How to Measure Ingredients by Eye (Imperial)

Once you can eyeball a Teaspoon, 2T, 2c, and Quart, you're pretty much golden for anything a cookbook throws at you. It's way more accurate to measure things by mass instead of volume (using a scale), but this ain't a video about accuracy, pardner!
Tip the Teacher: / shaq

[@ascoria980]

Mexicans don't use measures for cooking. We just start pouring the ingredients in until we feel our ancestors whisper "that's enough mijo".

[@Zepo1is]

AGBB I just spit out my arroz.

[@georgie3593]

LMAO

[@plantain.1739]

Wow, the voice in you're head helps with cooking? Mine just talks to me about movies, and has a strange obsession with guns. He's so wacky.

[@maryamhamid4829]

That is so TRUE, and I am from Afghanistan 🇦🇫. I hear my dad yelling at me BAS BAS lol

[@brx8983]

brazilians too

[@internetshaquille]

I'll trade anyone cooking tips for eyebrow maintenance tips

[@imreiariel7961]

good eyebrow is all about the genes, if anybody tells ya different, they are lying

[@hazelfoerstner2578]

pluck the middle bit buddo

[@okeykat7575]

Wax baby

[@spbeckman]

Flambé?

[@bicyclethief]

you could call your channel Internet Anthony Davis

[@PeteD]

except when baking, then pull out the scales and pray to god they wrote the recipe in metric

[@Bruh-lm4zr]

Non metric baking recipes get me angry

[@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77]

I mean pounds and ounces aren't any less accurate

[@ultimategotea]

@@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77 You have to convert between units using non10 conversion factors. It's actually quite annoying.

[@MissyFaye]

Yap.. I'm also definitely not gonna sit scooping 3 times to get 1 tbsp.. like damn a set of cups and spoons really don't take up much space at all..

[@MissyFaye]

@@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77 it's difficult because they are weights and everything weighs differently so you can't eyeball if you don't have previous experience with the ingredient.. but a cup of butter and a cup of flour have the same volume and size.

[@sagesinkingrun]

Joshua Weissman: Grams. A scale is necessary. Precision is important. Internet Shaquille: ehhh just eyeball it

[@marylegan2046]

My Grandmothers reaching back many generations: eyeball everything.

[@cynthiakeller5954]

White people vs everyone else.

[@DreamChasersInc]

I've heard people say that cooking is a science, and others, that it's an art. Those are the two philosophies I feel at play between those who want precise measurements for everything, and those who choose to eyeball it. For me, cooking starts as a science, and becomes more of an art the more familiar you are with given dishes, and want to introduce new techniques into them, to expand your toolset, and your range of flavor and texture experiences

[@LimewaterMusic]

@@DreamChasersInc it’s exactly the same with music and learning instruments. There is a science to every part of the process but through the experience you create art. I’ve also heard chemists describe their work in the exact same way so I think science and art are intertwined. Two sides of the same coin.

[@johnseppethe2nd2]

@@cynthiakeller5954 don't americans typically measure by eye?

[@nicolle2126]

why am i watching this i have a gram scale

[@wtfwasthat16]

typically after a gram scale is used, people get the munchies and might cook

[@seymourglass26]

@@wtfwasthat16 And hopefully your scale is more sensitive than a gram. Don't want to short or get shorted.

[@Bluelightcheaphotel]

Measure THEN pinch, never the other way around

[@karcar818]

A teaspoon is a measurement for one cup of tea 🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@ninjobo]

It'll really blow your mind to hear that a tablespoon is the amount of table needed to make one cup of table!

[@MissyFaye]

@@ninjobo I was about to say!

[@PinkBunnyCorporation]

We talking teacups or tablecups?

[@ccccallum]

@@ninjobo A tablespoon is enough to make tea for a whole table of people

[@500superrich]

@@ccccallum a table of 3

[@kylehill3318]

The burrito recipe brought me here but this video got me to stay, just subscribed. Looking forward to more stuff like this.

