Mechanical kitchen scales

Mechanical scales are something we have seen right from our childhood, though the sleek digital version are all set to oust them from our kitchens today. In this kind of scale, you have a tray or a bowl on top of a heavy spring. The spring is concealed, though, and what you can see is a weight-clock, with a lone hand to move clockwise and give you the correct weight. To give you a lesson in elementary physics, the spring compresses proportionally to the weight put on the tray. The pressure on the spring makes the clock hand rotate till it finds the right weight on the clock. The mark on the clock where the needle settles finally is the weight of your object. 

Spring balance scales have been in use for many years, and if they are now being replaced, the reason must be that the springs are often not reliable. Even if they develop the smallest snag, you will get false measures, and worse, unless you start getting absurd readings, you will not suspect anything. The springs break at times too. Also, mechanical scales are not as good with small quantities are they are with larger amounts. Of course, if you spend some extra bucks and get yourself a mechanical scale with a strong and sophisticated spring mechanism, it will last you for years and years. Detecto is well known brand for mechanical scales, but Salter makes them too. Some other brands which you can count on are Pelouze, Taylor and Terraillon. If you are buying mechanical scales, try not to buy the cheap ones that cost $10 or less, for they are not designed to be your long-term kitchen companion.