The importance of measuring in the kitchen: know your sizes!

Are measuring cups or spoons important? Maybe you know someone who is a fan of cooking, and to you it seems like they just throw ingredients back and forth and ta-da! The result is something simply delicious. You wonder if it’s magic or not, and that makes you reflect on the importance of measuring accurately during cooking. The answer to the question is surprising: extremely important. If you can’t measure, expect your results to be average or terrible. Cooking is science. From mixing dough to sautéing vegetables, you’re creating delicious chemical reactions. A precise balance of carbohydrates, fats and liquids results in a masterpiece.

Too much salt or putting too much baking soda in the cookies can destroy the flavor. The muffins will taste bland and bland. If you are a beginner, you should pay special attention to measurement. Your future success and satisfaction depends on the exact replica of the recipe.

When you feel comfortable with your cooking skills, you will probably be motivated to try different things. You might want to drop some chocolate chips into a regular peanut butter recipe, or replace cranberries with walnuts in oatmeal cookies, or replace walnuts with peanuts. All of these methods are innovative and fine-tuned, but first you must acquire and perfect the skill of measurement.

First of all, you will need some measuring equipment. An easy start for beginners can be learning how to use measuring spoons. Measuring spoons often come in a set of four to six spoons, each ranging in size from a quarter teaspoon to a tablespoon. When measuring liquids, fill the spoon to the brim to get an accurate measurement. For dry ingredients like flour, scoop it up and scrape the edge of the spoon with a knife or flat object until it’s even level with the edge. Measuring cups come in two types: graduated and glass. Graduated measuring cups hold about 4-6 cups in a set and are used to measure dry ingredients such as shortening. Glass measuring cups come with one, two, or four cups and are used to measure liquids. When using a measure of a thick liquid like corn syrup, the inside of the cups should be sprayed with cooking fat so it doesn’t stick to the inside and is easier to remove.

One method of measuring dry ingredients is to transfer the ingredients to a spoon and pour them into the cup. Then take a utensil with a flat surface and level it. This will give you an exact measurement of a cup. However, if the recipe tells you to add a heaped cup, you should not level it and add the ingredient along with the extra mound on top. When measuring a liquid, always make sure to use a glass measuring cup. To read liquid ingredients accurately, place the cup on a flat surface and read the measurement at eye level.