AIBU to not understand cups?

[Thisnamechanger]

This is probably the most minor, pedantic, first world problem AIBU I've ever posted but can anyone explain the American recipe measurements to me?

I do get that they have standard measuring cups (have seen them in shops but never bought them) and I totally understand that for things like milk, flour, rice etc. but how the feck does it work with things like spinach?? Surely the cup would be full with about 5 spinach leaves because they don't sit flat? Is it chopped? Shredded? Or is it cooked spinach? If so how on earth do you know how much raw spinach will produce a cup of cooked spinach?

Surely I can't be the only person that struggles with this or am I missing something really really obvious?

Can you tell I'm using myfitnesspal and I'm hangry

Only on here would using the cup system be seen as dumb.

Thisnamechanger I find your interpretation of spinach versus cup through the medium of biro and scrap paper simply exquisite. You have really captured the spirit of the struggle between leaf and plastic.

They would be ingenious if a different country had come up with them...

I heart my electronic scales, add stuff in and zero it for the next ingredient. I also love metric measurements because it is easy to weigh liquid ingredients into a bowl or cup on a scales. I remember the olden days when you had those balancing scales with annoying imperial weights. if you had been brought up on those you would be kissing the feet of Ms Gram , Mrs Kilo and Mr Ml.

The only time I've ever used cups to measure is for an old recipe for lemon cake from my Scottish godmother who would have been born around 1910 I think. I just use an ordinary teacup - works fine.

Am I the only person who thought this was going to be about the game of "cups" that Joey and Chandler played in Friends?

I find your interpretation of spinach versus cup through the medium of biro and scrap paper simply exquisite. You have really captured the spirit of the struggle between leaf and plastic.

I google each item, for example if you google ‘cup of spinach in grams’ it will
tell you it’s 225g of cooked spinach.

I have to say I've never been able to use any of the counting based diet systems - I don't use scales, cook most of my food from scratch (apart from the downfall snacks ... ) and my measurements are done as a combination of spoonfuls and "looks about right" ... When I do look up a recipe I'm checking the proportions and translating ounces or gms into approximate tablespoons. And usually changing things around a bit anyway (esp because I'm gluten free and generally cook dairy free as well).

I've brought some American cups they were cheap but do the job. What I REALLY want is some digital scales that measure cups

Oh god I hate "cups"

A cup of carrots? A cup of brocolli? FFFFFF just say how many grams!

Cooking by volume is just another way of cooking by proportion. If you are doing high end baking, precision weighing is essential. If you are making anything else, cups or other volume measures are just so easy to use.

My grandma had a cone measure like this that she used for nearly all her cooking and baking. They take up very little space and need to maintenance. What's not to like?

I do like a nice digital scale though .

I was told the cup system came about because of the limitations living in the wagon trains during pioneering times.

I bought a set of "Jane Asher" cups in Poundland for £1 and they come in very useful for following internet recipes.

I wish that you could buy sticks of butter here, like the US (well Costco) too.

I measure on scales because that's how I was taught and that's what most of my recipe books asks for but my DD2 loves cups. Bought her a set (because they were decorative) and she bakes loads now because she finds it so much easier to use cups.

A cup of carrots? A cup of brocolli?

I've found artwork quite cathartic...

I tried to use mfp but it keeps hassling me to log my dinner before I’ve had chance to eat it. After a day of running around looking after a toddler and newborn I haven’t got time for mfp hassling me - I find myself thinking will you just wait for a second, you can see I’m feeding the baby!

Just find a good conversion chart or use google to convert from cups to mls, I’m pretty sure old measurements like cups and stones and yards will have all gone in a few more decades

@DragonsAndCakes - I would definitely recommend getting one of those scales if you do any reasonable amount of baking. I love mine. Even use it to make porridge in the microwave. Weigh the oats, weigh the milk. No Vesuvius-like mess in the microwave.

viceadmira
I have that weighing come fromJL aa well!
I use it quite a bit ( normally when the cups are in the dishwasher!l

A cup of carrots? A cup of brocolli? FFFFFF just say how many grams!

Carrots and broccoli are as easy to deal with in cups or grams. Regardless of what the recipe says, just dump a load in depending on your preferences and how much you have.

Measuring is only required for baking.

Ah, I'm ok theymademejoin I happily chuck flour onto slightly buttery scales. I do mostly remember to do the dry ingredients first.

Art soothes my pain

I once heard of a project in the UK where they were using cups to teach people to cook. The group in question were disadvantaged for lots of different reasons and being encouraged and empowered to make simple food for their families.

Using cups meant that they didn't need to pay for weighing scales or measuring spoons, but use their normal coffee mug.

Even hard of thinking posters must be able to recognise that the size of the cup doesn't matter as long as you use the same cup throughout the recipe.

In term of TBSP of butter, sounds like a faff, but but butter is sold in sticks in the US with TBSP marking on the packet, so it really is quite easy. No measuring or spooning out required.

I am happy to use cups or weight , but I still cant get my head around metric weight .
However I don't like the american , stick of butter measurement.