# Another Metric vs English question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876 "2013-06-01T17:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/21 "2013-06-03T10:01:31Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > So, I’m wondering what size measuring cups and spoons do folks in Metric lands use? 250 ml is a metric cup _and we call it “a cup”_. 5 ml is a metric teaspoon _and we call it “a teaspoon”_. 15ml is a metric tablespoon _and we call it “a tablespoon”_. Thankfully, my kitchen scales and measuring jug are both bilingual so I can weigh ounces and pour fl. oz if that’s needed. But in recipes with cups and teaspoons, I just use the metric. Ditto for sticks of butter (I use 125g for that, what’s 7g going to hurt) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/22 "2013-06-03T10:03:41Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > As has been said, the issue isn’t the cost, it’s the usefulness. My wife cooks a lot, using lots of recipes from many different cookbooks. I can’t remember a single one that required her to weigh ingredients. Everything is always measured by volume, or comes premeasured at the grocery store. By “cook” are you including “baking from scratch”? Because I find it hard to conceive of doing that without a scale, packing densities vary so much. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/23 "2013-06-03T10:30:53Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > By “cook” are you including “baking from scratch”? Because I find it hard to conceive of doing that without a scale, packing densities vary so much. Sadly, many American baking cookbooks do indeed ask you to bake by volume. Oh, they try to get around the subject by going through a big song-and-dance about how to get a proper cup of this and that, but I’m sure it leaves many beginning bakers confused and annoyed. (And it doesn’t even have to be $30. I think I got my latest scale, accurate to an eighth-ounce or gram, for $15 via Amazon, and it was highly rated by various sources.) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/24 "2013-06-03T10:58:09Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > By “cook” are you including “baking from scratch”? Because I find it hard to conceive of doing that without a scale, packing densities vary so much. I’ve baked from scratch for two decades and change, and spent a year baking for my job. The number of times I’ve used a scale while baking has been minimal. It’s really not that hard to bake by volume. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/25 "2013-06-03T11:10:35Z")
I’d say baking by volume is pretty common and pretty easy. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/26 "2013-06-03T12:22:21Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Do you call metric the “french” system? > > As I pointed out, we in England do not use it all that much any more, and anyway, you Americans changed it. The system used for volume and weight used in America was never used in England (the pints are different sizes, we don’t use cups, and we measure weights in stones). We don’t want to be blamed for your crappy and idiosyncratic system. > > The name Imperial System (for each of the two related but somewhat differing systems) is well established in both Britain and the USA. Looks like [English](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_units) is also well-established. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/27 "2013-06-03T12:35:32Z")
I tried to bake by volume once and ended up burning down the whole neighborhood. Just kidding! Baking by volume has always gone well for me! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/28 "2013-06-03T12:42:20Z")
I do not “bake” often, but I cook every day. In general I do not measure ingredients with tools. A friend couldn’t comprehend how I could come close to being accurate, so we did an experiment. Using some old oregano and paper plates, I used my palm to measure out 1/4, 1/2, 1 tsp, 1 Tb. All were accurate. I poured 1/2 cup of water, then measured and was very close. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/29 "2013-06-03T13:56:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > In general, we don’t. We use scales for measuring out ingredients specified by weight, and marked jugs for ingredients specified by volume. Some of your smarter digital scales will translate between ounces, grams, and litres with the press of a button. I’ve one that does this. I’ve not checked it’s acccuracy but it seems to work. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/30 "2013-06-03T14:38:06Z")
> [@GomiBoy](#): > > Some of your smarter digital scales will translate between ounces, grams, and litres with the press of a button. I’ve one that does this. I’ve not checked it’s acccuracy but it seems to work. The accuracy of the conversion will be perfect to within the accuracy of the scale. (As long as the fluid you’re measuring has a density close to that of water.) The scale just changes what factor it multiplies the voltage from the pressure sensor by. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/31 "2013-06-03T15:04:46Z")
The standard recipe book that I grew up in in the Netherlands lists how much 100 ml of a number of standard ingredients weigh, and I’ve often used that to measure out ingredients. A lot of measuring vessels will indicate not only the number of milliliters, but also corresponding weights for some key ingredients. Teaspoons and tablespoons are commonly used as well, but I’ve never seen recipes refer to cups of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/32 "2013-06-03T15:40:07Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Looks like [English](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_units) is also well-established. From that Wikepedia link: > [@](#): > > The last _Imperial Standard Yard_ in bronze was made in 1845; it served as the standard in the [United Kingdom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom) until the yard was redefined by the [international yard and pound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_yard_and_pound) agreement as 0.9144 metre in 1959 (statutory implementation: Weights and Measures Act of 1963). The English system then spread to other parts of the [British Empire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire). The stupidity of the quote’s final sentence is one more reason why Wikipedia should be shot. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/33 "2013-06-03T16:28:48Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > By “cook” are you including “baking from scratch”? Because I find it hard to conceive of doing that without a scale, packing densities vary so much. Yes, this includes baking from scratch. Everything is measured by volume, e.g. “so many cups of flour”. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876/34 "2013-06-03T16:55:17Z")
if solids are measured in volume there are some conditions specified or understood. some are packed, others are sifted, lightly packed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-metric-vs-english-question/659876.md?page=1)