Topic: Are CUP measurments instead of weight driving you crazy too?

[dtw]

On the subject of weights and measures, are market traders still being forced (by Europe) to use metric measurements?

[landimad]

DTW,
They can use the old or new money as far as weighing of produce.
Like the selling of a pint, it cannot be sold any other way.
They stopped this stupid law a while back when we asked a trader on the market where we live. ;)
Back to the question in hand, (Are cup measurements instead of weight driving you mad?)
The answer is no. I have no scales to weigh ingredients with as it is all done by eye and feel. My OH and the kids hate this way of cooking. I on the other hand love it as you never know how it will turn out. ;D ;D ;D

[Jeannine]

ZIGZIG..if you want a cup of solid fat,take a 2 cup measure fill it to the 1 cup mark with cold water, then scoop your solid fat in till you reach the two cup mark,pour off the water and you have your one cup of solid fat.

Cups drove me nuts when I first went to Canada, but eventually I got used to it..now I so much prefer it , it is quick, easy, and no scales to mess with.

At first it messes with your head,simply it is a measure of volume..not weight, so you have to switch your thinking.

It really does work, and it is so very simple.

I even convert the weight measure recipes now.

When I taught baking to Mums in my school I used the cup system and they found it  much easier.



XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

BIBLE CAKE

I like this I will send it to my daughter who is a God squaddie.

[Spudbash]

I use battery-powered add-and-weigh scales, which can be set to measure in grams/kilos, ounces/pounds and also liquid measures, which is extremely convenient and saves washing-up.  ;D

I'm a member of the Guild of Food Writers, happy to write recipes in metric, but equally happy to have the freedom to buy food in imperial measures. I rarely use cups because I write for British readers and I think finding American recipes on the internet is often a source of frustration for British cooks - not least because our ovens are calibrated in degrees celsius.

The logic for writing recipes in metric is given on the Guild of Food Writers' website (see link below). Often, the most frustrating recipes to use are those in which the metric measures are a fiddly conversion of the imperial (eg 340 g for 12 oz), rather than a proper re-writing into metric.

http://www.gfw.co.uk/campaign-details.cfm?ArticleID=126#Metric-Imperial_weight_conversion

PS If you visit the website and know any talented young cooks, why not check out our CookIt! and WriteIt! competitions?

[Ishard]

I prefer the cup method, its easy to do and it doesnt matter which cup you use as long as you use the same one throughout the recipe.

[PurpleHeather]

To be honest I was not expecting so many responses to this. I was pleased to find the site for myself and thought that I would share.

When I saw that spudbush had mentioned writing recipes. I thought that I would add another frustration I have had with recipes.

The writer frequently omits the tin size and/or shape.  

Loads of detail then for some reason. That, sometimes vital bit of information is missing.

Many of us on here have been cooking for longer than some others have been alive and instinctively know but for a total novice trying to bake for the first time, they often have no idea what container to use.

[Spudbash]

PurpleHeather, I agree - it's a bit arrogant to write a recipe and not to let people in on the secret of which size tin will make the recipe succeed!

In times past, recipes could get away with being vague, but given that large numbers of us haven't had the opportunity to learn cookery skills systematically, my tendency is to err on the size of pedantic, when writing recipes for baked dishes, in particular. Other types - soups, stews and so on - can be more flexible.

[Squashfan]

Well, as an American living in the UK I had to get used to going metric. I did buy a set of cups and bring them over. I think Delia also has imperial and cup measurement conversion charts in one of her books. It's also helpful to know that 375 degrees F is basically 170 degrees Celsius, or close enough. Another tip was from Nigella, with 180g being equal to a 3/4 cup. Or close enough. So far I haven't poisoned anyone, but weighing is more accurate, methinks. I usually pick a type of measuring and stick with it for the whole recipe.

[PurpleHeather]

That was quick spudbash. Thanks

When you said about not necessary with soup type things reminded me of when my daughter was about 12 or 13. (Her kids are older than that now, so it was some time ago)

She had often helped but wanted to make a spag bol meal by herself. We stayed out of the kitchen, at her request and promised to do the washing up after she had made the meal for us all.

She had a recipe she had come across.

Fry the chopped onions until brown

That took my smallest saucepan.

fry the meat.

That did not fit in my smallest saucepan with the onions, she later explained, so she put the onions into a dish whilst she found  the next size saucepan.

When it came to adding the tomatoes they would not fit and so it went on.

I had never seen so much washing up after a meal which should have needed no more than one pan for the sauce and one for the pasta. one wooden spoon and a colander.

It is funnier now than it was then.

[lillian]

I would quite happily dump imperial and metric. Using cup measurements are easier to use and you don't need scales.

[bennettsleg]

Just be aware that cups differ.  American, Australian and English cups all vary.  I love using cups and now convert my English recipes to cups now too. 

[Jeannine]

The difference between US, UK and OZ cups is sooo teeny minimal..just overlook it..however the difference in tablespoons is important, the OZ tablespoon is a different size to the others and can make a big difference.. a UK and UK tablespoonholds three 5ml teaspoons an OZ one holds 4.

