Gelatin Sheet vs Gelatin Powder

Both leaf gelatin and gelatin powder are common gelatin products. Gelatin sheet is a standardized product made by dissolving gelatin granules and drying them in a flat mold. It is divided into 5 different grades according to gel strength or Bloom value: platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and titanium. The higher the grade, the lighter color and more transparent it is. The manufacturer will use more gelatin powder to compensate for its low Bloom value, and vice versa, so regardless of its grade, the jelly obtained by dissolving a sheet of gelatin in the same amount of water has the same strength.

The leaf gelatin only requires counting the number of pieces and not weighing them. The different grades are interchangeable because the difference is already compensated by their weight. For example, a dessert that requires two pieces of platinum grade gelatin sheet can use two pieces of gold grade gelatin sheet to replace. This is more convenient than using gelatin powder that needs to be weighed and the kitchen is not messy with powder. It is loved by chef and housewife, and that is why leaf gelatin is widely used in home, bakery and restaurant.

The amount of gelatin powder needs to be calculated and weighed based on its gel strength. Many people find this is more cumbersome than counting numbers, at least for small scale production. However, it is no longer an advantage on large scale production and it is easier to weigh large quantities of powder than to count gelatin sheets. Powder and sheet of the same Bloom value can be exchanged in equal weight.

Gelatin sheet: Soak in cold water to be swollen and squeeze out any excess water before using. If there are a large number of sheets, you need to put them into water in batches, otherwise the overlapping parts will not take in water adequately. Ice need be added to water in summer.

Gelatin powder: Add it to 5 times its own weight of cold water. until it completely absorbs the water. Remember not to pour water into powder, or the outer gelatin powder will swell to keep water from entering the interior and to cause insufficient water absorption.