Soy Lecithin Recipes: Baking, Foaming & Dressings | WTF - Ep. 116

You're the master of multi-tasking and wearing all the hats in the kitchen. Meet your new best friend - soy lecithin - the ingredient that works as hard as you do. Soy lecithin is that multi-functional emulsifier that will level up your recipes from dressings to foams to baked goods. Check out a lesson on lecithin... in this week's WTF.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
0:45 - What is soy lecithin powder?
1:15 - What is an emulsion?
1:59 - How does soy lecithin powder impact baking?
3:36 - Soy lecithin powder: how to use
4:45 - Soy lecithin powder in salad dressing
8:30 - Soy lecithin foam
10:34 - Druid’s Grove soy lecithin powder
11:06 - Soy lecithin granules
11:51 - Additional tips and tricks
12:36 - Storing soy lecithin powder
14:08 - Conclusion
Product Links:
Soy Lecithin Powder: bit.ly/2Ua6OB7
Liquid Soy Lecithin: bit.ly/35nZBj7
Druids Grove Soy Lecithin Powder (non-GMO): bit.ly/3x8c8DF
Recipe Links:
Apple cider cinnamon rolls recipe: bit.ly/3zsUD2o
Honey balsamic vinaigrette recipe: bit.ly/3gO15Zp
About 'We Transform Food'
We Transform Food is a weekly series from Modernist Pantry exploring cool ingredients and gadgets that can help any chef transform food into more memorable experiences.
Find us online:
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Blog: bit.ly/2SyA9Vd
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#SoyLecithinPowder #LiquidSoyLecithin #SoyLecithin

[@a.k.salazr]

I'm so glad you guys exist. I don't know how on earth you are not huge already.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

🤷‍♀️I think it's because we're not specialized enough for the algorithm and like to different types of cuisines and ideas.

[@Dina_tankar_mina_ord]

Please make more of these videos and show some hands on instructions on how to incorporate them. I love it. :)

[@phyternl]

"I'm still going to eat them because they're cinnamon rolls but... " Man after my own heart.

This is a very great video!! I’m happy I discovered your channel!

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Thank you Alfonso!

[@palamalama]

Love you Scott! You're the best 😀

[@monto39]

I really liked the video contrasting the powder/liquid lecithin. We used to keep our liquid lecithin in a 30ml syringe, for measuring directly. We tried pre-measuring the amount needed into smaller syringes, but the liquid was too viscous to dispense in a small one. A 30ml was big enough to get some leverage. We used the lecithin to stabilize our THC hard candies (we used fat as the carrier for the THC - fat separation was a very minor issue under hot weather)

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

[@sajhaeden8021]

Great information That answered many of my baking questions. Thank you!

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jamesellsworth9673]

We've seen it on food labels and now we know! I like plump baked goods and softly chewy cinnamon rolls. Seems worthwhile to buy some to keep on hand.

[@easyeggfreerecipes]

Loved the video. Thank you

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LauraRothrock]

thank you

[@donnaspencer1826]

Do you know which form that should be used for making vegan cheese? Many thanks! I have learned so much from ya'll!

[@wnzd9250]

I want to add soy lecithin powder in my marshmellow so can i add it in my sugar ? Should I dilute it?

[@vegdel2323]

Hi thanks for such a informative video, Can we use Soy Lecithin liquid for making eggless mayonnaise (Recipes involving diary products like cream / milk)?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You'll have to R&D this if you want to use liquid soy. Or you can try our plant-based remoulade: blog.modernistpantry.com/recipes/plant-based-remoulade/

[@lilanthony4117]

Hi, what emulsifier would you recommend I use for Cornish pasties also known as empanadas for the pastry and filling. Would you recommend mono& diglycerides or glycerol monostearate or soy lecithin powder?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Really would depend on why you think your recipe needs it...