[@mattjns]

Did the burritos for the family last night. Outstanding 🌯

[@michaelwelch442]

I’ve been cooking for 15 years, I am currently an executive chef for a huge restaurant group in California and I love your videos.

[@dankirk4186]

Actually mate, you’re an absolute melt

[@michaelwelch442]

Ahoy matey. I’m not familiar with the term

[@Whiteboykun]

And my uncle works at nintendo

[@johnseppethe2nd2]

@@Whiteboykun my brother is the CEO of Samsung, we're going to the company's headquarters to celebrate his 8th birthday

[@Telamon8]

Super technically, this video should be subtitiled "(US Customary)" because Imperial and US Customary actually are very different. Teaspoons are interchangeable, but an imperial tablespoon is 4 teaspoons while an American tablespoon is 3. This tiny change is enough to throw off each system enough to the point where 1 gallon has almost a 1-litre difference betwixt the two.

[@internetshaquille]

Damn!!!!!!

[@JFat5158]

Isn't there also like metric measurements for tsp, cups etc? Here in Australia, a tsp is 5ml, tablespoon 20ml, cup is 250ml etc

[@reitheist]

Are you kidding me? As if American measurement could get more dumb and difficult

[@frazerman1]

I thought this was a bit weird, my whole cooking life i thought 4 teaspoons were 1 tablespoon. Makes sense

[@RedFlyingFox007]

@@JFat5158 here in Britain our cup is 250ml too

[@robotnixon3453]

"The teaspoon is the Hammurabi alphabet of food measurement"... just fantastic.

[@Gaggingonacorpse]

It's also worth mentioning (at least for someone) that there's 4 cups in a quart. So if you need 2 cups, fill the quart container half way. Need a cup, a quarter of the way, etc. That's what I do at least. Never have had a problem lol or if you have pint containers, those are 2 cups so half is a cup, you get it. Hope this helps someone

[@20cnVision]

What I basically learned from recipes is to never trust any measurements and just go with what I think is right. This is especially true when it comes to ingredients that might be different region based. For example, the tomato passata I can buy here in my local supermarket tastes completely different to the one I can get from the one in my hometown (or the one 40 minutes away from my home), even though both seem to have the same ingredient list. It can be fixed by just using a different amount of spices but when I first cooked using it I was pretty disappointed because I was still using my old recipe.

[@Zacharuni]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My wife thinks I am crazy for eyeballing, and now I have a more accurate depiction of how to eyeball. Easiest sub, back to binging.

[@NicDoesDumbThings]

Step 1: Cook until you can tell how much a cup of powder or liquid are for visual reference Step 2: eyeball that shit

[@Zren89]

Diggin this one man, even as someone that watches your channel for the *Main Attraction* (I am already a decent home cook) even I wasn't aware of a couple of these. Very cool my dude!

[@crow_feather]

You, my good sir, are singlehandedly teaching me how to cook! Thank You!!! ❤️

[@casperdewith]

That tilting trick only works with cylinders and square prisms. This can be grasped by imagining the extreme case of a cone-shaped measuring cup - the trick doesn't apply at all.

[@AaronTsuii]

Aaaand I have terrible memory so I forgot everything I just watched

[@jammyboy67]

Yup

[@bokkabonde]

Or use the metric system.

[@internetshaquille]

I make videos for a construction company and buddy lemme tell you... Imperial measurement is truly deeply fukt

[@vulgarknight5856]

@@internetshaquille We are all about preserving obsolete science.

[@matthewmanning6195]

When the metric system puts a man on the moon, let me know.

[@gredystar8333]

@@matthewmanning6195 you know all the computer navigation systems for the lunar landing used SI units right to make calculations, right? Displays showed both metric and imperial and accepted both, but were converted to metric for processing. NASA started abandoning imperial units in the 80s. And completely abandoned imperial before 2010. all their new research is 100% done in metric. The Orion project is 100% metric. And if the 2024 landing doesn't get de funded you'll get one with no imperial whatsoever soon

[@G1ennbeckismyher0]

@@gredystar8333 I hope it gets defunded just for that reason.

