Measuring Cups & Spoons: 100 Measuring Tools Tested

TEST KITCHEN – Over 100 Cups and Spoons Tested – Here’s the Results.

Setting out to find the best measuring spoons and measuring cups wasn’t an easy task. It was the battle of measuring small differences. This article covers our testing methods and provides detailed results for each of the measuring tools we examined.

Every recipe starts off the same way: a list of ingredients and measurements.

Since the publication of Fannie Farmer’s seminal The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book in 1896, recipe writers have called for standardized measurements, and the world of cooking is better for it. Imagine how difficult baking would be if you were still expected to eyeball things like a piece of butter the size of an egg, or enough flour to fill both hands twice.

We often ignore the simple things we use every day, but why should your measuring spoons get less attention than the twentieth single-task small appliance crowding your counter?

The best cookware is the stuff you actually use, and nothing gets more use than your spoons and cups. Let’s give them the attention they deserve.

BUYERS GUIDE: What to look for in a good measuring cup and spoon.

A good kitchen should have measuring spoons for:

• measuring 1 tablespoon and under of dry and wet ingredients
• dry measuring cups for measuring ¼ cup to 1 cup of dry ingredients
• at least one liquid measuring cup for liquids starting at ⅛ cup

Dry and liquid cups are used differently – dry cups are filled to the top and leveled off, while liquid cups are partially filled to the marking lines.

MEASURING SPOONS

There is a world of measuring spoons out there, but we’ve decided to focus on the four key spoons that every recipe expects to see:

• 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon
• ½ teaspoon
• ¼ teaspoon

Some sets include other useful sizes, most commonly ⅛ teaspoon and ½ tablespoon. Choose a bigger set if you like to do everything with a single spoon instead of calculating how to split measurements into multiple spoons; choose a smaller set if you don’t like the weight of a big set on the heel of your hand while you use one spoon.

The shape of the bowl is also something to consider. Round spoons are the classic version, and are great for liquids, especially sticky ones, since you can empty them out easily and neatly. Rectangular bowls are great for getting ingredients out of jars. Even the tablespoon on some of our better-shaped sets will fit into a narrow spice jar.

Most of our spoon sets are held together with a ring, and the quality of that ring matters. The ring should hold together so you don’t lose spoons, but it’s nice to be able to take a spoon off for precise jobs. The spoons should move easily on the ring too.

DRY MEASURING CUPS

Like with spoons, we’ve defined the critical dry cups every set should have.

In this case, we’re focusing on:

• 1 cup
• ½ cup
• ⅓ cup
• ¼ cup

Some sets include other measures, most commonly the ⅛ cup and the ¾ cup.

Like with the spoon sets, consider how much you care about splitting measurements among cups when making your decision. The rings that hold the cups together were a contentious topic in our test kitchen.

Do you keep your cups together on the ring when storing them, or do you store them loose? If you store your cups on the ring, then you’d better get a good one that’s easy to pull cups off and on without needing to manipulate the whole stack of cups.

LIQUID MEASURING CUPS

There are a lot of sizes of liquid cup around, and while you might want to have some big ones around for dealing with large amounts of stock, we focused this review on the 1 cup size. I find it the most useful for measuring liquids as part of a recipe, and it’s my go-to unless I specifically need more capacity.

The most important factors to consider in a liquid cup are markings and the handle. The markings should be easy to read, even if the cup is full of colored liquid. The handle should feel strong and sure – think about how you’d feel scooping into a pot of boiling pasta to reserve pasta water.

OUR TESTING

We brought 10 sets of spoons, 9 sets of dry cups, and 4 liquid cups into our test kitchen and tried them all in a range of tests. Before the results, let’s run through those tests so you can see how we came to our conclusions. 

ACCURACY

Dry Cups

The whole point of measuring is to get the right amount, so your tools need to be accurate. It’s a tricky process to measure that, and we put in a good amount of work at it.

Dry ingredients are too imprecise – they pack differently from scoop to scoop. Instead, we measured water, which is constant from fill to fill. We used a calibrated scale that reads down to 0.01 grams to measure the water, then compared that to the NIST standard for volume.

The big difficulty is the meniscus.

