The best measuring cups

The Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set for wet ingredients can't be beat with its sturdy design, clear markings, and great price.

When it comes to measuring wet ingredients, there's only one brand that comes to mind: Pyrex. The company has been making glass measuring cups for wet ingredients for 90 years, and it's still the top brand among bakers and chefs. The Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set is ideal for any recipe with its 1-cup, 2-cup, 4-cup, and 8-cup capacities.

Although these measuring cups are made of glass, they are very sturdy and shouldn't break easily. The nonporous glass doesn't absorb odors or flavors the way plastic inevitably does, and these cups won't warp or melt in the presence of hot ingredients.

Pyrex guarantees that you can pop its measuring cups in the oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, or dishwasher without any problems, too, so you can get a lot of use out of this set. The company also offers a two-year warranty in case of any defects or problems, and you can feel good knowing you bought something that's American made.

More importantly, though, Pyrex's measuring cups offer accurate measurements, clear markings in cups, ounces, quarts, and milliliters. The spout pours well without dripping and the handle is comfortable to hold, too.

The set is the number one best-seller on Amazon, and user reviews are mostly positive. The Wirecutter says that Pyrex makes the best measuring cups for liquid ingredients, and couldn't find many comparable alternatives that even came close to challenging the Pyrex cups.

Although you can buy the measuring cups individually, the set is a much better deal.

Pros: Glass design is strong, no odor absorption, clear metric and imperial measurements, two-year warranty, easy to clean, good spout for pouring liquid ingredients.

Cons: None

The OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps are easy to grip and measure dry ingredients with great accuracy.

If you don't want to pay more than $20 for a set of measuring cups the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps are your best bet. They're not the cheapest ones you can buy, but they're far better than the lower-priced options.

These are sturdy stainless steel measuring cups with excellent grippy handles and clearly etched measurement markings. You don't have to worry about bent or broken handles because the steel is relatively thick. The handles also have magnets inside, so they stick together when you stack them. The magnets aren't terribly strong, but they have enough force to hold the cups in place in your cupboard.

The set comes with 1/4-cup, 1/3-cup, 1/2-cup, and 1-cup measurements, and in tests by Cooks Illustrated, OXO's set had the most accurate measurements. The Smart Consumer was also favorably impressed with the OXO measuring cups, and reviews on Amazon are positive.

The only complaint we have with the set is the lack of metric measurements, but most people won't need to measure in milliliters, anyway. There's also a matching set of teaspoons you can buy with magnets in the handles if you want your baking gear to match.

Pros: Sturdy stainless steel, magnetic stacking cups, clear etched markings, grippy handles, decent price

Cons: No metric measurements

The OXO Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups are an affordable alternative to the high-end stainless steel sets.

OXO also makes our favorite budget measuring cups with the Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups. These sturdy plastic measuring cups snap together for easy storage in your cupboard and make it easy to measure dry ingredients for any recipe with clear markings for half and full measurements.

OXO includes a scraper with the cups, so you can level off ingredients as you bake. The measurement of each cup is engraved in the handle, so you can always know which one is which, but there are also colorful measurements stamped on the sides. Those marks typically wear off over time, so it's good that OXO made indelible markings on the handle, too.

The inside of each cup has a half measure line for when you need to cut a recipe in half, but can't be bothered with the math. Although the cups are made of plastic, they are BPA free and relatively sturdy.

For this price, you're not going to get the same quality as you would with a pair of solid stainless steel measuring cups, but if you just need a set for occasional use, these affordable plastic ones are perfectly fine.

User reviews on Amazon are mostly positive, though most people wish the colorful markings for each measuring cup wouldn't rub off quite so easily. The Smart Consumer and Wise Bread agree that these OXO plastic cups are a decent budget option if you can't splurge on stainless steel measuring cups.

