# Measurements



## goodgiver (Jan 3, 2007)

How does person 5/8 ounces a cup of liquid.  None of my measuring cups have 5/8 on them Please help.


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## Katie H (Jan 3, 2007)

One cup contains 16 tablespoons.  Therefore, 1/8 cup would be 2 tablespoons.  For 5/8 cup, you will have "5" eighths, which is 10 tablespoons.


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2007)

...or

Half way between the 1/2 and 3/4 marks.


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

goodgiver said:
			
		

> How does person 5/8 ounces a cup of liquid.  None of my measuring cups have 5/8 on them Please help.


goodgiver, 5/8 of anything is just 1/8 more than 4/8 which is 1/2 of it.  I am sure your cup has a 1/2 mark.  So fill it to the mark and then eyeball the remaining 1/8 (ie a little bit more) rather than resorting to higher mathematics.


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## jennyema (Jan 3, 2007)

If the measuring cup has flared sides, sometimes it's hard to eyeball.

If the recipe demands an exact measurement, IMO you are better off measuring out 1/2 cup and then adding 2T like *katie* suggested.


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

jennyema said:
			
		

> If the measuring cup has flared sides, sometimes it's hard to eyeball.
> 
> If the recipe demands an exact measurement, IMO you are better off measuring out 1/2 cup and then adding 2T like *katie* suggested.


Most measuring cups have flared sides anyway.  Nevertheless this should not be an obstacle to anyone who wants to sharpen their capacity of estimating.  As for the assumed exactitude of any recipe, I would take it with a big grain of salt.


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## Katie H (Jan 3, 2007)

When it comes to measuring cups, I was taught that those with flared sides and a spout are for measuring liquids.  The other cups with straight sides are for dry ingredients.


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2007)

My glass measuring cups have flared sides AND hash marks for each fluid ounce.  So I can measure liquids by eighths.  When I suggested earlier that you fill half way between 1/2 and 3/4, I was not suggesting estimating but using the hash marks between those two measures.


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

Andy, you mean you wouldn't be able to estimate if there was not any hash marks for the amount you want to measure


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2007)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> Andy, you mean you wouldn't be able to estimate if there was not any hash marks for the amount you want to measure


 

No. I meant that you don't have to extimate. There is a 5/8 hash mark.

If there was no hash mark, I wouldn't hesitate to estimate.  I can't imagine you could screw up a recipe by being off a little.


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## Sararwelch (Jan 3, 2007)

I bought a cheap set of plastic measuring cups - they were literally like 99 cents, and they include a 1/8 measurement. It actually comes in handy sometimes!


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

Sararwelch said:
			
		

> I bought a cheap set of plastic measuring cups - they were literally like 99 cents, and they include a 1/8 measurement. It actually comes in handy sometimes!


Good for you Sararwelch!  Now look around to see if you can find one with subdivisions of 1/16.


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## JDP (Jan 3, 2007)

What you are looking for is 5 oz. Many measurting cups have oz marks as well as cup marks.


JDP


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2007)

Coffee measures are also 1/8 cup measures.  The flat bottomed ones, not the pointy bottomed ones.

I bought a reasonably priced set of Rubbermaid measuring cups including 1, 3/4, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3. 1/4.  Each of these cups has a crease around the "middle" which indicates the halfway point of each measure.  As a result, the 1 cup can also measure 1/2, the 3/4 also measure 3/8, the 2/3 does 1/3, the 1/2 does 1/4 and the 1/3 does 1/6.  Everything else gets estimated or "spooned"


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## JDP (Jan 3, 2007)

goodgiver said:
			
		

> How does person 5/8 ounces a cup of liquid. None of my measuring cups have 5/8 on them Please help.


 
After rereading you post do you want 5/8 of an oz or 5/8's of a cup? If it's 5/8 of and oz you need 1T plus 1/16 of a T. I have to go soak my head now.

JDP


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## auntdot (Jan 3, 2007)

OK, I just have the old fashioned measuring cups.

But no need to estimate, although I think you could do it just fine.

Take a ruler and measure the difference between the half and three quarter mark and put a dot on the outside of the cup with a Sharpie or whatever halfway between.  You have an accurate measurement for cooking.

