If you have been to most kitchens, chances are that you have come across different types of cutlery. From knives to spoons, there are many cooking items that you are likely to find in most kitchens. One of the commonly used tools here is the spoon. Typically, a spoon is used to stir hot or cold coffee or tea in a cup. In addition, it is used to measure the number of ingredients when one is cooking.
From spices to salt, there are many ingredients that this tool can measure. That said, it is imperative to note that there are different types of spoons. These include the tablespoon, dessert spoon, tablespoon, serving spoon, and so on. In this article, we shall pay special attention to the tablespoon and teaspoon as most people usually confuse the two.
What is a Teaspoon?
This spoon is usually small in size and is used to stir coffee or tea in a cup. You might find this type of spoon in a hotel and even in most homes. Most people also use it to measure different cooking ingredients such as salt, spices, sugar, and so on. Besides this, the teaspoon is used to measure different volumes of drugs for medical prescriptions.
As far as the volume of a teaspoon is concerned, you will note that one teaspoon is equivalent to 1/6 ounces. It is also equal to 1/48 of a cup, and finally, it is equivalent to 1/768 of a gallon. Generally, a typical teaspoon ought to hold 5 milliliters. In recipes, the teaspoon is typically abbreviated like ‘tsp’. Finally, there are many types of teaspoons. These include:
- Bar spoons
- Dessert spoons
- Orange spoons
- Coffee spoons
- Iced teaspoons
What is a Tablespoon?
Unlike a teaspoon, a tablespoon is large in size. In most cases, this spoon is normally used when one is eating food. As far as its capacity is concerned, this spoon has a volume of 15 milliliters. However, this volume usually differs from one state to another.
For instance, in the UK, a tablespoon has a volume of 15 ml. However, the same spoon has a volume of 14.79 ml in the US. On the other hand, New Zealand and Australian tablespoons are 20 ml, while those in France usually have a volume of 30ml. When used to make recipes, the tablespoon is usually abbreviated as ‘tbsp’.
Main Differences Between a Tablespoon And a Teaspoon
- Size: As we mentioned above, a teaspoon is smaller in size than a tablespoon. This feature is very evident even from the look of these two spoons.
- Usage: As far as the usage of each spoon is concerned, you will note that there is some difference. For instance, a tablespoon is normally used to prepare food. This spoon can also be used to serve food. However, when it comes to setting the table, the tablespoon is not involved at all. On the other hand, teaspoons are usually used to stir coffee or tea in a cup. It can also be used to add some sugar to coffee or tea in a cup. Unlike its counterpart, this spoon is set on the table.
- Abbreviations: In recipes, you will note that the teaspoon is always abbreviated as ‘tsp’ while its counterpart is usually abbreviated as ‘tbsp’.
- Measurements: When it comes to measurements, these spoons differ in several ways. For instance, a 1 tablespoon is equivalent to 3 teaspoons. To put it into perspective, one tablespoon is equivalent to 2.9 teaspoons in the US. Apart from this, one tablespoon is equal to 0.5 ounces in the US.
On the other hand, one teaspoon is equal to 0.1666667 ounces in the US. From the illustrations mentioned above, it is evident that the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon is 0.333333 ounces. In that case, it is true to say that 1 teaspoon is equivalent to 1/3 tablespoon.
Final Thoughts
Although both spoons are used in the kitchen, they are different in a number of ways. From how they are used to how they are abbreviated, there is a plethora of differences between them. As you purpose to use any of them, you should know the differences mentioned above so as to get the desired results. Otherwise, both of them form part of the essential cutlery set used in the modern-day kitchen.