[@jelllow]

Hi, I finally find your video!!! I would like to make a cheesecake with soy lecithin. How much do I use with these ingredients? Do you recommend it?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

a dairy cheesecake or plant-based? Here is our recipe for plant-based cheesecake blog.modernistpantry.com/recipes/decadent-plant-based-cheesecake/

[@jelllow]

@@Modernist_Pantry How many % soy lecithin do you recommend for dairy cheesecake?

[@earncom]

Hi! Thank you for the video it is very informative:)) I want to advance my homemade caramel sauce by adding soy lecithin as well as xanthan gum to thicken it but I’m still confused ”which stage should I add these two?” and also how much do they weigh in gram for making 400g of caramel sauce? Thx:))

[@Modernist_Pantry]

We would add the soy lecithin when the butter is added, and the xanthan once the sauce has cooled. The xanthan gum will need to be added to your liking since we don't know what your final viscosity is. But start real real low. The soy lecithin will be 2g for the correct ratio.

[@liztucci]

Can Sunflower Lecithin be substituted in the same way? It is more allergen free and also non GMO. Was wondering if you experimented with this product at all? Thank you

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Unless someone has a soy allergy, there is no functional benefit to sunflower lecithin over soy lecithin

[@Cakecultlondon]

can I ask how long would it extend the shelf like of a cake or cookie ?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

soy lecithin would only be a few days. This is not a commercial level preservative.

[@canthinkofausername6969]

Super stoked you guys take the time to answer questions I’m running all over the internet and really just would like a super important direct question answered: how much oil do you have to pour into water soluble powdered lecithin to thicken it like Mayo. And how much much water can you pour into oil soluble liquid lecithin and end up with the same thickened texture? Is it the same I am trying to use 1 quart of rice milk and use a minimum amount of oil to make ice cream I tried years ago to dissolve my lecithin granules in water and it didn’t work. I’ve seen vegan ice cream companies incorporate high oleic oil into vegan ice cream to give them that fat content they desperately need and so this is a really important expensive experiment and I want to make sure I get it right thank you!

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Liquid and powder soy lecithin are not interchangeable and you can't really turn powder lecithin into a mayo-like texture. I would recommend checking out our video on liquid vs powder lecithin to understand how they work and which one would be more appropriate for your vegan ice cream. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5mqmWh_gbmWiNk

[@csjytview]

I've seen a Vegan Butter Recipe use whole Psyllium Husks as an Emulsifier. Would that be more healthy than your Lecithin applications or about the same? Thanks for your detailed tutorial on this.

[@christopheranderson949]

Chris St James Psyllium is mostly fiber and indigestible. It has no real nutritional value. It can also have a laxative effect. So there is nothing to suggest that it is healthier and it is certainly less effective as an emulsifier than soy lecithin.

[@heguy7478]

@@christopheranderson949 it's definitely healthier since fiber helps keep blood sugar levels low and helps as a prebiotic, but it definitely won't work the same

[@F.Andre1377]

Hello, what sort of quantity should i use to make like buttercream, sauces, creams etc? Recipes without flour Thanks

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Depends on your recipe but start at 1% by weight.

[@janepepin4024]

Can the granules be ground up into powder? (I just bought liquid Lecithin at a Health Food Store today. the clerk told me she adds 1/4c of it to each loaf of whole grain bread that she bakes.)

[@Modernist_Pantry]

you can but it may not be as consistent as purchasing powder. Also since soy lecithin is hygroscopic it may gunk up in your blender.

[@romeodejan9452]

Hi, good day! How many grams of soy lecithin liquid will I put if I will make a 200g of spread? Thank you so much.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

If you're using a starting ratio of around 1% by weight you're looking at 2g.

[@Ninjaboytv]

Do u think This emulsifying agent can be use for Fried chicken breading? Thanks

[@Modernist_Pantry]

It wouldn't really do much. If you're looking for better adhesion we recommend Batter Bind. modernistpantry.com/products/batter-bind-s.html

[@hotpepper7782]

Your video is very good, I was thinking about how when using it in chocolate how can the chocolate gets firm.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

The lecithin won't impact the setting temp of chocolate

[@hotpepper7782]

Thank you for your time and help.

