Topic: What is a "Chef's Pinch?"

[976bar]

I keep seeing this on peoples recipes on here, but what does a chef's pinch amount to? 1/2 tsp? 1tbsp?

Anyone got any ideas please?....

[joshallen2k]

I've understood a chef's pinch to be the amount you could pick up with your thumb and four fingers.

[haldi]

I'm one of the people who has posted recipes with a "chefs pinch"
That is what the chef does, he just picks up a very small amount from his spice box.
It must be something like an eighth of a teaspoon

[JerryM]

I use thumb and 2 fingers.

I started out from here (thumb and 1 finger and ~ 1/3 tsp) - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1515.msg13327#msg13327.

[SnS]

I've always assumed it to be what can be 'pinched' between the thumb and forefinger (about 1/16th tspn).

SnS 

[Unclebuck]

I thought it was 3 fingers and thumb.

[976bar]

LOL, given all the responses here, why don't we just all agree on maybe a desertspoon? 10ml?

Is that too much, cos as you know everyones hands are different sizes...... or is it going to come down once again to individual tastes? In which case we will all never agree.......

[Cory Ander]

It seems to me that "a pinch" (or "dash") is commonly (though not always!) considered to be one eighth of a teaspoon (i.e. about 0.6ml) and is roughly the amount you can pick up between your thumb, first finger and forefinger.  It is obviously a variable amount.

A "half a pinch" is considered to be roughly the amount you can pick up between your thumb and first finger only (which is what I'd certainly use to pinch someone!)...about one sixteenth of a teaspoon (i.e. about 0.3ml).  Though some people consider THIS to be a "pinch"

Check out this site for some similar arbitrary cooking measures and their definitions:  http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/bloldconvert.htm

Check out this site for on-line conversions of similar arbitrary cooking measures: http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_volume.htm

For those who wish to be more exact, check out these cute little "pinch", "smidgen" and "dash" measuring spoons (presumably, this supplier considers "a dash" to be one eight of a teaspoon and "a pinch" to be one sixteenth of a teaspoon) here: http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=689177 

Practically, just add a very small amount (certainly not teaspoons, dessert spoons or tablespoons 976bar!  ) until it tastes right to you! 

[Unclebuck]

It seems to me that "a pinch" (or "dash") is commonly (though not always!) considered to be one eighth of a teaspoon (i.e. about 0.6ml) and is roughly the amount you can pick up between your thumb, first finger and forefinger.  It is obviously a variable amount.

A "half a pinch" is considered to be roughly the amount you can pick up between your thumb and first finger only (which is what I'd certainly use to pinch someone!)...about one sixteenth of a teaspoon (i.e. about 0.3ml).  Though some people consider THIS to be a "pinch"

Check out this site for some similar arbitrary cooking measures and their definitions:  http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/bloldconvert.htm

Check out this site for on-line conversions of similar arbitrary cooking measures: http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_volume.htm

For those who wish to be more exact, check out these cute little "pinch", "smidgen" and "dash" measuring spoons (presumably, this supplier considers "a dash" to be one eight of a teaspoon and "a pinch" to be one sixteenth of a teaspoon) here: http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=689177 

Practically, just add a very small amount (certainly not teaspoons, dessert spoons or tablespoons 976bar!  ) until it tastes right to you! 

So a chefs pinch is the same as a pinch, whos boots that shoe. 

[Cory Ander]

So a chefs pinch is the same as a pinch, whos boots that shoe. 

As far as I'm aware, there is no such conventional measure as "a chef's pinch" UB. It's probably a term invented by someone on this forum!

I think "a pinch" is "a pinch" is "a pinch"...probably!

It ain't much, whichever way you look at it!  :