This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This post on how to measure Ingredients was a long time coming! When it comes to baking, accuracy is everything and could mean the difference between success or failure in a recipe.
Watch the video below and learn how to accurately measure all kinds of dry and liquid ingredients so you can bake and cook like a pro.
We’re sharing all of our tips and tricks with you. Some of these ideas will surprise you!.
Watch the Video Tutorial on How to Measure Ingredients:
Our Favorite Measuring Tools:
Here are our Amazon affiliate links to all of our favorite measuring tools (as seen in this video):
Dry Ingredient Measuring Cups
Wet Ingredient Glass Measuring Cups (with pour spout)
Measuring Spoons (2-sided, magnetic)
Digital OXO Kitchen Scale
OXO Storage Containers
Progressive Flour Bin
Progressive Brown Sugar Bin (clay disk keeps sugar moist)
Avocado Oil Cooking Spray
Converting US Measurements to Grams:
Most baking ingredients in the US are measured in cups, oz, lbs, Tbsp, etc. so if you are looking for a good chart to convert ingredients, this conversion chart from King Arthur Flour is my usual go-to source for quick conversions to and from grams.
If you have a kitchen scale and a recipe provides the measurements in grams, by all means weigh those ingredients for best results. Just be sure to zero the bowl before adding the ingredient.
Looking to improve your cooking skills this year? Click to explore our How-To section with all of our cooking tutorials.
Print-Friendly Reference on How to Measure:
How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry)
Ingredients
Tools For Measuring:
- Dry Ingredient Measuring Cups
- Wet Ingredient Measuring Cups, with pour spout
- Measuring Spoons
- Digital Kitchen Scale
Instructions
Measuring with Dry Ingredients Cups:
- Used for anything that does not level itself.
- Spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup and level off the top with a straight edge.
- To measure packed brown sugar, push the sugar into the cup with your hand. It is packed correctly when you turn it out onto a plate and it keeps the shape of the measuring cup.
Measuring with Wet Ingredients Cups (with pour spout):
- Used for ingredients that level themselves
- Set the cup on a flat surface and get down to the level of the measuring cup to visualize the fill line.
- When measuring sticky ingredients (honey, molasses, corn syrup), lightly spray the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray so they don't stick to the cup and pour easily with little waste.
How to Use Measuring spoons:
- Pour liquid ingredients to the top of the measuring spoon.
- Dip spoon into spice containers then level off the top with a straight edge for an accurate measure.
How to Use a Digital Kitchen Scale
- Used when exact measures are required (i.e. almond flour for macarons, chocolate, fruit)
- Turn the scale on, place an empty bowl in the center of the scale and click "zero" or "tare" to zero out the scale so you aren't including the weight of your bowl. Add your ingredients to the bowl until desired weight displays on the screen.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Q: Did any of these measuring tips surprise you? Let me know if you learned something new 😀
Thank-you Sweetie! I never knew about using cooking spray for thicker liquids. Can you do that for your peanut butter ect…..?
Hi Rambie, yes anytime! I think that could work well for peanut butter if you don’t let it sit for too long after you add the peanut butter to the cup :).
Forget all the stress and hassle of compacting or not compacting etc. By FAR the easiest way of measuring ingredients (wet as well as dry) is to WEIGH them!!! All serious cooks/chefs/bakers use scales rather than cups etc. Makes life So much simpler and so much more accurate.
Right! I’m glad you enjoy the video Rob, thanks for sharing!
Wow… I’ve been guilty of compacting the flour! Learned something new! Thanks! Also curious – do you really have to use liquid measuring cups vs. the dry measuring cups? I’ve totally been guilty of just pouring milk in my regular one cup dry measuring cup. Does it actually make a big difference in volume?
Hi Gretchen, it can make a difference with recipes that require precise measurements and when you are trying to attain a specific texture. Liquid measures can be off as much as 10% which can mess up a recipe if the liquid to dry proportions are off. It’s much easier to gauge how much you have filled a dry measure cup because you can see through and tell where the bottom of the curved surface line is, where pouring into a dry ingredients cup is much easier to overfill since the surface tension of water allows the water to sit slightly higher in a dry ingredients cup. If you look straight onto a dry ingredients cup that is filled to the brim, you will see a slight doming on top. Hope that makes sense! 🙂
Thank you for your very helpful video!
Oxo has angled measuring cups, so you don’t need to bend yourself or lift the cup to eye level.
