What is a cup????

clioandboy
clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Is there a definitve answer to my question? I am English and prefer to use metric but am comfortable using Lbs and ozs.... on the internet I havent found THE answer so can any of you help me out please?

Replies

  • tjones7
    tjones7 Posts: 306
    well a cup is 8oz if that's what you mean
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    OP said metric. 1 cup is 240 ml.
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
    Thank you
    so a cup of shredded lettuce for example is 8oz....... and a half a cup would of course be 4oz.....
  • mommyhof3
    mommyhof3 Posts: 551 Member
    OP said metric. 1 cup is 240 ml.

    A metric cup is defined as 250 millilitres.
    One US cup = 236.588238 milliliters.

    Isn't that weird?? Anyways, it gives you a ballpark idea
  • Paul76
    Paul76 Posts: 158
    Yep, 250ml
  • ritagr
    ritagr Posts: 7 Member
    It's not quite that simple. A cup is a volume measure. So 1 cup of lettuce would weigh less than 1 cup of meat.
    I would suggest you find a volume measure (like a tea cup) that holds 250ml and use that VOLUME to see how much lettuce goes in.
    As an ex-pat living in the US I've got used to this. Americans use volume and we use weight and they are not the same thing. Think about the old trick question - what weighs more: a tonne of lead or a tonne of feathers? Of course they weigh the same amount but th efeathers would have a huge volume.
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
    i vote for the 250 ml!
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    isnt a ml a fluid measurement---like you measure in a cup--i just spoon rice in a cup( not a mug!)---next we will have a world record for how much lettuce you can get in a cup!!
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
    So the all bran that I eat for my breakfast...... a half a cup of that would be???????
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    under the Us system it is as long as a piece of string!! or as big as your cup!!
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
    Globalisation hasn't as yet reached weights and measures it seems! I am anti globalisation but it would be very useful in this regard :laugh:

    If I were to eat 4oz or 125g as a half a cup of allbran for brekkie I don't think I would manage to leave the house! :noway:

    I am just being a bit lazy i guess, maybe I should weigh, calculate and save each item rather than relying on the database but that does reduce the benefits of using this site a bit.... however I do find gadgets like this really useful to focus my mind and I am enjoying the experience
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    it does get me thinking that a lot of the diertry intake in the states is done in a state of 'confusion' if you have no standard accurate rate how does the labelling on food make any sense--in europe they state full details --per 100grammes and gives an accurate break down--a bit more scientic than a 'cup' of volumed food!
  • Amandac6772
    Amandac6772 Posts: 1,311 Member
    If you go back to your old home economics class or for you younger ones family consumer science there is a dry measuring cup and a liquid measruing cup. They are two very different things and can really mess your recipes up if you use the wrong one.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    and where do i buy these cups in the world outside home economics in the states--dont you think it would make more sense to measure things in standradised weight units rather than obviously confusable houseware items--from your comment it is obvious they are easily confused by the trained!
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    Yep, this is quite confusing. For example, I can measure out a cup of cooked rice, but is it truly a cup? I can REALLY pack a measuring cup, if you know what I mean!! It's the same way with measuring spoons for peanut butter or cream cheese. I have finally given up and just started weighing out everything and using the weight measurement on the package serving size as my guide.

    When in doubt, weigh it out!!
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    the trouble is the diet measurement on this system is not your average measured serving on a packet--maybe your getting 1 and half cups in a serving when this system gives the calories for just one (unknown) cup size
  • AnnieeR
    AnnieeR Posts: 229
    and where do i buy these cups in the world outside home economics in the states--dont you think it would make more sense to measure things in standradised weight units rather than obviously confusable houseware items--from your comment it is obvious they are easily confused by the trained!

    You can buy them online. A very quick google popped this up: http://www.decuisine.co.uk/cookshop/bakeware/professional-measuring-cups.html?ref=froogle

    Just be sure they specifically say that they're for American recipes - there are some cheap ones on Amazon but they're not proper American cups.

    Or find out if any friends, colleagues or family are travelling soon - they're cheap as chips if you get them over there!
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    i live in turkey and out of the reach of amazon--can someone tell me how you measure something like lettuce in a cup?? one leaf will fill it or diced will have loads in it? people put food in the system and just put 1 cup for such items!
  • ritagr
    ritagr Posts: 7 Member
    Take a liquid measuring jug and fill to 250ml. Find a tea cup or similar that will just fill with the volume in the measured jug. Use that tea cup as your "cup" measure.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    but american cups arent the same size as normal cups --they are definate measures because they differ between fluid and solids as someone said before--someone i talked to here said she tried an ameriican receipe once and it went wrong because of the sizings!
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    Just as American "cups" of coffee are actually a lot more than 8 oz which is the standard measure of a cup. Our coffee cups are more like gargantu-mugs!!!

    And, I don't even know where to start when measuring out a cup of lettuce. Huh?!?!
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    was it shredded or diced lettuce? rofl
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    was it shredded or diced lettuce? rofl

    Ha!! The day that I actually have the time to hand dice a cup of lettuce will be the day I know that I have WAY TOO MUCH time on my hands!!!!
  • ritagr
    ritagr Posts: 7 Member
    An American cup measure will hold 8 fl oz, or about 250ml. An ounce is an ounce around the world. So take any "vessel" or container and measure into it 8 fl oz or 250ml. That is then the equivalent of an American cup volume. You will always have the issue of whether to pack it or not. Let's face it, if it's only lettuve it doesn't make a substantial difference.
    But you can always use that container as your cup volume going forward. You key is to not mix the metrics. If it's an American recipe - stick with volume, if it's british stick with theweight - you shouldn't really mix them.
  • ssmom
    ssmom Posts: 128 Member
    get a food scale and call it a day--LOL!!! I use mine for everything because I can shove a lot of something good in a cup and go over on the serving size!
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
    get a food scale and call it a day--LOL!!! I use mine for everything because I can shove a lot of something good in a cup and go over on the serving size!

    lol I know what I am like and I too would manage to pack a lot of whatever into a cup!!!!! and I could find a really big cup too!!!!!!:laugh:
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