Professor: “I’m struggling with measurements; that is the hardest part of a recipe.”
Chef Alex: “Using measurements in recipes is crucial to ensure accuracy and produce food of high quality. It also provides consistent results so that the recipe will turn out the same way every time it is made.
Professor: “I think that all the departments used the metric system at the university.
Chef Alex: “Yes, it is more accurate and easier to work with. Laboratories of all kinds, scientists, and even drug dealers all use the metric system.
Professor: “If I’m not mistaken, the US system we use now is very similar to the old British Imperial system.”
Chef Alex: “That is correct. We got our system from the British colonists. However, sometime after Independence, Great Britain changed their system slightly, but we kept what we had. If you see an old recipe using the Imperial system, it is almost identical to ours, but some of the liquid measurement is a little different; I think a US gallon is about 17% less than an Imperial gallon, and Imperial dry measures are about 3% larger than their US counterparts. Of course, Great Britain now uses the metric system, as almost everyone else in the World.”
Professor: “Cooking measurements, cooking equivalents, and cooking conversions can be confusing.”
Chef Alex: “Here’s how you can use measurements effectively:
Read the Recipe: Carefully read the recipe before cooking or baking. Note the specific measurements and units used for each ingredient. We are usually talking about three measuring conventions: Count, Volume, and Weight.
Weight is usually the preferred type of measurement in professional kitchens, including liquids, because it is easier to attain accuracy with weight than volume.”
Professor: “I have never understood why some recipes measure butter in cups.”
Chef Alex: “I’m with you. Next is:
Gather Necessary Tools: Ensure you have the appropriate measuring tools for dry and liquid ingredients. Standard measuring tools include:
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Kitchen Scales
- Liquid Measuring Cups, Pitchers
Use the Right Measuring Tool: Choose the correct measuring tool based on the ingredients and the unit specified in the recipe. Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients and liquid measuring cups for liquids. For small quantities, use measuring spoons.
Level Off Dry Ingredients: When measuring dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, or cocoa, use a flat edge (e.g., the back of a knife or a spatula) to level off the top of the measuring cup or spoon to ensure an accurate measurement.
Measure Liquids at Eye Level: When measuring liquids, place the measuring cup on a flat surface and read the level at eye level to get an accurate measurement.
Use the Tare Function (for scales): If using a kitchen scale, use the “tare” function to zero out the weight of the measuring container before adding the ingredient. This way, you get the precise weight of the ingredient.
Convert Units, If Needed: Use conversion charts to ensure accurate measurements if your recipe uses a different unit system than what you have on hand (e.g., converting from metric to US standard or vice versa). See below.
Be Precise: In baking, where precision matters, try to be accurate with measurements. Small deviations can affect the outcome of the dish.
Follow the Order: Measure ingredients in the order specified in the recipe. For instance, if a recipe calls for mixing dry ingredients separately, follow that order.
Keep Track: As you measure each ingredient, mark it off the recipe or use a checklist. This helps you avoid missing ingredients and ensures you don’t double up on anything.
Adjust as Needed: If you need to scale the recipe up or down, make appropriate adjustments to the measurements, maintaining the ingredient ratios.
Practice: With time, you’ll become more familiar with standard measurements and will be able to estimate quantities more accurately.
Remember, cooking and baking are both science and art. Precise measurements give you a solid foundation, but don’t be afraid to experiment and add flair to recipes once you feel more confident!”
Professor: “I made a cake last week, but when I put the batter in the pan, it overflowed. All the ingredients and the pan size were right, but it didn’t fit. So, I had to use a bigger pan.”
Chef Alex: “It happens that recipes don’t specify what kind of baking pan or size to use. Here is a list of how many cups of batter some standard baking pans will hold.
- 9 x 5-inch loaf pan = 8 cups
- 9-inch square pan = 8 cups
- 9-inch springform pan = 10 cups
- 9-inch round cake pan = 12 cups
- 10-inch Bundt pan = 12 cups
- 10-inch tube pan =16 cups
Other measurements:
Volume
Teaspoon (tsp) – 5 milliliters
Tablespoon (tbsp) – 15 milliliters
Fluid Ounce (fl oz) – 30 milliliters
Cup (c) – 240 milliliters
Pint (pt) – 473 milliliters
Quart (qt) – 946 milliliters
Gallon (gal) – 3.8 liters
Weight
Ounce (oz) – 28.35 grams
Pound (lb) – 453.59 grams
Metric Conversions:
1 liter (L) = 1,000 milliliters (ml)
1 gram (g) = 1,000 milligrams (mg)
1 kilogram (kg) = 1,000 grams (g)
Please note that these measurements are approximate and can vary slightly. When following a recipe, use the specified measurement units to ensure accurate results.”
| Teaspoon | Tablespoon | Ounce | Cup | Fluid | Weight | Metric | Fluid Metric | Vintage |
| 1/32 | Smidgen | |||||||
| 1/16 | pinch | |||||||
| 1/8 | Pennyweight/Dash | |||||||
| 1/4 | Salt spoon | |||||||
| 1/2 | Coffee spoon | |||||||
| 1/8 | Dram | |||||||
| 1 | 1/3 | 1/6 | Kitchen spoon/size of hazelnut | |||||
| 2 | 1/6 | 1/3 | Dessert spoon | |||||
| 3 | 1 | 1/2 | 1/16 | 14.175 g | Cooking spoon/size of walnut | |||
| 4 | 1 1/3 | 2/3 | 1/12 | |||||
| 5 | 1 2/3 | 5/6 | 1/9 | |||||
| 6 | 2 | 1 | 1/8 | 1/16 lb | 28.35 g | 28.4 ml | Knob/Pony | |
| 8 | 2 1/6 | 1 1/3 | ||||||
| 9 | 3 | 1 1/2 | Jigger | |||||
| 12 | 4 | 2 | 1/4 | 1/8 lb | 56.70 g | Wineglass/Fistful/Jack/hen’s egg | ||
| 15 | 5 | 2 1/2 | 1/3 | |||||
| 18 | 6 | 3 | 3/8 | 85.05 g | ||||
| 24 | 8 | 4 | 1/2 | 1/4 pint | 1/4 lb | 113.40 g | Teacup/Gill/Jill/Handfull | |
| 30 | 10 | 5 | 2/3 | |||||
| 36 | 12 | 6 | 3/4 | |||||
| 42 | 14 | 7 | 7/8 | |||||
| 48 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1/2 pint | 1/2 lb | 226.80 g | 0.227 liter | Glassful/tumbler |
| 54 | 18 | 9 | 1 1/3 | |||||
| 72 | 24 | 12 | 1 1/2 | 3/4 pint | ||||
| 96 | 32 | 16 | 2 | 1 pint | 1 lb | 0.454 kg | ||
| 144 | 48 | 24 | 3 | 1 1/2 pint | 1 1/2 lb | 0.680 kg | ||
| 192 | 64 | 32 | 4 | 1 qt | 2 lb | 0.907 kg | 0.907 liter | |
| 128 | 64 | 8 | 2 qt | 4 lb | 1.814 kg | Pottle | ||
| 128 | 16 | 1 gal | 8 lb | |||||
| 14 lb | Stone | |||||||
| 32 | 2 gal | 16 lb | 7.265 kg | Peck (dry) | ||||
| 4 gal | 32 lb | Pail (dry) | ||||||
| 8 gal | 64 lb | Bushel (dry) | ||||||
| 9 gal | Firkin | |||||||
| 10 gal | 80 lb | Anker | ||||||
| 18 gal | Runlet | |||||||
| 63 gal | 504 lb | Hogshead |
