Weights & Measures - USA vs the World

TGTheodore · Jun 14, 2009

In another thread someone brought up the difference in how the abbreviated date is expressed in the US vs. Europe.

What other ways have we Yankees held back One True Way of Measuring Things on planet Earth?

Anyone thinking metric? Are any of our ways of measuring things actually more logical here in the USA?

Have at it!

--Ted

Emher · Jun 14, 2009

We use meters, kilometers, liters and so on. Systems based on hundreds, very simply and really should be the worlds standard. However I myself think in both centimeters and inches for about three and half years back since I started adapting to then a very likely move to the US. The move didn't happen, but the thoughts remain.

Omnius · Jun 14, 2009

The future is bright, according to Star Trek we will all use the metric system by the 23rd century

.

DanTheGrey · Jun 14, 2009

Metric for almost everything here. The only time people I know use Imperial measures for pets or people sized objects. Anything bigger/heavier and it switches to kilos and metres etc.

Count Zero · Jun 14, 2009

TGTheodore said:
In another thread someone brought up the difference in how the abbreviated date is expressed in the US vs. Europe.

Actually, there is no general way the date is expressed in Europe. Various countries have different ways of doing that.

TGTheodore said:
What other ways have we Yankees held back One True Way of Measuring Things on planet Earth?

Anyone thinking metric? Are any of our ways of measuring things actually more logical here in the USA?

You're not the only ones not adapting the metric system. And then there's Fahrenheit. Sure, it would make things easier if one global system would be used. But some people are eccentric and would rather stick to their own measurement systems.
The metric system is generally used in the sciences, so it would be easier for Americans if it was adopted in general use, too.

trampledamage · Jun 14, 2009

The weirdest thing the Americans do (and the Canadians too) is measure ingredients for cooking by volume rather than weight.

It has been explained to me why this made perfect sense back in the days of wagon trains and settlers travelling from town to town, but still it's odd.

It means that you have discussions on bread making around whether you spoon the flour out of the bag into the cup to measure it, or scoop the cup into the flour. Which method you choose to scoop gets you a different amount of flour.

Mysterion · Jun 14, 2009

I've decided to just use my own system of measurements:

1 joule = 4.56 hogsheads
3.14 meters = 23 gallons
2 smoots = .67 fathoms
3 bricks = 1.4 pico-ounces

Very simple and easy to remember.

TheLonelySquire · Jun 14, 2009

Omnius said:
The future is bright, according to Star Trek we will all use the metric system by the 23rd century .

I believe Kirk referred to the length of the space amoeba in miles.

Garrovick · Jun 14, 2009

I set my weather to Celsius because 90 is really 32. I no longer have non-metric tools, not sure about screw drivwers though. I can't drive, so I still use feet. I buy soda by the liter, but used to buy gas by the gallon.

I think we would switch if it was all that important in average daily lives.

Canadave · Jun 14, 2009

trampledamage said:
The weirdest thing the Americans do (and the Canadians too) is measure ingredients for cooking by volume rather than weight.

It has been explained to me why this made perfect sense back in the days of wagon trains and settlers travelling from town to town, but still it's odd.

It means that you have discussions on bread making around whether you spoon the flour out of the bag into the cup to measure it, or scoop the cup into the flour. Which method you choose to scoop gets you a different amount of flour.

How the hell would you measure out ingredients by weight, though? Weigh everything out when you prepare it? :wtf:

RoJoHen · Jun 14, 2009

Canadave said:
trampledamage said:

The weirdest thing the Americans do (and the Canadians too) is measure ingredients for cooking by volume rather than weight.

It has been explained to me why this made perfect sense back in the days of wagon trains and settlers travelling from town to town, but still it's odd.

It means that you have discussions on bread making around whether you spoon the flour out of the bag into the cup to measure it, or scoop the cup into the flour. Which method you choose to scoop gets you a different amount of flour.

Click to expand...

How the hell would you measure out ingredients by weight, though? Weigh everything out when you prepare it?

Yeah, that doesn't make any sense to me either.

As for our measures of length, I honestly wouldn't mind using both our system and the metric system. Centimeters are too small, and meters are too big. I like having an inbetween unit of measure, which is where feet come in.

That said, yards should probably be eliminated and converted to meters. Except we'd have to completely rebuild every football field in the country...

I prefer Fahrenheit, though I do understand the logic behind Celcius.

There was a whole thread a while ago about the D/M/Y vs. M/D/Y thing. We pretty much agreed that both systems make sense for different reasons. We just tend to prefer the one we're used to, but we decided neither is actually less logical than the other.

pookha · Jun 14, 2009

Canadave said:
trampledamage said:

The weirdest thing the Americans do (and the Canadians too) is measure ingredients for cooking by volume rather than weight.

It has been explained to me why this made perfect sense back in the days of wagon trains and settlers travelling from town to town, but still it's odd.

It means that you have discussions on bread making around whether you spoon the flour out of the bag into the cup to measure it, or scoop the cup into the flour. Which method you choose to scoop gets you a different amount of flour.

Click to expand...

How the hell would you measure out ingredients by weight, though? Weigh everything out when you prepare it?

you dont have to weigh everything.
as a fan of food network 's good eats knows that it is better to weigh some of the dry ingrients like flour* because their volume can vary ie be more compact ect.

as for overall weights and measures.. i have to admit i still prefer the us system because it is what i am used to.
i do have a conversion slide chart for work though in case i have to convert to meters ect.