Water’s surface tension draws up the center of the liquid higher than the edges, and the correct measurement is to the center. I set a spoon on the scale, knelt down so that my eye level was even to the top of the spoon, and gradually filled the spoon drop by drop with a syringe. As the level got close, I would see the top of the meniscus each time a drop disturbed the water.

I would stop and check the measurement as soon as I could see still water. I repeated each measurement three times, and found I could consistently measure to within 0.1 grams.

Wet Cups

Dry and liquid cups were much wider than the spoons, and the meniscuses were more ambiguous. For those, I only trust the measurement within 1 gram.

Liquid measuring cups had one more problem – my scale only goes up to 500 grams, and the glass cups full of water were too heavy.

For the liquid cups, I had to fill them off the scale, then pour the water into a vessel on the scale. To compensate for the water that does not come out of the cup, I measured the holdback by weighing the dry cup, filling it, emptying it, and weighing the water that remained.

One last note: I measured two of the core spoons/cups from each group, using a die to randomly choose which ones got measured.

EASE OF USE

While I fiddled with a syringe, the rest of the team put our test subjects to work at things closer to their actual jobs. We had a jar of flour and used all of the dry cups, noting which ones fit in the jar, and which did not. We also considered which ones were easy to scoop, which were easy to level, and which had the best handles.

For a tougher test, we used slightly staled brown sugar. The sugar was hard and difficult to scoop. This told a lot about which handles are usable, and which ones get painful. This also showed a lot about the strength of the spoons/cups. The weaker ones bent and flexed under the force needed to scoop out the hardened sugar.

For the liquid cups, we tried filling them from a tap and a bottle to different measurements, then pour them. This gave us a practical look at how easy they were to read and handle.

BUILD QUALITY

Build quality is a bit more nebulous, but after we were reasonably sure everything else was done, we tried to break our new tools.

We tried bending the spoons and breaking the handles of the cups with our hands.

We looked at the measurement markings and tried to rub them off with a scrubbing pad. Any noticeable change was a bad sign for how they would hold up after dozens of washes.

We looked at the rings that held the sets together and bashed them around a bit on the counter to see how they’d hold up.

Finally, we looked at any special features a set offered, and evaluated whether it was worthwhile.

RESULTS
BEST MEASURING SPOONS

We’re dealing with small differences here. As such, we’re taking our usual 5-star scale down to three stars. These capsules aim to tell you everything we found in our test kitchen – good, bad, and just strange.

In alphabetical order, here’s all the top selling measuring spoons and our Test Kitchen reviews and rating for each. Ratings are presented best of (★★★) three stars, with the overall rating for each product displayed alongside the product name.

Amco Advanced Performance Measuring Spoons ★

Buy From Amazon

Accuracy ★

The Amco spoons scored poorly for accuracy. I tested the tablespoon at 13.6 mL, 8.1% less than the correct measurement. The teaspoon measured 4.5 mL, also 8.1% less than the correct measurement.

Ease of Use★★

These spoons felt generally good, with sturdy, comfortable handles. One problem we found is that the bowl of the spoon sits slightly below the handle. This makes them hard to level, since the knife has to slide backward over the bowl instead of the usual forward movement.

Build Quality★★

Despite their sturdy feel, the Amco spoons have a tendency to bend where the handle meets the bowl. The engraved markings are readable and look like they’ll last. The latching ring is convenient and moves easily through the large handle holes.

Chef Craft 42019 Measuring Cups, 10 Piece Set, Green ★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Chef Craft spoons were part of a set that includes both spoons and dry cups. The spoons are plastic, and the set adds a ½ tablespoon and ⅛ teaspoon to the basic four. The bowls are round, and the spoons hang from a plastic ring with a ball-and-socket closure. Cost for the set was $4.50 – well below average.

Accuracy ★★

Accuracy was a mixed bag for the Chef Craft spoons. I tested the tablespoon at 14.6 mL, just 1.4% less than the standard. The teaspoon was farther off at 5.4 mL, a whopping 10.2% over the standard.

Ease of Use★

These spoons are flimsy plastic and extremely bendy. They could not scoop the brown sugar at all. The handles are comfortable.

Build Quality★

Build quality is low, as you might expect for less than $5. The handles are unworkably bendy (though we could bend one double without breaking it). The markings are good, but even after a matter of hours they are starting to pick away. The ring is terrible and falls apart at the slightest force. The spoons can’t fit around the ring joint, so they have to be used in one orientation.

Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon Set ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Cuisipro spoons are a metal set that includes the basic four spoons plus a ⅛ teaspoon measure. The bowls are oval-shaped, and the set hangs from a latching ring. One interesting feature is that the spoons have curved tails so that each one sits level on the countertop with surprising stability. Cost for the set is $15, one of the highest-priced sets in the test.

Accuracy ★★★

The Cuisipro spoons are one of the most accurate in the test, with both the ½ teaspoon and the teaspoon measuring exactly the correct amounts.

Ease of Use ★★★

The oval-shaped bowls proved to be a good compromise between round and rectangular. They fit well into spice jars, but were very easy to empty and clean. The set is medium in weight and features comfortable handles.

Build Quality ★★

While it held up fine in the brown sugar test, we could bend the spoons a bit at the connection of the bowl and handle. The embossed markings a readable and appear to be durable. The ring is convenient, but the latch does not fit through the holes easily.

1Easylife 18/8 Stainless Steel Metal Measuring Spoons ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The 1EasyLife spoons are a metal set, and include the basic 4 plus ¾ teaspoon and ⅛ teaspoon. The bowls are rectangular, and they hang from a latching D-ring. The price was $10, about average for the sets in this test. Like the Cuisipro, these spoons have curved handles to sit steady, but unlike that set, these spoons don’t sit level.

Accuracy ★★★

The 1EasyLife spoons were nearly perfect in this test. The ¼ teaspoon measurement was spot-on, while the tablespoon was just 0.1 mL over the standard.

Ease of Use★★

The rectangular shape is extremely convenient for getting into small jars. Some of the curved handles are comfortable and easy to grip, while others are awkward. The handles overall are moderately comfortable, though the edges can be a bit jabby when digging into the brown sugar.

Build Quality★★

Though medium in weight, the spoons resist bending fairly well. The engraved markings are readable, and the shape of the handle should protect them from damage. The D-ring is fine, but the long ends of the handles block it from sliding around completely.

KitchenAid KE057OHAQA Classic Measuring Spoons, Set of 5, Aqua Sky/Black ★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Kitchenaid spoons are a plastic set including the four basic spoons plus a ½ tablespoon measure. The bowls are round, and the spoons hang from a plastic ring secured with shrink-tubing. The price was $4, one of the cheapest in this roundup.

Accuracy ★★

The accuracy was reasonable for the Kitchenaid spoons, and was the best of the plastic sets in our test. The tablespoon was 2.7% too large, while the ½ teaspoon was worse at 8% too large.

Ease of Use★

The Kitchenaid spoons have an arch in the handle that is a bit awkward. Each spoon can balance level on its handle, but they’re really hard to separate, so I don’t know that it would ever come up. That arch makes them harder to level with a butter knife, since the knife doesn’t move cleanly down from the handle to the bowl. The holes are coated in rubber, and while the connection is tight, it’s still a worry for cleaning as it changes over time.

Build Quality★

These are not strong spoons, and they did not hold up well in the brown sugar test. We snapped one by hand without any significant effort. These things won’t last. The markings are very good and embossed very high. I think the marks will age better than the spoons. The ring is acceptable, but you can’t take spoons off easily, and I don’t trust it over the long haul to stay shut.

New Star Foodservice 42917 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups ★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The New Star spoons are part of a set of spoons and dry measuring cups. The spoons are metal, and include the basic four. The bowls are round, and they hang from a split ring. Cost for the set is $13, below average for this roundup when considering they’re part of a set with cups.

Accuracy ★★★

Accuracy for this set was solid. The ¼ teaspoon measured right on the money; the ½ teaspoon was about 2% on the high side.

Ease of Use★

These spoons are extremely basic, to the point of feeling unfinished. The edges feel raw and sharp, cutting into your hand as you scoop even flour. The brown sugar was quite uncomfortable to dig.

Build Quality★

These spoons are extremely bendy, with thin, tiny handles. The ½ teaspoon was slightly bent right out of the package. The edges, as noted before, feel unfinished and sharp. The engraved marks are readable, but oddly written. The split ring is fine, as long as you never want to take one off for something.

