A Scale That Takes the Guesswork Out of Gram or Ounce Measures

You pick up a cookbook. The food pictures are beautiful and tempting. But guess what, you can’t whip up any of the recipes because the ingredients are either in grams or ounces. Ever been in this quandary? An old trusted scale that measures in pounds and ounces might do the work but how accurate can it get when trying to weigh a quarter of an ounce?

Cuisinart’s precision portion scale takes the guesswork out of weighing small items such as herbs, sugar, nuts, cereals or even postal envelopes. The scale helps people on special diets who need to weigh food before calculating fat, sodium or other nutrient content from a food composition table.

The lightweight compact size scale works on the pendulum principle. There are no springs which in time can rust or offset accuracy. According to Carl Sontheimer, president of Cuisinart, “For the design of the scale, we appropriated an idea of an inventor who lived over 2,000 years ago. We do not know his name, but hope that his ghost is happy about the resurrection of his idea.”

Easily readable, the scale weighs objects up to 10 ounces or 300 grams. It has large contrasting numerals and graduation lines and an indicator, which consists of a white line set on a black sliding disc. Since the indicator disc is set flush against the face of the scale, it enables one to get readings from any angle. The removable weighing bowl has a 350-milliliter (1 1/2-cup) capacity. Made of clear unbreakable plastic used for Cuisinart’s food processor bowls, the bowl is dishwasher-proof.

A scale is a wonderful friend in the kitchen. Used by professional bakers, chefs and home cooks in many European countries, the weighing gadget provides consistent results and eliminates guesswork in recipe creations.

The Cuisinart precision portion scale has a suggested retail price of $20 and is available at most department and cookware stores. If you cannot find it at your local stores, call the Cuisinart Customer Service Department for information: (800) 243-8540.