[@robinb6706]

Dear lord, I’ve never been more excited to subscribe to a KZbin channel before. My dear boy, you do have half a brain, thank you for your short, succinct narratives chock full of information. Can’t wait to binge watch....I will be trying your recipes....

[@yoyoyobottleoyos]

Fuckin' continuing to dominate the game, Shaq.

[@omgitsme435]

Where tf you been?! Need more videoosss

[@internetshaquille]

smh this is my third upload this month I can't even sustain what I'm already doing

[@tim.demonbreun]

for a “home cook” you sure know a lot of OG restaurant tips. many of the recipes that my restaurant uses have hand-written cheat code conversions designed to eliminate the amount of measuring utensils used.

[@kiledamgaardasmussen5222]

In metric, you only need about three volume measures: a metric teaspoon, a decilitre cup and a litre measure. Try to find the high-end decilitre cup that has quarter and half markings; most litre measures have decilitre increment scales. Again, three teaspoons is a tablespoon, and three tablespoons is almost half a decilitre. The fourth measuring device you need is a kitchen scale. Every recipe in metric is now open to you.

[@Feadzy]

Wait.. I have the bell thingy on but didn´t get a notification.. riggamorris! Anyway, fancy shirt! Also glad to see a vid of yours again.

[@internetshaquille]

I've gotten a lot of "where have you been" comments despite posting 3x in 1 month for the first time in a year. The algorithm is the boss now.

[@mozata6838]

Just found this channel. You & Adam Ragusea are literally the only KZbin cooks I can find who actually show practical stuff for a home kitchen

[@CoopDog9523]

Thank you for making this. I've been trying to improve my cooking skills and this will help A TON

[@porksteambun2220]

papa shaq out here spilling knowledge

[@DavidStavis]

This video is shockingly brilliant

[@kalex888]

Find a Persian/Iranian woman in your area who uses the threading method of hair removal. In my experience, they seem to do the best job at keeping eyebrows looking great

[@Misterz3r0]

Yeah, if he was a woman. Bushy eyebrows on men look great.

[@larsiparsii]

Omg, yes! My hairdresser (and her brother) does this so well. I keep getting compliments on my brows (yes, it's for guys, as well)! 😉

[@seymourglass26]

I hear that's not pleasant, and there's nothing wrong with his brows.

[@kalex888]

@@seymourglass26 it's no different from any other form of hair removal in terms of pain. It's awesome when someone weighs in on something they have zero experience in.

[@williamseipp9691]

where has this video been the last ten years of my life? holy shit

[@KatyaPaden]

You had me at das vedanya....ok at the end.

[@xTeeFive]

This is quality content that deserves more views.

[@IN73RJ3c7I0N]

I subscribed for your eyebrows but you are so damn useful 😍

[@spbeckman]

It's worth commenting on weight too. "A pints a pound the world around," for materials with the density of water. Hence 16 oz. is a pound and 16 fluid oz. is a pint.

[@internetshaquille]

depends on what's in the pint, since not everything is the same mass as water

[@91abe]

Damm man, do you write your own jokes! Lovin it so far 👍

[@frenchloverstalker]

As a pastry chef save those cups and scales for baking 😂😂😂

[@matthewwaterhouse9925]

That's not exactly measuring by eye. You're just simplifying down to 4 measuring devices, but you're still using measuring devices. Measuring by eye is using your 2-finger pinch or pouring salt into your palm and knowing it's a teaspoon or tablespoon. I've seen many experienced cooks and chefs do this. Some can even pour straight out of a flour container and know when they have enough in the bowl. That's measuring by eye.

