A dessert spoon is a spoon designed specifically for eating dessert. Similar in size to a soup spoon (intermediate between a teaspoon and a tablespoon) but with an oval rather than round bowl, it typically has a capacity around twice that of a teaspoon.
By extension, the term "dessert spoon" is used as a cooking measure of volume, usually of 10 millilitres (mL), 1⁄3 US fl oz, or 1⁄4 imp fl oz.
The use of dessert spoons around the world varies massively; in some areas they are very common, while in other places the use of the dessert spoon is almost unheard of—with diners using forks or teaspoons for their desserts as a default. [1]
In most traditional table settings, the dessert spoon is placed above the plate or bowl, separated from the rest of the cutlery, or it may simply be brought in with the dessert. [2]
As a unit of culinary measure, in the United States, a level dessert spoon (dsp., dspn. or dstspn.) equals 2 US customary teaspoons, which is 22/3 US customary fluid drams (1/3 of a US customary fluid ounce).
| 1 US customary dessert spoon | = | 22/3 | US customary fluid drams |
| = | 1/3 | US customary fluid ounce | |
| = | 2/3 | US customary tablespoons | |
| = | 2 | US customary teaspoons | |
| = | 4 | US customary coffee spoons | |
| = | 8 | US customary salt spoons | |
| = | 16 | US customary dashes (solids only) | |
| = | 32 | US customary pinches (solids only) | |
| = | 64 | US customary smidgens (solids only) | |
| = | 192 | US customary drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ | 2·78 | British imperial fluid drachms | |
| ≈ | 0·35 | British imperial fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 0·69 | UK tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 1·39 | UK dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 2·78 | UK teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 5·55 | UK salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 11·1 | UK pinches (solid only) | |
| ≈ | 166·53 | UK drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ | 9·86 | millilitres | |
| ≈ | 0·66 | international metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 0·49 | Australian metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 0·99 | metric dessert spoon | |
| ≈ | 1·97 | metric teaspoons |
In the United Kingdom, a dessert spoon is traditionally 2 British imperial fluid drachms [3] (1/4 of a British imperial fluid ounce). 1 UK dessert spoon is the equivalence of 1/2 UK tablespoon, 2 UK teaspoons, or 4 UK salt spoons.
| 1 UK dessert spoon | = | 2 | British imperial fluid drachms |
| = | 1/2 | UK tablespoon | |
| = | 2 | UK teaspoons | |
| = | 4 | UK salt spoons | |
| = | 8 | UK pinches (solids only) | |
| = | 120 | UK drops (liquids only) | |
| = | 1/4 | British imperial fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 1·92 | US customary fluid drams | |
| ≈ | 0·24 | US customary fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 0·48 | US customary tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 0·72 | US customary dessert spoon | |
| ≈ | 1·44 | US customary teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 2·88 | US customary coffee spoons | |
| ≈ | 5·76 | US customary salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 11·53 | US customary dashes (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 23·06 | US customary pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 46·12 | US customary smidgens (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 138·35 | US customary drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ | 7·10 | millilitres | |
| ≈ | 0·47 | international metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 0·36 | Australian metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 0·71 | metric dessert spoon | |
| ≈ | 1·42 | metric teaspoons |
A metric dessert spoon is 10mL, the equivalence of 2 metric teaspoons.
| 1 metric dessert spoon | = | 10 | mL |
| = | 2/3 | international metric tablespoon | |
| = | 1/2 | Australian metric tablespoon | |
| = | 2 | metric teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 2·81 | British imperial fluid drachms | |
| ≈ | 0·35 | British imperial fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 0·7 | UK tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 1·41 | UK dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 2·81 | UK teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 5·63 | UK salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 11·26 | UK pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 168·94 | UK drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ | 2·71 | US customary fluid drams | |
| ≈ | 0·34 | US customary fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 0·68 | US customary tablespoons | |
| ≈ | 1·01 | US customary dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 2·03 | US customary teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 4·06 | US customary coffee spoons | |
| ≈ | 8·12 | US customary salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 16·23 | US customary dashes (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 32·46 | US customary pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 64·92 | US customary smidgens (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 194·77 | US customary drops (liquids only) |
As a unit of Apothecary measure, the dessert-spoon was an unofficial but widely used unit of fluid measure equal to two fluid drams, or 1/4 fluid ounce. [4] However, even when approximated, its use was discouraged: "Inasmuch as spoons vary greatly in capacity, and from their form are unfit for use in the dosage of medicine, it is desirable... to be measured with a suitable medicine measure." [5]
In the United States and pre-1824 England, the fluid ounce was 1/128 of a Queen Anne wine gallon (which was defined as exactly 231 cubic inches) thus making the dessert-spoon approximately 7.39 ml. The post-1824 (British) imperial Apothecaries' dessert-spoon was also 1/4 fluid ounce, but the ounce in question was 1/160 of an imperial gallon, approximately 277.4 cubic inches, yielding a dessert-spoon of approximately 7.10 ml. [6]
In both the British and American variants of the Apothecaries' system, two tea-spoons make a dessert-spoon, while two dessert-spoons make a table-spoon. In pharmaceutical Latin, the Apothecaries' dessert-spoon is known as cochleare medium, abbreviated as cochl. med. or less frequently coch. med., as opposed to the tea-spoon (cochleare minus or minimum) and table-spoon (cochleare magis or magnum). [7]
dessert spoon.
dessert spoon cochl.
