Make sure your kitchen utensils measure up

Do you have two kinds of measuring cups in your kitchen - one for dry ingredients and one for liquids? Cooking might be easier with the right cup for the right recipe.

For measuring flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients, for example, you need a cup with the largest line of measure on the rim of the container.

You simply pour or sift the ingredients into the cup and let it mound above the rim, then level it off with the back of a knife.

When measuring a liquid, however, use a Pyrex measuring cup or any kind with the largest line of measuring slightly below the edge of the cup. This is an essential part of the design and allows you to move the cup without spilling.

Pyrex cups, made of Corning's familiar ovenproof glass, are also useful for melting butter or chocolate and are available in 4-cup, 2-cup and 1-cup sizes.