Read the unit before measuring
Grams describe mass; millilitres describe volume. A recipe asking for 200 g of an ingredient is not asking for 200 mL. Teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups are also volume measures, so read the recipe’s unit system and use the appropriate standard measure.
Use the tool in the way the recipe expects
For a scale, account for the container so the reading represents the ingredient. For a marked liquid measure, place it on a level surface and read at eye level. Dry ingredients may need a particular filling or leveling method, so follow the recipe’s description rather than assuming packing them tightly is always appropriate.
Common misunderstanding: equal volume always means equal mass
Different ingredients occupy space differently. A cup of flour and a cup of another ingredient need not have the same mass. Convert only with a relevant, reliable conversion for that ingredient and measurement system, or use the recipe’s stated unit directly.
Worked example
Keep the ingredient and container separate
Suppose a recipe asks for 150 g of an ingredient. If you put a bowl on the scale, use its tare function or otherwise account for the bowl’s mass before measuring. The target concerns the ingredient itself, not the bowl and ingredient together.