# Are Our American Culinary Measuring Spoons Really Not Metric? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2023, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983 "2023-10-24T01:06:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/61 "2023-10-26T15:14:59Z")
I often use the ¼ teaspoon for pungent spices, like ground clove. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/62 "2023-10-26T16:32:39Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Do we need metric chickens to lay metric eggs? Everyone knows that Imperial chickens lay eggs in dozens, while metric chickens lay in tens. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/63 "2023-10-26T16:36:03Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > while metric chickens lay in tens. I.e., “metric dozens”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/64 "2023-10-26T19:49:07Z")
Yeah, I think I might have measured cloves or allspice with the 1/4 measure ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/65 "2023-10-26T19:59:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > My measuring spoon set has a 1/4 spoon - I’m sure I must have used it for something in the past - maybe salt in a sweet recipe or something. - I have this set just for the amusement factor. I’ve never actually used them. [https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Measuring-Spoons-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/ref=sr\_1\_5\_pp?crid=OVDCU7ST3IDU&keywords=tiny%2Bmeasuring%2Bspoons&qid=1698350222&sprefix=tiny%2Bmeasuring%2Bspoons%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-5&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Measuring-Spoons-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=OVDCU7ST3IDU&keywords=tiny%2Bmeasuring%2Bspoons&qid=1698350222&sprefix=tiny%2Bmeasuring%2Bspoons%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-5&th=1) ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/66 "2023-10-26T21:00:12Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > No one measures spice, or salt, or baking soda, or vanilla extract by weight for home cooking quantities. Don’t need to weigh them. Baking powder (15 g or 18 g or 20 g, depending on the brand, all suitable for 500 g flour), baking soda (5 g), dry yeast (7 g) and cream of tartar (5 g) are sold in pre-measured packets. Vanilla sugar, which is often used in lieu of vanilla extract is also sold in a packet, which is 8 g. All of my American bought measuring spoons says that 1 tsp = 5 ml, and 1 TBS = 15 ml. I used to have some Tupperware measuring spoons that I bought here in Switzerland, but I guess I got rid of them some time ago. Unless one has a barista scale, which is used to measure coffee (ground or beans), quantities under 15 g are difficult to measure with a typical kitchen scale. My kitchen scale goes up to 2000 g > [@running\_coach](#): > > I have this set just for the amusement factor. I’ve never actually used them. > > [Amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Measuring-Spoons-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S) I have these as well. They’re cute. Swiss standard place setting includes, in addition to the fork and knife, a spoon and a coffee spoon. > **[Cutlery Set 24 pcs – Baguette Vintage Copper](https://www.solapoint.ch/besteckset-24-tlg-baguette-vintage-pvd-kupfer-20979/?locale=en)** > > The timeless Baguette Vintage cutlery set in a > pink-gold color combines the classic shapes of an elegant handle and a narrowing > tines along the entire length… (And if you think it looks nice in the picture, believe me when I say it looks even better in person. I don’t need new place settings, even if they are 50% off.) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/67 "2023-10-26T21:11:51Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > No one measures spice, or salt, or baking soda, or vanilla extract by weight for home cooking quantities. > > Don’t need to weigh them. Baking powder (15 g or 18 g or 20 g, depending on the brand, all suitable for 500 g flour), baking soda (5 g), dry yeast (7 g) and cream of tartar (5 g) are sold in pre-measured packets. > > Vanilla sugar, which is often used in lieu of vanilla extract is also sold in a packet, which is 8 g. I’ve never seen those, and it seems wasteful to buy a lot of extra packaging just to avoid dipping a spoon in a box of baking powder. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/68 "2023-10-27T00:27:12Z")
Some things in baking need to be precise. The acid/base balance, the liquid-to-powders ratio, and the binders (typically egg, but can be other things) are all chemistry. Pretty much everything else, though, you’re free to tweak to match your taste. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/69 "2023-10-27T01:01:20Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > No, they can’t be because we are not talking about the same amounts that just have different names. […] For example, a meter is not 36 inches long ⁢ But the OP isn’t about length. It’s about spoon measurements. And pretty much everything I’ve ever encountered treats 5mL and 1 tsp as the same thing. Or 15mL and 1Tbsp. Both of the spoon sets I currently own (one plastic, one metal) have both metric and US measurements on them. My tablespoon says 1 Tbsp/15mL. My half teaspoon says 1/2 tsp/2.5mL on it. And when I take medicine, I find that they use 1 Tbsp and 15mL interchangeably. My prescription may say take 1 Tbsp, while the included tiny measuring cup will have it marked as 15mL. It really does seem like the US treats 1tsp as if it is exactly 5mL. And the question is whether this is true in other countries. Do they have the same 1.25mL, 2.5mL, 5mL, 10mL, and 15mL spoons that we do? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/70 "2023-10-27T01:45:02Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It really does seem like the US treats 1tsp as if it is exactly 5mL If so, spoon manufacturers could save 1.42 percent on their cost of materials by trying to get closer to what an United States customary units 1tsp is supposed to be (4.9289 ml). Of course, the difference is so small as to be virtually impossible to measure — unless you are making hundreds of thousands of them. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/71 "2023-10-27T02:58:08Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It really does seem like the US treats 1tsp as if it is exactly 5mL. And the question is whether this is true in other countries. No, because (AFAIK) no other country uses the US teaspoon as a unit of measure. The UK teaspoon, if it’s even used anymore, is 1.2 times the size of the US teaspoon (1/768 of an imperial gallon instead of 1/768 of a US gallon). Canada and Australia use the UK teaspoon. BTW, the difference between a US teaspoon and 5 ml is 0.07 ml, which is about the volume of a single drop of water. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/72 "2023-10-27T05:40:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Do they have the same 1.25mL, 2.5mL, 5mL, 10mL, and 15mL spoons that we do? Yes… ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/73 "2023-10-27T05:48:46Z")
has anyone ever cut an exact tablespoon of stick butter using the lines on the wrapper? I say never and its impossible …its either slightly more or less … although if you want to pay more you can buy prewrapped single tablespoons of butter for restaurants ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/74 "2023-10-27T07:26:55Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > without having an inside source spilling measuring spoon industry secrets. No-one wants to get on the wrong side of Big Spoon. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/75 "2023-10-27T07:55:13Z")
Because that’s how you get pushed backwards out of bed. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/76 "2023-10-27T10:35:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It really does seem like the US treats 1tsp as if it is exactly 5mL. The difference is very small. I doubt that difference matters to any ordinary recipe. When i convert recipes from using a volume of flour to a weight of flour, i measure the volume in my customary manner, weigh it, and then write down a round number of grams close to the weight my scale indicates. (I now have a lot of recipes with grams of flour and teaspoons of salt, baking soda, and spices, fwiw. And whether i measure the sugar by weight or volume depends on whether it gets dumped in with the flour or creamed with the butter. If i already have the bowl on the scale, grams is easier. But if i don’t, volume is often easier, as i can pour sugar like water. And if I’m using a shortening that doesn’t come in neatly measured packaging, like sticks of butter, I’ll weigh both the shortening and the sugar.) ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/77 "2023-10-27T11:55:14Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’ve never seen those, and it seems wasteful to buy a lot of extra packaging just to avoid dipping a spoon in a box of baking powder. I encountered these in Germany. I was making a very small batch of pancakes and ended using just a portion of the packet. My hosts just threw out the rest. They did not own any measuring spoons. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/78 "2023-10-27T11:57:24Z")
It sounds like a market accommodation for places where people don’t routinely own measuring spoons. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/79 "2023-10-27T12:17:18Z")
Our kitchens in Europe are typically a lot smaller than in the US. We don’t have big pantries and endless storage space. We also have fridges that are half the size of the American average, or less. So we may or may not have measuring spoons, but we definitely don’t have cupboards where we can keep a tin of baking powder that gets used only occasionally. That said, if you bake frequently, you _can_ get the familiar full size container of baking powder, but you have to go to a specialty baking shop. (We usually restock on our regular visits to Paris, where we can get higher quality supplies than locally.) But in the regular grocery stores, baking powder indeed comes in the little packets mentioned. (Everything is smaller. Our equivalent of all purpose flour, for example, comes exclusively in **[1 kg packages](https://www.aldi.lu/fr/produits/assortiment/patisserie-et-cuisine/farine-et-sucre/farine-de-ble-3001096-1-0.article.html)** and **[no bigger](https://www.amazon.com/Pillsbury-051500204412-All-Purpose-Flour/dp/B000VDWSDS).**) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983/80 "2023-10-27T12:26:09Z")
Baking powder keeps well, and the box isn’t very large. New York City has small homes, too, and most kitchens have baking powder. (Some just keep a box in the fridge to reduce odors.) I think it’s more about how often you bake. When the US was young, there were endless forests and so, cooking fuel was cheap, and most households had an oven. I think this is related to home baking being common in the US. Do you also buy spices in packets? Baking soda and baking powder can both be comfortably stored wherever you store spices. You could buy them in the same quantities, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-american-culinary-measuring-spoons-really-not-metric/991983.md?page=5)