The following review was written on Apirl 30, 2009, but for some reaons Amazon broke the link between the product and the review, and was unable to link them back. Because many readers find the original review helpful, it is reposted here. Hope it will helpful to you as it was helpful to them:The AMCO Advanced measuring cups and spoons are great. They are made with high quality thick 18/10 stainless steel. The steel is more than 1 mm thick, so they are heavy and sturdy. Each cup or spoon is made from a single-piece steel (no weld nor seam), so it is very easy to clean - a simply wipe will do. The size/volume markings are engraved into the metal, so they will not fade. I have uploaded a picture of a 1-cup for customer image. These tools should last you a lifetime.Comparing to typical measuring cups, these cups are shorter and wider, which allow them to balance nicely on a flat surface. The ends of the spoon handles are bended downward, so the spoons can sit nicely on a flat surface. This comes handy from time to time, more so for cooking than baking - in my experience.I feel there is a need to address some of the negative reviews here. While I agree with many of them, I do not experience some of the more detrimental ones.I find my cups and spoons to be reasonably accurate. I used a graduating cylinder to measure the 1 cup because its filled weight exceeds the limit of the analytical balance. For the 1 cup which should equal to 236mL, I measured a volume of ~222mL. This is a -6% deviation. For the rest of the cups and spoons, I filled them with water and poured the water into a container for weight measurement. The weight is then converted back to volume via "1 gram of water = 1 mL of water". (These measurements were acquired from an analytical scale in a laboratory. These analytical scales are routinely calibrated and are more accurate than the typical kitchen scales.)For the ½ cup (118mL), I measured a volume of 111.5mL (a -6% deviation).For the 1/3 cup (79mL), I measured 84.8mL (+7%).For the ¼ cup (59mL), I measured 61.8mL (+5%).For the 1 tablespoon (15 mL), I measured 14.0mL (-7%).For the 1 teaspoon (5mL), I measured three times and the averaged volume is 4.7mL (-6%).For the ½ teaspoon (2.5mL), I measured 2.5mL (0%).For the ¼ teaspoon (1.25mL), I measured 1.4mL (+12%).Specifically, the 1 teaspoon measurement was repeated three times. The individual results were: 5.2mL, 4.5mL, and 4.3mL. This illustrates the variability introduced by a user -- human error. These cups and spoons appear to be adequate for ~10% accuracy.I find the cups and spoons have smooth surface, and did not find any rough edge or surface as mentioned by other reviewers.Now I will confirm some of the negative reviews. Yes, these cups and spoons are heavier than any I have seen. They are about 2-3 times heavier. Due to the fact that the cups are wider, you may also have difficulty to get them into containers with small opening. This is especially so for the 1-cup, which is 3-7/8 inches wide (I have upload a customer picture of it). Because the cups are shorter and wider, the potential for measurement error is higher. Imagine you have a tall bottle and a flat bowl. If you are 1 cm off from filling up the tall bottle, the relative error will be minor. However, if you are 1 cm off from filling up the flat bowl, the relative error will be large. Since these cups are about ½ the height of other cups, the potential human error is about 2-fold higher. One may say, these cups and spoons are technically accurate, but the potential human error is magnified.*Update on Jun 26, 2010* Everything is working fine. Nothing is broken.These are the Most durable measuring cups on the market! My only gripe, is they don't offer a 1/8 nor 3/4 cup for the set; though the cups do have measure lines marked inside for such, but are very difficult to see, much-less read... No matter, these are well worth 5 stars, because they're that nice!The smallest cup is not balanced--doesn't sit level as the handle is too big and heavy, and makes the cup sit at an angle. The finish and overall quality of the cups is a bit rough for the price. Otherwise, they're sturdy and should last without being easily damaged.These are my favorite. Because the measurement is etched into the metal - it doesn't fade. PLUS on the inside of each cup there is the 1/2 measurement. I LOVE THIS.Several years back I bought a set of Amco stainless steel measuring cups that look identical to how these do. I needed another set, so I bought them here, thinking they were the same.They're not.My original set is decently heavy (if I get a chance, I'll update this post with the difference in grams), heavy enough for even the 1/4 cup to stand freely and level on its circular base.The handles on my original set are heavy duty and cannot be bent.This set's 1/4 cup doesn't stand freely on its own. It tips onto its handle, and its handle can be bent.In short, they're lower quality, but if you've never owned a set, maybe that won't bother you.Additionally, in my opinion, these stainless steel cups are much better than the average plastic cups for baking. The handles are designed better for scooping things like flour, and I really like having the markings for when I want to use the 1 cup measurer to measure, say, a half cup. I find stainless steel is easier to clean up too and they never melt and crack in the dishwasher like I've had plastic cups do.Meanwhile, I'm still searching for a set that's as high quality as my original Amco cups...22.Feb.2011 Update:As previously mentioned, I'm listing weight differences below that support my review's complaint:Weight differences in grams for the original Amco stainless steel measuring cups I own versus this set:Size, Original, This Set, % Reduction1 cup, 196, 150, 23%1/2 cup, 140, 110, 21%1/3 cup, 114, 88, 23%1/4 cup, 116, 76, 34%26.Dec.2012 Update:Hey! I found a set that is arguably as good as the first/original Amco set I bought years ago!While shopping in the Chelsea Market in NYC, I found a set of Harold Import Co. measuring cups (Item No. 48009) and Amazon appears to sell them!http://www.amazon.com/HIC-Brands-that-Cook-Professional/dp/B00428M7MAHappiness!Here's a spot comparison in grams:Size, Amco, HIC1 cup, 196, 1881/2 cup, 140, 1321/3 cup, 114, 100g1/4 cup, 116, 108gI liked these measuring cup. I liked my old ones better. But these were as close to my old ones.. I purchased them for my son... he liked my old one... and when he went back home, he took my old and favorite measuring cups. Even though I purchased these for him. Oh well they are good and sturdy. And they are almost as great as the cups I had BEFORE my son took themthe steel on mine arrived stained and after washing many times the stain still remains. They are quite wide and dont fit most of my tubs, so have to use a spoon to get the flour onto the measuring cup, I had plastic ones that were deeper but not so wide and thought these would be a good replacement but it wasnt. Back to the plastic ones...I was really excited about getting these measuring cups, but ended up a wee bit disappointed. Yes, they are good quality in terms of material and construction; unfortunately, though, where on each cup they stamp a 1/2 way mark, two of them were stamped at obviously the wrong spot and at ridiculous angles. I really don't know how this could happen. Do they not do a quality check on their products?? The cups also came stacked with no padding between them, so already had some marks on them when I opened the package. I bought these cups hoping they would last me a long time, so yes, disappointed they were not made with more care. Decided not to return as not really worth the money and effort. Also bought the measuring spoons that match them and much happier with those.These measuring cups are really sturdy. There's no seam between the handle and the cup, so you won't risk the handle suddenly snapping off when you're scooping out your hundredth cup of heavy flour. The only complaint is that the sharp edges of the handles are a bit uncomfortable on the edges of your fingers when doing said scooping motion.Very easy to clean due to the rounded inside corners of the cups! Very easy to detach from the ring, as the ring opens up on a hinge.Great set, my only complaint is that the handles aren't as sturdy as I would have hoped. They have some give when scooping things like brown sugar. I use them in a restaurant kitchen frequently though and they're holding up beautiful. I still plan to purchase a second set for home use in the very near future.I love these cups! They have a nice weight to them and I love that measurements are also etched inside the cups in the event that you are using half sizes.The weight is distributed nicely between the cup and handle. I also like that they are all one piece so I don't have to worry about water getting trapped in the handle during washing.Perfect for the price and quality