When you bake, are you the kind of person who measures by the mil? When called upon to add cocoa to cupcake mix or chilli powder to chowder, do you go by the book? Or, do you employ culinary license and grab the nearest spoon for a there-and-thereabouts heaping?
We’ve been thinking about spoons. Last week, this query was posted by Andrew Phillips, a member of our Facebook community:
“I don’t know if this is something you do, but I need to resolve a kitchen utensil dispute, and I can think of no higher authority than Yuppiechef.Yesterday I baked brownies requiring 6 tablespoons of cocoa. I dug through our cutlery drawer and the only thing resembling a tablespoon seemed too big, so I asked my friend if it was, perhaps, a tablespoon. She laughed derisively and said a tablespoon is just a regular spoon – the kind you eat cereal with.
This totally contradicts what I’ve held to be true since childhood days of baking with my mom: There are three main spoon sizes. A teaspoon is the smallest, a tablespoon is the largest, and then a DESSERT spoon falls in between. When I called the regular cereal-eating-sized spoon a ‘dessert spoon’, I was once again met with scornful laughter.
I’ve asked other girls and they agree: there is no dessert spoon – only teaspoons and tablespoons. I’m not sure I can live in a world with this kind of spoon dichotomy. Please help.”
We could but respond to this eloquent and earnest seeking of the truth about spoons, and are pleased to report Andrew’s childhood baking memories to be beyond reproach and the third member of the spoon family – the dessert spoon – to be absolutely existent.
Here’s why.
A tablespoon (in the UK and South Africa) is accepted to mean 15ml of powder or liquid, while ateaspoonclocks in at 5ml. It would be difficult to argue this to be anything other than thetruth(seemeasuring spoons above, neatly engraved).
Moving on to traditional tableware pieces – a typical place setting consists of a knife, forks and two spoons. Most people call the littler of the two spoons a ‘teaspoon’ – which is dead right. The smaller spoon (although flattened) holds 5ml:
And finally, the weapon in question:
Our commenter’s friend classed the larger spoon in the tableware family as a ‘tablespoon’, but our research (and testing) reveals that itholds only 10ml and is a third short of its bigger brother the tablespoon.
Hello, dessert spoon – neither table nor tea, and sitting squarely in the middle of the spoon continuum (much like the mother in the Goldilocks story).
Spoon dichotomy resolved. Thanks for the question, Andrew.
Got a kitchen question? Send it to us and we’ll hit you back with some facts.
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As a seasoned culinary enthusiast with a passion for precision in the kitchen, I bring a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to the table. My culinary journey spans years of experimenting with various recipes, mastering the art of baking, and delving into the nuances of kitchen utensils. I've encountered and resolved my fair share of kitchen disputes, and I pride myself on being a reliable source when it comes to matters of culinary accuracy.
Now, let's dive into the delightful world of spoons, a subject that recently piqued the interest of one Andrew Phillips in our vibrant Facebook community. Andrew found himself embroiled in a kitchen utensil dispute and sought the wisdom of the culinary world, turning to none other than Yuppiechef for a resolution.
The dispute centered around the elusive "dessert spoon," a member of the spoon family that some doubted its existence. Andrew passionately argued for its validity, drawing from his childhood baking memories. Our mission was clear: to shed light on the truth about spoons.
In the world of baking, precision matters, and the distinctions between various spoon sizes are crucial. The key players in this drama are the teaspoon, the tablespoon, and the often-overlooked dessert spoon. In the UK and South Africa, a tablespoon is universally accepted as 15ml, while its smaller counterpart, the teaspoon, measures in at 5ml. This fact is unequivocally supported by the evidence of measuring spoons, where the engraved markings leave no room for interpretation.
Moving beyond measuring spoons, we explored traditional tableware pieces. A typical place setting includes a knife, forks, and two spoons. The smaller of the two is rightfully called a teaspoon, holding 5ml. Contrary to popular belief, the larger spoon is not a tablespoon, as some might think. Through meticulous research and testing, we discovered that the larger spoon in the tableware family holds only 10ml, falling short of the 15ml benchmark set by its big brother, the tablespoon.
So, what about the elusive dessert spoon? Enter the dessert spoon, a harmonious middle ground between the table and tea spoons, much like the mother in the Goldilocks story. The dessert spoon, with its distinct size and capacity, adds a touch of balance to the spoon continuum.
In conclusion, thanks to Andrew's thought-provoking question, we've successfully navigated the world of spoon dichotomy. The dessert spoon, once doubted, stands validated as a bona fide member of the spoon family. If you have your own culinary conundrum, send it our way, and we'll arm you with the facts to conquer any kitchen dispute.
