# Tablespoons



## FLO (Jun 18, 2011)

Now this may sound a really unusual query, but honestly, it's a genuine consideration.

When a recipe these days states " tablespoon " as a measuring tool, do they mean the old fashioned tablespoon or a dessert spoon, which the Americans call a tablespoon ?

The reason I ask is because the old fashioned tablespoon holds 2 x dessertspoonfuls of whatever.


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## novorapidboi26 (Jun 18, 2011)

there teaspoons, table spoons, and I think a dessert spoon is bigger than a table...............

so i would think when a table spoon is mentioned its just that, unless its an American recipe...........


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## Robster65 (Jun 18, 2011)

I thought the spoon sizes were the same there, as here.

I know they use cups as a common measure, which I think may be a different size to our cup measure.

Otherwise assume, as you say, 2x tea=dessert. 2x dessert=table.

A lot of US recipes consist of cans or packets of ready-prepared ingredients, rather than fresh. They also, generally, like a lot more sugar added to most things.

Rob


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 18, 2011)

Hi Flo,
your easiest option is to buy for about 99p a set of measuring spoon


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## FLO (Jun 18, 2011)

I have two sets of those, but I just thought that someone on here would know. HEH HEH !

No worries - I'll fiddle around one day when I have time and sort out exactly how much they hold.

Thanks anyway !


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## margie (Jun 18, 2011)

I would work out the source of the recipe UK, US or Australia and then measure accordingly.

Have fun experimenting!!


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## Muttley (Jun 18, 2011)

A teaspoon is generally accepted to be 5ml and a tablespoon to be 15ml.  I don't know of a separate definition for a Dessert Spoon, assume it is 15ml also.


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## KateXXXXXX (Jun 19, 2011)

Dessert spoon in 10ml.   Ya only had ta ask, love...


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## David H (Jun 19, 2011)

Muttley said:


> A teaspoon is generally accepted to be 5ml and a tablespoon to be 15ml.  I don't know of a separate definition for a Dessert Spoon, assume it is 15ml also.



5 ml, 10 ml (millilitres) etc are volume measurements and are generally used with liquid. dry matter salt, flour etc is measured by weight grammes.

American and some Australian cooks use volume measurements for ingredient quantities.

I use a set of bakers cup and spoon measures.

*Cups:*
1 Cup
1/2 Cup
1/3 Cup
1/4 Cup

*Spoon:*
1 Tbl 
1 tsp
1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/8 tsp
+
Tad
Dash
Pinch
Smidgen


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## margie (Jun 19, 2011)

I found this link it deals with UK and US measurements

http://www.ghostcalc.com/cooking-measurement-converter.html


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## Muttley (Jun 19, 2011)

*David H wrote*

_5 ml, 10 ml (millilitres) etc are volume measurements and are generally used with liquid. dry matter salt, flour etc is measured by weight grammes._

A teaspoon is a teaspoon is a teaspoon. It has a volume, and not a set of built-in scales to measure weight.

If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of some ingredient, it means the amount of that ingredient that will fill a volume corresponding to a teaspoon.

In other words, a teaspoon is a volume measurement whether used for dry or liquid ingredients.


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## David H (Jun 19, 2011)

Muttley said:


> A teaspoon is a teaspoon is a teaspoon. It has a volume, and not a set of built-in scales to measure weight.
> 
> If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of some ingredient, it means the amount of that ingredient that will fill a volume corresponding to a teaspoon.
> 
> In other words, a teaspoon is a volume measurement whether used for dry or liquid ingredients.



The point I was making is that Millilitres are a liquid measure and the original question was are all US, UK and Australian spoon sizes the same.

Teacups vary, and Tbls vary (UK -v- US) and then someone mentioned mls,  that's how the topic of weight -v- volume in recipes got started.


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## KateXXXXXX (Jun 19, 2011)

There are accepted standards in the uk for all these measures.  They don't correspond with old fashioned actual real tablespoons like yer granny used, which tended to be deeper...  And a lot of recipes mean you to use a level teaspoon if it isn't specifies.  To me a teaspoonful/tablespoonful is usually nicely rounded or has the meniscus above the level of the bowl.

When it gets down to this level, I fish any old metal teaspoon out of the drawer and use that.  I hardly ever use the measuring spoons: They are Muttley's!  He always fishes them out.  Precision cooking, him.  Me, I'm more of a Nigella/Hairy biker's cook: 'about that much' is usually right.

When I'm WW pointing a recipe, I do it my way but weight the 'about that muches' as I go to get accurate points.


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## Vicsetter (Jun 19, 2011)

I've got those Tad,Dash,Pinch,Smidgen spoons, good for a laugh but not much else.  Most of the time you don't need to be accurate unless you are baking.

My favorite recipe is Brian Turner's Yorkshire pudding - which never fails - 1 cup flour, 1 cup eggs and 1 cup milk + dash vinegar. (p.s. 1 cup of large eggs is 4 eggs).

P.S. if I remember right 1 ml of water at standard temperature and pressure weighs 1gram.  I think this must be the principle my scales use as you can press the button and it says ml, press again and it says grams and IT displays the same NUMBER


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## Northerner (Jun 19, 2011)

Vicsetter said:


> I've got those Tad,Dash,Pinch,Smidgen spoons, good for a laugh but not much else.  Most of the time you don't need to be accurate unless you are baking.
> 
> My favorite recipe is Brian Turner's Yorkshire pudding - which never fails - 1 cup flour, 1 cup eggs and 1 cup milk + dash vinegar. (p.s. 1 cup of large eggs is 4 eggs).
> 
> P.S. if I remember right 1 ml of water at standard temperature and pressure weighs 1gram.  I think this must be the principle my scales use as you can press the button and it says ml, press again and it says grams and IT displays the same NUMBER



Indeed - a litre of water weighs a kilogram


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## Vicsetter (Jun 19, 2011)

Northerner said:


> Indeed - a litre of water weighs a kilogram



Wow, you mean 1000ml (or 1000cc) weighs 1000grams - whatever next


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