students during the first week of class when I tell them that it is important to scale their ingredients and that precise scaling equals consistent pastries When they hear that they will have to scale every ingredient they will use for the next six months, they all look at each other in disbelief Some get angry, some scared, and some are sad that they won’t be able to use their grandmother’s vintage measuring tools to make all the pastries they’re about to learn The disgruntled students ask me how they’re going to adjust to scaling, and I reassure them that people have been scaling ingredients for centuries and that it is very easy to get used to this precise system “You put a man on the moon! I think that you will be able to manage putting ingredients on a scale until it registers the right weight.” Then comes my favorite part To prove my point I always take a measuring cup, fill it with flour, and scale the content in front of them I write the result on the board: 123 grams Then I measure another cup of flour and scale it again: 125 grams I repeat this procedure another eight times, and it never fails: each measurement registers a different weight in grams This proves the simple point that any measurement done with cups or tablespoons is not precise enough for pastry The more measurements you do with cups, teaspoons, or liquid measuring cups, the bigger the inconsistencies you will have with your ingredients and in the recipes—and inconsistencies are deadly in pastry You must always be sure about the way the ingredients are going to interact if you want to be sure of a recipe If your ... scale until it registers the right weight.” Then comes my favorite part To prove my point I always take a measuring cup, fill it with flour, and scale the content in front of them I write the result on the board: 123 grams...sad that they won’t be able to use their grandmother’s vintage measuring tools to make all the pastries they’re about to learn The disgruntled students ask me how they’re going to adjust to scaling, and I... This proves the simple point that any measurement done with cups or tablespoons is not precise enough for pastry The more measurements you do with cups, teaspoons, or liquid measuring cups, the bigger the inconsistencies you will