🍳 Cooking Measurement Converter

Convert between cooking measurements: cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, millilitres, litres, and fluid ounces.

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How to Convert Cooking Measurements Accurately

The US customary measurement system β€” cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, and fluid ounces β€” is used in most American cookbooks and online recipes. The rest of the world, including , uses metric measurements (millilitres, grams, litres). Because so much popular recipe content originates in the US, this conversion is practically needed every day by home cooks who want to follow American recipes accurately.

Volume measurements versus weight: this calculator converts volume measurements (cups, tablespoons, ml). However, for baking β€” where precision matters β€” weight-based measurement (grams) is more accurate than volume, because the same volume of different ingredients weighs very different amounts. One cup of all-purpose flour is approximately 120–130 g, but one cup of packed brown sugar is approximately 200 g, and one cup of water is exactly 237 g. If you're following an American volume recipe for baking, converting to grams with a kitchen scale gives more consistent results.

Standard conversions: 1 US cup = 236.6 ml (often rounded to 240 ml for recipe purposes). 1 tablespoon = 14.79 ml (often rounded to 15 ml). 1 teaspoon = 4.93 ml (often rounded to 5 ml). 1 fluid ounce = 29.57 ml. Note that UK and Australian tablespoon measurements differ slightly: a UK tablespoon is 17.76 ml, and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml.

Common recipe conversions: ΒΌ cup = 4 tablespoons = 60 ml. β…“ cup β‰ˆ 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 80 ml. Β½ cup = 8 tablespoons = 120 ml. 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 240 ml. 2 cups = 1 pint = 480 ml. 4 cups = 1 quart = 960 ml.

For temperature conversions needed in baking (Fahrenheit to Celsius for oven settings), use the Temperature Converter on CalForge.

How to Convert Cooking Measurements

Cooking measurement conversion involves switching between volume units (cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, millilitres, litres) and weight units (grams, ounces, pounds). Volume-to-weight conversion depends on the ingredient β€” a cup of water weighs 240g but a cup of flour weighs only 120g.

For baking especially, weight measurements (grams or ounces) are more accurate than volume measurements. A cup of flour can vary by 20-30% depending on how it is scooped. Serious bakers use scales; this converter handles the most common volume-to-volume conversions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? +
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. This holds in both US and metric cooking systems. 1 tablespoon = 15ml; 1 teaspoon = 5ml. 16 tablespoons = 1 cup = 240ml (US cup).
What is the difference between a US cup and a metric cup? +
A US cup is 240ml. An Australian/metric cup is 250ml. A UK cup is also 250ml. The difference is small but can matter in precise baking recipes. Most recipes using 'cups' are US measurements unless specified otherwise.
How do I convert grams to cups for different ingredients? +
There is no single answer β€” it depends entirely on the ingredient's density. Water: 240g per cup. All-purpose flour: approximately 120-130g per cup. Granulated sugar: approximately 200g per cup. Butter: 227g per cup (2 sticks). Always use ingredient-specific conversion tables for precision.