The beautiful thing about cooking is that it’s both an art and a science. You can eyeball, taste-test and otherwise wing it to whip up your own personal masterpiece, you can follow tried-and-true recipes to a tee or you can meet somewhere in the middle with a combination of both! Whatever your modus operandi, mastering the basics will help you hone your craft and your cooking. Follow along to learn the how and why as well as the what! 

Ounce vs. Ounce: The first potential hiccup in successful culinary calculations is the ubiquitous ounce. A.k.a. oz., this simple little unit can refer to two very different things. When listed with dry ingredients like flour or sugar, ounces refer to the item’s weight. Meanwhile, if used with wet ingredients like milk or oil, FLUID ounces refer to the item’s volume, which is a very different thing. Not every recipe will specify “fluid ounces” for wet ingredients, so it’s important to look at the context.

Crank Up the Volume: Measuring by volume is default for most recipes in the United States. Standard measuring cups and spoons that you can dip into containers and level off with a knife are generally better for dry ingredients for those very reasons. Wet ingredients, however, benefit from clear, graduated measuring cups where you can pour your liquid in just to the line. Since liquid isn’t perfectly flat in a vessel, measure based on the bottom of the liquid line (the meniscus) for best results.

Weight for It... While many recipes are developed based on volume, results can vary dramatically based on how someone scoops or pours. Measuring by weight is more precise, which is especially important for baked goods and other recipes that depend on chemical reactions. Luckily, digital scales are capable of measuring both liquid and dry ingredients with incredible accuracy and minimal mess. You can even find them in many of our stores’ General Merchandise Departments!

Now that your weights and measures are accounted for, learn how to stay sharp with proper knife handling!