When I hear “measuring cups,” one question comes to mind: wet or dry? Early on in my baking life, I used dry measuring cups for everything — and I regularly had to clean up kitchen-oil spills after trying to lift full cups from the counter to the bowl. While they are the same volumetrically, dry cups are designed to be filled to the top, while wet cups give space for the liquid to move. I’ve come a long way, learning to scoop and level my dry ingredients with the dry cups, and using liquid measuring cups for oils and other wet ingredients, which greatly reduced my tragic spills.
Take it from a recipe developer: Quality measuring cups are a worthwhile investment. For dry measuring, heavier stainless steel keeps your ingredients from tipping over and prevents the cups from warping in the dishwasher. Reliable handles are a must. No one wants to see the handle bend or break off when they’re scooping peanut butter from the jar. The best dry measuring cups are designed to be leveled for accuracy with a straight-edge tool like the back of a knife or bench scraper — and this is what makes them so difficult to pour liquid out of.
Liquid measuring cups, on the other hand, are designed to direct the flow of liquid into batter without dribbling outside your mixing bowl. They should be easy to read from the side and convenient to scrape clean with a rubber spatula. Measuring cups made of tempered glass are more durable and safe to use with both hot and cold liquids. If you’re looking to measure smaller volumes of ingredients, we also have recommendations for measuring spoons and kitchen scales.
To find the best measuring cups, I reached out to fellow chefs, bakers, and recipe developers to find out what qualities they look for, what home cooks should consider when looking to make a purchase, and what their recommendations are.
Dry measuring cups
Sur La Table’s measuring cups are made of thick stainless steel, and you can tell they’re good quality right out of the box. “They’re heavy gauge and single cast,” says Chris McAdams, a chef who works in product research and development. “I pretty much only use measuring cups if I’m developing for a home cook or using a recipe that’s not listed in weights.” He prefers long handles that are flush with the rim so he can easily level with a bench scraper. In addition to the standard volumes, this set also comes with 1½ and 2-cup measures.
This All-Clad set comes recommended by April Franqueza, pastry chef at High Hampton Inn. “It’s heavy duty, easy to clean, and will last a lifetime,” she says. Plus, the stainless-steel cups are dishwasher safe. They come in ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, and 1-cup sizes and also have internal volume markings so you can minimize the number of cups you dirty. The longer handles, which are riveted just like those on All-Clad’s cookware, help you reach the bottom of dry ingredient storage containers. For measuring ingredients like sour cream, Franqueza says, “The rounded bottoms allow for easy scraping” and their heavy weight “allows me to crush items like nuts and seeds instead of chopping them.”
“I have had the same set of Williams Sonoma measuring cups for over 15 years, and they are still in excellent condition.” says Sarah Belisle, chef and owner of Flamingo Donuts. The cups, made of heavyweight stainless steel, resist tipping over if you leave them on the counter while gathering your ingredients. Like the Sur La Table and All-Clad sets, this one is dishwasher safe and has handles that are flush with the rim. The set comes with a total of 14 pieces ranging from a ¼ teaspoon to a 1½-size cup. If you are just looking to fill in the gaps of your collection, opt for the set of odd sizes, which includes the less common ⅔- and ¾-cup measures along with their odd-size spoons.
The Hudson Essentials stainless-steel cups were one of my first kitchen purchases, and they’ve held up after years of regular use. Like the other dry-measure cups on this list, this set is dishwasher safe and stainless steel. Their curved bottom edges make them easy to scoop ingredients out of with a spatula. If used for an ingredient like honey or maple syrup, one side has a small spout that helps direct the pour. They’re not made with as heavy a gauge as the Sur La Table or All-Clad sets, but they cost less than half of what those cost. The set of six offers ⅔ and ¾ cups along with the classic ¼-, ⅓-, ½-, and 1-cup measurements.
Liquid measuring cups
Measuring a mere two ounces, this cup is convenient for measuring small amounts of ingredients like milk or olive oil. Margaret Eby, deputy food editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and a Strategist contributor, loves this cup. “I have found it’s the most useful measuring cup that I own,” she says. “When a recipe calls for two or three tablespoons of something — particularly something sticky like honey or peanut butter — it’s so much easier to measure it out in this little guy than to break out the measuring spoons.” Eby recommends this cup not only for cooking but for cocktails as well. “I’ve actually bought it as a housewarming present for someone before. It’s one of those kitchen items that I really miss when I’m cooking in another kitchen.”
Many of the cooks I spoke to recommended Pyrex’s liquid measuring cups. Shaza Bana, research chef at the global food service company Compass Group, recommends this classic cup because it is “easy to read and to pour.” The tempered glass is durable and can withstand heat and cold. I’ve dropped mine on the floor more than once without incident in the decade-plus I’ve owned it. Pyrex makes 1-cup, 2-cup, and 4-cup sizes (which unfortunately do not nest). My only complaint is that if I pour too quickly, the contents tend to run down the side of the glass.
Like Pyrex, Anchor Hocking makes a solid tempered glass measuring cup that has easy-to-read measurements and easy-to-grip handles. When I tested them side by side, I found that the Anchor Hocking had a cleaner pour, thanks to the higher lip at the front. This set comes in four sizes: 1 cup, 2 cup, 4 cup, and 5 ounces. The 5-ounce cup has markings not only for the traditional ounces and ml. but for cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons as well, all clearly marked on the side of the glass. This cup is great for recipes that call for odd measurements like “1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons” and for adjusting recipes without the need to convert your measurements.
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