Kitchen Essentials: Measuring Cups & Spoons

It's a no-brainer: Most recipes need exact measurements. But do you have what it takes to tackle that cookie recipe? Maybe, maybe not.

With NYC apartments being so tiny and kitchen cupboard space being non-existent, some of you might be relying on your liquid measuring cup to appraise how much sugar or flour you need, which would make Alton Brown cringe! The difference isn't so much about the volume - pour flour into a liquid cup measure, you'll still end up with a cup of flour - but the measuring accuracy, which is essential for baked goods.

Graded, dry measuring cups allow you to scoop and level dry ingredients, as the proper way to measure is to scoop the graded cup into a bag of sugar/flour/other dry ingredient and then level the top with a knife, which can't be done with a liquid measuring cup. Similarly, you can't measure liquids in dry measure cups. The liquid measure is usually clear (and made from Pyrex), enabling the cook to pour the liquid into the measuring cup with room enough at the top to prevent spillage.

One good tip for measuring sticky substances, like honey: Spray the inside of the liquid cup with nonstick cooking spray, so they won't stick. And stop relying on one of your soup spoon - pick up a set of measuring spoons that ranges from 1/8 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon will definitely cover you. If you make the investment and use the right measuring tools, your recipes, and potentially your guests, will thank you.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Laren Spirer in Food on February 26, 2008 2:31 PM

Comments [rss]

Knarf

Actually, the coolest measuring spoons are rectangular, not round: it enables them to fit inside a spice jar.

newsyspice

I have two sets of those magnetic measuring spoons. They are da bomb.

My husband doesn't understand my love.

Jenelle

A better space saver is those magnetic measuring spoons like this -

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/progressive-magnetic-measuring-spoons--gt-3470

Then they don't get separated in the mystery junk drawer. :)

JMH

Ooh, I like that idea about using cooking spray to measure honey.

Sure, you could eye things or multitask your measuring cup, but why bother? A set of measuring cups costs $7 at Bed Bath and Beyond, a set of spoons costs $4, and a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup costs $4 also. None of these things take up much space and all of them last forever. There's no reason not to have them on hand. (Unless you're going for Alton Brown cred and want to weigh all your solids, of course.)

Politburo

Actually, Alton Brown would cringe because you're not using a scale. Dry ingredients should be measured by weight whenever possible.

And you can totally use a dry cup for liquids. It's just messy, as you state. I use a dry cup for liquids like honey and corn syrup, since it reduces the interior surface area of the measuring device that the material can cling to (still happens even when you spray). Also note that when reading a liquid measure, one should read at the bottom of the meniscus.

All of that said, in my experience the idea that baking requires exact measurements is largely a myth. Obviously you don't want to dump in a T of soda when a recipe calls for 0.25 t, but if you're measuring by volume, as most do, you're always making inexact measurements. Most bakers have been doing this for many, many years without detrimental effects. Also, certain ingredients (eggs, mainly) are not uniform.