Good measuring tools are important for many different projects. Whether you are in the workshop, the studio, or the kitchen, being accurate can mean the difference between success or not the best results. Cooking is very forgiving, but I like to measure all the ingredients the first time I try a recipe. Having the right tools at hand can make it easier to enjoy the process.

There are very few drawers in my kitchen, and they are across the room from my stove. I keep a few tools close at hand by hanging them on the inside of a cupboard.

Image shows the interior of a wooden cabinet door. Hanging from the door are several kitchen tools, as described in the text.
A bottle opener, a corkscrew, a tester, two sets of measuring spoons, and a small sifter hang in the cupboard above my stove.
Image shows a set of metal measuring spoons with wire handles on a split ring.
A nice metal set of spoons on a ring.

These are tools I use a lot when I am cooking. I can measure some flour and run it through the small sieve to make sure there are no lumps when I am thickening a sauce.

One of the sets is a standard set of measuring spoons, with a tablespoon, teaspoon, half-teaspoon and quarter-teaspoon.

So what is a smidgen?

The second set of spoons hanging in my cupboard is a little different. I found these at a cooking store and decided I needed to have them just for fun. They have proven to be rather useful, however, as they do measure small quantities quite well. Since there are just two of us, I frequently cut the size of recipes.

Image shows three small metal spoons labeled Smidgen, Dash and Pinch.
A smidgen, pinch and dash measuring spoons.

These spoons measure, from top to bottom, 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8 of a teaspoon. So if your recipe calls for a half-teaspoon of cloves, but you don’t need enough for 8 people, you can cut the recipe to serve two, and add a dash of cloves. The smaller your recipe, the more accurate you want to be.

These spoons are also really helpful when you are trying vintage recipes as they often use these terms for measuring small quantities of ingredients. And just in case you need to know, a “tad” is a quarter-teaspoon. You can read more about these measurements here. I talk more about old recipes in this post about making cake.

More Spoons

I do have other measuring spoons, as you frequently need more than one when you are cooking. So I found a couple of nice sets that I keep in the drawer for when I need to do a lot of measuring. I don’t want to get baking powder in the cinnamon or pepper sauce in the sour cream.

Image shows a selection of measuring spoons in several different colors.
These sets have half-tablespoon measures in them, which can be handy.

I have some other random spoons. Over time, spoons get lost of break. A few spoons end up in permanent home, such as the one that lives in the sugar jar. When I need a teaspoon of sugar in the sauce for the dish I am making, it’s faster and easy to grab the little jar rather than the canister.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into some more of my kitchen gadgets.