Measuring cups tell you volume: how much space an ingredient occupies. A kitchen scale tells you mass, commonly called weight in recipes. Those are different measurements. A cup of water and a cup of flour do not have to weigh the same simply because they fill the same-sized cup.
Start with the unit in the recipe. If it specifies grams, use an appropriate scale. If it specifies milliliters or cups, use a suitable volume measure and follow the recipe’s instructions. Do not turn a number from one system into the other by keeping the number and changing the unit.
Use a liquid measure for pourable liquids
A transparent jug with a spout and graduated markings makes water, milk or broth easier to measure. Put it on a level counter rather than holding it in the air. Lower your eyes to the measurement line so you can see the level clearly.
Health Canada recommends choosing a reasonably small measuring cup for the amount you need. A small amount at the bottom of a very large jug can be harder to read. Add the liquid gradually as you approach the line rather than pouring quickly and trying to remove the excess.
Fill dry cups as the recipe directs
Dry measuring cups are usually filled to the top and leveled. Health Canada advises spooning ingredients such as flour into the cup and smoothing the top. Pushing the cup into a flour bag can pack more flour into the same volume.
Read the ingredient wording before measuring. “Packed” and “sifted” can change how the recipe expects an ingredient to be handled. When a recipe provides its own method or weight, use that information instead of substituting a general internet conversion.
Check which cup the recipe means
Recipes from different countries may use different cup conventions. Look for the recipe’s stated milliliter equivalent or its notes before beginning. Using one consistent set of measures is more reliable than combining an unlabeled household mug with a measuring cup from another set.
A drinking cup is not automatically a recipe measure. It may be useful for serving a beverage, but its capacity is not established by its familiar shape. Measuring spoons are also different from the ordinary cutlery you use at the table.
Keep weight conversions ingredient-specific
NIST identifies measuring by mass with a suitable scale as a good way to improve recipe accuracy. That does not make cups useless. It means you should use the method the recipe supplies and recognize that a cup-to-gram conversion depends on the ingredient.
If you need a conversion, prefer one supplied by the recipe author for that particular ingredient and method. A chart for flour will not tell you the weight of a cup of chopped nuts. The size of the pieces and how they settle also affect the amount in a cup.
Measure before the pan needs you
Set out the tools and check the units while the kitchen is still calm. Measure small ingredients before a sauce reaches a critical stage or something starts to burn. Clean and dry a measure when the next ingredient requires it, especially after a sticky or wet ingredient.
The practical goal is a recipe you can repeat. Read the unit, choose the right tool and use the stated method. Clear measuring habits let you spend more attention on the food rather than wondering whether an unfamiliar cup was close enough.