Plastic or metal cups used for dry ingredients; they usually come in sets of 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup.

WHY YOU NEED THEM: If you use a liquid measure for flour, it will mound when you pour it into the cup; to level it, you'll have to shake the cup or press on the flour, either of which will compact it, so you'll use more than the recipe calls for. Dry cups are designed to be filled to the brim and leveled without compacting. (You can use dry cups for things like shortening.)

HOW TO USE: Spoon your ingredient into the cup until it overflows, then run a knife across the top to remove the excess. Unless a recipe tells you to sift white flour, you don't have to; just stir the flour in its bag to loosen it, then spoon it lightly into the measuring cup to avoid compacting the flour and therefore getting too much. Stir confectioners' sugar, too, but granulated sugar and whole-wheat flour don't need it. Gently press brown sugar into the cup, then level off when the cup is full.

PICKS:

MICHAEL GRAVES MEASURING CUPS, a successful blend of form and function. They sit flat on a counter, they're lightweight stainless steel, and the handles are comfortable and easy to grip. Lots of style for the price, too.
TO BUY: $10, www.target.com.

OXO GOOD GRIPS PLASTIC MEASURING CUPS come in black or white, with rubber-grip handles and candy-colored labels identifying the size — much easier to read than the etched numbers on most stainless-steel cups. We think the 7-piece set's egg separator is kind of silly (aren't they all?), but the 2/3- and 3/4-cup measures are nice additions.
TO BUY: $8, www.oxo.com.

TIME-SAVER: When a recipe calls for a quantity like 1 3/4 cups that requires several different measuring cups, it's faster to subtract: Measure out 2 cups, then remove 1/4 cup.