3 Ways to Measure a Cup Without a Measuring Cup

One cup is equivalent to eight fluid ounces. In the United States, recipe measurements for both liquids and solid ingredients are usually given for volume, rather than weight. If a recipe calls for a cup of flour or water, it is referring to the volume of the flour or water and not a specific weight. A standard set of measuring cups will include one-cup, half-cup, one-third-cup, and quarter-cup measurements.

Liquid measuring cups and dry measuring cups have different shapes, and the top of liquid measuring cups features a spout for pouring liquid ingredients. The spout makes leveling ingredients challenging, so it is best to use a dry measuring cup to measure dry ingredients, like all-purpose flour, brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, and cornmeal.

A well-stocked kitchen will usually have measuring spoons, liquid measuring cups, and dry measuring cups, but in some cases, you might need to improvise. Below are methods for measuring ingredients without the standard tools:

1. 1. Convert smaller equivalents. If all you have is a set of measuring spoons, you can use conversions to get the right measurement for one cup. One cup equals forty-eight teaspoons or sixteen tablespoons.
2. 2. Use a kitchen scale. A scale will be useful if you’re cooking or baking without measuring cups. By knowing the weight equivalents or using a volume-to-weight conversion chart, you can weigh your ingredients. One fluid ounce of water by volume is equivalent to one ounce of weight. One cup is eight ounces, and so one cup of water—or a cup of liquid with roughly equal density—will approximately weigh eight fluid ounces. If a recipe includes the ingredients in metric measurements, use this conversion: One cup of water is equivalent to two hundred and thirty-six grams. (For ingredients with a thick density, such as sour cream or peanut butter, a visualization works better.)
3. 3. Visually approximate measurements. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measuring spoons, or dry or wet measuring cups, you can eyeball the volumes. One teaspoon is about the size of the tip of your index finger, one tablespoon is roughly the size of an ice cube, a quarter cup is about the size of a golf ball, half a cup is about the size of a tennis ball, and one cup is approximately the size of a baseball, human fist, or large apple.

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