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Omelet

In article >,
Terry > wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 04:13:12 +0000 (UTC), (axlq)
> wrote:
>
> >I went looking online for kitchen scales today. Lots of digital
> >things, but nothing I am looking for.
> >
> >For the past 40 years my mother had (from Germany) this incredibly
> >useful kitchen scale. It needed no batteries, had no moving
> >mechanism (just a couple parts you move yourself), simple to
> >operate, fool-proof, etc.
> >
> >The whole thing was plastic. It consisted of a measuring cup at
> >one end of a balance beam, a counterweight at the other end, and a
> >sliding pivot in the middle, on which the whole scale would balance
> >on your countertop. The sliding piece had a small bubble-level in
> >it. Well, not all plastic; the counterweight clearly had some metal
> >in it and the bubble-level contained liquid.
> >
> >You set the sliding thing to point at the weight you want (written
> >on the balance beam) and fill the measuring cup with ingredients
> >until the bubble-level shows it's balanced. The scale will then be
> >sitting on your countertop rocking back and forth on the sliding
> >pivot. In ASCII art (fixed-width font) it looked something like
> >this:
> >
> > measuring
> > \ cup / sliding adjustable
> > \ / pivot counterweight
> > \__/ ____ ____
> > |===============| |=======####
> > balance beam \/
> >
> >Of course, being from Germany, the weights on the balance beam were
> >marked off in grams, and the volume increments on the measuring cup
> >showed milliliters. That's OK.
> >
> >Try as I might, I can't find this device ANYWHERE. Not on eBay, not
> >on my Google searches, noplace. Are these still sold anymore?
> >
> >-A
>
> Hello Axlq,
>
> I don't know if the "single-beam balance" is still sold, though
> triple-beam ("trip") balances are readily available. A trip balance
> has three beams and three weights; 100g, 10g, 1g is common.
>
> I had to use trip balances in high school chemistry. Today's
> electronic balances are SOOOO much more convenient (trust me; I've
> taught chemistry for mumble-mumble years). My electronic kitchen
> scale was under $20, and I can do much the same as you did with your
> mom's balance. You use what is called a "tare" button on the balance.
>
> Want to weigh 750 g flour?
> --Push ON button. Balance reads 0g.
> --Put the cup or bowl on the balance. Now it reads something more,
> say 224 g
> --Press TARE. The balance again reads 0g. It's automatically
> subtracted the weight of your cup/bowl.
> --Spoon in flour. When you get close to 750 g, slow down. Stop when
> it reads 750 g. Done.
> --Need to weigh another ingredient? Just put the new cup/bowl on the
> balance and TARE again. Reads zero again. Go for it.
>
> My scale will weigh up to 5000 grams to plus or minus a gram. When
> making bread I can weigh both the flour and the yeast if I want...
>
> Hope this helps -- Terry

I have to concur with Terry.
While I do have a triple beam balance (lab surplus), the digital scales
we use at work are a lot less hassle.

Try ebay.
--
Peace, Om

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