Pampered Chef Measure-All Cup: Make Baking Neater and Easier!

I have been on a muffin making kick for the past couple of weeks. I don't know why... Maybe it's because I'm trying to lose weight and found some great recipes for lowfat muffins. Maybe it's because the Pampered Chef Stoneware Muffin Tray is just so nice to use. Or, maybe it's just because I like to eat.

Whatever the reason may be, I've been spending a heck of a lot more time in the kitchen. More importantly, I have been using more and more baking equipment, accessories and machines. For example, I made ice cream and two batches of muffins today. (Well, I had a muffin mishap, but we won't get into that right now...) I get to play with cookware, knives (WOOHOO!), utensils, and all sorts of fun gadgets. I'm a regular Betty Crocker!

One of these fun gadgets is the Pampered Chef Measure-All Cup. Since I'm a consultant for Pampered Chef, I have all sorts of Pampered Chef products. (Incidentally, if you'd like to order any, just send an email my way!) However, living in Los Angeles and being incredibly busy, I never had the time to use them.

My grandmother is the queen of kitchen gadgets. I mean, really. She's got everything that you can possibly imagine, including this product. When I first saw it at her house, I thought that it was a regular liquid measuring cup. Boy, was I wrong!

First of all, this is actually two measuring cups in one. On one end, you've got your solid measuring cup, where you can adjust the plunger to the amount that you want. Yup, that's right. You can adjust from 1/4 a cup to 2 cups (max. measurement) with this handy-dandy-little-doo-dad. The plunger is made of some sort of plastic/rubber combo which creates a tight seal between the plunger and the measuring cup.

But, wait! I said that it's two measuring cups in one! Well, the plunger isn't really a plunger. It's actually your liquid measuring cup. You use the blue measurements on the outside of the hard plastic cup to measure your liquid and the red measurements to measure your solids. he plunger cup even has a spout for neater pouring.

Secondly, the plunger acts like a spatula for the messy, sticky ingredients you may have to measure. For example, let's say that you measure out 1/2 a cup of peanut butter. Rather than having to use a spatula, you just push the plunger up, forcing the peanut butter out of the cup. No waste, and it's tidy! All you have to do is clean the cup. (We'll get to that part in a moment.)

Third, the inner-cup is air-tight. It has a seal, thanks to the friction between the two materials. I have no problem measuring flour or measuring shortening. After each messy item, however, you should remove the inner-cup to clean it.

Finally, clean up is simple. No, this item isn't dishwasher safe, so you can't have that shortcut. However, you just slide the inner-cup out of the outer-cup and rinse with a gentle dish soap under lukewarm water. If you use scalding hot water, you will risk the inner cup from becoming warped. It's safe to put the outer-cup in the dishwasher, but you might as well clean both by hand so as not to separate the two pieces.

Pampered Chef Measure-All Cup costs just $9. With a price that low, how can you NOT own one of these measuring innovations? On top of that, it's GUARANTEED for a whole year after purchase! That means if it breaks or anything, you simply return it to your Pampered Chef Consultant and she (or he) will get you a new one.

Pampered Chef Measure-All Cup is a must-have for anyone that enjoys cooking, baking, and/or attempting to cook like I do.