# eggs in these measurements



## cookie2545 (Mar 18, 2014)

Could you please explain what exactly is a 'teaspoon/tablespoon of egg?" And how exactly would that be calculated for a recipe?


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Beat a whole egg. Measure out  the amount needed. Use the rest for something else. Or use powdered egg and calculate the mix ratio.


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

Hi,

A teaspoon/coffee spoon of anything is 5 grams.

A dessert spoon is 10 grams

A table spoon is 15 grams

For liquid measurements grams and millilitres are exactly the same.

As phatch says, just beat an egg and measure out 5 or 10 grams in a cup on an electronic scale.

If you need just egg yolk, or egg white, separate them and do the same thing.

For precise measurements of egg white you do need to beat it a little first as it has a habit of coming out in a large uncontrollable blob.

A typical egg weighs 55 grams, of which about 16 grams is the yolk.

Pastries, cakes and desserts do require precise measurements, but, you don't have to drive yourself completely nuts. A gram or two here and there will not make too much difference.


----------



## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

excuse me.

a teaspoon , tablespoon is respectively 5 ml and 15 ml, not grams (except when you would measure off water….)

since all dry and wet stuff have different weights, you might have 15 ml but does not mean it would weigh 15 grams...

could be heavier or lighter depending on the stuff you are measuring.

when you want to use metric conversions, then use them correctly please.


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

You are badly informed and definitely bit cheeky for a line cook aren't you!

In my day line cooks only said one thing, and that was "Yes Chef !"

Now then, I am not going to argue with you, my dear, because I am absolutely correct in what I have said.

You may wish, therefore, to get your facts right before you presume to lecture others.

I invite you to try it yourself.

For liquid measurements, as I said, Grams are the EXACT same thing as Millilitres.

Most people learnt at school that 1 litre of water, weighs 1000 grams (1 kg), at room temperature. Maybe you were off sick that day.

So if it is a teaspoon 5g = 5ml; a dessert spoon 10g = 10 ml; and a tablespoon 15g = 15 ml

Take a good electronic scale and a cup.

First pour out a teaspoon, 5 ml water or milk, then change the setting to grams and pour in the same water, or milk. It will read 5g exactly.

A dessert spoon, 10 ml, do the same thing and you will see that it equals 10g.

Then a tablespoon, 15ml same again, will read 15g.

Now using those same electronic scales and a small bowl. Zero the weight and put in WHATEVER you like.

5g of rice, or 5g flour, or 5g sugar, or 5g butter, 5g pasta.

Now change the setting to Mills. It will be the same, EXACTLY.

So on for 10g; 15g; 100g; 1000g, or 10 kilos.

As Alexander Pope remarked "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!" Hope this helps you Soesje


----------



## dillbert (Jul 2, 2008)

blackdog you are quite incorrect.

how much does 15 ml of honey weigh?

a liter of milk

a liter of cream (multiple varieties)

a liter of water

a liter of alcohol

- all liquids, by the way -

do not weigh the same.

and where do you cook? 

(I'd like to avoid it.)


----------



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Watch the discussion all lets stay on track and not focus on calling one cheeky or wrong. Thanks,


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

black dog said:


> You are badly informed and definitely bit cheeky for a line cook aren't you!
> 
> In my day line cooks only said one thing, and that was "Yes Chef !"
> 
> ...


Actually black dog - you are not only incorrect but you are completely incorrect.

This is a multi-national forum and different countries have different standards for both teaspoons, tablespoons and cups.

As such stating what version you are using is quite often a very good idea.

Further if you had actually understood what you were taught in school you would understand the concept of specific gravity.

In the metric system the units of measure are based upon water, for various reasons. Thus your conversions work between ml and gm measurements for water. They do not work for every liquid and if you want to get very nit-picky they don't work for all types of water either.

If you understood specific gravity you would be able to calculate that 20ml of honey will weigh 30gm ~ give or take a few gm depending on the type of honey. (SG 1.5)

Just for fun here are some of the SG's of the items you listed, and some you didn't.

