Weighing Ingredients

I'm a believer in weighing ingredients instead of measuring whenever possible. Most professional chefs and food service operations weigh ingredients for recipes because it is faster and more accurate.  When you get started into baking season, you learn to appreciate how much easier it is.
I do it because when you weigh flour right into your mixing bowl, you never have to worry if you sifted it just right or if you tapped the cup. You can just drop in messy-to-measure syrups, oils and fats like shortening. No cups to wash. And large amounts of ingredients, like those for canning, can be measured out quickly as well.
It's less likely you will make a mistake by miscounting the number of cups you added to your bowl.
You can convert your own recipes to weights by simply measuring and then weighing your favorite recipes (minus the cup), and jotting the weights down on the recipe or use the chart on this page.
Digital scales can be purchased at most kitchenware shops, on the internet, and even at discount stores like Walmart. They are very accurate and easy to use. I have had mine since 1980 and it's still going strong. I keep it right at the front of one of my kitchen drawers.  I recently purchased a new one that will weigh larger amounts as well.  Try this brownie recipe to see how easy it is to weigh your ingredients.

Weight of One Cup                            

Dairy 

Butter............................ 8 oz
Buttermilk...................... 8 ½ oz
buttermilk, dry................ 4 oz
Cheeses
  American, shredded ........4 oz
  Blue, crumbled ...............5 oz
  Cheddar, shredded ..........4 oz
  Cream, regular ................8 oz
  Cream, whipped ..............5 ½ oz
  Parmesan, grated ............3 ½ oz
  Parmesan, shredded ........3 oz
  Ricotta ..........................8 ½
Cottage cheese
  large curd...................... 8 oz
  small curd .....................7 ½ oz
  dry curd ........................5 ½ oz
Cream, lt, med and hvy......8 ½ oz
Eggs
  whites, 7 large ...............8 ½ oz
  yolks, 14 large ................8 ½ oz
  jumbo, each................... 2 ½ oz
  extra large, each..............2 ¼ oz
  large, each..................... 2 oz
  medium, each .................1 ¾ oz
  small, each..................... 1 ½ oz
Milk
  Evaporated .....................9 oz
  Dry non-fat .....................2 oz
  Sour cream..................... 8 ½ oz
  yogurt ............................8 ½ oz
Flour

(Stir,scoop,sweep method)
  All purpose..................... 5 oz
  All purpose, sifted ...........4 oz
 (Stir, spoon lightly and level method)

All purpose, ...4 1/2 oz
  Bread ............................5 oz
  Bread, sifted ..................4 oz
  Cake .............................4 oz
  Rye, light .......................3 ½ oz
  Rye, med .......................3 oz
  Rye, dark .......................4 ½ oz
  Self-rising ......................4 ½ oz
  Whole wheat ..................4 oz
Cereals, crumbs, grains
Barley ..............................8 oz
Bran, unprocessed .............3 oz
Bran flakes .......................1 oz
Bread crumbs, fresh ...........1 ½ oz
Bulgur, raw .......................6 oz
Cornmeal ..........................4 ½ oz
Graham cracker crumbs
    (12) 2 1/2" sq................ 3 oz
Oatmeal, dry oats ..............3 oz
Rice, raw
brown ...............................6 ½ oz
long grain ..........................6 ½ oz
converted ..........................6 ½ oz
short grain ........................7 oz
wild ..................................5 ½ oz
Other Baking Ingredients
Chocolate Chips .................6 ½ oz
Cocoa ...............................3 oz
Coconut, shredded, packed ..4 ½ oz
Honey ..............................12 oz
Maple syrup ......................11 oz
Molasses, light .................11 ½ oz
Sugar
  Brown, packed ............ ....8 oz
  brown, not packed ....... ....4 oz
  powdered ................... ....4 oz
  granulated ................. .....7 oz
Nuts
  hazelnuts, chopped........ .. 4 oz
  peanuts ...........................5 ½ oz
  pecans, chopped ...............4 oz
  pecan halves ....................4 oz
  walnuts, chopped ..............4 ½ oz
  walnut halves ...................3 ½ oz
Vanilla wafers crumbs
(24) 1 3/4" dia ....................3 ½ oz
Fats
Oils, salad or cooking,...........7 ½ oz
Peanut butter ......................10 oz
Lard ...................................7 oz
Shortening ..........................7 oz