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The imperial system of units, imperial system or imperial units is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act 1824 and continued to be developed through a series of Weights and Measures Acts and amendments.
A teaspoon (tsp.) is a small spoon that can be used to stir a cup of tea or coffee, or as a tool for measuring volume. The size of teaspoons ranges from about 2.5 to 7.3mL. For dosing of medicine and, in places where metric units are used, for cooking purposes, a teaspoonful is defined as 5mL, and standard measuring spoons are used.
A tablespoon is a large spoon. In many English-speaking regions, the term now refers to a large spoon used for serving; however, in some regions, it is the largest type of spoon used for eating.
United States customary units form a system of measurement units commonly used in the United States and most U.S. territories since being standardized and adopted in 1832. The United States customary system developed from English units that were in use in the British Empire before the U.S. became an independent country. The United Kingdom's system of measures evolved by 1824 to create the imperial system, which was officially adopted in 1826, changing the definitions of some of its units. Consequently, while many U.S. units are essentially similar to their imperial counterparts, there are noticeable differences between the systems.
In recipes, quantities of ingredients may be specified by mass, by volume, or by count.
The cubic inch is a unit of volume in the Imperial units and United States customary units systems. It is the volume of a cube with each of its three dimensions being one inch long which is equivalent to 1/231 of a US gallon.
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The dram is a unit of mass in the avoirdupois system, and both a unit of mass and a unit of volume in the apothecaries' system. It was originally both a coin and a weight in ancient Greece. The unit of volume is more correctly called a fluid dram, fluid drachm, fluidram or fluidrachm.
The drop is an approximated unit of measure of volume, the amount dispensed as one drop from a dropper or drip chamber. It is often used in giving quantities of liquid drugs to patients, and occasionally in cooking and in organic synthesis. The abbreviations gt or gtt come from the Latin noun gutta ("drop").
A measuring cup is a kitchen utensil used primarily to measure the volume of liquid or bulk solid cooking ingredients such as flour and sugar, especially for volumes from about 50 mL upwards. Measuring cups are also used to measure washing powder, liquid detergents and bleach for clothes washing. The cup will usually have a scale marked in cups and fractions of a cup, and often with fluid measure and weight of a selection of dry foodstuffs.
The cup is a cooking measure of volume, commonly associated with cooking and serving sizes. In the US, it is traditionally equal to one-half US pint (236.6 ml). Because actual drinking cups may differ greatly from the size of this unit, standard measuring cups may be used, with a metric cup commonly being rounded up to 240 millilitres, but 250 ml is also used depending on the measuring scale.
Both the British imperial measurement system and United States customary systems of measurement derive from earlier English unit systems used prior to 1824 that were the result of a combination of the local Anglo-Saxon units inherited from Germanic tribes and Roman units.
A pinch is a small, indefinite amount of a substance, typically a powder like salt, sugar, spice, or snuff. It is the "amount that can be taken between the thumb and forefinger".
A wine glass is a type of glass that is used for drinking or tasting wine. Most wine glasses are stemware (goblets), composed of three parts: the bowl, stem, and foot. There are a wide variety of slightly different shapes and sizes, some considered especially suitable for particular types of wine.
A measuring spoon is a spoon used to measure an amount of an ingredient, either liquid or dry, when cooking. Measuring spoons may be made of plastic, metal, and other materials. They are available in many sizes, including the teaspoon and tablespoon.
A salt spoon is a miniature utensil used with an open salt cellar for individual service. It is a historical and nostalgic item from a time before table salt was free-flowing, as it is today. The spoon itself ranges from 2 to 3 inches long and has a circular bowl measuring approximately 0.5 to 0.75 inches. They can be found in a wide range of materials including glass, Sterling silver, plastic, wood, ivory, bone and shell.
The imperial and US customary measurement systems are both derived from an earlier English system of measurement which in turn can be traced back to Ancient Roman units of measurement, and Carolingian and Saxon units of measure.
The breakfast cup is a culinary measurement unit in the United Kingdom. It is named after a cup for drinking tea or coffee while eating breakfast. 1 breakfast cup is 8 British imperial fluid ounces.
The teacup is a culinary measurement unit in the United Kingdom. It is named after a typical teacup. 1 teacup is 5 British imperial fluid ounces.
The coffee cup is a culinary measurement unit in the United Kingdom. It is named after a small cup for serving after‑dinner coffee. 1 coffee cup is 21/2 British imperial fluid ounces.