[@wnzd9250]

Really nic video but how many grams should be added to marshmellow ? Is soy lecithin powder a preservative?

[@abrammatthew756]

Do you use lecithin granules, or lecithin powder, because my co-op nearby only carries the granules in bulk. Can I just smash the granules into powder?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

granules on their own won't hydrate sufficiently. You can powder them in a blender or food processor. We don't recommend hand smashing since that is very uneven in size.

[@abrammatthew756]

Thank you. I am having a hard time finding an online resource to purchase the powder. Do you know where I could get some?

[@GFauxPas]

When slowing down staling of bread, is it redundant to add both lecithin and flaxseed paste to the bread?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

We haven't worked with flaxseed paste so can't say for sure but I would guess the answer is no, they are not redundant

[@simplysaffie4707]

I am having trouble with my fully vegan vanilla cake recipe. 😊when I have dairy free clients the cake works well when I use eggs with water, and when I have clients that are allergic to eggs I use a little a little bit of xanthan gum and a full fat milk and it emulsified beautifully in the blender and when baked it puffed up and is light and fluffy. When I make it completely vegan with xanthan gum or chia seeds blended, I find the comes out dense and glue like because it doesn’t have the fat from the milk or the lift from the eggs. Would you recommend I emulsify the oil and water with sunflower lecthin because it tends to separate with the dairy? Would that be a good egg replacer

[@Modernist_Pantry]

lecithin definitely would help, there's quite a bit or R&D to be done there since it's hard to replicate the magic of an egg and fat. Would also recommend checking out mono & diglyceride flakes: modernistpantry.com/products/mono-and-diglyceride-flakes.html

[@simplysaffie4707]

Thank you so much for taking your time to reply, I will definitely try it out 🙏🏾🤗

[@shantealletain2217]

Hi. I want to produce the gluten free trader Joe's chocolate muffins. They call for sunflower lecithin. Would I use powder or liquid and if powder do I need to prepare with water first or directly add it and at what stage do I add it in? Thank you.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Check out our liquid versus powder lecithin episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5mqmWh_gbmWiNk

[@nathanupchurch7549]

I've been making vegan mayo with vor aquafaba powder, and I find that if fails often. (3 tbs hydrated a.f. to 1 cup oil) Can I use liquid lecithin to do this instead of the aquafaba? Also, I would love it if you considered a series on vegan versions of the mother sauces!

[@Modernist_Pantry]

We prefer our plant-based mayo with faba bean protein: blog.modernistpantry.com/recipes/plant-based-remoulade/

[@nathanupchurch7549]

@@Modernist_Pantry Great, thanks!

[@F.Andre1377]

Hi, does rapeseed lecithin work the same way? If so, do i have to 1% ratio as well?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

It should work very similarly

[@F.Andre1377]

Kitchen Alchemy from Modernist Pantry thank you

[@taiwooluwadamilola5839]

Hi, does soy lecithin work well for cookies? Does it also increase the size of your cookie dough?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

It will work for extending the shelf life of cookies but it does not bulk up your cookie dough.

[@pnyx7930]

Sorry, what is this thing that's like a honey stick (but _not_ a honey stick) that's awesome for measuring liquid lecithin again? 7:57

[@Modernist_Pantry]

A honey drizzler: www.amazon.com/Dippers-Individually-Wrapped-Dispense-Drizzle/dp/B074DSFT2G

[@leered9132]

When and how do you throw in the Soy Lecithin powder into the Baking Ingredients?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

dry mix it with the flour

[@SilentVictim1]

Hi guys, any idea how to use this product for homemade nut bar or granola bar?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

stay tuned... we have something come out specifically for home made bars

[@30mizzk]

How do u make flavored baking emolsion like for cookies

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You usually need commercial equipment to homogenize, you can't make those in your kitchen

[@neilprasad007]

Can I use this in ermine buttercream where a mixture of cooked milk/flour/sugar is whisked with butter? The buttercream separates after a few days and I have to blend again to get it smooth. Also can I use liquid lecithin in Bread or does it have to be powder? If so, how much? TIA.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Yes you can use this in your buttercream. Liquid lecithin is best used where there is more oil than water in the emulsion

[@neilprasad007]

@@Modernist_Pantry so I shouldn't try to use the liquid lecithin on my bread dough? I'll definitely try out in my buttercream.