If you can afford the pricier OXO set or our top pick from KitchenMade, your measuring cups will likely last you longer. However, this is the best affordable plastic set you can buy, and if you take care of it, the OXO plastic set should last you a good amount of time. The only other downside is the lack of milliliter markings, but most US buyers won't need those.

Pros: BPA-free plastic, half measurement lines, comes with a scraper, clear measurement markings, very affordable price

Cons: Plastic isn't as durable, no milliliter markings

The Bellemain 6-piece measuring cup set is nearly identical to our top pick, but will set you back a few dollars less.

The Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set, which boasts six pieces, caught my attention when it came up as the single most popular measuring cup set on Amazon. In fact, more than 3,500 customers on Amazon have given the set a nearly perfect 4.9-star average rating, which is rare, to say the least.

The thing about the collection from Bellemain is that it's nearly identical to our favorite from KitchenMade. The set is made of stainless steel, and thanks to each cup's flat bottom, they won't tip over and are great for nesting inside one another for compact storage. Each cup is made with a single piece of dishwasher-safe steel, and thus far, I haven't had any issues with bending or pieces snapping off.

All cups include both mL measurements as well as cup sizes, which are clearly noted on the handles. While there aren't markings on the inside of the cups, the six-piece set does cover all the standard measurements — that is to say, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, and 1 cup.

The edges of these cups aren't terribly sharp, which is quite useful for folks without dishwashers (or who just prefer to hand wash their cups). And thanks to the wide handle, you won't have these measurers slipping out of your hand. — Lulu Chang

Pros: Solid construction, accurate measurements, lower price and nearly identical construction to other high-ranking measuring cups

Cons: No markings on the insides of the cups

The Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups are narrower than most, which makes them perfect for reaching into a jar of sugar or bag of flour without doing any damage to the cup or the container.

Most measuring cups are indistinguishable when it comes to their design, but that's not quite the case with the Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups. Considerably narrower than the other cups you might find, and more closely resembling a large spoon than a cup, I've grown particularly fond of this set as it's extremely useful for scooping. And after all, isn't that generally what you're doing with dry ingredients?

Serious Eats gives the Norpro set top marks when it comes to the best dry measuring cups, noting that they did the best in terms of accuracy of measurement. Moreover, the "Grip-Ez" aspect of the product's name comes into play with the rubber coating on the handles. This makes grabbing the cups quite comfortable, and of course, helps in ensuring that they don't move around in your hand. There's also a small indentation in the handle that allows your pointer finger to rest comfortably as you're scooping. Be warned though, it's designed for right-handed folks, and lefties may find the notch a bit less than comfortable.

The Norpro comes in a set of five, so you'll get 1/8 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup in your collection. Better still, the 1 cup measure actually features markings on the inside of the cup. While they're not going to be nearly as accurate as the other cups in your set, they do work well for approximations, or for situations in which all your other cups are dirty, and you're left with just the one big guy.

Constructed with two pieces, the Norpro still feels quite sturdy, seeing as the handles are securely fastened to the actual bowls. Of course, that's not quite as break-resistant as cups made with a single piece of steel, but as far as two-part construction goes, this feels pretty solid. — Lulu Chang

Pros: Shovel-like shape makes for easy scooping, great grip (for right-handed folks), accurate

Cons: Expensive, rubber grip isn't totally sealed to the handle, which could allow for some buildup

The best measuring spoons you can buy

The best measuring spoons are accurate, easy to read, have metric and US measurements, and will last you for the rest of your life.

We combed through countless user and expert ratings and reviews of dozens of measuring spoon sets while researching our list. We settled on our top picks based on their design, accurate measurement, strong track record, and the manufacturer's willingness to stand behind their product with a warranty or guarantee. Here are our top picks for the best measuring spoons:

• Best overall: 1Easylife 18/8 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Best for narrow jars: Spring Chef Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Best easy-to-read set: Palada Stainless Steel Engraved Measuring Spoons
• Best for hand comfort: CIA Masters Collection 6 Piece Measuring Spoon Set