I'm all for respecting cultural differences, but...

[EscargotChic]

I love the internet as a source of recipes, but when they give ingredients US-style it drives me nuts. I think the one currently in the oven will be fine with approximate amounts which is good because it called for a pint of cherry tomatoes and a quarter of a cup chopped onion.
Not wanting to disrespect lovely US Mumsnetters, but seriously, kitchen scales are an amazing invention!

I just go online and covert it, easy to do really but I do agree the whole cups thing seems daft to me but I suppose it is easier.

I save recipes in an app called Paprika. Mainly just to keep track of them in one place, but also has the benefit that you can convert US to metric in the app. You can also edit the recipes, so I include any changes I made to the original recipe.

It’s one of the package sizes, just like ours has typically been 250g (although now being downsized to 200g by a lot of companies) and, as stated, it weighs 113g or 4 ounces.

I do this too. Cups are easier for a lazy home baker like me, and people seem to like what I bake, so it’s fine. I’m not competing on Masterchef

I’m not a massive baker but it’s Mary Berry’s recipes all day long for me. I’ve never gone wrong with them, we’ve a bake off at work next week and I can’t wait to try her carrot cake tray bake

I had the exact same problem. So I just brought a set of US cups from Amazon (about £2). Job done,

Actually cups are more accurate than numbers of onions. I am British living in the us and it’s just as easy following American recipes as British. You just need to buy measuring cups and most of the time unless you are baking you can just approximate anyway - it’s just a guideline. If you don’t like it just convert to U.K. measurements online

I think measuring things in cups is easy peasy. But when our USA friends start talking quarts and sticks I give up 🤣

I hate weighing stuff tbh and only do it if Im making pastry..

My gran lived in Canada for much of her life and she always baked with cups and I have hers - i used them last week when I made lemonade scones.

But I do find measuring scales easier.

I got myself a full set of cup measures because I use different recipes from different sites .
plus a set of spoon measures too .

Agree cups for things like chopped onion is hopeless- the volume depends entirely on the fineness of the chopping. Cups for solids like butter and lard are hopeless too- whether the recipe is new or old. I generally don't find it much of a problem as American recipes rarely attract me- but I agree it's an issue.

Of course it’s more accurate, I wasn’t saying it’s not. I just think it’s pointless if you’re making something, to end up with a chunk of unused onion rather than just using the whole thing. Cakes are ruined by inaccurate measurements, but no dinner is ruined because instead of a cup of onion, someone used a whole onion that may or may not be a bit less or a bit more than a cup. I made a bolognese tonight with onions and carrots that were different sizes to the last time I made bolognese. It doesn’t matter enough to the dish to be measuring it out.

I would - I like currants.

I regularly use American recipes. I have I find using cup measurement quick and easy.

My daughter loves baking. I’ve bought her cups for measuring

@Grammarnut No, that’s how it’s sold in the US. I did find it odd when I first moved here but I’m used to it now.

Have to say I agree - if you’ve got scales it’s much faster and more accurate to use them ( if that’s what you’re used to). I did get a cup measuring thing for American recipes but found it much more hassle so I worked out the proportions and rewrote it. I expect those used to cups etc do the same the other way round.

I think it should depend on the site admin and where they are based. I use cups, tsp and Tbsp or grams. I dont have kitchen scales so it is easier to use the cups measurements. If admin is in United States then their measurements win, if in UK their measurements win, Australia and NZ then ours. Makes it fair and makes sense.

@DdraigGoch I’ve no idea what a sports direct cup looks like or what size it is so I cannot comment. You can measure your cups volume and see if it’s equivalent to the USA cooking cup. However it’s all about proportions.

When googling recipes just add UK.....
You used to be able to put +"UK" or -"US" and it worked better but I think they've stopped recognising Boolean in search sites.

Sounds like a bit of over packaging but other cultures, other ways!

I measure with cups for certain baking recipes.

Not in the UK it isn't 😀

But the general rule that 16fluid ounces (ie an American pint) weighs a pound is a good one. It will work for liquids and things like sugar.

It's the same in metric measures - a litre of water weighs a kilogram.

A stick of butter is 2 ounces. American butter comes in half pound blocks wrapped in 4 sticks. Wish they did it here in the uk