The difference in the cups if measuring liquids are..OZ and UK are 250ml..  the US one comes out  very slightly less, it makes no difference when measuring flour etc.

XX Jeannine

[cambourne7]

Stall holders I belive can show both weights and measures ifvthat answers your question the won a court case to allow them about 2-3 years back.

As for cooking I don't mind which honestly :)

[qahtan]

I posted this on 30 march, thinking it would help you Brits, but no one seemed to take any notice, why did I waste my time as you seem to enjoy moaning about the way we on this side of the pond do things,,,,,

                qahtan  
1 pound Butter = 4 sticks
1 stick Butter = 1/4 pound = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 oz = 115 g
8 oz Butter = 225 g = 1 cup
1 (450 g) pound Butter = 2 cups
1 oz Butter = 30 g = 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon of butter = 1/2 oz = 15 g
A thingy of Butter is, at best, an inaccurate measurement that really means a "dollop". While certainly, some people maintain that a "thingy" is around 2 tablespoons, there are as many folks that maintain that the closest measurement to a "thingy" is about 2 tsps.
Another definition for "thingy" of butter is the amount of butter you get when you slice the corner of a block of butter to form an isosceles of Butter that needed to be preserved for a longer time. Salting the Butter well was a way of doing this. Even though the milk surplus days are over, the Welsh still retain a taste for salty Butter.

The first commercial creamery in America to make Butter started business in Iowa in 1871.

The American Congress decreed in 1923 that American Butter must have a minimum 80% butterfat in it; that law remains unchanged today.
 

[Jeannine]

Hi, it seemed to me that it was more like cooks shaking their heads in puzzlement as we do regarding many culinary problems wether it be  cup measurements or making brioche..

 I am in the middle of the " other side of the pond" thing geographically and I have to say that when I first met cups  in the 70s  I thought this side of the pond was completely behind the times, of course it took me only a little practise to realise it was not a worse  or better way of measuring, it was simply different. I think the moaners as you call them are where I was back in the 70s. I am glad my friends who I moaned at kept here patience with me till I fully understood.

Your info is very useful, not  new to me, but I thank you for posting it anyway.

Please be patient  with Brits and baking the US way... I didn't get it for some time and was very frustrated and I am sure some of my friends could have rattled me as I moaned.

 When I returned to the UK for 9 years I thought weighing was behind the times for a while and had to remind myself of the lesson I learned in the 70s..it is just different. Now I am home again  and used to both, but I prefer cups, however no-one could have convinced me of that no matter how hard they tried in the beginning!!

[Melbourne12]

Every time I find an interesting recipe on the net the measurements come in cups.

It has been driving me crazy.

I have found this site which tells you a lot more conversions than any other.

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/us_cups_to_weight.htm

I am sure it will be useful to most cooks.

That's a nice list, and very convneient.

But if anyone is really stuck for a conversion, you can get almost anything on here: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

It's the nutrient database maintained by the US Department of Agriculture, but if you type in the food that you're after, it'll offer you various options for analysis by weight.  At least one will show the conversion from volume to weight.  You don't need to proceed all the way through to get the nutrient analysis.

[carosanto]

Good Morning All

Well the great Cup debate goes on but here's another take.  My mother taught me to bake using only a tablespoon for a measure as her Mum had taught her (no money for scales, literally!) .  A rounded tablespoon of flour or sugar = an ounce (all Imperial terms of course), a level tablespoon was a half ounce  Butter or fat was measured by marking half a block then quarters to get ounces again. Liquids were all measured mostly by the tablespoon, but often, as in the case of pastry, by intuitive 'feel'.  My mother went on to become an Officer's Mess cook during WWII.  She was, and still is,a fabulous pastry cook.

Even much later when I did Domestic Science at school, the measurements were all done with a tablespoon.  So much for the science of weighing.

Whilst on the subject I often notice that recipes get their tablespoons and teaspoon measures mixed up when abbreviating them.  I.e.  Tbsp (or Tbs)  = tablespoon,tsp = teaspoons, I think that's right.

Surely it can't matter all all as long as your main measure, i.e. cup, tablespoon, remains consistent throughout.  Happy cooking.

Regards, Caro

[qahtan]

But where is your recipe coming from???

UK tablespoons are larger than American...... qahtan

[Jeannine]

Re tablespoon size..

Yonks years ago, when I was a nipper, tablespoons came out of cutlery sets, they were big clonking things. We also used them as measures in baking at school, thing was they were pretty much a standard size.

Modern day cutlery sets that actually have tablespoons can be any size as it is the decorative value that is priority.

Tablespoons used in baking,  comes in sets down to 1/8 of a teaspoon  are measuring spoons and are pretty standard..teaspoon 5ml. tablespoon 15ml . 4 tablespoons will fill a 1/4 cup measure.

Baking tablespoons in OZ hold 4 5ml teaspoons.

Carasanto is right, we did used to measure like that..with honking big metal "tablespoons" . I still have a couple jusy fir nostalgia.

UK and UK baking tablespoons are the same.

XX Jeannine

Since writing this I have just been in the kitchen

I have a set of UK spoon measures and a US set, they are identical !!