Prepworks by Progressive Magnetic Measuring Spoons ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Prepworks by Progressive spoons are metal, and include the basic four plus a ½ tablespoon. These are our odd set, as they are not attached on a ring, but instead stack together with magnets in the middle of the handles. The design is double-ended, with each spoon having a round end and an oval end. The cost is $16, the highest in this test.

Accuracy ★★★

Accuracy was dead-on for both the ¼ teaspoon and 1 teaspoon, with both ends tested on both measures.

Ease of Use★★★

We loved this double-ended design, providing the best of both worlds in a single spoon. They’re also very convenient to handle since you only use one spoon at a time. These spoons performed well with both the flour and brown sugar.

Build Quality★★

As good as they are, these spoons aren’t perfect. The handles are a bit bendy, and when they flex, the label-plate with the magnet separates a little bit from the handle. That label is also only printed on, and it faded a little with a little scrubbing. These spoons need to be treated gently, and I don’t think these will hold up for the long haul.

Prepworks by Progressive Ultimate 19-Piece Measuring Cups & Spoon Set ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Prepworks by Progressive Ultimate set contains both plastic measuring spoons and dry cups, and wow, does it have a lot of them. In addition to the core set, there are 2 teaspoon, ½ tablespoon, ⅛ teaspoon, 1/16 teaspoon, and 1/32 teaspoon measures. Those last two are, uh, probably not useful. The set is held together with a plastic oval ring with a ball-and-socket closure. Price for the whole set is $8 – extremely inexpensive.

Accuracy ★

This was the most inaccurate set of spoons in the test. The teaspoon was 10.2% too large, and the ¼ teaspoon was 7.7% oversize. These are significant flaws, and could botch a baking recipe. I’d love to test the 1/32 teaspoon just for fun, but even the 0.01 gram scale couldn’t adequately account for something as small as 0.31 mL.

Ease of Use★★★

We were surprised by how well these spoons actually worked. The spoons are extremely comfortable and level well. They can’t scoop the tough brown sugar well, but they’ll do.

Build Quality★★

Better than expected. These spoons bend, but they don’t break. The markings are well-placed on the back of the handle and are well-embossed. On the bad side, the oval ring is terrible. All the spoons really have to sit on one side, so it’s awkward to maneuver, and it falls apart with the slightest bump.

Spring Chef Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Metal Measuring Spoons ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Spring Chef set are metal, and contain the usual four plus a ¾ teaspoon, a ⅛ teaspoon, and a leveler. The leveler has a flat side for leveling spoons, a pointy bit for cleaning stuff out of the corners, and a 2-inch ruler. The spoons have rectangular bowls and hang from a latching ring. Cost is $12, a little over the average mark.

Accuracy ★★

Close to a top score, but just a smidge off. The ¼ teaspoon was right on, but the 1 teaspoon was high by 2%.

Ease of Use★★★

The rectangular bowls are very easy to use, especially in tight circumstances. The handles feel substantial, but the edges are a little sharp. The leveler is an interesting idea, but not that useful. It’s no better than a butter knife, but you have to take it off the ring or arrange the whole mess just right. Nice idea, but not that good.

Build Quality★★★

The handles are solid, with a little crosswise curve for stiffness. The rims of the bowls are reinforced to protect them while being bashed around. Markings are engraved near the bowls and easy to read. The ring is convenient, but the latch has to be maneuvered through the holes.

U-Taste 18/8 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The U-Taste spoons are metal, and contain the base four, plus a ½ tablespoon, ¾ teaspoon, ⅓ teaspoon, ⅛ teaspoon, and 1/16 teaspoon measure. I’ve never seen the ⅓ teaspoon before, nor have I seen a recipe that calls for such a thing. The spoons have round bowls and hang from a latching D-ring. Cost for this set is $14, one of the high-priced ones.

Accuracy ★★

Accuracy was mixed for the U-Taste, with the ½ teaspoon reading 0.1 mL under the standard, but the 1 teaspoon measuring 0.4 mL over what it should.

Ease of Use★★

This set of spoons has deeper bowls than some of the other round models, and that was very helpful when trying to dig into the sugar. The handles feel pretty raw, and dig into the skin a bit. The set is also pretty heavy and awkward since it has so many spoons.

