STANDARD AND LOCAL MEASURING EQUIPMENT

MEASURING EQUIPMENT/ TOOLS

Measuring equipment are those materials used in determining quantities of food items. They are essential in catering. The use of measuring equipment enable a caterer to ensure consistency, recipe balance, quality requirements, accurate seasoning and other required measurements on which catering is based.

STANDARD TOOLS

LOCAL TOOLS

Manual kitchen scale

Liquid measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Digital food scales

Electronic kitchen scales

Ladles, etc.

Tins e.g. milk tins, tomato tins

Kongo

Plastic paint buckets

Palm

Soup plates

Soup spoons, etc

MEASURING EQUIPMENT AND THEIR USES

TOOLS FOR WEIGHING: Scales are used to weigh dry or solid ingredients. There are two types of scales:
a) Balance scale: It comes with weights. The correct weight of the food item is obtained when the food on the scale pan balances the weight on the other side so that both sides are level.
b) Spring scale: The correct weight is obtained when an indicator needle is pointing to the required weight on the dial. The indicator needle must be on zero before one begins to weigh.
MEASURING CUPS: They are for measuring liquids or dry ingredients. To obtain a correct measurement of liquid, the cup must be placed on a flat surface and reading taking at eye level. For dry ingredients, level off the ingredients before taking the reading.
MEASURING SPOONS: They come in different sizes and are used for measuring liquids and dry ingredients.

EVALUATION

What are measuring equipment?
List types of measuring equipment and their uses.

CONVERSION METHODS

LOCAL

STANDARD (METRIC)

Liquid

½ teaspoon (tsp)

1 teaspoon (tsp)

½ tablespoon (tbsp)

1 tablespoon (tbsp.)

1 cup (milk tin)

½ cup

With measuring jug/cup:

1 litre

½ litre

4.5 litres

1 beer bottle

2.5ml

5ml

7.5ml

15ml (60 drops)

150ml (16 tbsp)

75ml

1000ml

500ml

1 gallon

750ml

Dry/Solid

1 heaped tablespoon of flour, cocoa or custard powder

1 level tablespoon of rice, sugar or salt

1 heaped tbsp. of rice, sugar or salt

2 heaped tbsp. of bread crumbs

½ derica cup

1 big derica cup

1 large egg

25g

30g

25g

400g

850g

50g

GENERAL EVALUATION QUESTIONS

List five local measuring items and the equivalent standard conversion.
List and explain two types of weighing scales.
State three factors to consider when selecting cooking methods.
List and explain five types of milk.
State four uses of eggs in cookery.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

By conversion, milk tin is equivalent to ____. A. 200ml B. 150ml C. 100ml 50ml
1 tsp of water is equal to ____. A. 1ml B. 3ml C. 5ml D. 7ml
The approximate weight of a large egg is ____. A. 50g 25g C. 60g D. 30g
A measuring cup can be used to measure ____. A. solid ingredients only B. liquid ingredients only C. both solid and liquid ingredients D. None of the above
Measuring equipment are used in the ____. A. kitchen toilet C. party D. bedroom.

THEORY

Write three each of local and standard tools.
Differentiate between balance scale and spring scale.