[@internetshaquille]

are you happy now matthew

[@matthewwaterhouse9925]

@@internetshaquille, I was just thinking, you're usually pretty nit-picky yourself (not a bad thing). So I came into the video expecting something else. Good options for pairing down measuring devices though.

[@matthewwaterhouse9925]

@@internetshaquille, and I stink at measuring by eye as I described, so that's why I decided to watch your video.

[@brandon-ew6om]

OH IT'S A QUARTER OF A GALLON THAT'S SO SMART

[@gemstonegynoid7475]

Im pretty sure my general utensil drawer has 5 different sizes of tablespoons and 3 different teaspoons. But i dont think it matters when i dont even bother to have leveled spoonfuls of ingredients

[@oz_jones]

Making food is about the feel, anyway. If you aren't a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant, just go by feel. Unless it's baking.

[@G-_Money]

Cooking I eyeball most things, but when it comes to baking then precision is required, the art in baking is know how long to bake and rise till done.

[@harmonicaveronica]

I'm of the opinion you don't even really need to measure much when it comes to baking. Unless you're looking to consistently replicate a recipe (and I personally do not care if I never get the exact same dish twice) it won't matter as long as you're familiar with what it should look like at each step and then going into the oven. I'd still measure the leavening because a small amount can make a big difference, but that's about it. After all, cakes, pancakes, quick breads, brownies, cookies, etc. all use the same basic ingredients in different ratios, and all have an acceptable range of textures before they become something else

[@brettdavis5555]

I do enjoy the 3/4 cup that came with my rice cooker.

[@Ceb773]

YOU ARE THE BEST CHANNEL ON KZbin UPLOAD MORE OFTEN :(((((((((((((((

[@internetshaquille]

Broh this is my third upload this month I can't even sustain what I'm doin now!

[@aureeel]

2 tbsp = 1/4 cup 4 tbsp = 1/2 cup 8 tbsp = 1 cup That's all I need, thank you.

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

No, you have it wrong. 4 tbsp = 1/4 cup 8 tbsp = 1/2 cup 16 tbsp= 1 cup Go back and you’ll see he says two tbsp plus another two tbsp is 1/4 cup

[@aureeel]

@@BbGun-lw5vi Oh yeah I didn't quite catch that. Thank you for informing me

[@deadfr0g]

Eyeballing is easily the greatest learnable superpower.

[@thomasa5619]

I wanna hear more from you about spooning!

[@BabaaYaga888]

This is actually fucking genuis.

[@rjpichardo]

This man is a god

[@theonlygus]

For everyone outside of America this was confusing... Use a kitchen scale for the most consistent results.

[@lindsayfriedrich4117]

I feel validated.

[@_maplemix]

u make life easier

[@thelegalsystem]

I love recipes where I can just make shit up and its fine as long as things are in proportion, like stir fry.

[@themikewalker2]

Keep up the great videos! This was awesome 👍🏻

[@pequadcob2009]

Well if 3 tbs = 1 Tb, and that is the justification for not having it. Then, you don't need a 2 Tb either because it is just 6 tbs. :P

[@FodderMoosie]

The real lesson is that ALL you need is lots and lots of teaspoons.

[@vinstinct]

@@FodderMoosie Exactly. That's why instead of measuring a gallon, I just use 768 teaspoons! So much easier!

[@Misterz3r0]

Nah, too many scoops. 3 scoops is the delineating point to switch over to a bigger measurement. And the ultimate goal is not to use measuring devices at all.

[@seymourglass26]

Yo, a teaspoon is abbreviated tsp, not tbs. It's Tbs (Tablespoon) and tsp (teaspoon). So next time you're trying to out-clever someone, first be right.

[@shotarodeniet3301]

@@seymourglass26 3 teaballoons=1teaball

[@philipfahy9658]

Learn to cook by taste, not so much for baking, but then you don't need any measuring devices if you can get recipes in ratios. Ratios are pretty easy to do by eye and tasting will fix the rest.