[@clouds8668]

Would Xanthan Gum work the same way?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

xanthan does work as a stabilizer in sauces, dosage will be very different a lot smaller. Xanthan does not foam but can stabilize foams. It does not yield the emulsification benefits of baking although some people like to use it in gluten free baking. We're not fans of xanthan in baking.

[@karlamart855]

Hi! ¿How many lecithin should be used in chocolate? My kitchen weight doesn't measure small amounts, it weights up to 8 grs. So i am using measure spoons and I m having trouble doing the conversion of grs to ml. If it's 1% of the total mass how can we calculate it in ml?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You can check out our weight to volume conversion chart, but it won't be as accurate as actually using a scale. blog.modernistpantry.com/advice/modernist-ingredients-volume-to-weight-conversion-reference-sheet/

[@dupoy2877]

Which is better to use on meringues? Powder or liquid lecithin?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Powder

[@anwarsharif7853]

Does lecithin increase shelf life of cheese cake baked ones for one week because I need to ship it to other place , and which lecithin should I add to cheese cake liquid or powder, please let me know

[@Modernist_Pantry]

We don't test the shelf life of products for retail sale or shipping.

[@doomo]

Does soy lecithin work with ssl? or should you use one and not the other? I am of course referring to baked goods.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You can start mixing and blending, but it would require experimentation to find a combo that works well enough to be better than just using one

[@PaulSchneider-bp2ic]

What is SSL?

[@PatrickSalisMEDIA]

How will it affect icings like buttercream, whip cream and melted chocolate ?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

soy lecithin is commonly used in butter cream and melted chocolate as an emulsifier. We don't believe its used in whipped cream but it's not impossible.

[@tangoromeo1739]

Hi is there an ingredient that can be add to a songe genoise cake to stabilize more to absorb more milk whitout getting soggy and doughy and soggy cake crumbs I'm taking about like tres leches or milk cakes

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Not that we know of.

[@servofyah4392]

Can you use sunflower lecithin instead of soy lecithin in your recipes?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Yes. We'll be introducing an organic sunflower lecithin in the next few weeks

[@servofyah4392]

Thank you

[@Anthonyforya]

Hi, I have a recipe with 100g of flour and 250g of corn starch, should I calculate 1% of 350? Or should I only consider the flour?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

use 1% of both to start. Remember this is just a starting point, the actual amount will always vary by recipe

[@joserincon8073]

Does the peanut butter industry (skippy, jif, etc... use powdered or liquid lecithin? thank you!! I dont speak english

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Liquid

[@silentbliss7666]

My lecithin has clumped up. Is it still good for making anything?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You always want to keep soy lecithin away from humidity. Once it's clumped up you can try putting it back in the fridge to remove moisture and then break it up, but you may not be able to completely get it back to its original powdery state.

[@DDios-ih9de]

Ong Lu Lu after measuring granules I grind powder then blends better I use it in baking but i often use it to making my own dairy free " butter" No Palm oil

[@nowonmetube]

Put it in a dehydrator I guess

[@kar33mo1]

Is there any benefits from using these in pasta or noodles?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

There's not too much benefit that we are aware of to adding soy lecithin to pasta, but give it a shot and let us know if you like what you get!

[@loudcocnutgag]

how much should i use in bread if using the liquid one?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Liquid soy would not be appropriate for bread making. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5mqmWh_gbmWiNk

[@johnbarber7952]

Do you have liquid non GMO SL?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Nope, only conventional liquid soy lecithin

[@SuLorito]

I have a huge 1kg bag of SLP sitting in front of me. Wanted to know what I could do with it. Thx.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You can get all of our soy lecithin recipes here: www.modernistpantry.com/soy-lecithin-powder.html

[@raticallife1320]

this must be why my homemade bread never is the same as bakery shop bread (?)

