How to move powders to avoid spillage?

Question

I always have trouble pouring coffee or cocoa powder. The containers are never designed with a spout so I use a spoon or pour it from tiny plastic container and my fine motor stability isn't fantastic. How can I avoid spillage?

Answer 1

Measure quantities by weight instead of volume, and measure them out onto a small sheet of waxed paper on top of your scale. When done measuring, crease it and pour into the receiving location.

Not only does this give you greater accuracy (particularly for cocoa, which is notoriously hard to pack), it means that precision in spooning becomes unimportant.

Answer 2

The typical way is indeed to use a spoon. There are even scoops intended to be used for coffee alone, to always provide you with the exact needed serving of ground coffee.

If your coffee spills when you are transferring it with heaped teaspoons, two strategies can help. One is too use a tablespoon, but only fill it with the same amount as a teaspoon, so it is not overflowing. The other is to use a scoop, usually one shaped like a flat cylinder with a handle, and scrape off any head before leaving the container. I guess you can also use a nuts-type scoop, but you'll have to find a tiny one.