(no subject)

[which_chick]

FYI: You really can't use either the web page interface or the LJ client Logjam to edit a poll once the poll has been created. Once it's a poll, it's done and in an unchangeable format.

That being the case, please use the comments section to describe your situation vis a vis measuring spoons. If you don't own measuring spoons, please explain why not. If you do own measuring spoons, I'd like to hear about them. If you have more than one set, please say so. For each set of measuring spoons, tell me what they're made of. If they're plastic, tell me what color plastic. If you have metal measuring spoons, are they the cheap bendy ones with rounded bowls or are they the angular more-square-bowled kind that look classier? Do you have ones of ivory? Glass? Mother-of-pearl? Do tell. Do your measuring spoons have a ring connecting the set together? Are they loose? Do they match? Are they anything beyond purely utilitarian?

Full disclosure: I have two sets of the cheap, bendy metal measuring spoons with rounded bowls. Each set has a ring upon which the spoons are threaded so that they do not get lost. I have two sets because I cook stuff with a lot of measuring and I hate having to wash the spoons mid-cooking-event. I personally despise plastic measuring spoons.

Comments

[cousinsue.livejournal.com]

I have three sets of measuring spoons.

1 is the squarish bowls in beige plastic, or maybe ecru.
2 is rounded bowls that I hate because I can't get them into the spice containers in red hard plastic.
3 is long skinny bowls that fit into the spice containers in a soft blue plastic.

They are loose. I freed them. I hated getting the whole set dirty because I was measuring with one spoon.

[brni.livejournal.com]

we have:

a set of stainless steel spoons, squarish with rounded edges, held together with a chain (the beady kind that used to come with rabbit's feet (do they still sell those?))

a cheaper set of aluminium spoons, round and flatbottomed.

a set of yellow plastic scoops that fit together, but don't have any connective tissue.

a set of blue plastic mini-measuring-cup type things, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup.

2 black plastic long-handled measuring spoons for coffee. One has a flat, angled bit that is used to scrape the coffee grounds off the surface of the coffee grinder; the other does not.

[sara-merry99.livejournal.com]

I have one set of round bowled metal measuring spoons, but not the cheap bendy kind. (I wouldn't call them expensive or classy mind, just the metal's a little thicker.)

I use them for baking for the most part (I'm pretty confident in my ability to eyeball a tablespoon of liquid).

ETA: Forgot to mention--they're threaded on a ring. I used to have some plastic ones that *weren't* linked to one another and it made me *crazy* because I was forever pulling the wrong size out of the drawer.

[ladyivy.livejournal.com]

I have mucho loose measuring spoons; at this point some of them are not full sets because I inherited some random ones when roommates moved on, but they are all loose and not in sets b/c I find it easier to work with them that way.

I have 1 full set black plastic rounded measuring spoons I bought because I was missing some of the odd sizes (1/8 tsp anyone?)

1 kinda full set white plastic measuring scoops with round measuring spoons built into the handles (1 cup measuring scoop has a 1 TBS measuring spoon as the end of the handle and so on down the sizes). I don't use these very often as measuring spoons because they are somewhat awkward with the scoop piece getting in the way (I bought them because wanted the scoop measuring cups, which I find really useful). There are four sizes in this set which I don't think of as complete for measuring spoons, but it's not like I am missing one, that's all there is, hence my description as kinda full set.

I have a mix of pieces of what was originally (based on the fact that I have 2 of several sizes) 2 sets blue plastic sort of rectangular measuring spoons. These are the ones I inherited from roommates that left them behind at the old place.

The one piece I actually use most often (and can't decide if it's a big measuring spoon or a small measuring cup) is a metal 1/8 cup size round diameter with straight sides so it looks like a cup but I tend to use it for spices and/or flavoring liquids like soy sauce so I think of it like a spoon. Have no idea where it came from; I think it was also one of the inherited pieces but who knows. Absolutely love it though.

[not-your-real.livejournal.com]

The one piece I actually use most often (and can't decide if it's a big measuring spoon or a small measuring cup) is a metal 1/8 cup size round diameter with straight sides so it looks like a cup but I tend to use it for spices and/or flavoring liquids like soy sauce so I think of it like a spoon. Have no idea where it came from; I think it was also one of the inherited pieces but who knows. Absolutely love it though.

Right! That one!

[core0psis.livejournal.com]

I have only the one set of measuring spoons because I really really dislike kitchen clutter, and don't really mind rinsing them while I am working. They are stainless steel, very narrow and rectangular to fit in the small-diameter spice jars, and pretty beefy, so they aren't bendy at all. The sizes are marked on the handles, in pretty deeply incised no-nonsense square letters.

