From Cooking Wiki
Measurements
Learn to Measure Accurately
It will not do to use a heaping teaspoon, tablespoon or cup when a level one is meant.
Poor Measurements in Cooking
To change proportions by wrong measuring causes poor results, for example:
Too much flour will make a cake dry and crumbly, bread solid and heavy, sauces thick and pasty.
Too much fat will make cakes oily and may cause them to fall; it will make grease-soaked doughnuts and greasy gravies and sauces.
Too much sugar will make a cake with a hard crust, or a sticky cake; it makes a soft, sticky jelly.
Too much liquid will make a cake that falls easily.
Too much soda gives a disagreeable taste and bad color to breads and cakes.
Cooking Equipment - Measuring
You should have accurate equipment for measuring, as follows:
A measuring-cup holding one-fourth quart and divided by ridges on one side into thirds and on the other side into fourths.
A quart measure divided by ridges into fourths. Each fourth is a cupful.
A standard tablespoon that holds one-sixteenth of a cup.
A standard teaspoon that holds one-third of a tablespoon.
A tested scale.
Measuring Dry Material
To measure dry material fill the cup, spoon or other measure to overflowing, then pass a spatula or the straight edge of a knife over the top, leveling the material. For an accurate half-teaspoon or tablespoon of dry material, fill spoon as above, then, owing to the difference in capacity of the tip and bowl of the spoon, divide the material in half lengthwise.
Measuring Fat
To measure fat, an easy and accurate way to measure solid fat is by means of water. For instance, to measure % eup of solid shortening, fill a standard measuring cup % full of cold water, then drop in pieces of the shortening, pushing them under the water until the water level reaches the one-cupful mark. If l /z cup shortening is called for in the recipe, fill the cup one-half full of water, and so on for any quantity desired.
Another accurate method especially recommended for small quantities, is to pack the shortening into a standard measuring spoon and level off evenly with the straight edge of a knife.
Measuring Liquids
To measure liquids, fill the measure with all it will hold.
