Measuring cup

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A simple plastic measuring cup for liquids

A measuring cup is a kitchen utensil used primarily to measure the volume of liquid or powder-form cooking ingredients such as water, milk, juice, flour, and sugar, especially for volumes from about 50 ml (2 fl oz) upwards.

Using a measuring cup to measure bulk foods, like chopped vegetables or shredded cheese, leads to large measurement uncertainties, and is therefore avoided in recipes that state a precise nutritional content. It is nevertheless common practice when a kitchen scale is not available.

Other typical household uses include measuring washing powder, liquid detergents or bleach, usually with a separate measuring cup not also used for food. Measuring cups may be made of plastic, glass, or metal. The most common forms have capacities between 0.2 and 1 litre, though larger sizes are also available (for commercial use). Smaller forms, known as measuring spoons, lack a scale and have a defined volume only when filled and leveled to maximum capacity.

[edit] For liquid measure

Cups for liquid measure have capacities from 250 (approx. 1 cup) to 1000 ml (approx. 4 cups = 2 pints = 1 quart), and generally include a scale. Liquids are added to the cup until the level is even with the wanted scale amount.

The units may be millilitres or fractions of a litre, or (especially in the United States and Australia^{[citation needed]}) the cup and its fractions (typically 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4), pints, and sometimes fluid ounces. There may also be scales for the approximate weight for particular substances, such as flour and sugar. Sometimes multiples of teaspoons and tablespoons are included. It is originally from the United-States.

[edit] For dry measure

In the United States level measures are generally used for dry measure.^{[citation needed]} Dry measure cups come in sets (typically 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup, though other sizes are sometimes found).

Some dry ingredients, such as granulated sugar, are not very compressible, and their volume does not vary much with weather conditions, so volume measures are consistent. Others, notably flour, require more attention. For example, 1 cup of all-purpose flour sifted into a cup and levelled weighs about 100 grams, whereas 1 cup of all-purpose flour scooped from its container and levelled weights about 140 grams.^[1]