Or sans ruler, take a piece of paper and put one edge on the one half cup mark and mark a line at the three quarter level.  Cut the paper, fold in half, and that will tell you how much more to add.

Got a couple of more ways, but the simplest is just to fill to 1/2 cup and add two tablespoons ( or six teaspoons).

But heck, I would just eyeball it.


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2007)

close enough for government work...


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

JDP said:
			
		

> What you are looking for is 5 oz. Many measurting cups have oz marks as well as cup marks. JDP


JDP, in your opinion, would cooking be possible if there were no measuring cups?


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## mudbug (Jan 3, 2007)

gosh, I hope so, boufa!  I'd be sunk on a lot of things, otherwise.


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## BigDog (Jan 3, 2007)

Measure? I don't usually measure.

Then again, I don't usually bake either.

Regular cooking doesn't necessarily require measuring. Baking, on the other hand, demands it!


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## JDP (Jan 3, 2007)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> JDP, in your opinion, would cooking be possible if there were no measuring cups?


 
Boufa in my world measuring cups didn't exist except for a carrying water to use on our house house plants, until this Fall. Then I discovered a joy in baking bread so I use them for that purpose as well as making rice. I was trying to answer the question in a simple way as it seemed everyone was trying to make it too complicated.   If you are ever in Wisconsin or if I make it to Greece (which would be better) we could sit down and drink 5/8 of a cup of ouzo together... or maybe more.

JDP


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## boufa06 (Jan 4, 2007)

JDP said:
			
		

> Boufa in my world measuring cups didn't exist except for a carrying water to use on our house house plants, until this Fall. Then I discovered a joy in baking bread so I use them for that purpose as well as making rice. I was trying to answer the question in a simple way as it seemed everyone was trying to make it too complicated.   If you are ever in Wisconsin or if I make it to Greece (which would be better) we could sit down and drink 5/8 of a cup of ouzo together... or maybe more. JDP


 JDP, you are on!!  Happy New Year!


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## XeniA (Jan 4, 2007)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> JDP, in your opinion, would cooking be possible if there were no measuring cups?


 
This question surprises me coming from you, Boufa!

Out of curiousity, ask ten of your immediate neighbors in Volos. Do ANY of them own measuring cups? Then ask them if they own a scale.

I'll bet you a week's salary (don't get too excited ... that doesn't add up to much) that almost none own the former while almost all own the latter ... unless Volos is mighty different from Athens.

And yet ... they ALL cook, don't they?!


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## boufa06 (Jan 4, 2007)

Oh Ayrton, it was only meant as a joke!  Don't take it too seriously


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## XeniA (Jan 4, 2007)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> Oh Ayrton, it was only meant as a joke!  Don't take it too seriously



Oops, silly me!


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## StirBlue (Jan 4, 2007)

It is common sense to measure by some method.  How can you pay for something that has not been appraised.  Do you just assume you were sold a pound of butter or that all big containers are a gallon.  My handful of packed brown sugar measures 1/4 cup; how much does yours measure?


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## XeniA (Jan 4, 2007)

StirBlue said:
			
		

> It is common sense to measure by some method.  How can you pay for something that has not been appraised.  Do you just assume you were sold a pound of butter or that all big containers are a gallon.  My handful of packed brown sugar measures 1/4 cup; how much does yours measure?



Is this in response to a specific post??


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## JDP (Jan 4, 2007)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> JDP, you are on!! Happy New Year!


 

Ooopppaaaa!!! Aryton can meet us when I get there. We can drink ouzo till we look like this .

JDP


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## Aria (Jan 4, 2007)

After you guys and gals finish the ouzo....all will know the diffrence between
5/8 cup   10 tablespoons    1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons.  Have fun...but try to measure CLOSE.


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## Andy M. (Jan 4, 2007)

Aria said:
			
		

> After you guys and gals finish the ouzo....all will know the diffrence between
> 5/8 cup 10 tablespoons 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons. Have fun...but try to measure CLOSE.


 
...and 30 teaspoons


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## skilletlicker (Jan 4, 2007)

I discovered a while back that my Anchor Hocking 1 cup measure, measures almost 9 ounces of water. 

