Many recipes call for fractions of cups of ingredients like 2/3 cup. But what if you don’t have the right measuring cup size? Don’t worry – you can still accurately measure 2/3 cup using items you likely have in your kitchen.
Without a measuring cup, there are several ways to measure 2/3 cup. One method is to use a tablespoon, with 2/3 cup being equivalent to approximately 11 tablespoons or more precisely 10 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (as 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon). Another method is by using only teaspoons, where 2/3 cup is equal to around 32 teaspoons (as 48 teaspoons make up 1 cup).
Why Would You Need to Measure 2/3 Cup?
There are a few reasons why you may need to measure 2/3 cup without the correctly sized measuring cup:
- You’re missing that size measuring cup. Most measuring cup sets include 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup sizes but not always 2/3 cup.
- You need an odd amount like 2/3 cup but only have 1 cup and 1/4 cup measures.
- You’re doubling or halving a recipe but don’t have the right measuring cup sizes to do the math.
- You’re cooking at someone else’s house but they don’t have the right measuring cups.
No matter the reason, you can still reliably measure 2/3 cup using common kitchen tools and a little math.
Method 1: Use a 1/3 Cup Measure
One easy way to measure 2/3 cup is by using a 1/3 cup measure, which equals one-third of a cup. Here’s how:
- Take your 1/3 cup measuring cup.
- Scoop the ingredient to lightly fill the cup, then level it off using a flat edge like the back of a knife.
- Pour the ingredient into your mixing bowl.
- Repeat the measuring and pouring one more, for a total of two 1/3 cup portions.
Two 1/3 cup portions equals 2/3 cup.
Method 2: Use Tablespoons and Teaspoons
You can also measure 2/3 cup using tablespoons and teaspoons, which are smaller spoon measures. Here’s how:
- Take a tablespoon measure. Scoop and level off your ingredient to measure out 10 tablespoons.
- Add those 10 tablespoons to your mixing bowl.
- Finally, measure out 2 teaspoons of the ingredient and add it to the bowl.
In total:
- 10 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons
This equals 2/3 cup.
Tips for Accurate Measuring
To reliably measure 2/3 cup using any of these methods, keep these tips in mind:
- Level off ingredients after scooping or pouring them into the measuring cup. This gives you an accurate measure versus eyeballing.
- For liquids, pay attention to the meniscus or curvature of the top surface. Read the measurement at the lowest point of the meniscus.
- When doubling recipes, carefully measure each ingredient versus trying to eyeball double amounts in the same measuring cup.
- Use measuring spoons or cups meant for dry or liquid ingredients for optimal accuracy. Don’t try to use a liquid cup for dry ingredients.
- When measuring small amounts of dry herbs or spices, pack them into the measuring spoon versus just scooping loosely.
Conclusion
While having a fully stocked set of measuring cups is handy for baking and cooking, you can still precisely measure fractions like 2/3 cup without the exact size cup. Follow one of the methods above using tools you likely already own. With a little math and measurement knowledge, you can whip up perfect recipes even lacking some measuring cups.
