Buzz
Believe it or not, tossing a pinch of this, a handful of that, and a dash of your secret ingredient all counts as measuring, even if the measurements are in your own terms. While there's no harm in experimenting with flavors and ingredients when preparing a meal—that’s part of the joy—precise measuring becomes crucial when you aim to replicate a recipe consistently or follow a specific one. Here’s how to consistently measure every ingredient in your kitchen.
When and How to Use Volume Measurements
When measuring something 'by volume,' you are assessing the space an ingredient occupies. While simple, the term 'cup' in the kitchen has two meanings: short, scoop-like cups for dry ingredients, and taller cups with spouts and measuring lines for liquids.
Measuring cups, used for both dry and wet ingredients, are the most common tools for volume measurement. Many recipes, particularly in the U.S., list ingredients by volume rather than weight. Whether you're baking chocolate chip cookies or making chicken soup, you've likely measured by volume. For dry ingredients, fill the measuring cup by scooping or pouring until it's full and level. For liquids, fill it to the desired line on the cup.
When measuring flour and other ground or powdered ingredients, the standard method is 'spoon and level.' Alternatively, you can measure by weight, but we'll cover that later. Use a separate spoon to transfer the flour from the bag into the measuring cup, then level it with a straight edge like a bench scraper or the back of a butter knife.
This extra step is necessary because of particle density. A directly scooped cup of flour is packed more tightly and weighs more than a spooned and leveled cup. By spooning and leveling, you introduce air into the flour, so less flour occupies the same space. Think of how brown sugar behaves when dropped into a cup versus when it's packed down. Scooping flour directly could lead to drier or denser recipes than intended.
How to purchase measuring cups
I use both dry and wet measuring cups regularly, depending on the recipe. When working with recipes that use cups as measurements, I always apply the spoon and level method for powdered ingredients, and the results are always perfect. For optimal performance, choose dry measuring cups that feature a well-defined edge for easy leveling. While handmade ceramic cups shaped like elephants or lemons may be cute, they won’t give you a clean level over that trunk. Personally, I prefer stainless steel cups for their sharp edges, as well as their ability to resist retaining odors, scratch-free surface, and easy-to-clean nature.
For wet measuring cups, I swear by PYREX (not pyrex), made with borosilicate glass. This material allows you to measure hot liquids safely or even microwave one to melt and measure butter or chocolate. Plus, they’re super easy to clean. Whatever brand you choose, make sure the cup has measurements on both sides, ideally in cups, ounces, and milliliters.
It’s important to have both wet and dry measuring cups on hand:
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups 5-piece Set
Pyrex 3-piece Measuring Cup Set
Volume measurements will get you quite far, but if you develop a deep fondness for a recipe and want to replicate it consistently, or if you wish to dive deeper into baking, converting the measurements to grams and documenting the mass will lead to the most reliable results every time.
When and how to measure by weight
I made the shift to weighing ingredients when I began baking professionally, but more and more home cooks are adopting the kitchen scale. These tools are small, affordable, accessible, electronic, and easy to operate. It's an exciting time for both home chefs and the metric system (especially in the United States).
Weighing ingredients gives you the exact mass of the ingredient on the scale. Factors like grain size, air content, or compression won’t affect its mass. For instance, if you place an egg white on the scale and then whip it to double its volume, the mass remains unchanged—though some egg white might remain on the whisk.
The accuracy and consistency of weighing ingredients depend on your scale. Most scales are quite accurate, and mass is far less debatable than volume. But don’t just take my word for it—use your kitchen scale to weigh a scooped cup of flour versus a spooned and leveled one. You may be surprised by the difference. Then, switch the scale to grams and compare the weight of a tablespoon of fine table salt with a tablespoon of coarse kosher salt. If you’re baking bread, accurate salt measurements are crucial, especially for the yeast.
Once you’ve had fun with that, explore your scale's additional functions. Toggle between grams, ounces, and pounds. Be sure to use the 'tare' function, sometimes referred to as 'zeroing out.' This feature resets the scale to zero regardless of what’s on it, so you can measure all your ingredients in a single bowl. Measure the flour, reset to zero, measure the sugar, reset again, and then measure the butter—no need for multiple bowls.
First and foremost, please get yourself a kitchen scale. You don’t need anything fancy—just something simple will do:
Ozeri Digital Kitchen Scale
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale
A kitchen scale is an essential tool for any baker, though you don’t need to be a baking enthusiast to find it useful. It’s perfect for measuring portions of pasta (two ounces can be deceiving), ensuring your burger patties are uniform in size, or for weighing ingredients during your weekly meal prep.
Understanding the right time and technique for measuring potent ingredients
Sometimes, weighing ingredients isn’t the most efficient method, especially when dealing with strong flavors like seasonings and spices, where even a small amount can make a big impact.
Measuring spoons are essential for small quantities of ingredients like dried and fresh herbs, spices, hot sauce, chili flakes, salt, ground peppers, citrus zest and juice, and extracts. Kitchen scales, unless they are highly specialized (and you likely won’t have one of those), can’t always measure such tiny amounts accurately. A scale might miss small changes in weight, like a gram or two, leading to over-seasoning or an unintended change in a recipe.
My top choice will always be stainless steel measuring spoons:
Magnetic Measuring Spoon Set, 2-sided
Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon Rectangular Design
For measuring powders, ensure you level off the spoon’s top, and a set with a sharp edge will make this easier. Stainless steel is durable and practical, making it a solid choice. While classic round spoons are common, the tablespoon size can often be too large for most spice jars. Instead, go for oblong or rectangular spoons, like those mentioned above. Equip your kitchen with these tools, and you’ll be prepared for any recipe.