If it's important I weigh it.


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## Aria (Jan 4, 2007)

Okay...and  join JDP  boufa06   Ayrton  Stir Blue and sample the ouzo.


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## Katie H (Jan 5, 2007)

Ya know what?  I think we've all gone over the top.  Like an ounce over 8 ounces with this "measure" thing.  What started out as something really, really simple became way too complex.  Someone, please pass me the ouzo!!!


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## boufa06 (Jan 5, 2007)

Aria said:
			
		

> After you guys and gals finish the ouzo....all will know the diffrence between
> 5/8 cup   10 tablespoons    1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons.  Have fun...but try to measure CLOSE.


Gee, I ws only going to estimate.  But have no fear, I am not likely to underestimate!


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## boufa06 (Jan 5, 2007)

Aria said:
			
		

> Okay...and  join JDP  boufa06   Ayrton  Stir Blue and sample the ouzo.


All are welcome!  The more the merrier!!


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## skilletlicker (Jan 5, 2007)

Aria said:
			
		

> Okay...and  join JDP  boufa06   Ayrton  Stir Blue and sample the ouzo.


Okay, who's pouring?


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## XeniA (Jan 5, 2007)

Now remember, I KNOW if you're dealing with recipes which use volume measurement it's not an easy switch over to weight (but it's also not impossible ...) but I can't help but think after all the above posts how incredibly much NONE of this is an issue with weight measurement!

Halving a recipe and you end up with 5/16th's? A pain in the neck for sure. But halving a recipe and ending up with 315 grams? No more difficult to measure than the original 630 would have been, and, no more difficult to calculate for that matter.

Once you go metric you never go back?


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## skilletlicker (Jan 5, 2007)

In the often repeated words of Alton Brown, "A pint's a pound the world around."  In the kitchen, conversion from volume to weight isn't all that hard. I agree with Ayrton. Now that I have scaled my bread recipes down into metric units, I will never go back.


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## XeniA (Jan 5, 2007)

Ah, very good skilletlicker!

One down, six billion to go ...


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## Andy M. (Jan 5, 2007)

skilletlicker said:
			
		

> In the often repeated words of Alton Brown, "A pint's a pound the world around."...


 

Yes, but...

Be careful what you apply this to.  It works well with water based liquids, not so well with dry goods.  e.g. a pint of flour is closer to a half pound.


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## boufa06 (Jan 5, 2007)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> Yes, but...
> 
> Be careful what you apply this to.  It works well with water based liquids, not so well with dry goods.  e.g. a pint of flour is closer to a half pound.


This is exactly so.  In fact the same problem was discussed earlier in a thread started by Gobo only he was talking about millimeters and grams. When you use volume measurements to express quantity of liquids, powders, grains, etc. the same volume of different substances will have different weights.  As several members mentioned in the earlier thread, using a volume measure to express quantity of liquids, powders, and grains may be convenient in practice but it will lead to confusion when equivalences between volume and weight that are true for some substances are not so for most others.


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## Aria (Jan 5, 2007)

I am guessing all this got started because of the l-5/8 cup of water to be used for the Bread Recipe?  And we have solved it:  5/8 cup = 10 tablespoons or 30 teaspoons...says Andy.   Another input:  5/8 cup =
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons.  Yes?  And all plan to meet in Greece at boufao6 and have ouzo.


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## GB (Jan 5, 2007)

When making my bread Aria, I decided that I was just going to go with 1.5 cups of water instead of 1 5/8. It has worked perfectly for me.


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## cara (Jan 5, 2007)

have you ever thought about 148ml?


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## Aria (Jan 7, 2007)

GB...if it works for you great.   I tend to follow close.   And the loaf is a SMALL one.  And I like to use some flour when I handle the dough.  With the extra moisture....this may help.   I have made the loaf many times and it works for me.     Yesterday I used 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour.  The bread was fine as usual...but less holey. 

Cara nice to know about ml ....how many ml = one cup?


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## cara (Jan 8, 2007)

Aria, one cup is 240ml, 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon is 100ml and 1/4 cup is 60ml


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