Any person who at least once in his life prepared something sweet had some difficulties trying to master a new recipe. Most cookbooks describe the quantitative composition of the dish with “improvised” measures, that is, glasses and spoons — large (tablespoons) and small (teaspoons). But there are frequent cases when grams are indicated in the recipe, and not every person has accurate “pharmacy” scales in the kitchen. Inexperienced, unsure of themselves or corrosive and meticulous culinary experts come to a standstill, trying to guess, for example, 200 grams of sugar - this is how much in volume.
Different "measuring instruments"
We admit right away: we cannot talk about any particular accuracy . Measuring by glasses, probably, has remained from those times when there were only two such cutlery: a stack and a faceted glass. Now there are a huge number of types of such dishes, and their volume, of course, is very different from each other. It is likely that even a person with a “shot” eye will not visually determine the volume of a single cup. So the measure of sugar in a glass will vary greatly depending on its type.
Leave aside beer and “viskar” containers, we will not pay attention to cocktail options. Consider the two most appropriate culinary requirements for glasses: tea and faceted. The first is larger in volume; liquid is placed in it 250 ml. Of course, any loose substance will fit in less. A full glass will hold 230 g; if the question is “200 grams of sugar - how much is it in tea glasses?”, then we will answer: “Without adding about a centimeter to the edge.”
The reverse situation is with his faceted "brother." It holds only 180 g of sand. And this is if the "white death" is poured to the very top. If you need to calculate, 200 grams of sugar is how much when pouring with a faceted capacity, note that you have to add a little to get the right dose.
Sugar is also different
It is worth noting that the weight of sweet sand and its volume strongly depend on the type of sugar used. Most often, confectioners use regular sugar; we’ve already sorted it out. But in many recipes there is brown - in recent years, it is increasingly mentioned that it is less harmful to the body, and many replace it with the usual, white. It should be noted that such a variety is heavier. Have to recalculate. 200 grams of sugar - how much if it is brown? In the faceted version, as much as 250 is placed, so you need not to fill up as much as a fifth of the glass.
Often, powdered sugar is required in the recipe. This is the easiest option for dosage. To measure sugar in the form of powder, feel free to take a faceted glass - it contains exactly 200 g.
Additional troubles
Despite all the efforts, without weighing the exact norm of sugar, you can’t dial. Sugar is very hygroscopic, and if stored in a loose container, it quickly draws water. Accordingly, it becomes more voluminous and heavier, but less sweet. So you can hardly assume that with such sugar you have passed the recipe.
The second nuance can be considered that sweet sand happens with different sizes of grains. Smaller ones take up less space - accordingly, more weight will fit in the glass.
However, all these subtleties are by no means worth the worries. It is unlikely that in home baking there will be a recipe that requires compliance to the last gram. In general, professional chefs believe that cooking is not production, but art. It always has a place for creativity and not for pedantic adherence to the rules. So it’s quite possible to act “by eye” and “approximately”: it’s more interesting to cook and the result is a little mysterious, and you feel like an artist.
And you can follow the example of many housewives who have been using an old cup or glass for years, assuring that this vessel gives the most accurate measurement result, and its participation makes the dish much tastier. Who knows, maybe this is so. Try it and you will find your lucky cup! Well, or buy a measuring cup ...