American cup measurements

[shaneystar2]

Having seen some of the delicious recipes on here that call for cup measurements and having found a conversion site ,which is all double dutch to me ,could someone please explain this in simple terms.When they say, for example "One cup of flour" is this a certain size cup ? Or is a "cup" one size for everything ....liquid and dry ingredients. Do they have cups in various sizes? Where do I get hold of this "cup"?

[B00]

This any good to you shaney?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup_(unit)

And I'll have some of whatever it is you're baking please!

[nickmo]

Hi saheystar2 - the cup measurement is a standard size in US - the Australian is a different one. For an easy conversion for quantities goto:- http://www.thefoody.com/glossary/convert.html is a simple conversion machine - type in quantities for results.

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/conversion is also an expanded one - includes can sizes for example. And http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions.htm is even further expanded.

Hope this helps - oh, and a lot of recipe books now carry conversion charts as well, so you should be able to get one to keep to hand if the pc isn't in the kitchen - or buy a calaulator designed for the conversions as an option too.....

[shaneystar2]

Hi dear folks and thanks for your answers ..I am now even more confused ! I typed One Cup into the conversion chart and it it came up with 235.99 ml and all sorts of other decimal points !! Whatever happened to rods poles and perches !!

It seems such a simple way of measuring things and I imagine them all with this cup ..just filling it up and chucking it in to whatever they are cooking.

But never fear ..I have just ordered myself a measure from Lakeland which has US cup sizes and others.

So..Boo....when I make a cake a la US style you are first in line !!

[Clanad]

You should probably order tabelspoon and teaspoon measurer's (is that a word) as well, since all U.S. recipes use them (and 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of each to boot)... A cup, by the way is generally equivalent (in a pinch) to a double-handful using the dainty lady-of-the house's hands... Now... a pinch is another matter...

[shaneystar2]

Thank you Clanad kind sir ....although I expect our teaspoons and tablespoons would be much the same or ..do you have different ones ? Please tell me you don't !!

[Clanad]

They're close enough not to worry about it, shaneystar... but having said that I found that out of three different tablespoons and teaspoons used for table service, only one tablespoon and none of the teaspoons held the same volume as theofficial measuring ones...

[shaneystar2]

I have got a set of measuring spoons and I think they should be OK ..now my "cup" is on it's way I should be all set up .

Right .....
♫♫
Half a "cup " of tu'penny rice ....half a "cup" of treacle....
♫♫.........!