Different Types of Kitchen Weighing Scales
There are 3 types of kitchen weighing scales used in personal kitchens and restaurants alike.
- Balance
- Mechanical/Spring
- Digital
All three use different principals for measuring food.
Balance scale - This type of scale simply measures your food against a control or known value. The only 2 draw back is you must use the same cup or bowl each time for accuracy and this can only tell your food is greater or equal to the known value. Which makes it a bit slow for cooking.
Mechanical - Also known as "spring scales". These kitchen weighing scales use springs for weighing food. The food is placed on a platform that rests on springs ... those springs are compressed with the weight of the food. The measurement you receive is really just a measurement of the compression of the springs. The problem with this method is over time these springs can become worn not returning to the same unsprung state as before leading to less accurate results over time. Also these types of scales are not as accurate or useful with small amounts of food. The smaller amounts of food move the spring less and can be harder for the scale to detect.
Digital - The most accurate and reliable kitchen food scale available. A digital food scale uses resistance and compression of a strain gage to determine results. The result is instant real time feedback when measuring ... scales read the weight as you pour. Also they wear better over time because digital scales can be calibrated back to factory settings.