Would you give me a break already? I've had an inexpensive but terrific scale in my kitchen for years -- I got it on Amazon for about $30 and it doesn't take up any more space than a bread plate.

I use it for absolutely everything, including weighing out the cat's kibble. It's also indispensable for measuring ingredients when I'm calorie-counting, or dividing a bag of frozen peas, say, into 2 equal portions. I only wish American cookbooks would start using weights in addition to, or instead of, volumetric measurements.

And in any event, a food writer who considers this an impossibly frou-frou accessory has just lost my attention.

slobone:

Would you give me a break already? I've had an inexpensive but terrific scale in my kitchen for years -- I got it on Amazon for about $30 and it doesn't take up any more space than a bread plate.

I use it for absolutely everything, including weighing out the cat's kibble. It's also indispensable for measuring ingredients when I'm calorie-counting, or dividing a bag of frozen peas, say, into 2 equal portions. I only wish American cookbooks would start using weights in addition to, or instead of, volumetric measurements.

And in any event, a food writer who considers this an impossibly frou-frou accessory has just lost my attention.

I couldn't have said it better. I bought our kitchen scale so long ago I can't remember what I paid for it, but I know it was very inexpensive. The are only two of us at home, so it's very handy for dividing a pound box of pasta for dinner for two. I know the scale is still accurate because I check it against the package weight. I just used it the scale this morning to weigh strawberries for perfectly equal portions. I admit I'm a bit fussy about portion size, but I can't imagine getting along without a kitchen scale. As you pointed out, it's perfect for controlling portions if you want to lose a few pounds.

True. It is one of the best portion control ways. You know exactly how much you are eating, it can be a treasure in your home.