Here's a stupid "fluid ounces vs. solid ounces question

[SirDuff]

That's true, you're right- BRAIN CRAMP! I know better- I just mis-thought! That and the fact that one ml. of water weighs a gram got all jumbled in my brain, I guess.

You could check the bean cans; that should tell you how many servings per can, and how many cups per serving, and THEN you can do the math! Maybe I'll put my 5th graders onto this task tomorrow; it's only a half-day of school and nobody is very motivated at the moment!

You had me convinced for a bit! I was starting to doubt myself.

Sounds like interesting task for your class.

 

[DLM1980]

I worked with a guy once, he was allegedly a Tool Designer. We were developing a 32 ounce deli container. In a project meeting he was asked if it had been tested for the maximum weight it could hold. He replied "2 pounds". Puzzled looks all around. Then he says "Well it's a 32 ounce container".



You could hear a pin drop.

this reminds me of watching Alton Brown's Good Eats in episodes where he always says "A pints a pound the world around" that has helped me so many times.

If it helps others as well, I've seen this graphic pass around Facebook a few times, its quite handy, print it out and tape it to the inside of your spice cabinet door

 

[mmouse37]

Cool chart....but I feel I need an engineering degree to read it!!! Only kidding; I saved it for future use!! Thanks

MJ

 

[FlightlessDuck]

You're right…you can't mix units of volume and units of mass, even though we call them both ounces. (This'd work in the metric system, where 1 milliliter equals one cubic centimeter, but it'd take a LOT of math!)

Yeah, but would the can of beans be listed by grams or milliliters?

Edit: Never mind, we covered this already.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

this reminds me of watching Alton Brown's Good Eats in episodes where he always says "A pints a pound the world around" that has helped me so many times.

But only when it comes to water, butter, milk, and eggs.

Two fluid cups of beans, for example, won't be a pound by weight. Actually, Alton sometimes has recipes for baking where he measures everything by weight.

But then again, I'm pretty sure cans are measured in fluid ounces.

 

[crazymama]

Okay so I stink at math but I am now soooo hungry for baked beans!

 

[DLM1980]

Okay so I stink at math but I am now soooo hungry for baked beans!

Talk to Duke, I hear he's been trying to sell the Bush's family recipe for awhile now

 

[maslex]

OP here,

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I put together the crock pot of beans this morning for today's picnic. I found out I have a 6qt crock pot. I ended up putting 4 cans (28oz each) in there with 2lbs bacon, 1 chopped onion, molasses, ketchup, mustard, spicy mustard, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and a few dashes of hot sauce. Must say, they came out pretty good. All of this probably filled it just over 3/4 of the way.

 

[bcla]

You're right…you can't mix units of volume and units of mass, even though we call them both ounces. (This'd work in the metric system, where 1 milliliter equals one cubic centimeter, but it'd take a LOT of math!)

I'd mix everything in a big bowl, put what fits into the crockpot, and put the rest in the fridge for another day!

One fl oz of water weighs one ounce, or 1/16 of a pound. That's generally what you want to think about. Most foods are packaged by net weight and not volume.

The metric system was designed around water. One cubic centimeter is 1 milliliter, and one cc of water weighs 1 gram. 10 cm square of water is 1000 cc and weighs 1 kg.

I recall one chef (Thomas Keller) who insists that measurements of things that settle or may have variable density be measured on a scale. He especially insists on this for flour, since it can pack differently. He says this really makes a difference in the consistency of baked goods.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...eps-and-more-easter-treats-a-la-thomas-keller

For precision baking, Keller says a scale is crucial; flour can easily shift in density, so measuring in cups is dangerously inaccurate, he argues.

"Throw away your measuring cups," Keller tells Montagne. "Buy yourself a gram scale instead."

 

[Unas]

this reminds me of watching Alton Brown's Good Eats in episodes where he always says "A pints a pound the world around" that has helped me so many times.

If it helps others as well, I've seen this graphic pass around Facebook a few times, its quite handy, print it out and tape it to the inside of your spice cabinet door

But only when it comes to water, butter, milk, and eggs.

Two fluid cups of beans, for example, won't be a pound by weight. Actually, Alton sometimes has recipes for baking where he measures everything by weight.

But then again, I'm pretty sure cans are measured in fluid ounces.

Pint is volume, pound is weight. Ounces are either, which is were the problems arise. I had a tube of toothpaste that was "net wt. 3.7 oz" and volume of 96 ml. Since I couldn't count on a luggage inspector grasping the subtlety, it never made it into my carry-on.

Baking should be done by weight because the density of a particular ingredient, flour or butter, can vary just because of how it is treated in packaging or in putting it into the measuring container.

As far as measurement of cans, it all depends on what is in them. Beer is fluid ounces, beans are weight.

 

[SirDuff]

I thought of this thread when out shopping today. The can of black beans I looked at was measured by volume (not weight) and had both mL and fluid oz.