Kitchen Tool of the Month: Measuring Cups & Spoons

When following a recipe, a cup refers specifically to 250ml, not a coffee cup pulled out of the cupboard, and a tablespoon is 20ml, not a serving spoon! Although cooking is essentially an art, when following a recipe it pays to have a degree of accuracy, especially for beginner cooks and in particular when baking.

Australian recipes use the following measurements:

1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 20ml (4 teaspoons)
1 cup = 250ml

When using American and British cookbooks, recipes use different measurements, so you will need to adjust the quantities as follows:

American:
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 15ml (3 teaspoons)
1 cup = 237ml

British:
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 15ml (3 teaspoons)
1 cup = 284ml

Measuring Cups usually come in sets of ¼ cup, 1/3 cup, ½ cup and 1 cup. Measuring Spoons come in sets of ¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon. You can purchase these in most kitchenware shops and the kitchenware section of Department Stores. The Chefs Toolbox sells a funky set of Australian standard measuring cups and spoons, with the cups collapsing for easy storage. To purchase this product, visit The Chefs Toolbox (you’ll find it under “Chefs Tools”).

Another useful addition to your kitchen is a pyrex measuring jug. These can be purchased at kitchenware and department stores.