From tracking caloric intake to perfectly measuring out ingredients when you’re cooking, kitchen scales can be super-useful. That being said, an inaccurate kitchen scale can seriously throw off your game. Thankfully, it’s not hard to test the accuracy of your kitchen scale — all you need is a nickel.
Before you whip up your next batch of perfectly portioned cupcakes using your kitchen scale, give this trick a try. Start by getting your kitchen scale out and setting it to zero. When you place a nickel on the scale, it should read 5 grams. Don’t use a super beat-up coin, its weight may have changed. If you want to double-check with another coin, throw on a penny; it should weigh 2.5 grams.
Pinpoint kitchen scale accuracy even further
Still unsure of whether the digital scale you use for baking projects is spot-on? If you’d like to test the accuracy of your kitchen scale to an even more specific degree, use a quarter. While it’s obviously heavier than a nickel, it’s weight isn’t quite so cut-and-dry. A single quarter should weigh 5.67 grams, or ⅕-ounce, making it a good fit for seeing how well your trusty kitchen scale can weigh fractions of grams and ounces. If you find that your kitchen scale isn’t up to par, don’t worry. There are plenty of great kitchen scales out there for every budget.
