Dry, Liquid, Steel or Glass: The Best Measuring Cups

Measuring cups look like the simplest tools in a kitchen, but the wrong ones cause more failed recipes than a bad oven. A cracked plastic cup with faded numbers, a dry cup used for milk, a liquid cup used for flour: each throws a recipe off. In a restaurant, a batch of rice, horchata or salsa gets measured the same way every time, and the right cups are part of that.

This guide explains the difference between dry and liquid measuring cups, compares metal, plastic and glass, and names nine sets worth buying, from OXO, Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, All-Clad, Bellemain, Cuisipro, Spring Chef and Le Creuset.

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Quick verdict: which measuring cups to buy

Five measuring cup sets compared

Our five standout sets, one for each kind of cook. All nine sets are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes and markings are as the maker or its listing states them.

Our picks for the best measuring cups

The list mixes dry cups, which you fill and level, and liquid cups, which you fill to a line. We start with the two sets most kitchens should own, then cover alternatives in steel, glass and plastic. Each review gives the maker’s or listing’s specifications, who the set suits and one honest drawback.

Dry cups and liquid cups are not interchangeable

The National Institute of Standards and Technology describes the two in its culinary measurement tips: a dry measuring cup is designed for dry ingredients such as sugar, and a fluid measuring cup for liquids such as water. NIST says using a dry cup in place of a fluid cup is a common way to introduce measurement errors. Dry cups should be filled and the excess struck off level; liquid cups should sit on a level surface and be read at eye level.

The reason is shape. A dry cup is full at the rim, which you cannot fill with water without spilling. A liquid cup has its top line below the rim and a spout, which you cannot level flour against. If you only have room for one, buy a liquid cup and a kitchen scale, and weigh the dry ingredients.

Weight beats volume for flour and masa

NIST calls measuring by mass with a kitchen scale a best practice for recipe accuracy, and names cups as a common source of error. A cup of flour or masa harina changes with how it is scooped, packed or sifted; a weight does not. In a restaurant kitchen, masa for tortillas is weighed, not scooped, so every batch has the same texture and every tortilla the same size.

Measuring cups still earn their place for liquids, for recipes written in cups, and for quick everyday cooking. But if you bake, or you want your tortillas to come out the same every time, a digital kitchen scale with a tare button and 1-gram steps is the tool to add; our guide to the best kitchen scale covers which one to buy.

Metal, plastic or glass?

Stainless steel

Best for dry cups. Steel keeps a flat rim for levelling, does not crack or warp, and takes etched or stamped markings that last. Look for one-piece or riveted construction and markings cut into the metal rather than printed on.

Glass

Best for liquid cups. Clear glass shows the level, does not absorb odours, and tempered glass like Pyrex can go in the microwave to warm milk or melt butter. Its weakness is thermal shock: Pyrex’s safety and usage page names it as a cause of breakage.

Plastic

Light and unbreakable, which suits a kitchen with children helping. Good plastic cups like OXO’s angled set are well made; cheap ones warp in the dishwasher and their printed numbers wear off. Plastic is not for hot liquids or the microwave unless the maker says so.

How to choose measuring cups

Markings. Etched, engraved or stamped markings outlast printed ones. If the maker does not say, assume printed and hand wash.

Sizes. Four dry sizes (1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1 cup) cover most recipes; 2/3 and 3/4 save time. For liquids, 2 cups is the most useful size and 4 cups the most versatile.

Metric as well as US units. Many recipes from outside the United States are written in grams and milliliters. Cups with both scales, like the Bellemain, Spring Chef and the glass sets, save conversions.

Storage. A set that nests and stays together (magnets, a ring or a loop) is a set you can find. Loose cups go missing.

Care. Check whether the maker lists the set as dishwasher safe. Steel usually is; glass with a printed scale and finishes such as gold last longer washed by hand.

How we chose these nine sets

We looked at dry and liquid measuring cups from OXO, Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, KitchenAid, All-Clad, Bellemain, Spring Chef, Cuisipro, Le Creuset and others, kept only sets showing as in stock on Amazon when we checked, and chose a mix of materials, sizes and budgets rather than nine versions of the same stainless set. Specifications come from the Amazon listings and, where we could read them, the makers’ own pages (Le Creuset, Pyrex care guidance). The advice on dry versus liquid cups and on weighing comes from NIST.

We left out unbranded magnetic sets and sets from sellers we could not identify. We have not used these cups for this guide, and we did not rely on America’s Test Kitchen, Serious Eats, Wirecutter or the New York Times.

Measuring cup questions, answered

What is the best type of measuring cup?

Two types: stainless steel dry cups for flour, sugar and rice, and a glass or clear plastic liquid cup for water, milk and stock. One type cannot do both jobs accurately.

What are the best gold measuring cups?

Le Creuset’s gold set is heavy-gauge stainless steel with a gold finish and is listed as dishwasher safe. Le Creuset does not say how long the finish lasts in the dishwasher, so hand washing is the cautious choice.

Which measuring cup brand is best?

OXO for everyday dry and plastic liquid cups, Pyrex and Anchor Hocking for glass, and All-Clad if you want an heirloom steel set. Choose a brand that states its material and how the markings are made.

Which measuring cups do America’s Test Kitchen and Wirecutter recommend?

We did not read or rely on their reviews for this guide, so we cannot speak for their picks. Our choices rest on maker specifications, listings and NIST’s measurement guidance.

Are stainless steel or plastic measuring cups better?

Stainless steel for dry cups: it keeps a flat rim and markings that last. Good plastic is fine for liquid cups, especially if you want something unbreakable.

Can I use a dry measuring cup for liquids?

You can, but NIST names it as a common source of error. Use a liquid cup read at eye level, or weigh the liquid on a scale.

The measuring cups to start with

Buy the OXO stainless set for dry ingredients and the Pyrex glass set for liquids, and you will rarely need anything else. Add a kitchen scale when you start baking seriously or making tortillas by the dozen, and pick up baking sheets and pans from our best baking pan sets guide.

For pouring and reading liquids, see our guide to the best liquid measuring cups.

Related guide: Best dry measuring cups.

Measuring cups sit with the rest of the basics in our guide to Mexican cooking tools. And if you would rather leave the measuring to our kitchen tonight, see the menu or call to order.