Do these balances strictly display in grams or are the selectable? When you open the package, is the selection pre-set for SI or FFU? Is Salter an American company? Where are the balances made?
Also, could you measure the amount of mass in large M&M bags to see if you get consistent readings over 400 g? I think it is ridiculous that Mars Candies insists on labelling the packages as 396.x g when they could legally label them as 400 g, since I've found them to be always over 400 g so far.
(1) Both scales have a gram/oz button, so they can be switched very easily from one to the other, even while something is being weighed. In "oz" they show fractions (e.g., 3 1/2), in "g" they show just grams (e.g., 95).
(2) They both came up in grams when first turned on. Both had to have the batteries installed, so that is clearly the default.
(3) Salter is a British company. I will have to check where the scale is actually manufactured. I also own a Salter balance scale (salter9082.jpg), which is perfectly functional, but not nearly as convenient as an electronic scale. It came with brass imperial weights (salterbrassweights.jpg). I have ordered the metric set of these, but have been waiting a couple of months and have yet to see them. (from www.fantes.com)
(4) I will weigh some 400g bags of M&Ms and report the findings.
Aside from the metric/colloquial issue, having a kitchen scale with a "zero" or "tare" function, which no balance or spring scale provides, is a tremendous convenience. Put a bowl on the platform, hit "zero" then put in the ingredient to the desired amount, then hit "zero" and put in another ingredient to the desire amount, etc.
Jim Elwell
<<attachment: salterbrassweights.jpg>>
<<attachment: salter9082.jpg>>