Rice, uncooked Long Grain - 1.0

Flour, all purpose sifted - 0.5 (woops there goes your cake!)

Sugar, granulated white - 1.0

Sugar, brown loose - 0.68

Butter, USA standard dairy - 1.0

Ricotta Cheese - 1.1

Baking Soda, 0.8

Chocolate Chips, standard milk choc, 0.7

Fruit jelly, 1.33

Please be careful when making broad sweeping statements as there are often many exceptions to every rule.

Welcome to the board.


----------



## skyler (Jan 27, 2014)

Cookie 2545, I'm just curious...you have a recipe that calls for a teaspoon or tablespoon of _fresh_ egg? I don't think I've ever seen that. I've cut recipes in half that call for an uneven number of eggs. I just use my kitchen scale to measure out half of one egg.


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

blackdog you are quite incorrect.

In reply to Dillbert.

I am so so sorry.

Maybe there is something wrong with my scales.

I have just done a series of little tests.

how much does 15 ml of honey weigh? Runny honey, I assume?  = 15g

a liter of milk   Full cream milk came in at 1000g

a liter of cream (multiple varieties)   The full cream, 30% fat, for whipping came in at 1000g

I also tried a 1/2 liter (500ml), of the very thick Crème Fraiche 30% fat, came in at 500g

a liter of water   Bottled spring water was 1000g  

I also tried a litre of Badoit Naturally carbonated bottled water, in case the bubbles somehow made it weigh less, but nope, still came in at 1000g

a liter of alcohol I tried Gin, Whisky, Vodka and Pernod and again 1000g

750ml of Drambuie came in at 750g

I even got the Baileys Irish Cream out. 500ml came in at 500g.

I'm stumped. I really am, and you are absolutely correct. - all liquids, by the way - They are all definitely liquids, well except for the thick Crème Fraiche anyway.

This is really really Spooky!!! Isn't it?

I've done my level best haven't I ?, but now I'm sending my scales back to the manufacturer to make a formal complaint.

do not weigh the same. My fault. Must be the weed, or something.

and where do you cook?  Don't worry about that. It is a very very long way from Central PA. In fact it's another world entirely.

(I'd like to avoid it.)   You are not at any risk, at all.

​As Nicko has very reasonably requested, let's all try and be nice and friendly, shall we?


----------



## dillbert (Jul 2, 2008)

be nice and friendly?

telling people how cheeky they are and insisting they learned nothing in school is nice and friendly?

especially considering you are dead wrong and you did not learn that in school.

and you are absolutely dead wrong in your assertions that everything liquid weighs the same per volume.

and there are so many resources on the Internet that prove you dead wrong I'm not even going to start.

>>and where do you cook?  Don't worry about that. It is a very very long way from Central PA. In fact it's another world entirely.

tell me anyway.  I get around; do not want to make any mistakes.


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

In reply to my new friend, MichaelGA

For nearly all recipes, I work with UK and Metric measures which covert easily enough.

In any event my culinary focus revolves around classic, traditional French and Italian cooking along with some Lebanese, Greek, North African, Mexican, Indian and Thia.

I do not follow Australian, or American recipes, so I don't concern myself with the differences in those weighing systems and I don't bother with cups of this, or that, ever!

Apparently,

1 US teaspoon = 4.92892159 g and 1 US teaspoon = 4.92892159 millilitres

1 US tablespoon = 14.7867648438 g and 1 US tablespoon = 14.7867648 millilitres

1 UK teaspoon = 5ml = 5g and 1 UK dessert spoon = 2 teaspoons = 10ml = 10g and 1 UK tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15ml = 15g

**** The difference therefore, between US and UK Teaspoons and Tablespoons is negligible.

1 UK fluid ounce is 28.40 ml and 1 UK ounce is 28.35g again the difference is negligable, making coversions quite easy.

Actually black dog - you are not only incorrect but you are completely incorrect.

This is a multi-national forum and different countries have different standards for both teaspoons, tablespoons and cups.

As such stating what version you are using is quite often a very good idea.

I think I have answered these points above.

Further if you had actually understood what you were taught in school you would understand the concept of specific gravity.

