My Kitchen Measuring Tools

Wether you are a cook or a baker, there are basic measuring tools everyone needs in their kitchen . This post is a description of those tools and anything I could find that was interesting. That includes some history, hints on use, and tips that you might find helpful. These are not so critical when you are cooking a dish you know how to make, but when first starting out these save the day by allowing you to follow recipes. For baking these are a necessity. I should also state up front, that I avoid plastic when I can, so my preference for these tools is glass or (non-aluminum) and non-reactive stainless steel.

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Measuring Tools

Digital Scale

Every one should be using a food scale these days. First, bakers are moving from volume to weight for their recipes. Second, they are also using grams rather than ounces for better precision. So your digital scale should give weights in grams and the American ounces. Here are some other reasons for having a scale:

• Digital scales are more accurate than measuring spoons or cups, necessary for baking.
• If you are not familiar with European measurements, no problem switch to grams and just measure.
• An easy way to have consistent portion control, say of meat-based protein, is to measure.
• Everything can be mixed in one bowl; just add items to the bowl, reset to 0 (by pressing the tare button), + add next item.
• 8oz = 1C: but if I need 8oz of flour, I need to weigh the flour, because 1C flour is not 1C in volume. So measuring cups measure volume not density or weight.

These devices are generally small enough to fit on the flat kitchen countertops. Be sure to keep the manual as these devices need to be calibrated occasionally.

Glass Measuring Cups – Liquid Measures

Company

The Corning company has been producing their Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups since 1915, and they have been in nearly everyone’s kitchen since then for these obvious reasons:

• From the beginning they were sturdy and you could stack in one another.
• They are made from thick, heavy glass and are sturdy when sitting on a counter.
• The measurement lines have always been red, as far as I am aware, and are easy to read.
• Environmentally they are totally recyclable and are non-reactive to any cooking liquid you may put in them.
• They are non-porous so no staining, or residual smells and easy to clean.
• They are usable as a bowl when needed, especially the 4C size.

Then in 1998 Corning spun off Pyrex and a new company called International Cookware (1) bought the rights to use the name, but changed up the glass composition. The reasoning for the change was Pyrex switched to tempered glass, most likely because boron, which is used to make borosilicate, is toxic and expensive to dispose of (2). 

Unfortunately, the new formula created a new glass measuring cup that could not withstand thermal heat changes, or direct use on electric stovetops, as the new glass would sometimes shatter. For example, a calculation published by the American Ceramic Society found that borosilicate glass can withstand a sudden temperature change of up to about 330 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas tempered glass can withstand a temperature change of about 100 degrees. To me and many others, that changed the quality of the measuring cups in significant ways. In Europe they still use the Borosilicate and follow the older recipe (3).

Quality

That being said, my preference continues for the Pyrex 1-2-4 cup glass measuring cups that have USA and international marks. (Pyrex does have a larger measuring cup, but I would not recommend getting it for it would be heavy when filled.) These are for wet ingredients, like milk or water, and have a pour spout and measurements etched into the cups on the outside.

To measure, fill the cup with the liquid, set the cup on a level counter or table, crouch a bit and get eye-level to the measurement marks to eyeball the level. Mostly I use these cups for the usual liquids like water, milk, broth and so on. But also they can be used for more viscous liquids like honey or syrup. Tip: Oil the interior of the cup first to help ease these sticky liquids out.

The larger the glass cup the sloppier it is when pouring so keep that in mind and position over the center of a bowl you may be pouring into.

I keep an eye out in Goodwill and other such places for the older Pyrex measuring cups. Or oder from France

Metal measuring cups – Dry Measures

My preference is metal dry measuring cups as they provide a heavier feel, which makes it feel more balanced to me and thus easier to use since they can stand up on their own and not lean over from the handle weight. They are very durable, resistant to stains, scratches and clean easily. I specifically look for cups made with one piece of metal so there are no welding marks in the bowl. I found some that had little spouts on them, but avoid those as they do not provide accurate measurements.

These are for dry items, like flour or sugar, and you fill them and level off the amount with a knife or ruler. To measure accurately, slightly over-fill the metal cup with the “powder” and level it with a knife or ruler making sure there are no empty pockets of space in the cup.

I use these cups for the usual “powders” like flour, sugar, etc. But also for measuring dry goods like quinoa, rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, dry beans, etc. And use these for nut or seed butters because they are easier to fill and measure properly, and also it is easier to remove the tacky ingredients (just remember to spray oil first). Other ingredients like soft cheese, apple sauce, sour cream, yogurt, also work better in the dry measuring cups.

These metal cups can handle boiling water but will get very hot, and of course they cannot go into the microwave.

They come in a standard 4C measuring size: 1 cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup and ¼ cup and easily nest.

Measuring Spoons — Dry + Wet Measures

My preference is a sturdy stainless steel of 1/8t, 1/4t, 1/2t, 1t, 1T and 2T spoons with a leveler. These are for both wet or dry ingredients. Notice that this set comes with a leveler which is also a small ruler.

In recipes you might be directed to add 1t of an ingredient, or they may say a heaped teaspoon, or scantly a tablespoon or even rounded. These directions refer to how the ingredient lays in the measuring spoon.

Scoopers

These used to be called ice cream scoops, but these days we use them for all sorts of baking (think cookies, cupcakes, etc) and meals (scoops of food). There are actually three different types of scoopers.

