What is a cup!!!!!

alanpryke
alanpryke Posts: 20
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
When looking to measure calories I come up with measurements that say 1 cup. What sort of measurement is a f******* cup! How do u measure a cup of onions? Is it a little china tea cup a big mug or what? I can work out a cup of coffee, but need to know a bit more than 1 cup for measuring rice onions etc. Can someone please come up with a defenition of a cup in terms of actual weight or capacity before I explode
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Replies

  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    1 cup is 250ml.

    250ml = 8.45 fluid ounces.

    You can buy measuring cups. They usually come in a set of 1/4, 1/2, 2/3 and 1 cup.

    You can't determine the weight of 1 cup of something unless you know it's density (science crap).

    For food I'd use weight (using scales) more than volume.
  • faithikins
    faithikins Posts: 679 Member
    :laugh: :laugh: buy some proper measuring cups.
  • sweebeesmom
    sweebeesmom Posts: 148
    hahaha, i get the same feeling when recipes are in grams.
  • jamiek89
    jamiek89 Posts: 105
    Well im not sure how mfp 'officially' work it out but I have been assuming a cup refers to 1 australian standard cup which is a measured unit of 250ml.
    I have no idea if this is actually right or not but hopefully it helps!
  • wmartin8
    wmartin8 Posts: 22
    I have this same problem all the time. The simplest way is just to convert everything to grams and figure out how many grams of stuff you need. Grams deal specifically with the amount of weight of the stuff you need so it's pretty straight forward. For instance in my morning cereal, it says a serving size is a either 1 cup or 60 grams. So I put a small bowl on my food scale and measure myself 60 grams of cereal and i'm good to go. The problem with the measuring 1 cup is that food comes in so many different shapes and sizes that you're never quite sure how much of it really fits in one cup. So converting everything to it's actual weight it's a lot more accurate in precise in my opinion.
  • alanpryke
    alanpryke Posts: 20
    Thank you all for your comments I'm guessing cup values are not an english thing, sorry for the rant but I just wanted to know the calories of one medium raw onion to put into my curry recipe and couldn't find any thing in the database that wasn't measured in cups!!!! Now I know it is 250 ml this may well help me tho working out 250 ml of onions is going to be a bit tricky for my brain
  • mandykasase
    mandykasase Posts: 110
    When looking to measure calories I come up with measurements that say 1 cup. What sort of measurement is a f******* cup! How do u measure a cup of onions? Is it a little china tea cup a big mug or what? I can work out a cup of coffee, but need to know a bit more than 1 cup for measuring rice onions etc. Can someone please come up with a defenition of a cup in terms of actual weight or capacity before I explode

    If you are in the UK go to a Pounstretcher store, you can get a set of 5 for a quid. Your profile does not say were you are located but that's were i got mine.
  • kidtechnical
    kidtechnical Posts: 146
    The "cup" isn't a standard size so far as I'm aware, it varies in different countries and I'm guessing you're UK were we don't use the cup as a measurement. I really wish that there was an option that allowed us to filter the database to exclude measurements that users don't need, it'd save me wading through entries looking for one with grams!

    Oh and you can't really convert a cup to a capacity or weight because it's a measurement of volume, so the weight of what you put in it will be different depending on what you put in it... ie a cup of flour is going to weigh much more than a cup of cornflakes for example.
  • alanpryke
    alanpryke Posts: 20
    It's like togs and duvets!!!! but thats an entirely different rant
  • faithikins
    faithikins Posts: 679 Member
    It's like togs and duvets!!!! but thats an entirely different rant
    :laugh: I love this thread.
  • Debinapril
    Debinapril Posts: 53 Member
    lol You are not alone in the confusion!
  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
    Aha - poundstretcher here I come (I think we've got one in town!) :smile:
  • alanpryke
    alanpryke Posts: 20
    faithkins look up rhod gilbert on youtube, he does a wonderful sketch about buying a duvet
  • faithikins
    faithikins Posts: 679 Member
    faithkins look up rhod gilbert on youtube, he does a wonderful sketch about buying a duvet
    I won't get it, I'm an aussie and we have doonas :laugh:
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    LOL
  • Shofie_1910
    Shofie_1910 Posts: 39
    I googled this and from what i can work out a pint is roughly 2 cups.
  • alanpryke
    alanpryke Posts: 20
    Kwardkinck yes I do use lots of recipes but they all use ounces or grams or ml's I do not have one recipe book that measures in cups
  • alanpryke
    alanpryke Posts: 20
    Shofie I think its going to be to cups of beer this lunchtime!!!!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    I love online calculators for converting things. It makes things so much easier.
  • mommy2josh
    mommy2josh Posts: 21
    That would be us Canadians using Cups ;) i always use online conversions tools, if i need to switch to grams or something.
  • kidtechnical
    kidtechnical Posts: 146
    Online conversion tools are great for occasional use, but the point of MFP is to be quick and easy to use, having to visit an online conversion site before inputting EVERYTHING is an additional hassle. A simple filter could just get rid of cups (or mls or fl oz etc)
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    It's like togs and duvets!!!! but thats an entirely different rant
    :huh: Togs are something completely different from duvets in Ireland :noway:
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    a cup = 24 ounces when it comes to cofffee :laugh:
  • wanda1956
    wanda1956 Posts: 110
    You need to buy a set of measuring cup...you will find them in cooking section at walmart or any store..if you can't find just ask sales clerk they can help.
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
    They don't mean "cups" (which is a slang word or a glass or coffee mug). They mean an actual cup (an amount). You can buy measuring cups at the store which are presized and come in 1/4 cups, 1/3 cups, 1/2 cups, and 1 cup. 1 cup= 8 ounces.

    That is the biggest mistake I see when people are trying to get their 8 cups of water in a day on here. They don't mean a glass. A glass is usually equal to 2 cups or 16 ounces of water! A cup is an actualy scientific measuring amount.
  • downtome
    downtome Posts: 529 Member
    One Medium onion is about 44-46 calories. One cup is also 8 oz.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    Cups is a 'cross the pond' aberration and is confusing and pointless to those of us on this side of the pond. But this is a US based site with mainly US based users and so that is what you are going to find I am afraid. Just shout at the computer like I do *CUP?? CUP??? HOW MUCH IS AN EFFIN CUP???' it helps me no end.

    I LURVE Rhodri Gilbert and the duvet rant...first time I saw it I laughed so hard a little bit of wee came out....lol
  • heyitsmekatie
    heyitsmekatie Posts: 544 Member
    hahaha, i get the same feeling when recipes are in grams.

    me too! thank goodness for google! :smile:
  • dwarfer22
    dwarfer22 Posts: 358 Member
    nother little tip. a cup is roughly the size of your fist. (obviously, if you have chewbacca hands, adjust accordingly) :laugh:
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
    You use measuring cups! You mean you have never used a measuring cup?
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