[@Modernist_Pantry]

But now they can be!

[@raticallife1320]

@@Modernist_Pantry exactly!! i'm getting on it!

[@MM-vw1ck]

What's the difference between lecithin powder and methylcellulose?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

They are completely different ingredients with different uses. The is no way to compare them. We suggest you watch the episodes we have made on methylcellulose.

[@dav102030]

Can I use it in cakes

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Sure can

[@alexreinking]

Does sunflower lecithin behave any differently? Soy lecithin seems to be getting harder and harder to find.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Sunflower lecithin is an emulsifier, but is not identical to soy lecithin. You will find two brands of soy lecithin powder at www.modernistpantry.com. One of them is non-GMO. FYI lecithin granules do not work well for these applications. You need to use the powdered form.

[@alexreinking]

@@Modernist_Pantry Sorry, when you say not identical... how? How can I substitute liquid sunflower lecithin for liquid soy lecithin in a dressing-style recipe? I've already got soy lecithin powder (not granules) for making foams.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

@@alexreinking It really depends on each brand so since we don't sell sunflower lecithin we can't advise you on how to sub it out since it'll depend on the viscosity of the lecithin you're getting. You can't really know how to swap any one ingredient for another without doing some experimentation.

[@HeartAliveToday]

Foams?

[@Modernist_Pantry]

You can foam with lecithin - ~0.5-1% by weight

[@johnraffensperger]

My first vid on your channel: Fantastic info, very well done. Only the “WTF” name is off-putting, over-used & unnecessarily offensive.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Hopefully your enjoyment of the content outweighs your dislike of the name. 🙂

[@Sunilkumar-wm2is]

Liquid lecithin is not good to use ..it's change the taste and colour and the foam is not firm

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Sounds like you may be using too much. Please feel free to reach out to us at [e-mail] with your recipe and we can assist you with it.

[@rodneyp9590]

I’m guessing if you ever cared enough to eat anything non gmo this is the thing to spend an extra few bucks on. The USA lets some poison go on that stuff and then it’s processed and condensed. If you’re like me and don’t buy only organic products you probably eat this every day and the extra few bucks might not be worth it.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Lecithin is used in such small amounts per recipe that the amount consumed per serving is miniscule

[@GR8APE69]

"Organic food" is overwhelmingly a marketing ploy and is not inherently more healthy than food not marketed as organic. Likewise, GMOs are NOT inherently unhealthy or dangerous for human consumption. Most foods are genetically modified by selective breeding, and even GMOs that are a product of Biotechnology are not something to avoid or be afraid of. In fact, in many instances, GMOs are healthier and more nutritious as they are often times fortified with nutrients that many people are deficient in. Furthermore, a majority of GMO crops are breed to be drought resistant, requiring less water per plant, while producing higher yields than their non-GMO counterparts. In fact, in many instances, Organic produce is actually WORSE for the environment than GMOs because they require more water and nutrients, while producing a lower yield, and requiring more pesticides (many GMO crops are genetically modified to be resistant to pests and require LESS use of chemicals than organic foods). Nevertheless, I do enjoy organic products for some items, namely eggs, as organic cage-free eggs often have richer yolks. Otherwise, sometimes organic is all you can get, such is the case with culinary mushrooms. Point being, neither organic nor GMO are inherently good OR bad, BUT anti-GMO sentiment is largely driven by anti-scientific rhetoric which is not supported by the facts, and is usually pushed in order to market organic products since organics usually sell at a premium markup, and also by holier-than-thou, healthy-food-trend hippies who don't ACTUALLY know what they're talking about.