I got stainless steel ones because I really really dislike the feel of plastic kitchen tools, and avoid them whenever possible. ('Sides, I have never trusted the idea of soft plastics for food use - the plasticizers, which are tiny molecules added to plastics to make them less rigid, are pretty much custom-made to slip right out of the plastic and into food. You can see this when plastic food containers go all rigid.)

They came on a metal ring, like the rings in a 3-ring binder, which I removed because a) the ring is too thick for the holes in the spoons, so they would not slide over it easily, b) won't lose them because I have so few kitchen tools in the drawer, and c) I didn't like having to take the whole set out when I really only ever use the tablespoon and teaspoon sizes. If I am supposed to add less than a teaspoon, say, half a teaspoon, I just stick the teaspoon-sized one vertically into the spice and pull it out half-full. It's a little more tricky with liquids, but I never minded a little extra almond extract, anyway. I avoid using the tiny little ones - they are so narrow as to make them a pain to clean.

A friend gave me a set of plastic measuring cups, which was really sweet of her, but which I don't really like to use, for reasons mentioned above. I am thinking of replacing them with preferred metal ones, but am unlikely to throw these ones out because she is a dear friend, who taught me how to can and pickle using them (she has the same set), so they have sentimental value. For some reason, the set is missing the one size that you can't make up using combinations of the other sizes: 1/3 cup. So I just eyeball it in the half-cup size. If/when I do get a metal set, I'd be happy with just the .5c, .25c, of course the 1/3c sizes.

[not-your-real.livejournal.com]

Four sets.

One set came with Eric - Oxo measuring spoons, strong high-quality hemispherical metal bowls with a skooshy rubbery Oxo grip molded onto the handles, on a ring.
Two sets came with me - pink made-in-china plastic that I knew I had, and "old gold" plastic that I probably inherited from my grandmother; both oval-shaped bowls, snap-together construction, hole for a ring but no ring.
One set I bought specifically so that Peter could have a soup spoon (the Tablespoon measure): 2-color plastic, Good Cook brand, circular bowls, snap-together with a hole for a not-provided ring.

No bendy ones at all.

[not-your-real.livejournal.com]

Oh, and what I want but don't have: a 1/8 cup (2 T) measure the shape of a measuring cup (flat-bottomed cylindrical bowl) but the size of a measuring spoon. Mom has one of them from one of her measuring-cup sets, but none of our measuring-cup sets has such a thing.

[ladyivy.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, it is hands down the most useful measuring piece I own.

If I ever see one in my travels about I'll grab one for you, but I think it came from a set that is not currently produced considering you knew of one from your mother and I am pretty sure that mine was probably given to an old roommate by a parent and then left behind in the Springfield house for me to inherit by virtue of being the last person to pack up in the kitchen.

But I'll keep an eye out, esp since I will have to be in several home stores over the next month picking up things to make the house ready for my mom's visit (need more table chairs that match - Ikea, need drapes for the new front window - Bed, Bath, and Beyond, etc.) and they all have a housewares section.

[moeckie.livejournal.com]

I have two complete sets - one is black plastic with gradations inside so I can do like a half teaspoon in the teaspoon measurer. These are floating about the kitchen. The tablespoon is permanently parked in the fiber container so I can get a scoop in my morning smoothie. The others are hidden deep in a drawer as I don't use them that often.

The other set is red melamine. It came with my mixing bowls, along with a set of measuring cups. I love them and have them hanging on a hook at the end of one cabinet in the open within easy reach, on their original ring. They are handy there. I mostly use them when baking. I can eyeball a tsp of spice easily enough now, and tend to like a bit more than asked for anyway.

I have a partial metal set that has bigger sizes. There's a 2 tablespoon, a 1 1/2 tablespoon and a 1 1/2 tsp left - I wish I knew where the rest of those went as they are nice hefty metal and I love the odd sizes.

I have a small metal set I bought because it was amusing to me. The measurements say "dash", "pinch" and "smidgen". I think the dash is 1/4 tsp and the pinch is 1/8" tsp, which I actually use from time to time as I find that in recipes. They are on a ring to stay. I have found I need to keep them on the ring or they get lost.

There's a cheapo blue squarish plastic set running around. It belonged to David before I arrived on the scene. He got it as part of a set of kitchen widgets that are all the same pale blue. Most are cheap-ass stuff and I hate them. They have been being phased out of my kitchen.

I keep eyeing a new set - a nice hefty metal one. But I like the red ones well enough so haven't bothered yet.