Build Quality★★★

These are built to last. The handles are very stiff, and they feel very solid. The markings are engraved and read easily. The D-ring is a good choice, and the holes in the handles are very large, so it moves easily.

RESULTS
BEST DRY MEASURING CUPS

Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set, 6 Piece ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Bellemain set is metal, and contains the basic four cups plus a ¾ cup and ⅔ cup. The cups are held together by a ball-chain. Cost for the set is $19, which is on the expensive side.

Accuracy ★★

These cups were medium in accuracy. I tested the ⅓ cup as 2.5% short and the ½ cup at 1.7% short.

Ease of Use★★

The short handles on these cups were awkward, and dug into our hands when scooping brown sugar. The corners are especially jabby. The rim of the cup dug nicely into the hard sugar.

Build Quality★★

The handles on these cups are bendy, but the cups themselves are solid, with a nice little roll on the rim for reinforcement. They store very compactly, but the chain will not hold them together effectively. The engraved markings are on the small side.

Chef Craft 42019 Measuring Cups, 10 Piece Set ★

Buy From Amazon

Description

These cups come as a set with measuring spoons and dry cups. The set is plastic and includes just the core four cups. The cups are held together with a plastic ring with a ball-and-socket closure. Cost for the set was $4.50 – well below average.

Accuracy ★★

Accuracy was mixed on the Chef Craft cups. The 1 cup came in 6 mL too big, while the ⅓ cup was just 1 mL on the large side.

Ease of Use★

These cups are wide and shallow, which makes them very awkward to get in a jar. The handles are extremely bendy, and can’t stand up to the brown sugar test at all. The handles are comfortable, just not practical.

Build Quality★

The Chef Craft cups are bendy and flimsy. The measurements are big and easy to read, but already starting to come off after one day of use. The ¼ cup is imbalanced, and can’t hold up its own handle. The plastic ring is weak and falls apart with any amount of force.

New Star Foodservice 42917 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups ★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The New Star cups come as a set with measuring spoons as well. The cups are metal, and contain just the basic four cups. These cups have interesting loop handles and pour spouts on both sides. There is no joining ring. Cost for the set was $13 – inexpensive, considering it comes with cups and spoons.

Accuracy ★

The New Star cups were the least accurate in the test, with the ⅓ cup 6.3% too large and the ¼ cup a whopping 8.5% too big. This was a bit surprising since the spoons were relatively good.

Ease of Use★★

We loved the handles on these cups the most of any of the ones in the test. These loops were comfortable and easy on the hands. The well-shaped rims cut through the brown sugar easily. The measurement markings are almost unforgivably bad, though. They’re on the bottom of the cup and very faint.

Build Quality★★

The cups look to be well built. The handle attachment looks questionable, since they are a separate piece unlike most of the other handles in the test. We tried to snap one off, but it stayed on. The design is especially attractive, but the cost of that beauty is that the measurements are very poorly marked. They are faint now, and I could see those getting obscured over time pretty easily.

Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups, 5-Piece DQ

Buy From Amazon

Description

The NorPro metal cups have the usual four cups plus a ⅛ cup measure. The cups have an unusual shape, like an elongated scoop with pour spouts on both sides, and a rubber cover for the handle. The inside of the 1 cup has secondary markings for the other sizes in the set. The cups are joined together with a latching ring. Cost for the set is a whopping $32 – the highest in the roundup.

Accuracy ★★

Accuracy was on the bad side of moderate, with both the ¼ cup and ⅓ cup 3 mL short of the standard.

Ease of Use★★

The scoop shape was effective at scooping up flour, but the cups were heavy and awkward to maneuver.

Build Quality DQ

The cups themselves are well-made, with a solid rim that will hold up well. The engraved markings on the handles are legible. Unfortunately, there’s a disqualifying problem. The rubber covers on the handles are loose, and it’s going to be basically impossible to wash under them. Food will get trapped in there and can’t get cleaned out. As a matter of food safety, we can’t use these cups.

Norpro Grip-Ez Measuring Cup Set Of 6 New Bpa Free Plastic ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The NorPro plastic cups come in a set of six, with the four usual cups joined by ¾ and ⅔ cups. The cups are held together by a plastic triangular ring with a ball-and-socket closure. The price for this set is $7 – very reasonable.

