US Cup measures. American home bakers, I have a bone to pick.

[LiberalIdleOlogy]

Maybe it's just the realm of the expat but all the Americans I've know in the UK have been great and generous home bakers. Not such a surprise as they were raised in a land famed for its cookies, sweet pies and other delicious, if calorific, treats. So guys, 'cup measurement system'.... WHY! This is 2008, we have Salter electronic scales with add'n'weigh. I've tried to play along... but guess what? Your cup measures are not the same as the ones I've bought. Where do I get a set of Imperial cups, and what for heavens sake constitutes a 'stick' of butter? I'm thinking you just don't want to share your scrumptious, sticky recipes. This needs to change, or I shall start a campaign to withdraw our Victoria sponge. Whose queen? Precisely.

not American, but cups are brilliant and far simpler and more intuitive to use in cooking, especially baking, than scales

I do get a bit with some American cookbooks asking for "a cup of chopped basil" or something more easily measured in handfuls

The irony here is is of course that the system still used in America actually comes from Britain. I wish the whole world would go metric. Division by 10 is so much more sensible.

But I'm not aware that UK cups are different sizes from American ones. I would suggest hitting ebay for some American measuring cups from the states.

I have a set of cups that someone gave me as a Christmas present. They are hopeless. If I am measuring flour for a cake I do not want to be spending 5 minutes trying to flatten the top off to be precise. I definitely don't want to be levelling off butter.

I suppose it would be ok for measuring polenta or lentils etc where the preciseness doesn't matter, but it takes up less space on the surface if I have a small set of digital scales rather than a set of cups - even if the cups are prettier.

measuring cups on ebay

Also you can check the size accuracy of your measuring cup by collecting 8 oz (volume not weight) of water and pour it into the measuring ccup and see if it's the right size.