past (savoury dishes) I would add 'to taste'. Since being on mfp I measure everything, always, including breakfast cereal etc.

    I do own a set of measuring cups, which I bought so I could make US recipes seen online etc, but the first time I make them I usually weigh things out and convert the recipe to metric for future reference!

    This is what I was going to write. For us "standard measures" doesn't mean "cups", it means grams, or ounces if the recipe's an old one of your granny's written out by her thirty years ago on the back of an old envelope. And I know from experience how high to heap a tablespoon to measure out one ounce of flour or sugar.

    I didn't realise for years that an american recipe using "cups" means "use a standard cup". I tried using any old random cup off the shelf & it worked for some recipes, provided everything was measured by the same cup.

    You think we're weird using grams, we think you're weird using cups!
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
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    T think everyone who cooks from scratch has kitchen scales and uses them - although like another poster said you get a feel for some portions you use regularly and don't necessarilt need to weigh every time. We use grams mostly, but I have a lot od old cook books which use ounces, I have a and antique and extremely accurate balancing scales, and I have both metric and imperial weights for it.

    We also measure liquids in ml these days, athough again the older fl oz measure is also still in use.

    I do have a set of measuring cups which I've had for years so I can make recipes that call for them, but I rarely use them. A measuring jug is more convenient for liquids, and they'd be too innaccurate to use for solids.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    I use scales, because I have no idea what a "cup" measurement is.

    Also, found out that what I was using as a "tablespoon" was actually a much larger dessert spoon. God damn spoons. Y U come in so many sizes and shapes?

    This is incorrect. A tablespoon is around 15mls, a dessert spoon is around 10mls & a teaspoon is around 5mls. Have another look at your spoons!
  • MartineCoppens
    MartineCoppens Posts: 41 Member
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    I weigh EVERYTHING using my kitchen scales, in grammes, it's just the most accurate way.
  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
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    dear British people,

    In British cook books, and even here on MFP, when you talk about food you use grams. So does everyone have a kitchen scale, or do you just know off the top of your head how many grams are in standard measures like one cup of flour?

    Yes, we use a scale. Cups are inherently flawed, you can't consistently or accurately measure large solids using a unit of volume. Depending on the tessellation of the pieces, two different "cups" of pasta could have completely different amounts in them.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    dear British people,

    In British cook books, and even here on MFP, when you talk about food you use grams. So does everyone have a kitchen scale, or do you just know off the top of your head how many grams are in standard measures like one cup of flour?

    I've always owned kitchen scales and couldn't cope without them! I would say that I would measure ingredients exactly (in grams or ounces) when baking and making a new recipes, but for some in the past (savoury dishes) I would add 'to taste'. Since being on mfp I measure everything, always, including breakfast cereal etc.

    I do own a set of measuring cups, which I bought so I could make US recipes seen online etc, but the first time I make them I usually weigh things out and convert the recipe to metric for future reference!

    This!!!!

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