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As much as we love pulling recipes out of Grandma’s cookbook, adding a “pinch of salt” to your banana bread batter can feel a little unnerving. How much is “a pinch” anyways?
While the exact amount of a pinch can vary depending on who you ask and what you’re making, there seems to be a method to the measurement.
In this post, we’ll explore the different interpretations of a pinch and how our resident chefs use it today.
A pinch of an ingredient (usually a powdery or finely ground substance like salt , spices, or dried herbs) is the tiny bit your pick up between the tip of your index finger and thumb. If you were to measure a pinch, it would be between 1/16 and 1/8 of a teaspoon.
WHAT IS A PINCH?
A pinch is a very small amount of an ingredient that you can hold between your thumb and forefinger. It’s generally between 1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon, depending on the size of your fingers, and is typically used to add subtle flavor to a dish.
There’s also the “three-fingered chef’s pinch” that tends to be between 1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon.
There are so many ways a pinch can vary, based on your fingers alone. Do you use your thumb and pointer finger, or thumb and two fingers? How big are your fingers?
The best way to get a feel for how much “a pinch” means is to use a set of measuring spoons. If you have 1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon, fill them up to get a good visual of what you want your pinch to look like.
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Part of the problem lies in the whole idea of salt measurements: What’s the difference between a pinch and a dash? I assumed a dash was one or two shakes from a shaker, which measures out to almost nothing, perhaps 1/64th of a teaspoon. The actual standard (developed by measuring spoon manufacturers and adopted by culinary reference books) is that a dash is 1/8th of a teaspoon.
“When I cook for one, my pinch is more like 1/4 teaspoon,” she says. “If I see ‘pinch’ in a recipe for four to six, I mentally scale that up to two or three big chef pinch-scoop-grabs from my jar.” In other words, she has the salting confidence I lack.
Because Freeman doesn’t have massive hands capable of monster-truck-size pinches, I asked a stack of questions about her style and technique. She keeps salt in a wide 4-ounce Mason jar and uses a three-fingered chef’s pinch. More important, perhaps, is that she cooks for six these days. Advertising
It depends on the size of your salt cellar; whether you are more of a baker or a savory cook; and whether you use your thumb and pointer finger, or thumb and two fingers, to collect that pinch. Professional kitchen experience generally lined up with larger pinches, but there were exceptions. The largest pinch was cookbook author and recipe developer Jackie Freeman; Beach Bakery owner Amy McConnell’s pinch was the only one right on the money with that properly dainty 1/16. Mine came in with the majority, right around 1/8 teaspoon, a mere twice the size it’s supposed to be.
Not long ago, I was asked to test a vegetarian stew for six portions using only “salt to taste.” Ultimately, I added a heaping 11/2 teaspoons of kosher salt to the dish, with delicious results. But, erring on the side of caution — too much salt is incredibly difficult to mend — meant it took many minutes of sprinkling, tasting and frowning at blandness before I grabbed a measuring spoon and salted with relative abandon. If I’d been more confident to begin with, or if there had been a guideline in the book offering ground rules for salt, the cooking would have been more enjoyable, and a little quicker.
A Dash, a Pinch and a Smidgen
FAQ
How much is one pinch?
Is a pinch the same as 1 8 teaspoon?
What is a pinch serving size?
How much is a pinch?
How much is a “pinch”? A pinch of an ingredient (usually a powdery or finely ground substance like salt , spices, or dried herbs) is the tiny bit your pick up between the tip of your index finger and thumb. If you were to measure a pinch, it would be between 1/16 and 1/8 of a teaspoon.
What is a ‘pinch’ in a recipe?
Luckily, there are cooks who have been gracious enough to translate these terms into quantifiable measurements. A “pinch” in a recipe literally refers to the amount of something that could be pinched between your thumb and forefinger, which many chefs have converted to 1/16 of a teaspoon.
How do you measure a pinch of an ingredient?
A pinch of an ingredient (usually a powdery or finely ground substance like salt , spices, or dried herbs) is the tiny bit your pick up between the tip of your index finger and thumb. If you were to measure a pinch, it would be between 1/16 and 1/8 of a teaspoon. See our video, How to Measure Dry Ingredients, for more tips.
How many teaspoons are in a pinch?
Generally, a pinch is considered to be equal to 1/16 of a teaspoon. To convert pinches to teaspoons, you can divide the number of pinches by 16. However, a pinch is not an exact measurement and is often used in recipes where precision is not critical. It can be used “to taste .” In old texts, a pinch may be referred to as 1/8 of a teaspoon.