Cooking Measurement Converter

Cooking measurement conversion is not as simple as plugging numbers into a formula, and that is exactly why a dedicated cooking converter exists.

A cup of flour does not weigh the same as a cup of sugar, which does not weigh the same as a cup of butter. Volume-to-weight conversions depend on the ingredient’s density, and getting this wrong is the most common reason baked goods turn out dense, dry, or flat.

This cooking measurement converter handles both standard volume-to-volume conversions (cups to tablespoons, teaspoons to milliliters) and the trickier volume-to-weight conversions where ingredient density matters. Select your ingredient from the built-in database, choose your source and target units, and get an accurate conversion that accounts for how much that specific ingredient actually weighs per cup or tablespoon.

Whether you are scaling a recipe up or down, converting a European recipe that uses grams to American cups, or trying to figure out how many tablespoons are in three-quarters of a cup, this tool gives you precise answers without the guesswork. Professional bakers weigh their ingredients for a reason: consistency. This converter bridges the gap between volume-based and weight-based recipes.

Why Cooking Conversions Are Different

Standard unit converters treat volume and weight as separate categories because they measure different things. One cup always equals 236.6 milliliters, regardless of what is in the cup. But when a recipe says "1 cup of flour" and you need to know the weight in grams, the answer depends entirely on which ingredient you are measuring.

The density factor. Different ingredients have different densities, meaning they weigh different amounts per unit of volume. One cup of water weighs 236 grams. One cup of all-purpose flour weighs approximately 120 to 130 grams. One cup of granulated sugar weighs approximately 200 grams. One cup of butter weighs 227 grams. One cup of honey weighs approximately 340 grams. Using a single "cups to grams" conversion factor for everything would produce wildly inaccurate results.

Packing and scooping method. Even for the same ingredient, weight per cup can vary based on how the ingredient is handled. Flour scooped directly from the bag is packed more tightly than flour spooned into a measuring cup and leveled. The difference can be 20% or more. Professional recipes specify the method (for example, "1 cup flour, spooned and leveled") or, more reliably, give the weight directly.

This converter uses standard reference weights for common ingredients based on the "spoon and level" method, which is the most widely accepted technique for dry ingredient measurement in home baking.

Volume-to-Volume Conversions

These conversions are straightforward because they are independent of the ingredient.

US Customary Volume Units:

  • 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)
  • 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) = 2 tablespoons
  • 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 8 fluid ounces
  • 1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces
  • 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups
  • 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 16 cups

Metric equivalents:

  • 1 teaspoon = 4.93 ml (often rounded to 5 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon = 14.79 ml (often rounded to 15 ml)
  • 1 US cup = 236.6 ml
  • 1 metric cup (Australia) = 250 ml
  • 1 UK cup = 284 ml

Important note on cup sizes: US, metric, and UK cups are different sizes. A US cup is 236.6 ml. A metric cup (used in Australia, New Zealand, and some other countries) is 250 ml. A UK (imperial) cup is 284 ml. When converting recipes from different countries, using the wrong cup size introduces an error of 6% to 20%, which matters in baking.

Common Cups-to-Grams Conversions

Here are reference weights for commonly converted ingredients, based on one US cup (236.6 ml) using the spoon-and-level method for dry ingredients.

Flours:

  • All-purpose flour: 125 g per cup
  • Bread flour: 130 g per cup
  • Cake flour: 115 g per cup
  • Whole wheat flour: 130 g per cup
  • Almond flour: 96 g per cup
  • Coconut flour: 128 g per cup

Sugars:

  • Granulated white sugar: 200 g per cup
  • Brown sugar (packed): 220 g per cup
  • Powdered (confectioners) sugar: 120 g per cup
  • Coconut sugar: 180 g per cup

Fats:

  • Butter: 227 g per cup (2 sticks)
  • Vegetable oil: 218 g per cup
  • Coconut oil (melted): 218 g per cup

Dairy:

