(no subject)

[angelikitten]

This is going to sound like the stupidest question ever, but...

How much, exactly, is a 'cup' of something? Does it depend on what it's a cup of? I've never been able to find measuring cups, so is this just an American measurement?



(I warned you it was a stupid question!)

Comments

Cups

[cesy]

There are English cups and there are American cups, and they are different sizes. English cups are rarely used these days.

My mother has a device called a Taler measure which measures in cups of different types, but I can't remember much about it.

[naughty]

250ml, if you use metric.

[azurelunatic]

American recipes measure the craziest stuff by volume. Like flour.

http://www.lifeintheusa.com/food/measurements.htm

And this looks like a helpful conversion table:

http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/cooking.htm

[exhausted_pigeon]

Cups are a bit of a pain because everyone uses a different one - England has one that's about 1/2 a pint, America uses a 230ml one, Australia 250ml and Japan uses 200ml. (But aside from the Japanese ones, they they seem to come to *about* 1/2 a pint.)

A teacup is usually about 200-250 ml, a small mug might be about 1/2 pint. It might be worth stealing a half-pint glass from the pub, actually or measuring how much liquid a certain cup you've got at home holds, working on the theory that if it takes oh, 1/4 of a litre or half a pint then it's *about* a cup. Most of the time, consistency is more important than the exact size so you should be fine with a teacup.

But I've also had a look on Amazon - you're in the UK, yes? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faringdon-Stainless-Steel-Measuring-250ml/dp/B0000BVF6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1244117244&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Betterware-Soft-Grip-Measuring-Cups/dp/B0014QT26M/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1244117244&sr=8-6

[gool_duck]

I have seen measuring cup sets in the UK - in ASDA, I think, and in a shop selling cake-decorations and cake boards and such. I expect Lakeland would have a set for sale, also.

[zing_och]

I just found a recipe where both measurements were given (cups and ml) and noted which one of my cups fit best.

[melannen]

For an American cup, a standard teacup is usually close enough. (Most of the solid things that are measured with cups are things where volume's not going to be a terribly accurate measure anyway, as been's pointed out, so usually a little sloppiness in the measurement is fine.)