[@matthewbuchalter]

the halting 2 cups tip is inaccurate. it only working if the glass you start with is full

[@jonw8697]

That's pretty obvious though. And it's damn near close enough if it isn't exactly full.

[@alexander1055]

@@jonw8697 yeah but full to the brim, not regular full

[@davidf2244]

I'm confused. He's giving conversions from volume to mass. It depends GREATLY on what you're measuring!

[@10Nicv]

He only did that for water, which has a density of 1g/cm^3. There shouldn't be any confusion.

[@yangkx]

I think the point is you do not need minute details in every day cooking.

[@Thompers]

Keep going brother

[@hazelfoerstner2578]

thank u for this content

[@superlukecollinsss]

More Internet Shaq plz

[@GrenadeApple3]

why am i watching this i never use volumetric measurements or the imperial system

[@SunnySunflowers510]

that was a lot to remember

[@seymourglass26]

Here's the notes, Junior: 3tsp=1Tbs 4Tbs=1/4C 4C=1Quart 4Quarts=Gallon (which is easy; it's a quarter gallon)

[@walletsprint]

i love the monobrow ownership

[@xAqila]

how many football fields per fahrenheit is a cup?

[@cynthiakeller5954]

A teaspoon is the dip in my palm.

[@d19375]

Bro where you been? Keep the great content coming!

[@internetshaquille]

This is my third post in a month I can't keep this up brother

[@d19375]

@@internetshaquille you right! Ya motivated me to learn how to cook and I even subscribed to your online class on udemy. Ever think about getting into cast iron? Love the content bro!

[@internetshaquille]

@@d19375 I use cast iron every day but I feel like tons of people already post enough about it. Anything you're struggling with or can't find help with? PS thx4bein a real1 taking it back to the udemy days

[@d19375]

@@internetshaquille Na I'm not struggling anymore but it was real when I first started. Got online and learned about seasoning and care of cast iron but in the first week or so there were some frustrating moments because I didn't know the dangers of a dishwasher. I've graduated from questionable status to kids asking if I can cook tonight 😂 that's a win for me!

[@lluuke]

serving us blue leopard

[@Fubzo]

thank you internet shaquille

[@LeylaDeuel]

You need your own show on Netflix. Fo. Real.

[@rizz1088]

Just using 1 cup for 2 girls cooking

[@maryamhamid4829]

I leaned more here then in 4 yeas of high school math 😂

[@zakbdz]

what do i ask for at the barber to get a cut like yours?

[@RatchedCypher]

i used to go the the barber with a picture of the haircut i wanted before i started cutting my own hair. it seems ridiculous, but it's the only way he'll know exactly what you are talking about.

[@zakbdz]

@@RatchedCypher thats actually a good idea im too dumb to think of

[@louisvuittondonvg9040]

great video

[@Im49th]

I thought this would be a joke video to explain the metric system, you even had the perfect setup for it!

[@yltraviole]

Me too... I was so ready to bitch about Imperial in the comments lol

[@SauceStache]

Well too bad I don't measure anything otherwise this would be incredibly useful!

[@karenwoodruff3533]

I almost understood this!

[@blackhaulmike]

250 ML cup, 1 L jug (both with markings) and a scale is all you need.

[@mytherrus2068]

Honestly one area where imperial measurements excel where metric is dogshit is bases. The fact that everything here is in base 2, so a tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup (I didn't know this) and continue to double and quadruple conveniently up to the gallon. In comparison metric's base 10 makes doubling and halving a pain in the ass, and dividing by 10 isn't something humans are good at eyeballing intrinsically, nor is it something useful in everyday life.

