The table below provides a measurement/quantity guideline to help you decide when to list each store-cupboard ingredient, generally 1 cup for common liquids and dry ingredients. Comparable metric and Imperial measures are also provided. Note that all measures are approximations for the purpose of determining when to list store-cupboard ingredients and are not intended to be accurate conversions for cooking purposes.
Store-cupboard ingredients in the table refer to the specified "base" ingredient, not their sub-varieties, which should always be listed in Ingredients if called for in a recipe, e.g., unless in the title, don't list red wine, but do list Marsala wine, Chianti wine, dry red wine, etc.; don't list milk, but do list goat milk, soy milk, buttermilk, etc.
| NEVER INCLUDE (unless in recipe name or an unusually large quantity*) |
|---|
| salt (table, sea, or kosher) |
| pepper (ground black) |
| baking powder |
| baking soda/bicarbonate of soda |
| cream of tartar |
| cornstarch/cornflour |
| cooking spray (regular vegetable oil/unflavored spray) |
| water (except sparkling)/ice cubes |
| *Include if significant ingredient, e.g., 1/2 c. salt in salted/brined dishes, 1/2 c. cornstarch, etc. |
| INCLUDE ONLY IF MAIN INGREDIENT (appears in recipe name or exceeds rule-of-thumb quantity below) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredient | Cups/Other | Metric | Imperial |
| butter | 1 stick - 1/2 cup | 110 g | 8 Tbs - 4oz |
| vegetable shortening/vegetable fat | 1 cup | 225 g | 8 oz |
| milk | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| all-purpose/plain flour | 1 cup | 150 g | 5 oz |
| self-rising/self-raising flour | 1 cup | 150 g | 5 oz |
| granulated/white sugar | 1 cup | 200 g | 7 oz |
| brown sugar (unspecified) | 1 cup | 180 g | 6 oz |
| light-brown sugar/dark-brown sugar | 1 cup | 180 g | 6 oz |
| confectioner’s/powdered/icing sugar | 1 cup | 150 g | 5 oz |
| vanilla extract/essence | 15 ml | 1 Tbs - ½ oz | |
| olive oil | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| vegetable oil | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| canola oil | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| red wine vinegar | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| white wine vinegar | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| Dijon mustard | 1/4 cup | 60 g | 2 oz |
| red wine (basic/unspecified) | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| white wine (basic/unspecified) | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| stock/broth (beef/chicken/vegetable) | 1 cup | 250 ml | 9 fl oz |
| white onions (whole or chopped) | 1 onion - 1/2 cup | 75 g | 2 ½ oz |
| yellow onions (whole or chopped) | 1 onion - 1/2 cup | 75 g | 2 ½ oz |
| garlic (cloves or chopped/minced) | 4 cloves | 12 g | 4 tsp – ½ oz |
| lemons or lemon juice (fresh) | 1 lemon | 60 ml | 4 Tbs – 2 fl oz |