They're Right About the “Perfect” Part

Emsa Perfect Beaker 16-ounce Measuring Cup

It was bread-baking day at our house yesterday – you could tell because the dogs were drooling more than usual. The recipe of the week came from a cookbook with recipes for three different loaf sizes, meaning that while one says "1¼ C water," the next larger size calls for "1½ C + 2 Tbsp." Rather a pain, eh? Well, it isn't a pain for us, because we have an Emsa Perfect Beaker measuring cup. Not only is this two-cup beaker marked in cups, it's also marked in tablespoons, so it’s simple to hit the correct mark: you fill it to 1½ cups, switch to the tablespoons scale, and add two more tablespoons... or just fill it to 26 tablespoons.

It seems rare to find a product that lives up to its name, but the Perfect Beaker comes close. It measures up to two cups, dry or liquid – that’s nothing new, since an ordinary Pyrex measuring cup does the same thing. However, it’s also marked in pints, ounces, tablespoons, teaspoons, and milliliters, all in one cone-shaped clear plastic beaker. Scales with six different units are spread around the margin of the Perfect Beaker, clearly marked in bold black letters. On the cup scale, it’s marked off in different increments for more complex recipes: ounces, eighths of a cup, and thirds of a cup. It also works great for mixing liquid ingredients: need three tablespoons of vinegar and three of oil? No problem: just pour! I use it for measuring almost anything, with the possible exception of boiling water.

The beaker tapers to allow more precise measurements at small volumes, so you can measure accurately down to a couple of teaspoons. In that, it’s better suited to liquid measure. The cone-like beaker rests on a broad, stable base; with an hourglass shape that makes it easy to grab and hold when your hands are wet. The opening has a broad lip so you can pour from any direction: no spout necessary.



You can get it with or without a snap-on plastic lid that allows you to store the contents or use the beaker as a shaker.

For cleanup, the sturdy polymer is dishwasher-safe (on the top shelf), though we typically wash ours in the sink. It is sturdy: after ten years, our beaker's been dropped many a time, survived hundreds of trips into the dish rack, and has made it through a couple of cross-country moves. It’s still crystal clear and every marking is intact, regardless of all that abuse.

Want a measuring cup that’s ready for the measurement units of almost any recipe? Want a durable measuring cup that will stand up to the abuse in your kitchen without cracking under pressure? Want a measuring cup that's easy to use and to clean? You want the Emsa Perfect Beaker measuring cup. Summary: PLUS: six different units, easy use, easy clean MINUS: not for hot liquids, just approximate for dry What They’re Saying: One beaker can replace not just measuring cups, but measuring spoons, too. Every cook needs one.