My 3/4ths cup measure broke somehow: there’s a split right down its plastic side, as I discovered when I tried to measure water with it last night. My first mother-in-law gave me this set of measuring cups, saying the 2/3rds and 3/4ths cups had dramatically improved her life. At the time I had mixed feelings about the gift: my mother-in-law did all the cooking and cleaning at her house even though she and her husband both worked, and I felt like the gift came with a message: “These are for you, because you are the wife and the household chores belong to you.” I wish I had been a little less inclined to read things into things. On the other hand, I like the idea of giving chore-related household items as a joint gift to the whole household. Although now that I think of it, I think I’ve many times since then given a household item to only the girl. Well, the system needs work, and perhaps I can polish out the details in time to accidentally send the wrong message to MY daughters-in-law (“I assume you are too incompetent to cook,” perhaps, or “I assume my perfect child shares household chores evenly,” or “I assume my child does all the cooking while you loaf around doing nothing”).
Back to the first hand, I WAS the one who did all the baking, and I LIKE to bake, and I REALLY LOVE those measuring cups and I use them all the time (especially for the chocolate chip cookies recipe I use, which calls for 3/4ths cup brown sugar, 3/4ths cup white sugar, and 3 x 3/4ths cups flour), and kept them after that husband and I split up even though in general we tried to divide possessions based on whose family they came from. I worried that the measuring cups would always make me think of my first marriage, and they sort of do, but over time it’s more of a positive association with my first mother-in-law and how kind she was to make overt efforts to make me feel welcome even though she was bewildered by two 19-year-olds (one of them a little unnecessarily prickly) getting engaged, rather than a negative association with the marriage. And if I HADN’T kept the measuring cups, I would have made the association every time I had to use two measuring cups instead of one, so it was pretty unavoidable and this way I got to keep using one measuring cup.
But last night the 3/4ths one finally broke, after many years of active duty. I went on eBay and I searched for vintage Tupperware measuring cups (I don’t like the shape/balance of the newer ones, and neither did my former mother-in-law: she’d gone to some trouble to find me an older set), and I found and bought a set that was just the 2/3rds cup, the 3/4ths cup, and a 1 cup: I could use another 1 cup measure, and I don’t need any more 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 cups, so I might as well get the missing-pieces set instead of up-bidding a complete set. I got orange this time: the set from my first mother-in-law was white speckled with grey, but the orange reminds me of my grandparents: my grandmother’s cookie and cracker containers were orange Tupperware, and I have one of them. I mean my grandPARENTS’ cookie and cracker containers.
I have the same orange vintage tupperware measuring cups! They spent many years in active duty when I was growing up and after I moved out my mom gave them to me. I love them not just for convenience, but because they remind me of the house I grew up in.
I love the Tupperware measuring cups with the 2/3’s and 3/4’s cup. Such a small thing, but they really do improve your life ;)
My mom had the vintage ones and I have a newer set. I don’t mind them, but I never thought of searching Ebay for them….smart!
I’m glad you found new ones! Having the right measuring cups is so important. I’ve got several different sets and have my favorites.
I have the vintage Tupperware measuring cups in avocado green, acquired from my late MIL’s boxes of crap we had in storage. They are my FAVORITE.
Now I really want a 3/4 cup measuring cup!
My parents (Mom), had two sets of these when I was growing up. The orange, and a bright green. I now have two sets myself. Avocado and gray speckled. I would say WE, but my husband used my one cup measure when he measured out ammonium sulphate for our water treatment system. He’s no longer allowed to touch the measuring cups. And, my mom gave me her bright green one to replace the avocado one that now must be dead to me.
I never actually realized measuring cup sets were deficient in the 2/3rd’s and the 3/4th’s until I was an adult. B/c of COURSE there should be!
I have some from Williams Sonoma that I love. I believe it’s. 2/3, a 3/4, and a 1 1/2. I also have the measuring spoon version.
My parents (almost typed Mom. Ha!) have that orange set STILL. And a green one. I tried to swipe some of them when I moved out 15 years ago, but I got caught and they went back into the kitchen drawer. I have never found measuring cups I like as well, and I buy a new set probably once a year.
I know just what you mean about those odd sizes. My mother once have me the BEST set – stainless, withshort integral handles. They are spendy but worth it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0013DXP2S?qid=1400462489&sr=8-3&vs=1
Those do look nice, but I personally have found that as my eyes have aged (the rest of me of course remains 29), I want my “best” measuring cups (which I don’t actually own, but hypothetically speaking…) to have the measurement written on them in large font, in a contrasting color. Because I am forever squinting at the ones I do own (which look very much like those except without the 2/3 and 3/4 sizes) thinking, “Wait, is that 1/4? No, wait, it’s 1/3! Oh — darn! It’s 1/2!).
But maybe that’s just me!
Do you need to divide the flour for your chocolate chip cookie recipe? I have a brownie recipe like that, I have to keep 2 Tbsp separate from the other measure of flour. Anyway, if you don’t have to do that, wouldn’t it be easier to measure 2 1/4 cups instead of 3×3/4? Maybe that’s just me. I often forget my count or get interrupted by a child while measuring and have that moment of wondering if I added too much or too little. I do enjoy the “odd” sizes of cups and have always wondered why they aren’t standard. Everyone who bakes uses them! It makes no sense, and really does make ones baking life so much more enjoyable.
