Weights and Measures

[Sid Bonkers]

Just read the post by RT567 titled Souffle - one table spoon of flour, five eggs and chese and and there seemed to be some confusion over the weight of a tbsp of flour so I thought id do some research and weighed out a level tbsp of plain white wheat flour which weighed in at 12g. OK so far...

The Cals Carbs and Fat Bible gives plain white wheat flour as 76.5g per 100g. Still OK so far...

I then searched the internet and got widely different measurements for a tbsp of flour ranging from 30g to around 8g which poses the question what is a tbsp as a measure.When it comes to carbs that could mean 23g carbs or it could mean 6g carbs!! Not so OK now is it?

A level tbsp is generally what is referred to as a tbsp or thats what I have always assumed but on searching the internet I discover that many people think that a rounded tbsp is the correct measure for flour and even then some of the weights dont seem to add up.

So is a tbsp of flour:
A. a level tbsp
B. a rounded tbsp.

Also what is a tbsp? Is it 15g as some say as when I measured a tbsp it weighed 12g so is there a standard tbsp size as it appears my tbsp is smaller than the norm?

How does this effect T1's who have to know the weights of foods to get their insulin amounts correct?

Am I worrying about nothing? Probably, as the odd couple of grams probably is not going to be significant but it does highlight the fact that there are many interpretations of the facts to be found on the internet. How does one separate the wheat from the chaff, literally?

 

[phoenix]

Interesting question Sid.
As a child I learned to cook using tablespoons as measurements but the tablespoons I used were bigger** than the measuring spoons I use now.
I looked it up in an old copy of Mrs Beeton.
According to her US measuring spoons are smaller than UK ones.
3 British tablespoons of flour weigh 1oz; 4 US tablespoons of flour weigh 1oz.
The 'average modern tablespoon' ( according to the editor in 1963 ) was the equivalent of a British standard measuring spoon.
She says a rounded tablespoon has as much above the level of the spoon as below and that the idea of a heaped spoon is rubbish since peoples idea of a heap varies and that if you want half a spoon you should divide along it's length.

I weighed carefully measured flat tablespoons of flour with 2 different measuring spoons, both gave exactly 10g of flour.(metric spoons?)
One of the spoons is scoop shaped and I couldn't manage to make a rounded spoon at all.
The other is spoon shaped and a rounded spoon came out between 18 and 21g so presumably should be 20g.

As the original recipe said a generous tbs of flour I would have put in a rounded (heaped!) tbs 20-25g which is in fact what I use for a similar recipe.

**and indeed they were, according to wiki British tablespoons from the Victorian and Edwardian times (no I'm not that old, but the spoons were) held 25ml or more ;a standard tablespoon in the US and UK is now defined as 15ml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablespoon

 

[viviennem]

I'm still using my mother's "British Standard" tablespoons that probably belonged to my Edwardian grandmother.

As far as I know, there were "standard" sizes of all spoons. I've always thought 2 teaspoons = 1 dessertspoon; 2 dessertspoons = 1 tablespoon.

I agree with Phoenix/Mrs Beeton about "rounded" and "half".

We need WhitbyJet's input into this one!

Viv 8)

 

[Sid Bonkers]

As far as I know, there were "standard" sizes of all spoons. I've always thought 2 teaspoons = 1 dessertspoon; 2 dessertspoons = 1 tablespoon.

You see I always believed that one teaspoon was 5g and a tablespoon was 3 x teaspoon so 15g and a desert spoon I assumed was in the middle at 10g. But now it seems that different folk have different ideas which is strange as some recipes could be quite different when made by two different people.

Again |I always believed that a tbs or tbsp was a level tablespoon unless a recipe stated otherwise.

Its a shame that we dont have a recognised 'cooks' level set that would be universally accepted and would be say 5, 10 and 25 grams - level - then everyone would know exactly what amounts were what.

 

[borofergie]

I'd just use weighing scales, but that just demonstrates that I'm not a proper cook. (That and the fact that the food I make tastes horrible).

 

[viviennem]

Stop putting yourself down, Steve! But in a way you're right - someone who cooks all the time, eg for a family, and has a standard repetoire of recipes, doesn't need to weigh things, just measures with a spoon. Eg 4 heaped tablespoons self-raising flour, 2 heaped tablespoons suet, herbs and seasoning to taste, mix with water to a stiff paste = about 4 good-sized dumplings. Those were the days! (sigh).

I think the answer, Sid, is "be consistent", and don't mix things up. That is (eg), don't use 4oz flour to 20g butter. Metric, Imperial and "spoon" measures don't mix - stick to the one you know best. As long as the ratio is correct, you'll get good results

American recipes used to throw me completely - which cup? how big? what do you mean, fewer fluid ounces in a pint? So I found a good conversion table and now I'm happy - and you can get American measures on-line these days if you want them.

Viv 8)

 

[Defren]

I'd just use weighing scales, but that just demonstrates that I'm not a proper cook. (That and the fact that the food I make tastes horrible).

Remind me never to accept a dinner invitation from you, unless it's 100% cert Mrs BF is cooking. :lolno:

 

[chris lowe]

I still measure in imperial (none of this airy fairy french metric stuff for me!) and I was always told that 1 tablespoon rounded (i.e. same above as below) was 1 oz and I've always used that when measuring if I can't be bothered to get the scales out.

 

[noblehead]

I have to use my digital scales every-time

 

[borofergie]

I have to use my digital scales every-time

Doesn't that make cooking take so much longer though Nigel? I look in envy at cooks who can through a handfull of this and spoonfull of that in. Their stuff always comes out better.

 

[phoenix]

It doesn't take long to use scales with a tare function.
The only thing I used to weigh was the ingredients for a Christmas cake; far too expensive to get wrong. Now I bake so rarely I weigh because I've lost the confidence even for things like a simple victoria sandwich

Wouldn't weigh flour for thickening a sauce or making a batter for Yorkshire puddings;that's definitely by 'feel'. Most savoury dishes you do by taste
But now I weigh accurately : potatoes , oatmeal, bread etc

 

[Defren]

I have to use my digital scales every-time

Doesn't that make cooking take so much longer though Nigel? I look in envy at cooks who can through a handfull of this and spoonfull of that in. Their stuff always comes out better.

Before diagnosis I didn't weigh anything. Due to having to get my carbs accurate I weigh everything now. I just feel safer and the added time is barely worth a thought.