[@rodneyp9590]

@@GR8APE69 anti GMO sentiment is because chemical resistance to roundup. I don’t know about added chemicals in organic growing, they can’t by definition, but that doesn’t mean they don’t. I don’t buy organic, it’s too expensive. I do eat a lot of vegetables from my garden and raise chicken, eating that stuff is multiple times better for preventing cancer. Sure many chemicals are to blame for modern cancer increases. None are worse than glyphosate. I don’t think Saudi Arabia or UAB outlawed it because of hippy influence. Organic isn’t important non gmo isn’t an issue it’s the chemicals added to gmo plants that kill you

[@rodneyp9590]

Correction , added synthetic chemical not chemical in general is the key to organic

[@GR8APE69]

@@rodneyp9590 That's nonsense and holds no basis in reality. It's an oversimplification that doesn't make sense to begin with. Plenty of chemicals are used in both organic and GMO farming, but whether or not they are synthetic has nothing to do with their qualitative properties and whether those properties make them harmful to human health. Synthetic only describes that it is synthesized in a lab as opposed to being refined from some natural resource pool. Furthermore, there are plenty of naturally occurring chemicals which you can also synthesize in a lab, and the route taken to gather that chemical makes absolutely ZERO difference to the qualitative properties of those chemicals so long as both samples are "pure" and free from contaminants.

[@justrosy5]

Dude. No US citizen with any sense in their own home kitchen weighs their food unless they're forced into it by a medical professional, and even that is very rare. Stop with all this grams nonsense. IT'S NONSENSE. First of all, humidity. Second, outdoor temperature. Third, differences in the way ovens (and stoves) are calibrated. Fourth, some ovens have instant water-spritzing options, others don't. Etc. etc. etc. GRAMS ARE NOT FOR COOKING. Why do you think so many people on the Great British Baking Show follow the instructions to the letter but still fail? The ovens aren't all calibrated exactly the same (it's literally impossible to accomplish that, even at the factory), among other issues that are out of the control of individual cooks - even when in the same tent or other kitchen. The reason cups and spoons *matter more* is because they allow a cook to make up for ALL of that, because at it's very heart, cooking is a *visual art.* You can try to "science it up" all you like, but at the end of the day, it's a *visual art, first and foremost.* When you speak in cups and spoons to your audience, you are speaking your audience's language, and while the British just arrogantly assume that their way is the correct way, it's not, in this case. They are absolutely wrong with all this ingredient weighing nonsense. In the kitchen, it's *nonsense.* There may be a lot of "science" going on in the alchemy of the culinary arts, but a kitchen is *not* a science lab. Modern science labs are built to protect from all the factors mentioned above, when they're any good. Home kitchens simply are not designed nor built that way - anywhere. That extravagance is simply not worth the money nor the effort, when it can be *resolved* by using cups and spoons. Honestly, stop making fun of people who know better than you do about this stuff. It doesn't make you look culinarily educated at all - it makes you look ignorant in the kitchen.

[@Modernist_Pantry]

Sorry but you are completely wrong. Volumetric measurements are wildly inaccurate especially with powdered ingredients due to humidity and other factors. Weight is always the same. Volume almost never is. That is why any serious baker or pastry chef will use weight if they care at all about achieving consistency and the proper outcome. And when you are dealing with many functional ingredients like the ones we supply a few grams can make the difference between success and total failure. Cooking of this type is actually much more of a science that an art. You just have a very narrow and as you admit a totally American centric parochial view of what cooking is. In most other countries and even most serious professional chefs in the US rely on weight. All you are saying is that this type of cooking isn’t for you, which is fine. But your decision to write an uniformed rant rather than just moving on is not a good look.

[@fauziahsaleh7490]

Bla bla bla.... we used weight scale and its more accurate!

[@ska042]

You're just setting yourself up for failure and making things inconvenient for yourself if you try to measure stuff like lecithin or thickeners like xanthan by volume. When dealing with ingredients like this that only need a little bit, it's not uncommon that 1g is just right, 0.5g is not enough, and 2g will ruin your recipe completely. There is just no good way to measure a powder out with measuring spoons with that kind of accuracy. Even other ingredients that need larger volumes will be a lot more consistent between tries if you just weigh them. It's one less thing that can go wrong. I've used scales in the kitchen since childhood, and frankly the whole array of measuring spoons needed for US recipes seems ridiculous and inconvenient to me.