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When I think back on the many, many hours spent scrolling on social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, I’m not proud. But I do justify at least some of that by saying I’ve picked up of my best tips, tricks, and recipes on the apps. From dishes I still deploy in my weekly arsenal (looking at you, Baked Feta Pasta and Green Goddess Salad) to tips that actually change the way I cook and live (I’ll never store lettuce the same!), I’ve collected some seriously useful knowledge on TikTok over the years.
But there is one tip I use more than any other—I'm talking every single day. This is why the reverse tare measuring method is the best thing I've probably ever learned on the internet.
What Is the Reverse Tare Method?
I’ll start this by saying that I worked in a bakery during high school and college as a cake and cookie decorator, and consider baking my area of expertise as a home cook. But even I have learned things on TikTok I never learned in the bakery. Why? Because home bakers are a particular breed of crafty, thrifty individuals. Who else would have thought to use their microwave plate as a cake spinner?
That's why, when I saw the reverse tare method demonstrated on TikTok by home baker (and editor at our sister brand, People!) Ana Calderon, I had one of those aha moments. How did I never think to do this before?
The reverse tare method is simple. First things first, any baker worth their salt (or sugar) will tell you that the only way to measure ingredients when baking is to use a kitchen scale. It’s not only easier, but way more accurate than traditional measuring cups, especially with ingredients like flour. (PSA: liquid and dry cup measurements are different!) Baking is a science, after all, and accurate measurements can be the difference between a perfectly risen cake and a sunken mess.
Okay, so you’ve got yourself a digital kitchen scale—now what? When you typically measure something like flour, you put a bowl on the scale and tare it, meaning you reset the scale to zero to account for the bowl’s weight. Then you scoop the flour into the bowl until you have your desired weight, then empty that bowl into your mixing bowl.
Reverse taring is, well, the inverse. Instead of adding to get to your desired weight, you subtract. Notably I prefer this method because you take out flour bowl (and the dishes that come with it) entirely. To reverse tare, you would put entire bag of flour on the scale, tare to zero, and then remove as much as you need to get to the weight you need in negative grams or ounces. So rather than measuring to 120 grams of flour, you'd measure to -120 grams of flour. You can then scoop the flour or sugar or milk or whatever other ingredient you're using directly into the main mixing bowl.
It’s also great when using a stand mixer for baking. Say you’re creaming butter and sugar for chocolate chip cookies. Typically, you would beat the butter, then stop the machine, wipe down the paddles, then remove the bowl to place on the scale to measure the sugar. With the reverse tare method, the sugar can go from bag to bowl, saving you all those steps and time. This is also useful for adding ingredients while the mixer is running, or dividing batter evenly (like for a layer cake).
And it's not just for baking. I use this method every morning to measure my coffee beans. I simply place the bag of beans on my scale, tare to zero, then scoop out beans until it hits the negative of my desired measurement. The beans go from bag to grinder, with no dishes dirtied in the process.
As with many baking tips and tricks I’ve learned on the internet, this one is all about working smarter, not harder. Until recently, I didn’t have a dishwasher, so I can’t tell you how much I appreciated this tip and how much time and energy it has saved me. It’s one of those tips that will change the way you cook and bake forever. You’re welcome.
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