Large Liquid Measuring Cups

Whether you’re adding large amounts of broth to soup or measuring out oil for deep frying, it’s good to have a large liquid measuring cup on hand. Sure, we could fill and empty a 1-cup liquid measuring cup four or eight or 16 times, but it’s a lot faster and more efficient to use a larger model. Which ones are best? To find out, we purchased larger versions of our two favorite 1-cup liquid measuring cups from Pyrex and OXO. Both brands offer 2- and 4-cup versions, and Pyrex offers an 8-cup version. We also purchased intriguing 2-cup and 4-cup multi-unit models with markings for both liquids and an array of common dry ingredients. With a total of seven models, priced from about $8 to about $20, we headed into the test kitchen.

Accuracy Is Essential

As with all measurement tools, our main concern was accuracy. We assessed the accuracy of the models at every cup, ounce, and milliliter marking using water measured in grams on a lab-grade scale. For each marking, we checked the level of the water against the corresponding lines on the cup. We found every model’s markings to be accurate, but we didn’t find every model easy to use.

We Preferred Simple, Streamlined Models

The two multi-unit models we tested created more problems than they solved. Both models consist of two pieces. The first piece is a clear plastic cup with several columns of markings arranged by category on its plastic walls. It sits inside the second piece, a gray plastic sleeve with a vertical cutout; the sleeve spins around the cup’s exterior and the cutout reveals one measurement category at a time. With 13 categories to choose from, it took us a long time to find the ones we wanted. The options were oddly specific; they included lentils, rolled oats, and many dry foods that we typically measure in a dry measuring cup (so we can easily level off the top for accuracy). All of the measurements on both models were a little hard to read because they were printed in small font. The multi-unit models were simply too fussy and inefficient to earn a place in our kitchen.

    Fortunately, the large versions of our favorite 1-cup models had simple designs and were easy to use. Each model had just three measurement categories: cups, ounces, and milliliters. The markings on the glass Pyrex models were printed on the exterior walls of the cup; to get an accurate measurement when using traditional liquid measuring cups such as these, we recommend setting the cup on the counter, pouring in the liquid to be measured, and then crouching down to check the markings at eye level. The OXO models also had markings on their walls and could be used similarly, but th... read more