Dry vs Liquid Measure

[Isaac M. Mandelberg]

Hi,

I have occasionally seen admonitions regarding the use of measuring cups.
Usually, it concerns the measuring of a dry ingredient such as flour, and
the reader is cautioned against using a liquid measure.

Why is this? What is the difference between a dry cup and a liquid cup?

Thanks

Michael Mandelberg

[Jennifer Davis]

Liquid cup measures are slightly larger than dry measures. I can't
recall by how much, I think it's a tablespoon or two.

-Jennifer Davis
dav...@mcmaster.ca

[Adrian Mariano]

g912...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA (Jennifer Davis) writes:

>Liquid cup measures are slightly larger than dry measures. I can't
>recall by how much, I think it's a tablespoon or two.

I don't think this is important.

A fluid cup is 236.6 ml. A dry cup, if anyone used it, would be a bit
over 275 ml. Maybe someone somewhere is using measuring cups that
big, but I've never seen them.

As far as I can tell, measuring cups come in two kinds regardless of
whether you consider liquid or "dry" measuring cups. Either they are
metric, in which case a cup is taken to be 250 ml. Or they measure
the fluid cup of 236.6 ml. My mother has a set of dry measures based
on 236 ml and a liquid measuring cup which holds 250 ml. I happen to
have four sets of dry measuring cups based on a 250 ml cup and a glass
measuring cup based on the 236 ml cup.

I routinely measure liquids in the dry measures when it's convenient.
The only reason not to do this is that you have to fill them to the
brim and there's an increased danger of spilling.

Measuring dry ingredients in a liquid measuring cup wouldn't work very
well because you wouldn't be able to scrape off excess along the top.
If you shake the measuring cup around to get the ingredients to level
off, they might also settle.

[Brian R. Oldham]

The complaints often (usually) come from countries that do not use US
cups to measure dry ingredients, e.g. Britain. If you are happy to use
the 'cup' then do carry on, but it would be nice if US contributors
would remember that there are a lot of folk out here who prefer to use
scales and don't even know how much a 'cup' is. Anyway, measuring
stuff by volume is very confusing - a cup of sugar weighs more than a
cup of flour. Measuring by weight removes all doubt.

---
Brian Oldham
Nottingham UK
!...Gesundbrunnen

[Katja Stokley]

IS...@PHYSICS.UTEXAS.EDU (Isaac M. Mandelberg) wrote:

>Hi,

>I have occasionally seen admonitions regarding the use of measuring cups.
>Usually, it concerns the measuring of a dry ingredient such as flour, and
>the reader is cautioned against using a liquid measure.

>Why is this? What is the difference between a dry cup and a liquid cup?

The volume is the same; it's the measuring methodology that's
different.

A dry measuring cup measures one cup exactly to the rim, so that you
can scoop in the flour (or whatever) and level it off at the rim with
a knife.

A liquid measuring cup is usually somewhat bigger than a cup, and has
a mark to indicate how high the liquid should come. If you use it for
dry ingredients, you tend to shake them down in order to level them
out, which makes your measurement inaccurate.

Hope this helps.

Katja