My pleasure Natasha, I’m glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Natasha,
So I have a tip that might be a great one.. not sure if anyone has said it before, but…
I found it a lot easier to measure ingreadients such as molasses, corn syrup, maple syrup, anything super sticky. Line the measuring cup with plastic wrap, pour the ingredient in to the measuring cup lines with plastic gather the ends, poke a hole in the bottom of the baggie that was formed when grabbing the wrap and squeeze the contents in to your bowl.. and clean up is a breeze ! 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing your helpful tip Natalie!
It’s also good to spray the inside of your measuring cup so when you go to pour it out it comes right out!
Thanks for sharing that Linda!
Very easy to understand how to measure wet and dry ingredients…liked this video. And it will b helpful to beginners….
I’m glad you find the video so helpful! Thanks for sharing Harika!
Hi Natasha.Thank you so mutch for all the delicious recipes.You can show us any thing for sauce salade?
Tank you.
Hi Mimo, most of my salad dressing recipes are posted with the full salad recipes on my blog, but I do have a few in the condiments category.
I need a conversion app for recipes, can you recommend a good one, has to be FREE, thanks
Hi Doris, I’m not familiar with any apps for conversion. I typically use online resources like the one I linked above if I need a quick answer.
You are HILARIOUS 😆 Loved the chocolate chip tooth at the end hahaha So glad I watched this video, I’ve been doing a couple things wrong with the measuring! All is well now. 😊
I’m glad you found the tutorial helpful and funny, lol! 🙂
Hello Natasha, I really love your recipes!
I do bake cakes but often i dont have a nice flat top of the cake – they always form a dome and at times even cracks! Could you please provide me with a recipe on a white forest cake? with exact measurements(kgs) that could give me a 1kg cake.
Hi Anyango, I don’t have a recipe for white forest cake but if I come up with something great, I will be sure to share it! 🙂
I always
weigh the flour, brown sugar and butter and have good results.
Thanks for your recipes, they are
very good.
My pleasure Donna! I’m glad to hear that, thanks for following!
Yes, I did learn something! I’ve been guilty of measuring flour incorrectly. Thanks for the tips! I shared your FB post too. Looking for the link for the magnetic measuring spoons…I must have!
My pleasure, I’m glad to hear you found the post so helpful! Thanks for following Angie!
Thank You for the video on measuring, you solved my problem measuring honey, or molasses. Please tell me how to soften and store properly brown sugar. Thank You Margaret
Hi Margaret, the easiest way to store brown sugar is to use a terra cotta disk if you have one. We have a brown sugar container (Amazon affiliate link) and it has a built in terra cotta disk that snaps into the bottom of the lid to keep the sugar moist and you just soak it periodically as needed (every few months). Also, I have read ideas about putting in a slice of bread or very lightly damp paper towel. Also, keepint it in an airtight container after opening to keep the air out and moisture in.
Didn’t know that I need to spoon in flour into my measuring cups 😉 so that’s good to know! The measuring spoons are pretty awesome! My ring is annoying! Lol and also the trick with the honey is sweet too! I’ll definitely be using all of those! Thank you!! 😚
You’re welcome Anna! I’m glad you find the post so helpful! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you the tips ( correctly measuring flour!! ) Definitely getting those measuring spoons!
I’m glad you find the tutorial helpful! 🙂
Loved this, thank you!
You’re welcome Victoria! I’m happy to hear that!
Love your measuring video! The brown sugar and honey measuring were new for me. Thank you for sharing Natasha! 😀
You’re so welcome! I love learning new kitchen tips and tricks also 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the video!
I saw this video and though “I already know how to measure” but watched anyway because I like your videos. But surely enough I was compacting my flour! And I love the tip about non stick spray for the honey! I bet your recipes will be even more awesome now when I make them because I’ll be measuring correctly :). Thank you, this was a really great idea for a video.
Oh Yay!! I’m so glad it was useful to you :). Thank you for watching and for the feedback! 🙂
Hey Natasha! This is a really helping video! I am 15 and I am homeschooled I took an elective and it’s called Home Economics l i learned how to measure the right way..it does come in handy!
That’s so great that they offer a class like that. I would have really appreciated that kind of class! I’m so glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful 🙂
No “annoying ring”? My mind is blown!! I hate that ring and the spoons always get lost from each other. Now I am getting these for sure! Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure Marina! I’m glad you found the post so helpful! 🙂
Natasha…your measuring class was perfect…especially for measuring honey using a spray first…thanks…love all your recipes.
You are so welcome, Dorothy. Glad that was helpful!