Small and Medium Portion Scoops

Using a portion scoop is a great way to dole out food quickly and evenly. Portion scoops come in a dizzying array of sizes, but in our recipes we most often call for a 3-tablespoon (or #20) scoop. When we tested this scoop size, we fell in love with the OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop for its ability to neatly portion cookie dough, muffin batter, ice cream, and more. The company also makes the OXO Good Grips Small Cookie Scoop and the OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop, with capacities of 1 tablespoon and 1.5 tablespoons, respectively, and we wondered if they were as comfortable and easy to use as the large scoop. To test the scoops, which are both priced at around $13.50, we used the small scoop to portion the dough for Gougères as well as the dough and filling for Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, all tasks that require a 1-tablespoon measure. We used the medium scoop to make Mini Muffin Tin Doughnut Holes, placing a heaping tablespoon of batter in each cup. We also measured the capacities of the portion scoops and squeezed each scoop 100 times.

The stated capacities of both scoops were accurate. Their handles were easy to grip, and the scoops readily released batter and dough with just a quick squeeze. When using both sizes, we found that portioning was faster and neater than using a measuring spoon. While making the gougères, the scoop allowed us to skip the step of smoothing the batter with a spoon—the scoop made perfectly smooth mounds that didn’t need any extra polishing. Using a portion scoop also resulted in baked goods that were more uniform, which was essential for the peanut butter cookies that needed to be about the same size for sandwiching. Both scoops produced the right yields for each recipe.

While the large scoop is still our go-to for most tasks, we found that both the small- and medium-size scoops are useful in recipes that call for a 1-tablespoon or heaping-tablespoon portion size. We like the medium scoop for filling mini muffin tins, portioning peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches, and making small ice cream scoops. The small scoop was perfect for portioning petite cookies. Together, the large, medium, and small cookie scoops by OXO make a great set for portioning all kinds of ingredients.