A Simple Trick To Approximate Teaspoon Measurements

When it comes to cooking, do you find yourself measuring with your heart more frequently than an actual measuring utensil? We don't blame you, as eyeballing ingredients is a trademark move many home chefs have in common. Whether you're a novice in the kitchen and struggle making scrambled eggs or are a "Chopped" champion-level cook, approximating measurements is a great way to save time while dirtying fewer dishes and cutting down on cleanup time.

Keep in mind, however, that while guess-timating measurements when cooking is a great way to customize the flavors of your meals, you may find your dish is over- or under-seasoned if you don't know exactly how to estimate a teaspoon measurement without the help of a cooking utensil.

The good news is that you can approximate teaspoon measurements accurately with a super simple trick — no tools or utensils required. Here is how to do it.

A great trick for measuring dry ingredients without teaspoons is to compare a mound of spices in your palm to coins, per MasterClass. Specifically, a teaspoon is a little bigger than a quarter, while a half teaspoon is approximately the size of a nickel and a quarter teaspoon is about the size of a dime.

You can also approximate teaspoon measurements using just your hands as reference, as recommended by Taste of Home. A teaspoon is about equivalent to the size of the tip of your finger, while you can measure a quarter teaspoon by taking two pinches of a given spice between your thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger.

Measure with your heart when cooking, but not baking! Baking is an exact science, so measurements matter. Always use measuring utensils when baking, since accuracy is key to creating consistent cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. And when you're baking, use this simple trick to prevent ingredients from sticking to your spoon.