*yes i first typed flower :lol:

indication that i really wanted to plant my new additions but it was too late when i got home last night.

StolenThunder · Jun 14, 2009

Canadave said:
trampledamage said:

The weirdest thing the Americans do (and the Canadians too) is measure ingredients for cooking by volume rather than weight.

It has been explained to me why this made perfect sense back in the days of wagon trains and settlers travelling from town to town, but still it's odd.

It means that you have discussions on bread making around whether you spoon the flour out of the bag into the cup to measure it, or scoop the cup into the flour. Which method you choose to scoop gets you a different amount of flour.

Click to expand...

How the hell would you measure out ingredients by weight, though? Weigh everything out when you prepare it?

Well yes. Most things you don't have to weigh, but it's not hard to get accurate measures of flour, sugar and so on.

I do sneakily keep a set of US cups though.

RoJoHen · Jun 14, 2009

I've never even known anyone who owned a kitchen scale. Weighing things seems like adding unnecessary time and effort, not to mention the cost of purchasing a scale.

Me-Ike · Jun 14, 2009

RoJoHen said:
I've never even known anyone who owned a kitchen scale. Weighing things seems like adding unnecessary time and effort, not to mention the cost of purchasing a scale.

Most people I know have a kitchen scale. It's simple and exact.
American measure systems, on the other hand, caused me a lot of grieve when I tried to bake an apple pie from an American recipe. Your spoons are bigger than our spoons and I ended up using way too little water and flour. I still have pictures somewhere of me collapsing on the dough.

RoJoHen · Jun 14, 2009

Me-Ike said:
RoJoHen said:

I've never even known anyone who owned a kitchen scale. Weighing things seems like adding unnecessary time and effort, not to mention the cost of purchasing a scale.

Click to expand...

Most people I know have a kitchen scale. It's simple and exact.
American measure systems, on the other hand, caused me a lot of grieve when I tried to bake an apple pie from an American recipe. Your spoons are bigger than our spoons and I ended up using way too little water and flour. I still have pictures somewhere of me collapsing on the dough.

That's why we Americans just buy frozen pie crusts.

Gepard · Jun 14, 2009

Me-Ike said:
American measure systems, on the other hand, caused me a lot of grieve when I tried to bake an apple pie from an American recipe. Your spoons are bigger than our spoons and I ended up using way too little water and flour.

Well that's just the fault of your spoons. :lol:

Usually I can see the advantages and/or the equal reasonableness of non-American ways of doing things, but weighing flour, sugar, etc just seems nuts. Our measuring objects are also the containers, so it's really easy. What do you have to do--put a bowl or something on the scale, tare it, then weigh the food? Seems like more work.

Me-Ike · Jun 14, 2009

RoJoHen said:
Me-Ike said:

RoJoHen said:

I've never even known anyone who owned a kitchen scale. Weighing things seems like adding unnecessary time and effort, not to mention the cost of purchasing a scale.

Click to expand...

Most people I know have a kitchen scale. It's simple and exact.
American measure systems, on the other hand, caused me a lot of grieve when I tried to bake an apple pie from an American recipe. Your spoons are bigger than our spoons and I ended up using way too little water and flour. I still have pictures somewhere of me collapsing on the dough.

Click to expand...

That's why we Americans just buy frozen pie crusts.

Bastard!

I don't care. Be happy with your frozen pie crusts, Mountain Dews, and undubbed tv shows! I don't care!

OT, how hard is it nowadays to get a green card?

Edit:

Gep Malakai said:
Me-Ike said:

American measure systems, on the other hand, caused me a lot of grieve when I tried to bake an apple pie from an American recipe. Your spoons are bigger than our spoons and I ended up using way too little water and flour.

Click to expand...

Well that's just the fault of your spoons.

Usually I can see the advantages and/or the equal reasonableness of non-American ways of doing things, but weighing flour, sugar, etc just seems nuts. Our measuring objects are also the containers, so it's really easy. What do you have to do--put a bowl or something on the scale, tare it, then weigh the food? Seems like more work.

My spoons didn't know that they were doing anything wrong until the dough refuse to become dough-y!

I think it's also quite simple with the scale. You put the container on the scale, adjust the scale to zero, fill in whatever you like, adjust in to zero, and so on. Scales are you international friend.

RoJoHen · Jun 14, 2009

Seriously. If I saw a recipe that called for, I dunno, half a pound of flour (although I guess it would be in kilos or something equally outrageous), I'd be like, "Okay, so how many cups is that?"

Whereas if I saw a recipe that called for a cup of flour, I'd pick up my cup and scoop up the flour. My way involves fewer steps.

Me-Ike · Jun 14, 2009

RoJoHen said:
Seriously. If I saw a recipe that called for, I dunno, half a pound of flour (although I guess it would be in kilos or something equally outrageous), I'd be like, "Okay, so how many cups is that?"

Whereas if I saw a recipe that called for a cup of flour, I'd pick up my cup and scoop up the flour. My way involves fewer steps.

I'd say that my way doesn't necessarily involve more steps, but I give you that it might take a second longer.
So in the end you have to decide what you think is more important: Being a little faster or not making unsuspecting people from other countries cry.

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