No, the flour doesn’t need to be divided; I just find it easier to use the 3/4ths measure for everything. Only one cup measure for the whole recipe!
I don’t know that I’d value those specific measurements, BUT — I am a *huge* fan of anything that makes cooking/baking easier. Indeed, at some point I realized that it was precisely because I don’t much like to cook/bake that I need decent (read: really good) kitchen equipment. So there!
Also, in this post I learned that you had been married previously and that you married young. Two interesting Swistle-facts I did not know before!
I have a trick for those recipes that call for 3/4c brown sugar and 3/4c white, since I’m not lucky enough to have a 3/4 measuring cup at hand: I measure out 1/2c of each kind of sugar and then pack brown sugar into the 1/2c measuring cup roughly halfway, and top it with the white sugar. Which technically you could do by measuring 1/2c, 1/2c, 1/4c, 1/4c. But why dirty another measuring cup if you don’t have to!
I had the vintage yellow Tupperware set for donkey’s years. Then one day I set the 2/3 cup too close to a burner. So sad. I bought a new red Tupperware set, but you are right–the shape/fatter outer edge of the new ones is just not precise like the old ones.
I discovered a 3/4 cup shaped hole in my heart several years ago and promptly filled it with a stainless steel set of cups that include the odd sizes. Tragically, the handle broke off the 1/2 cup a few weeks ago–it was only spot-welded on and apparently I’m very hard on my cups. I’m despondent, because I LOVE those cups.
(And now I’ve typed “cups” so many times it’s starting to look weird…)
I bought a very inexpensive bright yellow random brand set of measuring cups at Target so that my daughter could “help” in the kitchen. Then one day I realized the 1 cup has a line around the inside for 3/4 cup! I can use it to make oatmeal now! It is brilliant.
I have a set of the bright orange older Tupperware cups. I love them! One of them got a little to close to an electric skillet and melted a little, but is still usable.
I have the set that must be newer or at least from the early 1990s (also a gift from my mother in law–but probably for both of us–as we do about equal cooking) they are almond, and I guess I didn’t realize they were different from the avocado green ones or the orange ones my mother, and mother in law (respectively) have. I googled, but mine look like the vintage ones. Oh and I actually have 2 sets because… well I have no idea why.
Oh I googled new ones and boo I don’t like those at all.
My mom has green ones of those! The very first time I used my measuring cups, I was baffled by the absence of the 2/3 and 3/4 cups. I actually accused my new husband of somehow misplacing them or accidentally throwing them out before I looked them up online and realized not every measuring set includes those. Glad you found replacements!
I did not even know that 2/3 and 3/4 c. measuring cups EXISTED until I read this post. What a revelation! Maybe I would want to bake more if I had those! I mean, probably not, but it’s worth a shot, right?
I have the orange ones, too! My hubby brought them to the marriage, had been a gift from his grandmother. I’d never had measuring cups with so many different size options. Didn’t think it would be a big deal but I love them!
I’ve always just filled a 1 cup a little less.
Am I the only one to not know you were married before Paul?
I’m going to note here, too, that apparently Swistle AND the average Swistle commenter (at least on this post) are clearly much more precise than am I when it comes to baking. Because I dump a bunch of sugar (e.g.) in the one-cup measure and say, “eh, that looks like about 3/4” and am done with it (or I think, “eh they always call for more sugar than is really needed” and stop at 1/2 cup…). Another confession? I use medium eggs rather than large eggs in my recipes (and everywhere else) (they’re cheaper!). I mean, if I get to a recipe that calls for, say, 6 eggs, I might throw in 7, but otherwise (again), I figure “close enough.” I’ve always thought this true, but perhaps there’s a large and disgruntled group of recipients of my concoctions now saying, “Ha! We knew it!”
I never knew measuring cups came in those odd sized before! If I have a recipe that calls for any multiple of 1/4 cups I just use the 1/4 cup measure; same with recipes that call for only multiples of 1/2 cups. I do have to be careful not to lose count though when something calls for, say, 2 1/4 cups of flour. But since I often switch out part of the white flour for whole wheat (unless I’m making cake), measuring multiple small cups makes this easier anyway.
Confession: I love measuring out brown sugar. I find those little loaves of sugar plopping out whole from my measuring cup oddly more satisfying than pouring a stream of white sugar.
The only thing I asked for when my grandparents moved out of their house and gave most of their stuff away was the set of orange, green, and yellow Tupperware cookie containers. I LOVE THEM.
I know your pain, Swistle. A couple of months ago my orange Tupperware 1/4 cup measure disappeared. I bought that set when I was newly married, back in the early 80s. I have looked in every drawer, every pantry container, I mean everywhere, to no avail. I suspect it was accidentally thrown in the trash while cleaning up after baking. It’s amazing how much I used that 1/4 cup measure. And I love those odd 2/3 and 3/4 cup sizes. I don’t like the new Tupperware measuring cups. I will have to look on Etsy or ebay to find a vintage set like the one I have.