With the perfusion of cookery programs on TV the things that comes through is accuracy, both in weight and timing/temperature so these two items can help with those things. First an accurate kitchen scale and second an oven temperature gauge.
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Salter Contour
This scale can weigh up to 5kilos. They are rectangular at 25x18x2cm as a maximum as they are slightly less at the back.
They run on two ‘AAA’ provided.
There are just two buttons one each side of the 5.5x2.2cm oval display, this display is black on grey. The right touch button zeros the display when whatever you are using to measure your items in is placed on the scale, if you continue to press this button it turns the scale off. The left button toggles through the measurement types.
This works sequentially from Grams, Ounces, mille litres and Fluid Ounces. The last two are useful for weighing wet ingredients.
There are eight sides of instructions in no less than seventeen languages. English takes half of the front side.
To save the batteries if the display shows ‘0’ or the same weight for three minutes it turns off.
The guarantee is quite exceptional if within 15 years of purchase the unit – apart from batteries – fails due to faulty materials or workmanship it will be replaced free of charge.
My unit was purple on top and white underneath, it easily wipes clean and there are no places for materials to get trapped.
It has four tiny feet to lift it from the work surface or table to ensure accurate measurements.
The Salter Contour scale is available from the link below for £24.99
http://www.uk.salterhousewares.com/catalogue/contour-kitchen-scales/salter-contour-electronic-digital-kitchen-scales-purple.html
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Heston Blumenthal Oven Thermometer
This is 6cm across with close to 5cm being the visible dial. It can be stood or hung from a shelf in the oven. It height varies from 7.5 to 8.5cm dependant on being stood or hung.
For me the best way was hanging below a shelf as it takes no space and indeed if you stand it then it could be knocked over when moving thing around the oven.
My one query is seeing the display through a smoked glass door and while you can see the thermometer you probably could not read the display, however the red pointer will show up even if the 20 degree figures may not be clearly readable.
If cooking something that is very temperature specific the last thing you want to do is open the over door to often so I found if you position the unit so that the desired temperature is at the top the pointer can clearly be seen in that position even if the figures round the outside cannot.
The unit is calibrated between 50 and 300 degrees Celsius with most domestic ovens not going beyond around 240 degrees this should be plenty.
The instructions do warn you to remove the thermometer before doing a cleaning cycle to avoid damage.
The Heston Blumenthal Oven Thermometer is available from the link below for £14.99
http://www.uk.salterhousewares.com/catalogue/heston-blumenthal-precision/salter-heston-blumenthal-kitchen-thermometers/heston-blumenthal-precision-oven-thermometer.html
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