You’re mid-recipe when you reach for your ring of measuring spoons and realize it’s already in the sink. What do you do? Stop to wash dishes? Or say “screw it” and measure with your heart, aka eyeballs?   

Eyeball measuring is a simple trick chefs (and now you) use that allows them to move faster and more intuitively in the kitchen, while skipping the piles of hard-to-clean tools. If you’re already an eyeball measurer, we applaud you—hopefully these tips will help make you even more accurate. And if you’re not, now’s the time to learn—we promise it’s not as scary as it sounds! 

How to Eyeball Measure

Since this is Eyeballing 101, we’re going to focus on measuring the small stuff: tablespoons and teaspoons, not cups and beyond. Most ingredients we use in those quantities are either granular (seasonings), liquid (soy sauce, vinegar), or oil (we don’t need to explain this one, but anything with a thicker consistency like honey or miso falls in this category too). 

So, with guidance from our Head of Culinary, Elliott Bell, let’s practice eyeball measuring an ingredient from each category. And yes, you do need measuring spoons for these lessons. 

 Here’s what you’ll need:

• Kosher salt
• Oil
• A sheet pan or platter
• Parchment or wax paper
• Measuring spoons, for one last time
• A couple of small bowls
• 2 pans
• Your most used cooking spoons

Lesson 1: Salt

1. Pour some salt into a small bowl. You'll want to have enough to grab at least 5-10 handfuls (a cup or so).

2. Line a sheet pan or platter with two pieces of parchment or wax, side by side. 

3. Measure a teaspoon of salt and dump it out onto one side. 

4. Use three fingers and a thumb to grab a natural pinch of salt and place it on the other sheet.

5. Compare the piles. If they’re close in size, congrats – you now know what a teaspoon of salt feels like in your hand. If your pile is smaller, try four fingers. If it’s bigger, try two. There’s no right answer – it all about your own hands. 

6. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, try the same exercise with a tablespoon

It’s just trial and error at this point. Do it again and again for a few minutes, until you figure out the equivalents for a teaspoon and a tablespoon, then you can scale up or down depending on what the recipe calls for. 

Lesson 2: Oil  

1. Set two frying pans on the counter.

2. Measure a tablespoon of oil into one pan.

3. Slowly pour oil directly from the bottle into the second pan. Count “One Mississippi" (or your favorite way to track seconds) and try to match the spread of the first pan.

4. Do this a few times. Within a couple of tries, you should be able to nail it exactly. 

The next time a recipe calls for a tablespoon of oil, you can just eyeball it or count in your head the perfect pour. And eventually, you’ll just know what a tablespoon feels like to pour and looks like in your pan.

Lesson 3: Liquid

1. Fill a small bowl with a measured tablespoon of water. 

2. Grab your most-used cooking spoons –whether it’s a soup spoon, wooden spoon, or something else. Fill it with water and transfer it into the second bowl. 

3. Compare the amounts.  If your spoon holds more or less than a tablespoon, keep testing until you recognize the right amount by sight. 

4. You can also test by transferring water between a measuring spoon and your cooking spoon.

When NOT to Eyeball Measure

• Don’t eyeball when you’re baking, unless it’s that chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ve made a million times. Baking is more science than art. Measurements matter. 

• Ratio-based foods like rice or oatmeal. Anything that depends on exact amounts of liquid to solids should be measured properly. 

Why You Should Eyeball Measure

Eyeball measuring will make you a faster and more intuitive cook—not to mention it will cut down on your dishwashing time. After a few tries, it’ll be second nature and you’ll start to trust your own instincts. Cooking will feel easier and more fun, and you may start to see recipes as guides rather than strict rules. We’re not saying you should throw away those measuring spoons (see previous section), but we hope they’ll be spending more time in your drawer and less time in your sink.