Thank you. Obviously, I hope I have dealt with the Teaspoon, Tablespoon Imperial to Metric conversions, and the gram to milliliter coversions which are very simple.

Equally obvious is that certain products are easier to weigh up in a large bowl than in a teaspoon or tablespoon.

250g of unsalted butter may take up less space than 250g of sifted Cocoa powder. Even though one takes up more space than the other, they are still, 250g of each.

1 tonne of lead and 1 tonne of feathers is still 1 tonne of each. You just need a bigger teaspoon for the feathers.

In the metric system the units of measure are based upon water, for various reasons. Thus your conversions work between ml and gm measurements for water.

They do not work for every liquid and if you want to get very nit-picky they don't work for all types of water either.

Really? How do you explain my test and reply to Dillbert, and the results of the test I have completed from your own list, just for fun?

If you understood specific gravity you would be able to calculate that 20ml of honey will weigh 30gm ~ give or take a few gm depending on the type of honey. (SG 1.5)

Just for fun here are some of the SG's of the items you listed, and some you didn't.

Most recipes I have come across call for x number of ounces, or grams, or millilitres, of whatever.

I have yet to come across any recipes which require me to worry about the specific gravity of any ingredient listed in a recipe.

So, just for fun: I took a container and weighed it. I then, one at a time, put 5g of each item on your list, in to the container on the gram setting.

I then changed the setting to milliliters and on each occasion, for each and every item, the result was 5 mls.

Having exhausted your list I added several more items of my own choosing. Just for fun.

Rice, uncooked Long Grain - 1.0

Flour, all purpose sifted - 0.5 (woops there goes your cake!)

Self Raising Cake flour, Strong white bread flour, Spelt flour, Multi Grain whole wheat flour, Rye flour, Buckwheat flour.....ALL sifted

Sugar, granulated white - 1.0

Sugar, brown loose - 0.68

Sugar Castor, Icing sugar, Confectioners sugar

Butter, USA standard dairy - 1.0

Ricotta Cheese - 1.1

Baking Soda, 0.8

Cocoa powder

Chocolate Chips, standard milk choc, 0.7

Fruit jelly, 1.33

An egg

Lemon and Lime marmalade, Strawberry jam

and just for good measure, an old sock.

The result was the same all the way through.

Please be careful when making broad sweeping statements as there are often many exceptions to every rule.

I could not agree more.....


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

black dog said:


> ...
> So, just for fun: I took a container and weighed it. I then, one at a time, put 5g of each item on your list, in to the container on the gram setting.
> 
> _I then changed the setting to milliliters _and on each occasion, for each and every item, the result was 5 mls.
> ...


You have got to be kidding me... what type of device do you have that measures volume in such a manner?

Go get a 5ml teaspoon of flour, any type and tell me what it weighs in grams, please use a spoon and scale no changing of settings on a device.


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I can't speak for anyone else, but from my point of view this thread has degenerated into a position far afield from the purpose of this forum. I always thought this forum was about the pleasures of food and how those pleasures bring people together. I see none of that present in the direction this thread has taken.


----------



## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

I would have to agree cheflayne, time to take my ball and go home.


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

*From MichaelGA:*

*"You have got to be kidding me... what type of device do you have that measures volume in such a manner?*

*Go get a 5ml teaspoon of flour, any type and tell me what it weighs in grams, please use a spoon and scale no changing of settings on a device."*

Reply to the expert:

Oh Dear me!

It's called a Digital Electronic Scale, which gives highly accurate readings, to the gram. Most professional chefs in Europe, including Michelin star chefs, use them.

My scale can be set to measure: Grams and Imperial lbs & oz and Fl oz and Millilitres.

It should be apparent, even to the most feeble minded person, that if you weigh something in the grams, or millilitres settings, you are going to get a very accurate reading, and for the items you listed, the results were the same, for each item whether in grams, or in millilitres.

It should also be apparent that weighing anything using a digital electronic scale will be EXTREMELY precise when compared to measuring something physically using a teaspoon, tablespoon or cup.

