In Grandma’s kitchen, measuring ingredients accurately is one of the essential elements of cooking and baking. How else can she be sure that her creations turn out the way they’re supposed to? Of course, for some recipes, Grandma knows it isn't absolutely necessary to be precise. But for many recipes, especially baked goods such as cakes, breads, and cookies, she is adamant about using the right measuring cup or spoon, and using it correctly. She found out the hard way that too much (or too little) baking powder or baking soda or flour can mean the difference between a tall, gorgeous layer cake and a flat, dense frosted pancake.

So what should be in the home cook’s arsenal of measuring utensils? Grandma recommends a set of measuring spoons for the little stuff and measuring cups for the big stuff. And since you measure dry ingredients differently from liquids, it is important to have two sets of cups: one set for dry and another set (or one large cup) for wet.

Dry Measuring Cups are made of glass, plastic or stainless steel and come in graduated nesting sets which usually include 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup. Each measure to the rim so that you can level off the ingredients with the flat edge of a spatula or knife. For less than 1/4 cup, use standard measuring spoons (1/4 cup equals 4 tablespoons).

Liquid Measuring Cups come in 1-, 2-, 4- and 8-cup glass or clear plastic with a pour spout. The cups are marked off with the measures. You can probably manage with one 8-cup glass cup, but it is nice to have the smaller ones as well for smaller jobs. Purchase cups that have handles and make sure the highest marking is below the rim (to prevent measured liquids spilling over the top). When measuring, always check the measurements at eye level for accurate reading.

Measuring Spoons, available in plastic or stainless steel, are used to measure dry and liquid ingredients and usually come in sets of four that include 1/4-teaspoon, 1/2-teaspoon, 1-teaspoon and 1-tablespoon measures. Avid bakers like to keep two sets on hand—one for wet ingredients, one for dry. For dry ingredients, be sure to level off the ingredient as you do for cup measures.

Tips for Measuring

• When measuring dry ingredients such as flour or granulated sugar, do not tap, shake or pack down the dry ingredient. Just lightly spoon it into the cup to overflowing, then level off (or “sweep”) the top with the edge of a knife or spatula. And note that although some flour packages say that sifting is not necessary, it is best to stir up the flour before measuring as it has a tendency to pack down.

• Ingredients such as solid fats and (especially) brown sugar should be spooned in, then packed down firmly, without leaving pockets of space, then leveled off for accurate measuring.

• As with flour and sugar, when measuring bread crumbs or grated cheese, spoon lightly in the measuring cup and level off; do not pack down.

• Before measuring baking powder or baking soda, be sure to break up any lumps first—a quick way is to press it through a wire strainer.

• To measure honey, corn syrup, molasses and other sticky ingredients, lightly oil the cup or spoon with a spritz of cooking spray—the sticky stuff will easily flow out with the simple aid of a rubber spatula. Or, if you are using the same spoon to measure oil, measure the oil before the sticky ingredient—it will slide right out.

• When measuring strongly flavored seasonings, such as hot pepper sauce or vanilla, measure the ingredient over the sink, NOT directly over the dish you are preparing. It could be disastrous if your hand slipped a bit and you put a tablespoon of red pepper into the meatloaf instead of a teaspoon.

• Occasionally, you’ll see a measurement for a “heaping tablespoon” or “scant 1/4 cup.” “Heaping” means that you should add more of the dry ingredient to the cup or spoon, so it heaps above the measure. “Scant” means that you should use a little bit less than the measurement.