What Is the Difference Between Wet and Dry Measuring Cups?

Published on Thursday, October 18, 2007, by Tara Shioya / Edit Post

Is there any difference between wet and dry measuring cups?

There is a difference. A wet measuring cup has the line a little below the top of the cup, so you can avoid spillage. Tapping a wet measuring cup to settle a dry ingredient to the desired line will cause some fine ingredients, like flour or sugar, to compact. This can wreak havoc with fragile recipes. For example, an extra 10 grams of sugar in certain cake recipes would be disastrous.

A dry measuring cup filled to the top with a liquid will yield a roughly correct measurement, though pouring it may be messier without a spout.

For exact results, San Francisco baker Rachel Leising recommends using wet measuring cups for liquids and a scale for dry ones. Note that each dry ingredient will have a different weight: One cup of sugar does not weigh the same as one cup of rice. Several online resources, such as GourmetSleuth.com, provide measurement conversions for commonly used dry and wet ingredients.

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POST A COMMENT |5 Comments

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  • Why is it that when I pour water into a dry measure cup, and then pour that same water into a wet cup, it only measures at the 6 oz mark. Shouldn't it come up to the 8 oz mark?
    THanks,
    Lori

  • I agree with Boss and Leising. I am not a chef but I am a very exacting cook. I write a food blog and in it I do the experimenting to see how and why a recipe either work or doesn't. There may not be on the surface a visible difference but once you begin cooking with these measuring tools the differences show up. I also agree that you should use tools for what they were designed for. Measuring...+READ

    I agree with Boss and Leising. I am not a chef but I am a very exacting cook. I write a food blog and in it I do the experimenting to see how and why a recipe either work or doesn't. There may not be on the surface a visible difference but once you begin cooking with these measuring tools the differences show up. I also agree that you should use tools for what they were designed for. Measuring cups that are meant for liquid measure usually have a lip for pouring compacting dry ingredients, unless the recipe says too, is a prescription for failure. Get a scale for your dry ingredients you'll be glad you did.-COLLAPSE

  • Say a certain brine recipe calls for 18 percent salinity. How would that be measured?

  • This is also why liquid measuring cups need to be used for liquids when precision is important. The liquid in a dry measuring cup will not be level, but rather has a curve (the meniscus) which would alter the quantity of liquid. This might not be significant but perhaps in some recipes could be?

  • Speaking from the years of experience of being a Pastry Chef,
    I have to agree with Ms. Leising. The only true way to get an accurate measure of a dry ingredient is by weight.
    If you are using dry measuring cups, be sure and use them correctly, and level them off with a flat edge of a knife or spatula to ensure a proper measurement. Remember, use tools for what they were designed to for. Nothing...+READ

    Speaking from the years of experience of being a Pastry Chef,
    I have to agree with Ms. Leising. The only true way to get an accurate measure of a dry ingredient is by weight.
    If you are using dry measuring cups, be sure and use them correctly, and level them off with a flat edge of a knife or spatula to ensure a proper measurement. Remember, use tools for what they were designed to for. Nothing annoys me more than watching a staff member using a dry measure for liquids.-COLLAPSE