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I own four Pyrex measuring jugs. That might sound excessive for a piece of kitchen equipment most people own one of, if that.
But they’re one of the biggest spoon savers in my kitchen, and it has nothing to do with measuring.
Why a jug saves spoons
A Pyrex measuring jug is microwave safe and dishwasher safe. So I can melt butter in it, then tip the rest of the ingredients straight in and mix. One jug does the job of a saucepan, a mixing bowl and a measuring cup. Then it goes in the dishwasher.
It sounds like a small thing. It isn’t. When you’re low on spoons, the cost of cooking isn’t only the standing and stirring. It’s the decisions. Which bowl? Is this one microwave safe? Will that container survive the dishwasher? Where did I put the ½ cup measure? Each question is tiny, but they add up, and the washing up at the end is often the thing that tips a meal from “doable” to “not tonight”.
Having a set of jugs that all do everything takes those questions away. I pick the size I need and don’t think about it again. Simples.
What I actually use them for
- Melting butter, then mixing the batter in the same jug. That’s how we make our Cheesy Italian Muffins and Keto Cheese & Chive Muffins. The spout also means you can pour batter into the muffin tray instead of spooning it.
- Melting a little butter for coating. The 1 cup jug is perfect for our Cheese Stuffed Kentucky Chicken Ballies.
- Mixing sauces and stock. In our Bobotie, the stock, chutney and apricot jam get mixed in a jug while the mince browns.
- Soaking noodles. In the Bun Cha Steak Noodle Fusion, the noodles and edamame go in the jug with boiling water while everything else cooks. There’s no pot to drain.
- Microwave steaming veg. The base for The Creamiest Keto Cauli Mash is cooked in a large microwave-safe jug.
- Reheating the coffee I made and forgot about. A short blast, no judgement.
You’ll notice most of our recipes list the jug size in the equipment section. That’s deliberate. If you know before you start which jug you need, that’s one less decision halfway through.
Which sizes to get
I use the 2 cup and 4 cup jugs the most. The 4 cup (1 litre) is the workhorse. It’s big enough to mix a batch of muffin batter without slopping it over the sides. The 1 cup is for melting butter and mixing small dressings. The 8 cup comes out for bigger batches and steaming veg.
If you’re only buying one, get the 4 cup.
A quick note on American cups
Pyrex started as an American brand, and the jugs are marked in US cups as well as millilitres. A US cup is about 237 mL. An Australian cup is 250 mL. That’s a difference of less than a tablespoon per cup.
For soups, sauces, stews and most everyday cooking, it really doesn’t matter. Where it can matter is baking, especially low carb baking, where a small change in liquid can change the texture. If a recipe is fussy, use the millilitre markings and you’ll be spot on.
Looking after glass
Glass jugs are tough, but they don’t like sudden temperature changes. I’ve learned to avoid:
- putting a hot jug straight onto a cold or wet bench (use a board or tea towel)
- pouring cold liquid into a jug that’s just come out of the microwave very hot
- using it on the stovetop or under the grill.
Check the care instructions that come with yours, because they can vary between ranges.
Where to buy Pyrex in Australia
You’ll find Pyrex at Woolworths, Coles, Kmart and Big W, usually in a fairly limited range. It goes on sale every so often, so it’s worth keeping an eye out. Glass isn’t the cheapest option for bakeware, but mine have outlasted every plastic jug I’ve owned.
I’ve generally found the Pyrex shop on Amazon a bit cheaper. It also has the whole range, including bundles you don’t see in stores. It’s also where I get replacement lids. This turns out to matter more than you’d think, because lids crack and go missing, and I only know of one store in Brisbane that stocks them occasionally.
The rest of my Pyrex setup
The jugs have siblings. My Pyrex Simply Store containers go from oven to fridge to freezer to microwave to dishwasher, so leftovers never need to change dishes. A small Pyrex dish is also how I make Keto Bread in 90 Seconds in a neat bread-roll shape with almost nothing to wash.
If washing up is the barrier for you right now, that’s a completely legitimate reason to change how you cook. I’ve written more about that in convenience ingredients are accessibility tools. You’ll find more of the gear that earns its place in our kitchen under Kitchen & Equipment.
