They say cooking is an art and baking is a science, and “they” are right. I once tried to make a half-portion of cheesecake that ended in catastrophe.
Luckily, a new startup out of Ireland has plans to simplify the science of baking. Using a special Bluetooth-connected scale, and an accompanying app, Drop promises that you don’t need measuring cups anymore. And because baking requires perfect measurements in a way that cooking doesn’t, aspiring pastry chefs can understand just how helpful Drop could be.
Here’s how it works:
Simply place a mixing bowl on top of the Drop scale, and specify the recipe that you’re going for. Rather than using volume to measure, Drop uses weight based on specific ingredients, and tells you through voice-powered controls as well as on the display of the app when you have mixed in enough flour, sugar, etc.
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In an interview with the WSJ, Drop founder and CEO said that sometimes peoples amounts can be off by up to 20 or 30 percent, which makes for a terrible baking (and eating) experience. Part of the reason for this is that, like myself with the cheesecake, people don’t want to bake an entire cake, or perhaps need to change the serving size.
But changing the serving size while baking isn’t as simple as multiplying by two or dividing in half. Drop lets you halve, quarter, or double any recipe to get the right amount and serving size, and even offers up alternative ingredients for when you’re missing something.
Plus, the app features a number of recipes and baking tips to make sure that you’re always getting better.
Drop goes on pre-order today for $80, which saves you nearly 20 percent since the list price will jump to $99.
Drop – Pre-Order Video from Get Drop on Vimeo.