American cup measurements?

odds-n-sods

do what number 2 suggests, far easier than trying to use a conversion table, which may or may not have listed what you are using.

thriftlady_2

lolarentt wrote: »

250 ml - unfortunately it then gets even more confusing as the Americans use volume measure for things like flour which we would normally measure by weight

Sorry:) , but it isn't 250ml, because Americans don't use metric measurements. They use ounces and a cup measures 8 fluid ounces the nearest metric equivalent is 284 ml.

It doesn't matter whether it is flour, sugar or sprouts in the cup. If you are following an American baking recipe it is really much much easier to use a cup measure rather than convert. Get a set of cups -not expensive and easy to find in a cook shop. I really don't know why people get in a tizz about them

edit: an American pint is 16 fl oz (like ours used to be back in the 19th century), so a cup is half a pint. If your recipe asks for a quart of anything, it means a quarter of a gallon -ie 2 pints -BUT it's 2 US pints so it is 32 fl oz (more or less 1 litre) oK, so I'm a measuring nerd

Bongedone

You can buy a set of cups at ASDA for 50p in the value homeware range or a metal set for a couple of pounds. They also sell the measuring spoons for 50p.

lolarentt

thriftlady wrote: »

Sorry:) , but it isn't 250ml, because Americans don't use metric measurements. They use ounces and a cup measures 8 fluid ounces the nearest metric equivalent is 284 ml.

They don't but we do!

JenniO

As an american I can't see why people get in a tizz over it either. To be honest, we americans are probably more laid back when it comes to cooking. I find it a pain to keep measuring things like 225 grams of this and so on just to cook something.

In american cooking, everything's relative. If a recipe calls for 2 cups flour to one cup of sugar, as long as you use an actual like coffee mug for both flour and sugar, your ratio will still be right.

I'm certainly not trying to insult anybody on this forum whatsoever and god knows I have a lot to learn too but I just really want to try to point out that I believe american recipes are a bit laid back and not to worry too much when using cups and tablespoons and teaspoons etc. HTH.

Swan_2

tbh, I prefer to weigh, so if I have an American recipe that I'm going to use more than a couple of times, I weigh the ingredients after 'cupping' them, & write the weights in the recipe book

I don't think one method's better than the other, I think it's just a matter of what you're used to

thriftlady_2

lolarentt wrote: »

They don't but we do!

Yes, some of us do (I'm old enough to be an imperial girl) but that doesn't make an 8 fl oz measure = 250 ml

SoozyJ22

My issue with cups is more to do with shopping than with the baking itself. I was sent a recipe by a friend in America that included chocolate chips and dried cranberries. When shopping for ingredients I really didn't know how much to buy - it's much easier to check the weight rather than try imagining the size of a cup and working out how much you'd need to fill it. I now have the weights written down so I know what to buy in future.

Murtle

JenniO wrote: »

As an american I can't see why people get in a tizz over it either. To be honest, we americans are probably more laid back when it comes to cooking. I find it a pain to keep measuring things like 225 grams of this and so on just to cook something.

In american cooking, everything's relative. If a recipe calls for 2 cups flour to one cup of sugar, as long as you use an actual like coffee mug for both flour and sugar, your ratio will still be right.

I'm certainly not trying to insult anybody on this forum whatsoever and god knows I have a lot to learn too but I just really want to try to point out that I believe american recipes are a bit laid back and not to worry too much when using cups and tablespoons and teaspoons etc. HTH.

:T I can cook all my Mums receipes with one of her tea cups, mugs produce too much! But the teacup is just right, and so long as everything is measure the same way it works just fine!!

ravylesley

I love baking with cup measurements as previously said it feels a more laid back way of measuring ingredients

Thriftlady I'm an imperial sort of girl too:D

Lesleyxx