I have another smaller digital electronic scale which allows you to measure tenths of a gram, very precisely. I won't bother to explain why this is useful.

You seem to be obsessed with physically measuring things with actual teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. Are you a Republican by any chance?

Again. In the UK a teaspoon is a measure of 5g = 5ml. That is official. A tablespoon is just 3 times that. Simple really.

*In order to achieve a 5g measure of sugar for example, you would need a "Heaped" teaspoon. Same with flour. etc etc This is why certain items in recipes are given as level or heaped teaspoons. How accurate is that?*

It seems that I have to write it down for you again. So here goes. But this is the last time.

If you use a digital electronic scale, it is by definition, highly accurate.

Take a small container, of a "known weight" and put 5g of any of the items from your list in it.

Now,

Take the container, with the same unaltered 5g item and change the scale setting from grams to millilitres. You WILL get 5 mls.

*You and your expert retired friends are all arguing tooth and nail about something which represents a difference of about 0.01g which is not going to affect any recipe, unless you are cooking a massive quantity. And then you tell me to use a teaspoon or cup to accurately measure flour? Come on. Think!*

As cheflayne has pointed out, NONE of this has anything to do with the pleasures of food which is what this site is supposed to be about.

So, you keep on measuring stuff using the "stone age method", in cups and teaspoons etc and I'll stick to my digital electronic scales. Thank you.

I knew this would be a mistake when I saw that the website was American, and would therefore be populated by people like you.

Interesting that you and your friends can post whatever insults you like BUT I get sanctioned and warnings etc etc by the moderators.

*Kuan the moderator who hails from Minnesota, (that well known bastion of culinary excellence), issued an Infraction yesterday. *

*Oooooh! an Infraction! Kuan please get over yourself.*

You know what? I really really just don't give a toss. Your stupidity is entirely, your problem.

I am concerned with traditional classic recipes, lovingly prepared, with the very best ingredients that I can afford.

I'm obsessed with learning the techniques which great chefs like, Pierre Hermé, Christophe Michalak, the Roca brothers and Grant Achatz, employ in producing their wonderful dishes.

I do not have the desire, or the time to waste, arguing with cretins.

I am therefore cancelling my membership on this website. Shame really, because I think Nicko is a prefectly nice fellow.


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

Lagom, cheflayne, Greetings from France,

Just so's you both know, all of the above...STUFF, started with my simple reply to Cookie2545's question:

"Could you please explain what exactly is a 'teaspoon/tablespoon of egg?" And how exactly would that be calculated for a recipe?"

my reply:

"Hi,

A teaspoon/coffee spoon of anything is 5 grams.

A dessert spoon is 10 grams

A table spoon is 15 grams

For liquid measurements grams and millilitres are exactly the same.

As phatch says, just beat an egg and measure out 5 or 10 grams in a cup on an electronic scale.

If you need just egg yolk, or egg white, separate them and do the same thing.

For precise measurements of egg white you do need to beat it a little first as it has a habit of coming out in a large uncontrollable blob.

A typical egg weighs 55 grams, of which about 16 grams is the yolk.

Pastries, cakes and desserts do require precise measurements, but, you don't have to drive yourself completely nuts. A gram or two here and there will not make too much difference."

Then all the EXPERTS weighed in, (No pun intended!).....and they just WOULD NOT leave it alone ! MODERATORS PLEASE TAKE NOTE !!!

But, according to those moderators, it's all my fault. Goodie

I have justified what I have said, and proved it using Precision Digital Electronic Scales, more than once! and I have absolutely no intention of adding to what I have already written.

The experts like it, or they don't. Not my problemo! end of !!!


----------



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Measurements do not have to be exact.  We count 200 grams as 7oz.  In our kitchen we used 300 grams for a baguette, which was 11oz. (which isn't)


----------



## dillbert (Jul 2, 2008)

Michael - they do in fact make a scales which have "look up" codes to convert weight to volume by built in "density" factors.
they may be accurate in weighing things, they are not nearly accurate most of the time in the density factors - as blackdog has conclusively proven.