• Disher: good for rice, small pasta, muffins, cookie dough, mash potatoes, rice, beans, etc., and comes in a very large variety of sizes: from 2t to 1C.
• Dipper: good for hard icecream, and in my house this is what we use and bonus, it is easy to clean
• Spade: used for softer ice cream, but I rarely see this in home kitchens only commercial ones

Kitchen Timer

Most stoves have a timer built in that can be set for oven or stovetop cooking. This works if you are preparing only one dish, but if multiple dishes are being cooked and need to be timed having a small kitchen timer is very helpful to prevent overcooking. My spouses uses our phones as each have a timer built in as well, but I do not know where my phone is sometimes so having this little gadget in the kitchen is helpful.

Shot Glass

I have a shot glass at home that has measurements on it that I use when baking or cooking calls for some alcohol liquid. Is this needed for cooking, no not really. But I do use it for making cocktails or mocktails for my dinner guests.

Ruler

This is used occasionally and I prefer a metal one. I use this tool most often when baking and I am trying to roll out dough to a particular size or thickness. There was a small ruler attached to my measuring spoons and for most things that has been enough. If I was more a baker I would probably have an 18” one to measure out pies and such.

Thermometers

Environment Thermometer: When baking, you need to consider the environment temperature, and humidity, so that the baking calculations come out correctly (1).

• The addition of milk to a dough needs to be at a particular temperature and so the baking room temp is part of that calculation.
• When it is humid flour is not as fluffy, it falls in on itself and becomes a bit compact.

Appliance Thermometers: I use thermometers in my oven, fridge, and freezer to keep tabs on the accuracy of my settings (1). I check the cold appliances at least once, and my oven once a year.

• Freezer: 0F or -18C
• Refrigerator: at or below 40F or 4C
• Oven: To make sure I understand my stove’s true temperature and adjust accordingly

Candy Thermometer: A candy thermometer is a long, bluntish, and narrow thermometer, with a high heat range, built for measuring boiling sugar, oil, sauces, and syrups. So they help with candy making, deep fat frying, and when making syrups. If you make candy, or deep fat fry, this would be very handy to buy. I do not, so do not have one.

Meat Thermometer: This is a smallish, pointy, low heat range thermometer to be poked into thicker parts of meat to gauge the temperature. If a meat is safe to eat, it should attain the temps listed in the graphic above.

Useful Hints on these Tools

Baking Hints

Measuring cups, both the liquid glass or dry metal kind actually hold the same volume. However they are not interchangeable. If you measure liquids in dry measuring cups you will overfill.

It is hard to pour dry ingredients into measuring cups or spoons, better to dip the cup or spoon into the bag or container.

The dry metal cups are filled to the brim and then leveled off, while the liquid glass cups are eye-balled to a line etched into the glass. What is so key, is that the water is not flat, but curved and that curve is taken into account in the recipe. For baking, the difference between the two can significantly effect the the dough being made.

For baking, never measure over your cooking bowl for it is hard to retrieve a spill from other ingredients. Sort of like never crack eggs over your cooking bowl, crack in another bowl and then pour into your cooking bowl, thus keeping out bad stuff, egg shells, etc.

If needing the same measuring utensils for wet and dry ingredient, always measure out the dry first and then the wet.

Do not mistake fluid ounces (volume) for ounces (weight).

Cooking Hints

Measuring cups, glass and metal, are interchangable when cooking based on volume but this is not true with baking where precision is key.

With dry measuring cups, never pack the ingredient unless it is called for by the recipe. Flour and other similar ingredients are fluffy and airy, so pressing it down is rarely, if ever, called for. The only thing I have ever pressed is brown sugar (light or dark).

Using the digital scale is helpful to assure proper portion sizes (often I am surprised at how different those are from what I thought), and when making a roux (butter and flour are 1:1 by weight).

Equivalences

International Cup Vs US

With the internet we are accessing recipes from everywhere in the world. So note that while a US cup is 240 mL, in UK a cup is 250 mL. I assume if the author is American I use the USA count, and if the author of a recipe is not I use the UK count.

Older Measures

• Pinch – DRY the amount you can pinch between your forefinger and thumb, ~1/16t.
• Dash – DRY a small shake, between 1/16t and 1/8t; WET is ~3 drops.
• Jigger – WET 3T or 1 ½ fluid ounces.
• Scant – Use slightly less than the actual measure, such as “just scant of 1C.”.
• Heaping – DRY the ingredient heaps over the rim of the metal measuring cup or spoon.

Cups to Tablespoons

• 1 cup = 16 tablespoons
• 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
• 2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons
• 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
• 3/8 cup = 6 tablespoons
• 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
• 1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons
• 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
• 1/16 cup = 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

PattyCooks Measurements Abbreviations

t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon
C= cup
oz = ounce
pt = pint
qt = quart
gal = gallon
# = pound
~ = approximate or “around”

Salutations

Hopefully this list surprised people, as there are more measurement tools used in the kitchen than many people are aware of.

Honestly, I learned to cook by watching my mother (she actually did not want me in the kitchen as she thought of me as a wild and messy cook), restaurant kitchens, cooking classes, and as an apprentice to a Chef. The American measurements I learned from my 1950’s Betty Crocker cookbook, that I still use for some very basic recipes; although I admit I have writing all over it as tastes have changed over the past decades since the book I have was written.

For me this exploration was enlightening, for instance I did not realize my 1C pyrex was the new glass variety but the color that appeared on the rim (in the top picture) let me know I had two older PYREX cups and one of the newer pyrex glass ones (its color at the rim gave it away). Time to hunt for a replacement for that one.

—Patty

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