The customary sizes for kitchen measuring cups and spoons
Dry measuring cups typical sizes typical sizes are 1 cup, ½ cup, 1/3 cup and ¼ cup, sometimes a ¾ cup is included.
Liquid measuring cups typically comes in two cup sizes divided into increment of 1/8 cups. They usually have volume marks for both US/Imperial measurements as well as Metric. Liquid measuring cups can be found in sizes ranging from shot glass size to as large as 1 gallon.
Measuring spoons sets usually include these sizes: 1Tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon and 1/8 table spoon. In larger sets of spoons there are other increments such as ½ tablespoon, a dash, and a pinch.
Which cup to use
When working with ingredients needed for a recipe, as in cooking, or a formula as in baking, it is important to use the right utensils for measuring. (In professional baking, bakers use the term formula instead of recipe.)
When a recipe calls for 1 cup of dry ingredients and 1 cup of wet ingredients. You cannot use the same utensil.
Because there are dry measuring cups for mass and liquid measuring cups for volume.
Though 1 cup of liquid is 8 fluid ounces in volume it does not necessarily weigh or have a mass of 8 ounces when scaled (weighed on a scale). The mass or weight varies based on the density of the liquid. For example, a cup of water does not weigh the same amount as a cup of corn syrup. In summary: liquids of equal volume does not necessarily have equal mass or weight.
As with liquid, the same can be said for dry ingredients. For example, the mass of a cup of flour varies from about 4 ½ ounces about 6 ounces, depending on the type and density of the flour as well as if the recipe calls for a sifted cup or a packed cup. In a similar way a cup of oat meal does not have the same mass or weight as a cup of sugar.
Something to try: measure a cup of flour in two ways –
(1) Sift some flour and use a spoon to lightly fill a dry measuring cup. Leave the top with a knife and weigh the flour on a food scale
(2) Scoop some unsifted flour into the same measuring cup, pack it lightly (tap gently on the counter); level it with a knife and weigh the flour.
Notice that both cups of flour, though they have the same volume, they do not have the same weight or mass.
You can however, use the same measuring spoons for both dry and wet ingredients because those amounts are so small.
Here are some equivalencies
Liquid Measures: Volume
1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts (qt.) = 8 pints (pt.) = 16 cups (C.)= 128 (fl. oz.) fluid ounces
Dry Measures: Mass
1 C = 16 tablespoons (Tbsp) = 48 teaspoons (tsp)
1 Tbsp = 1 tsp
3 tsp = 1 Tbsp (dry)
2 Tbsp = 1/8 cup = 1 fl. Oz
5 Tbsp + 1 tsp = 1/3 cup (liquid)
8 Tbsp = ½ cup (liquid)
4 cups = 2 pints = 1 qt (liquid)
16 oz =1 pound (dry)
A dash or pinch is less than 1/8 tsp
To convert from US Customary units or Imperial measurements to Metric requires some simple mathematical calculations.
Fluid ounces X by 29.57 = milliliters (mL)
Gallons X 3.785 = liters (L)
Ounces X 28.35 = grams (g)
Pounds X .454 = kilograms (kg)
Summary: To measure ingredients for a recipe you use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients and liquid measuring cups for liquid ingredients. Measuring spoons are use for both dry and liquid ingredients.