The Best Measuring Cup

If you’re surfing an urge to cook or bake, ride that wave and get started! But before you turn on the oven or fire up your stovetop, make sure you’ve got some of the most important cooking tools on hand: measuring cups.

Cooking is basically chemistry. You need the right ratios of ingredients to concoct the perfect meal, or else you’ll wind up with flavorless cakes and badly seasoned beef. Measuring cups and spoons guarantee a picture-perfect result. 

Measuring cups for dry ingredients usually come in sets of five, with measurements from ¼ cup up to 1 cup. Some measuring cup sets go up to 2 cups, including every increment from 1 cup and above. They’re usually made from plastic or stainless steel. The measurements are printed on, painted on or etched into the cup’s handle. 

Measuring cups for wet ingredients look like a pitcher. There may just be one large cup with many marked increments of measurements or a set of cups for different sizes. Liquid measuring cups are usually made from plastic or very thick glass.

Measuring spoons will help you add the perfect level of spice to your dish. They typically come in sets of six, measuring from ⅛ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon. They are also usually made from plastic or stainless steel, with measurements painted or etched onto the handle. 

You’ll need measuring cups, liquid measuring cups and measuring spoons to make your favorite meals. Check out our Tips & Advice for more info on buying these kitchen staples. 

• Plastic measuring cups and stainless steel measuring cups each come with their own pros and cons. Plastic cups are less expensive, but they might not hold up as well in the dishwasher. Stainless steel cups and spoons will last much longer, but they’re usually a bigger investment up front. 
• You can measure liquids with a set of dry ingredient measuring cups, but investing in a liquid measuring cup is well worth it. It’s much easier to view the measurement as you pour, you’re less likely to spill your liquids and many liquid measuring cups are freezer, microwave and oven safe.
• To accurately measure dry ingredients, add them to your measuring cup or spoon and level it off with the back of a knife. If a recipe calls for “tightly packed” ingredients, push as much of the dry ingredient as you can into the measuring cup or spoon, then level it off with the back of a knife.
• To accurately measure liquid ingredients, pour the liquid into the liquid measuring cup and place it on a flat surface. View the cup from the side and look for the liquid’s meniscus. (The meniscus is the slight concave curve in the liquid’s surface.) The bottom of the meniscus should line up with the measuring line. Some liquid measuring cups are designed with a piece of plastic that lets you read the measurement from the top. If you’ve got one of these cups, you can just read the measurement from there.
• Hand wash plastic measuring cups or place them on the top rack of your dishwasher. Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons should be fine in your dishwasher’s cutlery basket.