Cooking measurement conversions
Short answer: The key numbers: 1 US cup ≈ 237 ml, 1 tablespoon ≈ 15 ml, 1 teaspoon ≈ 5 ml, 1 ounce (weight) ≈ 28 g and 350 °F ≈ 175–180 °C. Cups measure volume, so the weight in grams depends on the ingredient – a cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of sugar.
Volume: cups and spoons to millilitres
| Measure | Millilitres | Rounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 US cup | 236.6 ml | about 240 ml |
| ½ US cup | 118.3 ml | about 120 ml |
| ¼ US cup | 59.1 ml | about 60 ml |
| 1 metric cup (Australia, Canada, New Zealand) | 250 ml | 250 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (tbsp) | 14.8 ml (US) / 15 ml (metric) | 15 ml |
| 1 teaspoon (tsp) | 4.9 ml (US) / 5 ml (metric) | 5 ml |
| 1 US fluid ounce | 29.6 ml | about 30 ml |
| 1 UK fluid ounce | 28.4 ml | about 28 ml |
For most home cooking the rounded values are close enough. In baking, where small differences matter more, it is worth using a kitchen scale. Convert exact amounts with UnitHarbor’s cups to millilitres, tablespoons to millilitres and teaspoons to millilitres converters.
Weight: ounces and pounds to grams
| Measure | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce (oz) | 28.35 g |
| 4 oz (¼ lb) | 113 g |
| 8 oz (½ lb) | 227 g |
| 1 pound (lb) | 453.6 g |
Do not mix up ounces (weight) and fluid ounces (volume). They only match for water and similar liquids. See the ounces to grams converter for exact values.
How much does a cup weigh?
A cup is a measure of volume, so the weight depends on what is in it. These are typical values for a US cup – flour in particular varies with how firmly it is packed.
| Ingredient | 1 US cup |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | about 120–130 g |
| Granulated sugar | about 200 g |
| Butter | about 227 g (2 sticks) |
| Water or milk | about 237–245 g |
| Rolled oats | about 80–90 g |
When a recipe gives both cups and grams, use the grams – they are more precise.
Oven temperatures: Fahrenheit to Celsius
°C = (°F − 32) × 5 ÷ 9
| Fahrenheit | Celsius (exact) | Typical oven setting |
|---|---|---|
| 300 °F | 149 °C | 150 °C |
| 325 °F | 163 °C | 160–165 °C |
| 350 °F | 177 °C | 175–180 °C |
| 375 °F | 191 °C | 190 °C |
| 400 °F | 204 °C | 200 °C |
| 425 °F | 218 °C | 220 °C |
| 450 °F | 232 °C | 230 °C |
With a fan (convection) oven, many recipes suggest lowering the temperature by about 20 °C. Use the Fahrenheit to Celsius converter for any other value.
Example: converting a US cookie recipe
Say an American recipe asks for 2¼ cups of flour, 1 cup of butter, ¾ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and an oven at 375 °F. Converted to metric with the tables above:
- Flour: 2¼ × about 125 g ≈ 280 g
- Butter: 1 cup ≈ 227 g (two sticks)
- Sugar: ¾ × about 200 g ≈ 150 g
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon ≈ 5 ml – a metric teaspoon is close enough
- Oven: 375 °F ≈ 190 °C, or about 170 °C with a fan
Write the converted amounts straight onto the recipe, so you only have to do the maths once.
Pints, quarts and gallons
US and British recipes use the same names for different sizes, so it pays to check where a recipe comes from.
| Measure | US | UK (imperial) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 pint | 473 ml (2 cups) | 568 ml |
| 1 quart | 946 ml (4 cups) | 1.14 l |
| 1 gallon | 3.79 l | 4.55 l |
Recipe abbreviations
- c – cup
- tbsp, Tbsp or T – tablespoon
- tsp or t – teaspoon (note the small t)
- oz – ounce (weight); fl oz – fluid ounce (volume)
- lb – pound
- pt, qt, gal – pint, quart, gallon
Mixing up a capital T and a small t means three times too much salt or baking powder – one of the most common baking mistakes.
British gas marks
Older British recipes often give the oven temperature as a gas mark. These are the usual equivalents:
| Gas mark | Fahrenheit | Celsius |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 325 °F | 170 °C |
| 4 | 350 °F | 180 °C |
| 5 | 375 °F | 190 °C |
| 6 | 400 °F | 200 °C |
| 7 | 425 °F | 220 °C |
Tips for accurate measuring
- Spoon and level flour. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour and can add 20–30 % more than the recipe expects. Spoon it into the cup and level it with a knife.
- Use the right cup. Dry ingredients are measured in cups you can level; liquids in a jug, read at eye level.
- Weigh when you can. A cheap kitchen scale removes almost all the guesswork, especially when you convert recipes between systems.
Scaling a recipe up or down
Doubling a recipe is easy; turning six servings into four is where mistakes happen. Multiply every ingredient by the same factor (here 4 ÷ 6 ≈ 0.67), and round spoon measures sensibly. Baking times usually change less than the amounts – check early. UnitHarbor’s Recipe Scaling Calculator does the maths for every ingredient at once.