When used for measuring ingredients in cooking what is the difference between a "dry ounce" and a "liquid ounce"?
I've seen numerous recipes that call for measuring "liquid ounce" but at the same time telling you to measure something like flour as "dry ounce" - I've even seen references to "fluid ounces". Are they interchangeable when measuring ingredients? If not why, if so why separate the two types of measurements?
Best Answer
Both liquid ounces and fluid ounces are the same. They are a measure of volume. These are commonly called liquid measurements. These include: teaspoon, tablespoon, fluid ounce, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. Why fluid? Because it's measuring volume.
The term "dry ounce" is one I have never encountered. It's rather confusing and misleading. Technically a dry ounce would imply a measurement of weight. 1 oz = 28g.
Your recipe could be calling for a measurement by weight of flour, or it could be using a terrible phrase "dry ounce" to imply that you should measure the flour with a measuring cup used for dry measure, as opposed to a measuring cup used for liquids.
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What is the difference between measuring liquid ingredients vs dry ingredients in terms of the process and measuring tools?
Liquid measuring cups are usually glass or plastic with a handle. They allow you to pour a liquid into the cup and bring it even with a measurement line without spilling. Dry measuring cups, on the other hand, hold the exact amount of an ingredient and should be leveled off with a flat edge.Are dry and liquid measurements different?
Technically, yes. They both measure the same amount of volume. There is no liquid to dry measuring cup conversion. 1 cup in a dry measuring cup is the same as 1 cup in a liquid measuring cup.Do wet and dry ingredients measure the same?
Technically, liquid and dry measuring cups hold the same volume, but they are specially designed to more accurately measure their respective ingredients.Why are dry and liquid ingredients measured differently?
While liquid and dry measuring cups do hold the same volume, the difference is that each is specially designed to do a better job of measuring its respective ingredients. As an example, think about how flour is measured.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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