[@paptapto22]

My European brain hurts why don't you guys use grams and mls yet

[@xTeeFive]

For some reason having a kitchen scale for dry ingredients isn't a thing in the Americas unless you own a bakery. Also 100mL =~a cup

[@awgmax]

@@xTeeFive google says otherwise(235ml). See? That's why it's bad to have utensil named measurements because a cup can vary in size, but 250ml is 250ml

[@internetshaquille]

I cut out 45 seconds of "measuring by volume is inferior to measuring by mass" because I thought it was too nerdy for this one. Now I know there are non-americans out there watching

[@ninox4540]

Cries in metric

[@SimpleVisionVideos]

Gonna be pulling this video up a lot for a while

[@shadowraven1153]

I just measure by taste and look for the most part.

[@nahnan2278]

thank u food man

[@evindrews]

or just use a bowl and a scale like a sane person and use your eyes for the readout. What's one cup of flour measure to? Packed, unpacked? Alternative flours? Measuring oil or fat by hand is literally masochistic.

[@nicolle2126]

same, baking anything using imperial is a nightmare

[@nguyenmai4109]

I died when he said goodbye in Russian

[@AslanW]

Metric is superior. The imperial way of measuring is a poopy stupid way of measuring. Well, thats all I came here for. Metric squad out.

[@pendalink]

ok i dont think anyone disagrees with you but ok

[@oz_jones]

Ok boomer

[@sameash3153]

Metric is stupid for so many things, sorry, this isn't a laboratory, this is a kitchen, and the customary measurements are based off very specific quantity ratios for making food (like the teaspoon for instance) they aren't divorced from the situation and made into a purely abstract mathematical situation that has nothing to do with the context in which it is measured. Customary is simple: you have a base measurement, and everything is either a division or multiplication from there. There is no need to use decimals, and our base measurements are actually reasonable. I will live and die on this hill, screw metric supporters, especially the American ones.

[@AslanW]

@@sameash3153 a teaspoon is 15 ml in metric countries. Imperial measurements aren't better for cooking. Metric is a more logical way of measuring than imperial and there's no ifs, and/or buts about it, no matter what it is you're measuring.

[@sameash3153]

@@AslanW Bro there's nothing standard about 15 ml, that's a totally abstract measurement whereas our measurements are based on situational needs. One teaspoon makes one cup of tea. One cup fills one cup. Half a cup is half a cup. There. That's it. It is a practical and concrete measurement system based purely on what is necessary for the recipe. Metric is not situational. That's all fine in the abstract, but cooking is not an abstraction. Cooking measurements do not need such a logical hierarchical level of conversion that always end up yielding decimals instead of even numbers anyway.

[@greatmaddyave]

I have a simple technique for remembering all these conversions: I have a special spoon for each of these. That way I don't need to remember this and it's 100% accurate

[@ramonanaya6236]

I have short term memory issues so I'm just gonna stick with my measuring tools lmao. I liked this tho

[@glokta1]

Just note it down somewhere and try to incorporate it into your routine. Then every time you use it, it's like a revision and it'll eventually go into your long term memory

[@Kowzorz]

My issue this that the tsp spoon in every measuring spoon set is differently sized.

[@SoumilSahu]

Nice video! Could you make one for human measurements as well?

[@PhiladelphiaBunnyfac]

Just found out i'm using way too much bleach to sanitize my sink :\ thanx papa shaq

[@internetshaquille]

Been there brother. I’d bleach the color off my sponges every time

[@hoppityhooper7065]

But then what's an electron volt?

[@awgmax]

And here i am with muh mili-liters and grams. I guess my chemistry background makes me prefer those recipes to the spoons and cups ones.

[@internetshaquille]

metric is better, there's no doubt about that

[@carwyn3691]

A kitchen scale costs like 7 dollars

[@loulou3676]

Got tips on how to sanitize the sink?

[@me000]

kind of confused. is the point here to learn to eyeball these measurements or to only use these measurement devices?

[@42wonders]

Imperial March!

[@Dino_Valentino]

Thanks for the tips uncle Shaq. Bless your eye sockets.

[@LydJaGillers]

I eyeball everything.