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Measuring Basics
Experienced cooks know that careful measuring is important if you want to get consistent results in the kitchen. This is especially true for baked goods, when too much (or too little) baking powder or baking soda or flour can mean the difference between a tall, gorgeous layer cake and a flat, dense frosted pancake.
So what should be in your arsenal of measuring utensils? Basically, you will need one set of measuring spoons for the little stuff and two sets of measuring cups for the big stuff. (Since you measure dry ingredients differently than liquids, you need a set of cups for each.)
Liquid Measuring Cups come in 1-, 2-, 4- and 8-cup glass or clear plastic cups with pour spouts. You can buy sets of three or four, but if need be, you can get by with just one 2-cup measure. Purchase cups with handles and make sure they have the last marking well below the rim (so measured liquids will not spill over the top). When measuring liquids, always place the cup on a level surface, then bend down and check the measurement at eye level for accurate reading.
Dry Measuring Cups are glass, plastic or stainless steel and come in graduated nesting sets which usually include a 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup. With these cups, the measurement is at the rim, so that you can level off ingredients. To "level off" a dry ingredient, add enough to the measuring cup to heap over the top of the cup, then use a table knife to swipe across the top, causing excess to fall out and creating a level top. For less than 1/4 cup, use standard measuring spoons.
Measuring Spoons, available in plastic or stainless steel, are used to measure smaller amounts of both dry and liquid ingredients and usually come in sets of four that include 1/4-teaspoon, 1/2-teaspoon, 1-teaspoon and 1-tablespoon measures. For dry ingredients, be sure to level off the ingredient as you do for cup measures.
Tips for Accurate Measuring
• When measuring ingredients such as flour or granulated sugar, do not tap, shake or pack down the dry ingredient. Just lightly spoon it into the cup to overflowing, then level off the top with the edge of a knife.
• As with flour and sugar, when measuring bread crumbs or grated cheese, spoon lightly in the measuring cup and level off; do not pack down.
• Brown sugar, however, should be packed down firmly, without leaving pockets of space, then leveled off for accurate measuring.
• Note that although some flour packages say that sifting is not necessary, it is best to stir up the flour before measuring as it has a tendency to pack down.
• Before measuring baking powder or baking soda, be sure to break up any lumps first—a quick way is to press it through a wire strainer.
• When measuring butter or margarine, you don't need to pack it into a measuring cup. The wrappings have markings indicating tablespoons and teaspoons, so you need only cut the stick at the appropriate spot.
• To measure honey, corn syrup, molasses and other sticky ingredients, lightly oil the cup or spoon with a spritz of cooking spray—the sticky stuff will easily flow out with the simple aid of a rubber spatula.
• For sticky ingredients, you can also first fill a metal measuring cup or spoon with boiling water and let it sit a few moments. Pour out the water, then immediately fill the warmed measure with the sticky stuff—it'll pour right out.
• When measuring strongly flavored seasonings, such as hot pepper sauce or vanilla, measure the ingredient over the sink, NOT directly over the dish you are preparing. (Think about what would happen if your hand slipped a bit and you put a tablespoon of red pepper into the meatloaf instead of a teaspoon!)
• Occasionally, you’ll see a measurement for a "heaping tablespoon" or "scant 1/4 cup." "Heaping" means that you should add more of the dry ingredient to the cup or spoon, so it heaps above the measure. "Scant" means that you should use a bit less than the measurement.
Measurement Equivalents
Here are some common measurement equivalents:
1 teaspoon = 60 drops
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
2 cups = 1 pint = 16 fluid ounces
4 cups = 2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
Other miscellaneous equivalents
1 dash = less than 1/8 teaspoon
1/3 cup = 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
1 jigger = 1 1/2 fluid ounces = 3 tablespoons
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