I've also seen scales that will 'convert' weight to calories.... you put in a dollop of gravy comma brown and it'll tell you how many calories it contains.

there is of course and as we all know, only one recipe and one way to make gravy comma brown, so the scale has to be right, right?


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Dillbert said:


> Michael - they do in fact make a scales which have "look up" codes to convert weight to volume by built in "density" factors.
> they may be accurate in weighing things, they are not nearly accurate most of the time in the density factors - as blackdog has conclusively proven.
> 
> I've also seen scales that will 'convert' weight to calories.... you put in a dollop of gravy comma brown and it'll tell you how many calories it contains.
> ...


I know - I have one... if you don't enter the look-up code (ie. SG) it defaults to a conversion factor of 1

The reason why 5g of anything always equals 5ml of anything.

As for this website being about food and the joy it brings - it is also one of the biggest repository of culinary information hailing from both professionals and non-professionals alike.

Disagreeing about how to make a traditional dish is fine - totally refuting and refusing to acknowledge the difference between volumetric and mass measurements is not.

Anyway I've discovered a 'new-to-me' feature... block user...

I just hope not too many people searching for gram to millitre equivalents fall into this erroneous thinking.

I do not want to go back to a world that is flat for fear that I may fall off the edge or be devoured by dragons.


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Assuming the resolution of the scale only goes to 1 gram, the likely error margin is +/- .5 gram. Add in the rounding possibilities and at the teaspoon level, a cooking scale might not be able to resolve the differences in density.  Start measuring these liquids at the liter level, and the difference should be clear enough.


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Now this is what you need to resolve the measurement disputes in this thread.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001G5ZBIY/wilyea-20


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Dillbert, check your PMs.


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

According to http://convert-to.com/720/chicken-eggs-5-sizes-conversion-plus-nutrients-values.html, 5 grams of egg = 4.87 milliliters, thus, eggs have a "density" of 1.0267 grams/milliliter.

Stated another way:

Using a 5mL teaspoon, 1 teaspoon (volume) = 5.133 grams
Using a U.S. teaspoon (4.92892159mL) = 5.061 grams
Now, I'm not positive that the web site resources are accurate for every chicken egg, perhaps the chickens do not check the web site before laying and egg /img/vbsmilies/smilies/talker.gif


----------



## dillbert (Jul 2, 2008)

yes; concerning egg

blackdog's theory that 5 grams of anything = 5 ml is off the wall.

Sincerely,

Educated Cretin


----------



## black dog (Mar 26, 2014)

_*ALL SWEETNESS & LIGHT !!!*_

Hello Chaps and Chapesses,

I called a meeting of the board, and I've made an executive decision. Now then.

Who ever is right, or wrong, we ain't talkin' about earth shattering, recipe collapsing, differences, EVEN in terms of Patisserie, which, as we all know, requires great precision.

Why all the fuss? Why so serious? What'sit all about, Alfie?

SO, SOME of us got all over excited and Hot under the collar,

We were a bit OTT,

We were a bit insulting,

We were a bit rude,

and YES, some of us said "Stuff we really didn't orta"

(Sorry I can barely spell English, let alone American.........STOP!!!, that was a joke!!! Not a very good joke, but a joke nontheless.)

*So, here and now, in front of the esteemed culinary world, "I present my humble excuses, *

*and **Unreservedly apologize to Dillbert, cheflayne, Nicko, Pete, and Especially to MichaelGA, and kuan, with whom I have probably been quite nasty, and indeed, anybody else to whom I may have caused offence!"*

*"There are NO excuses. I am truly sorry. It will never happen again!" Scouts honour! *

*This week I will be wearing Sackcloth and Ashes, and sending myself into the garden to eat Worms, as a suitable, *

*self-imposed punishment for my many and unforgivable transgressions. *

*I hope this goes some way towards reparing the ill feeling that has arisen.*

*However, IF anyone starts on the SG, grams, millilitres, teaspoon, Digital Electronic Scale story again, *

*I AM going to call a guy in Chicago, called Fingers Malone, who will be tasked with paying the offender a personal visit! *

Let's all be cool.

Byeee, for now!


----------

