Content warning: kitchen scales, measuring food.

The recipe world is very international, especially when you speak multiple languages. I am a Ukrainian who speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English, and German. This means that I am able to read and use recipes posted in any of these languages (regardless of the countries they come from). This also means that I can have a unique perspective on the cuisines of the countries where these languages are dominant as I can just google the recipes in their original language. 

But with great access to information comes a great need for clarity. For instance, in Ukraine/Germany, the UK, and the USA the ingredients are, more often than not, measured differently. 

In Ukraine and Germany measurements are metric and come in grams, kilograms liters, millimeters, etc. In Ukraine, you can use the notion of "glass" to measure water, flour, and milk. But it is not a very trustworthy measurement option as it is based on the idea that standard water glasses are all the same everywhere in Ukraine. This might have been true in the Soviet Union when there was a lack of diversity in every aspect of life, but it's not anymore. Also, there is no such thing as Ukrainian measuring cups, like there are in the USA for example. 

Both USA and the UK use measuring cups (among other things), and it was only rather recently that I found out that UK and USA cups are actually different! 1 UK cup measures 250 milliliters of water and 1 USA cup - 240. 

The true challenge comes when I try to cook recipes from all these different countries as I am inevitably stuck converting the different measurement systems. And I hated this part of math in school so I am not too pleased I now have to dive into it again. 

When I create the recipes myself I avoid measuring cups as they are too imprecise for me. When using them I tend to make heaped cups and spoons for example. And in some instances that might influence the recipe dramatically, especially when baking desserts. 

I was always quite jealous of people who can "swing it" in a recipe by using approximate measurements and still nail it. Sure, I do this too, especially on those weeknights when I'm very much not feeling it and just need to fill my belly with nutrients. But more often than not I will taste the difference since my measurements would be off. So especially if you are like me in this regard then keep reading.

Just about a year ago I have finally settled on a tool that works best for me - kitchen scales. I first saw an American cook on the internet use kitchen scales when making macarons. Of course, for such a finicky recipe the measurements must really be as precise as possible. I followed the recipe and didn't get the macarons right but I realized how easy it is to use the scales and started wondering why I never used them before. 

The most basic kitchen scales I have purchased in a regular German supermarket have almost everything I need: grams, water, and milk milliliters, ounces, and pounds. 

Since switching to scales I always use grams and milliliters in creating recipes as this is something that can be easily followed anywhere in the world since it doesn't rely on cups that could be different, for example. Of course, I still use tea,- and tablespoons as well. 

Now, I realize very well that kitchen scales are an item that is the last thing some people want to have in their kitchen. In no way do I want to be insensitive to the struggles of disordered eating and body dysmorphia that in one way or another have actually influenced almost every person I know. 

This is why, always take everything anyone recommends, including me, with a grain of salt. You know yourself better than anyone else whether having kitchen scales will do more harm than good.

As a wonderful alternative to kitchen scales I also often use glass measuring cups. 

As for really small measurements such as dry yeast or baking powder that can be just about 10 grams or so in a recipe I usually use half or 1 package or convert to spoons. 

In other words, you can read what the package says and even eye the measurements. For example, the dry yeast I buy in Berlin comes in 7-gram packages so I can know how many I will need even without the scales if the recipe measures yeast in grams. 

The same goes for other things such as milk, flour, tomato sauce, and vegetables. It is always a good idea to learn to pay attention to the weight listed on the packaging and so to learn to estimate how much you might need for a recipe. In many cases, the measurements don't have to be very precise for a good or even excellent experience. Also maybe you are more of a natural at eyeing measurements than me!

I find kitchen scales to be the easiest to use and they require minimal concentration (just be sure to check you are not on grams when you need milliliters, which happens to me a lot). But it is merely a recommendation of course, and it is up to you to discover your preferred method of measuring.