In 2001 after Bush started bombing Afghanistan, we precipitously evacuated from Indonesia to Singapore, and I had to quickly stock an apartment kitchen with the tools I need to cook. I bought a set of measuring cups and spoons manufactured in China, and was amused to note that there was no 1/3 cup measure, but there was a 1/3 tsp measure. I figured the specifications had been garbled and the producer had gotten the cups and teaspoon requirements backward.
Well, today I was in the grocery store and saw the same brand on sale, so impulsively checked what the cup and teaspoon sets consisted of.
Darned if they weren’t still selling a set of cups that had no 1/3 cup measure, and a set of teaspoons that had a 1/3 teaspoon measure.
I still have my 1/3 teaspoon from 2001, and I treasure it, because I collect measuring tools in odd amounts. I have a 4-teaspoon measure (it’s an Australian tablespoon, and great for when I use my cookbooks from Oz), a 1/2 tablespoon (aka 1-1/2 tsp), a 2/3 cup measure, and two 1-1/2 cup measures.
Not so mundane to me! I love to cook and bake, so a 1/3 teaspoon measure would be a cool thing to have. Couldn’t do without the 1/3 cup measure, though!
I have two measuring spoon sets that have the 1/2 tablespoon measures. I use them quite often - more convenient that measuring out 1-1/2 teaspoons, for sure.
I also have an 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon, which are hard to come by these days, and have seen measures for a pinch and a dash, though that’s a bit too anal for me.
I have a 1/2 tbsp measure too. As other have said, it’s useful when the recipe calls for 1 1/2 tbsp of something (most often because I’ve halved a recipe that originally called for 3 tbsp).
Also, I have a patented measuring sifter that I picked up at Goodwill for a buck a while ago… I still have no clue why the concept of measuring with my sifter is in any way more convenient than using a measuring cup to scoop out the flour in the first place, but it does do a damn good job of sifting.
(interesting side note… HOLY CRAP, I just went looking online for photos and realised that the same sifters are being listed on eBayfor as much as $25!)
I love my 2/3 c measuring cup and my 1/2 T measuring spoon. I have the odd size sets for both my measuring cups and measuring spoons. I believe the spoons also have a 2/3 t, but they do not have a 3/4 t, which annoys me because I use ATK cookbooks and they seem to adore 3/4 t measures for some reason.
I also own a shot glass shaped liquid measuring cup that is marked for ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons. It holds just about 1/2 c. I love using it to measure soy sauce for stir fry and lemon juice for lemon bars (my recipe calls for 6 T.)
I have tons of measuring cups and spoons (except the 1 tsp. which always seems to go missing, grrr) and recently bought a set for the sole reason that it had the 3/4 cup cup! Wheee!
One of my measuring spoon sets has a 1-and-1/3 tablespoon (or 4 teaspoon) size included. The main thing I use it for is when I’m using small amounts of powdered milk in a recipe; this amount of powder in a scant 1/4 cup of water yields 1/4 cup of milk …
I am awash in measuring cups and spoons. My husband and I merged households when we married five years ago, and while some of the duplicates of things we had got purged, not the cups and spoons. I have two sets of nested measuring cups and at least four sets of measuring spoons. I covet spoons that say “dash” and “pinch” … I’m not anal; I just they they’d be fun! (Some measurements I am so familiar with I don’t even measure any more, such as 1/4 tsp. of salt.)
I have the little shot-glass thing that measures teaspoons also, Missy Woodhouse. LOVE IT.
I have a set of Nigella measuring spoons that includes a “dessertspoon” measure. Fortunately, I did a graduate school project on silverware, so I know that a dessertspoon is equal to two teaspoons. Phew!
I recently bought another set of pink plastic measuring spoons. It includes a 1/2 Tablespoon measure. Weird. I still haven’t had an opportunity to use it.
Yes, just order out all the time or pick up something in a market and take it home. Our complex has a restaurant that we just call and they send something up. You can get a couple of full meal for a few bucks. Neither the wife nor I cook. But I still do the occasional pancake. It was my goofy-looking pancakes – and they do look pitiful – that probably tipped the scale and won her over way back in Hawaii.
LOVE IT.