Accuracy ★★

The NorPro plastic cups were mid-pack in accuracy with the ¼ cup 5.1% short of the standard and the 1 cup 3.8% low.

Ease of Use★★

The handles are comfortable and provide a good grip. There’s a bit of flex on the brown sugar, but they could handle it. Annoyingly, these cups are unbalanced and can’t hold up their own handles. If you keep your cups on the ring for storage, you will not like this ring, which was extremely awkward to deal with.

Build Quality★★

These cups were solid for plastic, with very easy-to-read markings on the handles. The design of the handles has perpendicular ridges on the bottom for stiffness, but that leads to little pockets at the attachment that are tough to wash. The 1 cup is not quite level.

OXO 11132000 Good Grips Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps, Stainless Steel ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The OXO metal cups come in a set of the basic four. The interesting feature of this set is that the handles are held together by magnets. The handles have a rubber top and plastic bottom sandwiched around the metal. This set costs $20 – one of the expensive sets in this group.

Accuracy ★★★

These cups were very good for accuracy, with the ⅓ cup just 1 mL too big and the ½ cup 2 mL too large.

Ease of Use★

These handles are a problem. They’re comfortable on the top and bottom, but sharp on the edges, right where your fingers rest when trying to scoop the brown sugar. The magnets are a nice idea, but not powerful enough relative to the weight of the cups to really keep them together unless perfectly positioned.

Build Quality★★

Construction on these is solid. We were worried about the three-part handles, but when we bashed them around, we couldn’t separate the materials. There are some awkward places on the underside of the handle where washing is difficult. Unlike the other cups in this roundup, the markings are not engraved or embossed, and won’t last too long. The ¼ cup and ⅓ cup are imbalanced and won’t hold themselves up.

OXO 11111102 Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups, 6-Piece ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The OXO plastic set has the usual four cups plus a ⅔ cup and a leveler/hanging hook. The unusual feature on this set is that the cup handles snap together for storage. The cost is $8, making this one of the most inexpensive sets in the test.

Accuracy ★★★

This set is one of our best for accuracy, with the ¼ cup spot on, and the 1 cup just 2mL short of the standard.

Ease of Use★★★

These handles were extremely comfortable, and the thumb rests naturally in a little rest on top. In this position, they scooped brown sugar better than any of the other plastic cups. The leveler is no better than a butter knife, but the snaps are a great way to keep the set together.

Build Quality★★★

The cups are sturdy and well thought out. The handles increase in thickness after the joint for easier handling, but there is a section of handle level with the rim of the cup for easy leveling. There are two sets of marking, and both are easy to read. The ¼ cup and ⅓ cup are imbalanced and can’t hold up their handles.

Prepworks by Progressive Ultimate 19-Piece Measuring Cups & Spoon Set ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Prepworks by Progressive Ultimate comes as a set with both spoons and cups. The set is gigantic, and includes a 2 cup, 1¾ cup, 1½ cup, ¾ cup, ⅔ cup, and ⅛ cup beyond the basic four. It comes on two plastic oval rings with ball-and-socket closures. Cost for the set is $8 – very cheap, especially considering it comes with spoons too, and is big enough for two kitchens.

Accuracy ★

Accuracy here was not good. The ½ cup was 6.8% too large and the ⅓ cup was 6.3% on the big side.

Ease of Use★★★

The handles are comfortable and effective. They were better at scooping the brown sugar than you would expect based on their looks.

Build Quality★★

These cups aren’t flimsy, but they’re not exactly strong either. The markings are OK, but you have to be at the right angle to read them easily. The rings are extremely awkward. They are also remarkably ugly.

Simply Gourmet Stainless Steel Measuring Cups 7 Piece ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Simply Gourmet set is metal and contains the basic four cups plus a ¾ cup, ⅔ cup, and ⅛ cup. This set stores on a latching ring. All but the smallest cup have secondary markings on the inside of the cup. The cups have a small pour spout on the left side. Cost for the set is $24 – pretty pricey.

Accuracy ★★★

Tied for best-in-the-test with the OXO plastic set, the ½ cup is dead on, and the 1 cup was just 2 mL high.

Ease of Use★★

The handles are short, but have a nice thumb groove for a good grip. If you change your grip, though, the corners are pointy and unpleasant. The rims dig nicely into the hard sugar.

