kitchen scales

Meaning

Kitchen scales are devices used to measure the weight of ingredients, such as flour, sugar, or meat, during cooking and baking. They can be digital or analog (mechanical). Using kitchen scales is essential for precise baking, where volume measurements like cups can be inaccurate.

Examples

• Can you pass me the kitchen scales? I need to weigh out 200 grams of flour.

  Can you pass me the kitchen scales? I need to weigh out 200 grams of flour.

• I prefer digital kitchen scales because they are much more accurate than the old mechanical ones.

  I prefer digital kitchen scales because they are much more accurate than the old mechanical ones.

• Make sure to set the kitchen scales to zero after placing the bowl on them.

  Make sure to set the kitchen scales to zero after placing the bowl on them.

• If you want consistent results with your sourdough bread, you should really invest in a good pair of kitchen scales.

  If you want consistent results with your sourdough bread, you should really invest in a good pair of kitchen scales.

• The battery in my kitchen scales died right when I was in the middle of making a cake.

  The battery in my kitchen scales died right when I was in the middle of making a cake.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I need a kitchen scale to weigh the flour.

  ✓ I need some kitchen scales to weigh the flour.

  In British English, the plural form 'scales' (or 'a pair of scales') is traditionally used to refer to a single weighing device, similar to how we say 'scissors' or 'glasses'.

• ✗ Put the butter on the kitchen weight.

  ✓ Put the butter on the kitchen scales.

  Learners often translate literally from their native languages where the device is named after the concept of 'weight' (e.g., 'peso' or 'poids'). The physical device is called 'scales'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Before adding the sugar, place the bowl on the ___ and press 'tare'.

  💡 A device used to measure the weight of ingredients.

  Show answer

  kitchen scales

• My baking improved so much once I started using ___ instead of measuring cups.

  💡 Plural noun for the device that weighs flour and sugar.

  Show answer

  kitchen scales