There is one art form that nearly all individuals can appreciate – the art of baking. Delicious cookies, artesian breads and beautifully decorated cakes can be enjoyed by many;  however the fine talent of creating such edible masterpieces is instilled in few. The baking process hinges upon strict precision and accuracy. Additionally, the baking industry relies on quality measuring instruments that enable professionals and beginners alike to follow recipes with confidence in their measurements.

A culinary school in Oregon that meets the needs of beginner students all the way through professional chefs is very impressed with the Ohaus EB counter top digital scale. The chief instructor of the School of Baking has specific tools and instruments that she uses on a daily basis. There is one instrument, however, which stands out above all the rest. One that she feels is indispensable for the baking process. The instructor feels that a scale is more important than even a mixer. Although mixers are essential, if you think about it, they are not more important than the combination of ingredients you put into it. Every ingredient must be weighed on a scale for maximum precision, consistency, and accuracy. One hundred percent of what the instructor does involves scales, even down to weighing water.

At this particular School of Baking they use the OHAUS EB15 Bench Scale. Since scales are such a necessity, it was very important for them to find the scale that best fit their needs, at the most appropriate cost. They purchased the EB Bench Scale because of its weighing range from thousandths of a pound up to 33 pounds. It holds calibration well and features a one-button tare system. Previous scales that the school had used were on a two-button system – clear, then tare. A one-button process reduces measuring errors, ultimately saving time. Additionally, the EB Bench Scale can change back and forth from grams to pounds. Since the instructor teaches in grams, having the ability to switch measurements is absolutely crucial.

Out of all the instructors students, 50 percent of them are considering opening a bakery in about six months to a year. Out of the others, approximately 25 percent are home bakers and 25 percent are professionals in the field. Yet, when the students first arrive at the school, 90 percent of them have never used a scale in their baking. The instructor insists that this lack of experience is not necessarily a world-wide trend. Europeans have always used weight in their baking measurements. When looking at a European cookbook, weights are almost always used in place of other forms of measures. No one is quite sure why baking in the U.S. has not yet transformed into using weights. The “traditional” method is actually an inexact science. It is pretty obvious that if more educators and students would use weights, even a home baker would have more success and consistency with recipes.

The EB Bench Scales, made by OHAUS Scales a leading manufacturer of balances and scales, are built for common food industry activities, including weighing, counting, check weighing, and percent weighing features. In addition, the easily operable modes allow for accurate results in four different weighing units – kilograms, grams, pounds, or ounces. Results are displayed in two seconds or less on a backlit LCD display window, with multiple functionalities and portable battery operation, the OHAUS EB Series offers versatility, portability and dependability in one affordable package. With models ranging from 6.6-66 pounds and fractional readabilities ranging from 0.0002-0.002 lbs., this scale is tailored for a wide range of weighing requirements. The scales also include a stainless steel weighing pan and an 80-hour internal battery with a power-saving auto-shut off feature. The scales’ combined features make them appropriate instruments for the baking industry. As bakers begin to learn more and more about the importance of weighing units in the industry, scales like OHAUS EB Bench scale will become every day domestic and professional kitchen items – right next to the mixer.  You can order an Ohaus EB series bench scale from Central Carolina Scale at (919) 776-7737