Build Quality★★

The handles are a little bendy and stubby, but the design of the cups is excellent. The rim has a little roll for strength, and the pour spout is a nice touch. The markings are great, with engraved marks on the handle and embossed markings on the bowls.

RESULTS
BEST LIQUID MEASURING CUPS

Anchor Hocking 77895 Fire-King Measuring Cup, Glass, 1-Cup ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Anchor Hocking cup is glass with imperial markings on one side and metric marks on the other. Cost is $10.

Accuracy ★★★

The Anchor Hocking cup was solid in accuracy, measuring 4 mL short of a cup.

Ease of Use★★

The handle was very good, with a sure, comfortable shape. The markings were easy to read, but you have to hold the cup in your left hand to read the imperial side. We’re all right-handers who hold the cup in our right hand, so that’s not so good.

Build Quality★★★

Quality is solid, with a good pour spout and durable markings.

OXO Good Grips 1-Cup Angled Measuring Cup ★★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The OXO liquid cup is plastic with rubber on the handle. The markings are in fractions of a cup on one side and fluid ounces/milliliters on the other. The interesting feature of the OXO is an angled set of markings inside the cup that can be read from above. This gives the cup an odd two-sectioned shape. The price is $8.

Accuracy ★★★

When read from the side like most cups, the OXO was just 1 mL over a cup. The unique top reader was a little more off at 4 mL too high.

Ease of Use★★★

We love that angled reader. Filling on the counter is a snap with that, since you can fill and read from the same position. The handle was the best of the four cups.

Build Quality★★

As comfortable as that handle is, I don’t love its long-term future compared to the glass cups. The angled reader has one drawback – there are lots of little tight angles that have to be cleaned carefully.

Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Measurements ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Pyrex cup is glass with imperial markings on one side and metric on the other. Cost is $10.

Accuracy ★★

The Pyrex is not as accurate as the Anchor Hocking or the OXO, measuring 8 mL over the standard. This cup is also wider than the others, making it hard to really dial in the measurement.

Ease of Use★★

The handle is short and difficult to get a good grip on. It doesn’t feel in control when the cup is full. The markings are easy to read.

Build Quality★★

The pour spout does not work right. Construction is solid, and it feels like the markings will last.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products Bouncer Measuring Cup, 1-Cup, Clear ★★

Buy From Amazon

Description

The Rubbermaid cup is plastic with cups and fluid ounces on one side and milliliters on the other. Cost is $6.

Accuracy ★

The Rubbermaid cup is an astonishing 9.7% too small. The lines are thick and hard to dial in precisely.

Ease of Use★★★

The handle is the best of the group. The cup is compact and easy to hold. For a cup with no pour spout, it pours surprisingly well.

Build Quality★

The whole thing feels flimsy and cheap. The marking lines are readable, but too thick.

OUR TOP PICKS

Here are the final recommendations.

Best Spoons: Spring Chef & Cuisipro

For spoons, our favorites are the Spring Chef and the Cuisipro. The Spring Chef has rectangular bowls and costs a little less; the Cuisipro has oval bowls and a little more accuracy. They’re both great choices.

Best Dry Measuring Cup: OXO

For dry measuring cups, we heartily recommend the OXO plastic cups. They’re high quality and just $8, beating out cups that cost four times as much. If you’ve got your heart set on metal cups, the Simply Gourmet set is the next best, but you will pay more.

Best Liquid Cups: OXO & Anchor Hocking

In liquid cups, both the OXO and the Anchor Hocking are great choices. Choose the OXO if you want a plastic cup, or the Anchor Hocking if you want glass.

Notable Mention

Prepworks by Progressive Ultimate 19-Piece

Though it ranks in the middle of our tests, we’ve got to give a special commendation to the Prepworks by Progressive Ultimate set.

This massive pile of plastic cups and spoons has enough for two kitchens and costs only $8. That’s a great deal, and would be perfect for someone looking to outfit a first apartment on the cheap.

I hope this look at basic measuring tools has helped you take a closer look at the basic things you use every day. Small upgrades here add up to a big benefit over the course of time, so it’s worth it to use the best tools. Let’s bake something. Also, check out our guide on substituting ingredients and measurement conversions.