Ridiculous Kitchen Math

Have you ever tried to double a recipe and gotten confused by the math? It would be simpler if we did everything by weight like the Europeans do. Think how easy it would be if a recipe asked for 6 ounces of sugar instead of ¾ of a cup. You would easily know that 12 ounces is double instead of trying to figure out that ¾ doubled is 1½ cups.

Did you ever wonder why a recipe does not always taste the same? It is hard to get the cup measurement the same every time. This is not as significant in cooking as it is in baking. A bit more sugar can make your cookies crispier, which is fine unless you prefer them chewier.

Do you know what a pint is or how many cups are in a quart? Those measurements are a nightmare. The recipe calls for 1 cup of cream, but cream is sold in pints and half pints. Which one do you purchase? It would be easier if the recipe called for 8 ounces of cream and it was sold in ounces instead of pints and 1/2 pints. Often people that work in the deli department do not know weights. If I ask for 2 ounces, they seldom know that I am asking for 1/8 pound, and they have no idea what the number on the scale should read.

Let’s Cook Tonight® would love to start a revolution in the kitchen and have all recipes written in weight amounts instead of cups. A kitchen scale is not expensive and using one would take all of the guesswork out of cooking. Until we have the influence to change recipes you will have to put up with the kitchen math. Here are the weight and measurement equivalents, butter equivalents, and common abbreviations. You can find them in most basic and beginning cookbooks. Print them out and put them on the refrigerator so you have them handy.

Dash or pinch = less than 1/8 teaspoon

1 ½ teaspoons = ½ tablespoon

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

4 tablespoons = ¼ cup; 2 ounces

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup

8 tablespoons = ½ cup; 4 ounces

10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 2/3 cup

12 tablespoons = ¾ cup; 6 ounces

16 tablespoons = 1 cup; 8 ounces; ½ pint

¼ cup = 4 tablespoons; 2 ounces

1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

½ cup = 8 tablespoons; 4 ounces

2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons

¾ cup = 12 tablespoons; 6 ounces

1 cup = 16 tablespoons; 8 ounces; ½ pint

2 cups = 16 ounces; 1 pint

4 cups = 32 ounces; 2 pints; 1 quart

½ pint = 1 cup; 8 ounces

1 pint = 2 cups; 16 ounces

1 quart = 4 cups; 32 ounces; 2 pints

1 gallon = 16 cups; 128 ounces; 8 pints; 4 quarts

1/8 pound = 2 ounces; number on scale = .125

¼ pound = 4 ounces; number on scale = .25

1/3 pound = 5 1/3 ounces; number on scale = .334

½ pound = 8 ounces; number on scale = .50

2/3 pound = 10 2/3 ounces; number on scale = .668

¾ pound = 12 ounces; number on scale = .75

1 pound = 16 ounces; number on scale = 1.00

½ stick butter = 4 tablespoons; ¼ cup

1 stick butter = 8 tablespoons; ½ cup; ¼ pound

2 sticks butter = 16 tablespoons; 1 cup; ½ pound

Abbreviations

tsp. = teaspoon

Tbsp. = tablespoon

oz. = ounce

lbs. = pound

Does kitchen math frustrate you?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Do not add salt to your dried beans until they have finished cooking. Salt slows down the cooking process.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.