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See why.The Best Dry Measuring Cups
Could we find a perfect set to sweep the competition?
Top Picks
See Everything We Tested
What You Need To Know
Success in baking starts with careful measuring. And while a good scale is the most accurate tool, dry measuring cups are often more practical for the home cook. Lots of new models have come on the market since we last tested measuring cups eight years ago, so we decided to revisit the category. We rounded up 12 sets, priced from about $5.00 to $45.00 and including our prior winner (from Amco), and headed into the test kitchen to see which ones measured up.
Our preferred measuring method for dry ingredients is the “dip and sweep”: We dip the cup into the container of flour or sugar, scoop out a heaping cupful, and then sweep the top of the measure level with the back of a knife. Models with handles that extend out on the same plane as the top of the cup best accommodate this, so we chose a combination of metal and plastic cups with this basic shape. We also limited our selection to sets that included at least the four essential sizes: 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup.
First we evaluated the cups for their most important quality: accuracy. We carefully filled each cup to its maximum capacity with both water and granulated sugar and weighed it on a calibrated lab-quality scale; then, knowing how much a cup of both water and sugar should weigh, we did the math to determine accuracy and scored the cups accordingly. Three sets were off by as much as 6 percent, sending them tumbling in the rankings. Our top performers were either spot-on or off by just a fraction of a percentage point.
Next we turned to ease of use. We asked a range of test cooks and editors to dip and sweep a cup of flour with the 1-cup measure from each of the 12 sets. Even with our carefully vetted lineup of straight-handled cups, our testers found problems with several models—those with rims slightly higher than the handles created a jarring catch to the sweeping motion that was at best awkward and at worst jostled the cup and required us to start anew. We preferred cups that were perfectly even with the handles for seamless sweeping.
The measurement markings on some cup sets were large and well placed on the handles, where they were easily identifiable. Cups with tiny or hidden markings were irksome, as we had to double-check to see which cup we were using. The downfall for some plastic cups was the impermanence of their measurement markings; those that were printed in ink came off with very little scrubbing. Almost all the stainless-steel sets have markings that are etched on; no amount of scrubbing was going to take those off. One outlying stainless-steel set had markings in ink on plastic handles—markings that came right off.
An additional problem:...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
Accurate and extremely durable, this set snaps together for compact storage. The handles are seamless with the cups themselves, making them easy to level off.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This set had a high degree of accuracy in every size, and it was the most durable plastic set we tested. Long handles flush with the rims aided scooping and sweeping.
Recommended
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This accurate six-cup set’s matte plastic finish gave the handles a good, tacky grip, but some testers found the handles too short. A few cups tipped over when empty.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This accurate, shovel-shaped set felt cup-heavy and unbalanced to some testers, but plastic tabs on the handle ends made them easier to hold than other stainless-steel models. The handles were flush with the rims for easy leveling, but they bent a bit when we scooped wet sand.
- Accuracy: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
Our previous winner, still solid, was surpassed by sets that were slightly more accurate and more durable. The handles bent quickly when we scooped wet sand (but they easily bent back).
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This set of seven cups was very accurate. But the handles bent immediately when the cups were dragged through wet sand, and the thin handles dug into some testers’ hands.
Recommended with reservations
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
Its handles were slippery and too short for most testers, but this set was reasonably durable and very accurate. The handle on the smallest cup bent when scooping sand.
- Accuracy: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
This accurate seven-cup set has long, uncomfortable, heavy handles that bent when scooping sand and made some cups tip over when empty.
- Accuracy: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
Wide and shallow, like miniature skillets, these heavy, slightly awkward cups seemed sturdy—until we used them to scoop wet sand, which bent the handle on the 1-cup measure.
Not Recommended
- Accuracy: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
This fun and colorful set nests beautifully, but its flimsy two-pronged handles gave testers fits as they tried to scoop and level flour. This set also bombed our accuracy tests: The 1-cup measure was off by 6 percent.
- Accuracy: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This five-cup set seemed sturdy, but its measurement markings scrubbed right off. The largest cup was off by 4 percent, and testers complained about the slippery handles.
- Accuracy: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
These wedge-shaped cups are designed to scrape the bottom of a flour bin, which was a plus, but this set failed almost every other test. Its handles bent in routine testing, and the ink markings wore off with moderate scrubbing—plus, the 1-cup measure was off by 6 percent.
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing.
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