What Does 2/3 Look Like in a Measuring Cup? Anyone who cooks does own a measuring cup, at least one.
Many cooks have several, with sets of different sizes. Some cooks just go straight to the one-pint size which is actually 16 fluid ounces in the USA, and 20 fluid ounces if a cup was bought in the UK or other European countries during travel.
Liquids look and measure out differently in any size measuring cup, including the 2/3 cup. Most measuring cup sets come as ¼ cup, ½ cup, 1 cup, one pint, or two 8-ounce cups, although the cups are usually .5 more than the markings on a cup when filled to the very top.
There are some sets with 2/3 offerings and single 2/3 cups for sale but can be more difficult to find. Many times these cups have the spout used for liquids and finding one for dry ingredients is even harder.
There are different types of measuring cups, dry measuring cups, and liquid measuring cups. The difference is that liquid measuring cups have a spout for pouring the liquid and although this may not seem like a big deal, it adds some volume to the ounces in a cup.
According to the major broadcast television show, Food Network ®, (1) measuring dry ingredients will be simpler if you use a dry measuring cup as it saves time and keeps guessing and weighing the measurements for dry ingredients to a minimum.
It is easier to remove excess liquid by spilling it out than it is to try and remove the correct amount of dry ingredients which will need to be spooned out a little at a time.
What Does 2/3 Look Like in a Measuring Cup?
If using a standard measuring cup of 8.5 ounces, 2/3 in a measuring cup will look and measure out to approximately 5.7 ounces. Now there are marks on the side of larger cups that will show when 2/3 cup has been reached as many cups do not come in a 2/3 size.
What needs to be remembered is how the ingredients actually “look” in a 2/3 cup. Flour, sugar, honey, and other powdery ingredients such as cocoa powder can look much different than simple water or plain milk. Brown sugar recipes do recommend “tapping down” the brown sugar, as it does not pour well.
This can lead to injecting more brown sugar into a 2/3 cup and ruining a recipe. The same goes for honey and buttermilk as honey has a high viscosity and buttermilk, well, has chunks in it. Viscosity simply means that a liquid is not opaque and very thick.
For brown sugar, which is a very tricky measurement, placing it into a measuring cup should be done per tablespoon as it clumps up. The typical 8-ounce (or 8.5 ounces) measuring cup contains about 16 tablespoons. Each tablespoon should be put into the cup and tapped down until the 2/3 line on the cup shows.
The brown sugar should look flat and even. All dry ingredients should be flat and even with the 2/3 line of the cup and wet ingredients should be left to sit and settle without moving before checking the line. Plastic measuring cups can flex outward too and this needs to be a consideration also.
Removal of ingredients should only be done slowly via teaspoon at a time if removing dry ingredients and one small drop at a time if removing wet ingredients.
4 Ways To Tell What 2/3 Looks Like in a Measuring Cup
1. Check the Line on the Measuring Cup
Even if using a large measuring cup, there will be a two-thirds line. You should ensure that the ingredients are perfectly “aligned with the line.”
Ingredients like flour and brown sugar might need to be tapped down with a spoon to ensure proper filling, or in some cases, will need to be tapped on the bottom to ensure that all air is removed.
Only then should you look and visually check what the ingredients look like in the cup and how close they are to the top if using a 2/3 cup, or how close to the 2/3 line if using a larger-sized cup.
2. Use a Kitchen Scale
If you weigh the ingredients on a kitchen scale you will get exact ounces. You can then put these ounces back into the cup and see where they fall in the cup relative to the line.
If using a 2/3 cup weighing will indeed ensure that you do not overfill or underfill the measuring cup. When adding chopped ingredients to a measuring cup, the look will be entirely different as chopped ingredients will have spaces in between each particle.
All particles will not be the same size either. 2/3 of chopped ingredients may very well look entirely different than either dry or wet ingredients.
3. Use your Vision
Yes, this sounds like a very unclear way of knowing how to tell what is in a 2/3 cup but after a while, if you make the same recipes over and over, a visual scan will let you know without a doubt when you have reached an almost exact 2/3 cup.
The visual scan is best for those recipes that do not include baked goods.
4. Use the “Sweeping Motion”
Most cooks do this if they are not baking or do not need exact ingredients. Fill the measuring cup with the ingredients, but overfill it a bit.
Then take a spatula, or the back of a spoon and sweep it across the top. The extra ingredients will fall off and once the top of the cup is flat with ingredients you will have 2/3 cup.
A spatula works best as it is a flat surface and sweeps easily across most ingredients. This ONLY works if you are using a 2/3 measuring cup as you cannot sweep the top if the ingredients are lower than the top in larger cups.
Conclusion On What Does 2/3 Cup Look Like in a Measuring Cup
Most individuals simply buy a 2/3 cup or a set that includes a 2/3 cup. However, the goal is to learn from repetition how to judge simply by looking at your measuring cup and knowing the correct amount is in it.
Most cooks seek to learn how to visualize almost everything they can. It speeds up cooking.
Use the techniques we mentioned above until “practice makes perfect” and soon you can judge with a glance or two if your ingredients are measured correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions About What Does 2/3 Cup Look Like in a Measuring Cup?
Do I Really Need to Care About the Ounces In a 2/3 Cup?
Only if a recipe demands exact measurements such as in baking or some more intricate dishes. Otherwise, with a little practice, you can always go by the visible lines on a larger measuring cup or the top of a 2/3 measuring cup. It is still important to get the air out and use a spatula to smooth off the top of the ingredients.
If I Want to Double a Recipe Should I Use Two 2/3 Cups Instead of One?
You can do it that way but it can be less work to use a larger measuring cup and just multiply. 2/3 plus 2/3 equals 1 and 1/3 cup. Remember many measuring cups are .5 ounces over the usual 16 ounces so using a bit less will assist in knowing what this amount should look like in larger cups.
Sources
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/baking-guide/difference-between-dry-and-liquid-measuring-cups: Jesse Sheehan, Dec. 10, 2021.