What accuracy do I need for home baking?

1g accuracy is sufficient for virtually all home baking: bread, cookies, cakes, pastries. The only recipes requiring 0.1g accuracy are sourdough starters (where precise hydration matters), recipes calling for very small amounts of yeast or leavener (under 5g), and professional pastry formulas with precise ratios. Start with a 1g scale and upgrade to 0.1g only if you get serious about sourdough or professional pastry techniques.

How do I convert volume recipes to weight?

Use King Arthur Baking's ingredient weight chart as a reference — it lists gram equivalents for every common baking ingredient. Key conversions to memorize: 1 cup all-purpose flour = 120g, 1 cup sugar = 200g, 1 cup butter = 227g, 1 cup milk = 240g. For recipes you make frequently, write the gram conversions directly on the recipe card. After a few conversions, you will find weight-based baking is faster than measuring cups because you skip the scoop-level-dump cycle.

Best Digital Kitchen Scales for Baking 2026