If the Emsa's so great, why buy this? Well, at some point you will need at least two liquid measuring cups anyway, and this one can go on the stove--really handy for things like melting gelatin. To be honest, I prefer Amco's version of this--their handle is uncoated, so I don't have to worry about it melting, and you can't beat Amco for their measuring device's accuracy and precision.

For measuring out liquids by teaspoon or less, a calibrated medicine dropper is the best way to ensure you have the exact amount. For more than 1 teaspoon, you'll have to draw up more than once, but it's easily done.

These cups have an excellent 1/2 way mark on the cup interior, which makes it stupidly easy to halve a recipe or to find something like 1/8th or 1/6th a cup. This set has 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup sizes. You can also find an odd size set of 1 3/4 cup, 1 1/2 cup, and 3/4 cup sizes.

I have no idea what I ever did without my probe thermometer. This is the original, and still one of the best. There are other models today with a beeper you can carry with you, so that you'll always be able to hear the timer, no matter where you are in the home. They're much more expensive, though.

Digital Candy and Deep Fry thermometers are available, but most are pretty top heavy, and you don't want it to splash into a pan of 300+ degree oil or sugar! This one will also never need batteries.

Why can't you use an oven thermometer to take your refrigerator's temperature? Because an oven thermometer doesn't go anywhere near 32˚F. They take high temperatures, not low. You may want to consider one of these for the fridge and another for the freezer.

I really only reach for my large ruler a few times a year, but every time I do I'm glad I've got it.