  • Whole milk: 244 g per cup
  • Heavy cream: 238 g per cup
  • Sour cream: 230 g per cup
  • Cream cheese: 232 g per cup

Other common ingredients:

  • Honey: 340 g per cup
  • Maple syrup: 312 g per cup
  • Cocoa powder: 86 g per cup
  • Rolled oats: 90 g per cup
  • Rice (uncooked): 185 g per cup
  • Chocolate chips: 170 g per cup

Why Bakers Prefer Weight Measurements

Professional bakers around the world measure ingredients by weight (grams) rather than volume (cups) for several compelling reasons.

Consistency. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 grams (spooned and leveled) to 160 grams (packed and scooped). That 40-gram difference is roughly a 33% variation, which is enough to ruin a recipe. When a recipe says 125 grams of flour, every baker gets exactly the same amount regardless of technique.

Precision. Small quantities are more accurately measured by weight. "A pinch of salt" is vague, but "2 grams of salt" is exact. For ingredients where small differences have big effects (leavening agents, salt, vanilla extract), weight measurements eliminate ambiguity.

Scalability. Scaling a recipe by weight is simple multiplication. To make 1.5x a recipe that calls for 300 grams of flour, you use 450 grams. Scaling a recipe that calls for "2 cups plus 2 tablespoons" of flour requires converting everything to a common unit first, which is cumbersome and error-prone.

Fewer dishes. Weighing ingredients into a single bowl on a kitchen scale means you do not need separate measuring cups and spoons for each ingredient. This is a practical advantage that speeds up prep and cleanup.

If you do not own a kitchen scale, this converter helps you bridge the gap. But if you bake regularly, investing in a kitchen scale (one that reads to the nearest gram) is one of the best upgrades you can make.

International Recipe Conversions

Recipes from different countries use different measurement systems, and the conversions are not always obvious.

American recipes use cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons for volume, and ounces or pounds for weight. Temperatures are in Fahrenheit. Use the Temperature Converter when adapting oven temperatures.

European recipes (UK, France, Germany, etc.) typically use grams for both dry and liquid ingredients and Celsius for temperatures. Some British recipes use imperial cups (284 ml), so check which cup is intended.

Australian recipes use metric cups (250 ml) and tablespoons (20 ml, which is larger than the US tablespoon of 15 ml). This tablespoon difference is a common trip-up for people following Australian recipes with US measuring spoons.

Japanese recipes use the "go" cup (180 ml) for rice measurement, which is different from both US and metric cups. Japanese rice cookers come with measuring cups calibrated to this size.

Butter Measurement Shortcuts

Butter in the United States is sold in sticks that include pre-printed tablespoon markings, making it one of the easiest ingredients to measure without a scale.

US butter stick equivalents:

  • 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces = 113 grams
  • 1/2 stick = 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 2 ounces = 57 grams
  • 2 sticks = 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 8 ounces = 227 grams

European butter is typically sold in 250-gram blocks without tablespoon markings. To measure a portion, weigh it or calculate: 1 tablespoon of butter equals approximately 14 grams.

Egg Size Conversions

Recipes in the US assume "large" eggs unless otherwise specified. But egg sizes vary by country and can affect recipe outcomes.

US large egg measurements:

  • Whole egg (without shell): approximately 50 grams
  • Egg white: approximately 33 grams
  • Egg yolk: approximately 17 grams

Other sizes relative to US large:

  • US medium: approximately 44 grams (about 88% of large)
  • US extra-large: approximately 56 grams (about 112% of large)
  • US jumbo: approximately 63 grams (about 126% of large)

If a recipe calls for 3 large eggs and you only have medium eggs, you would need approximately 3.4 medium eggs. In practice, use 3 medium eggs plus a small amount of beaten egg from a fourth to make up the difference, or simply weigh out 150 grams of beaten egg.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grams are in a cup of flour?

One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs approximately 125 grams when measured using the spoon-and-level method. This can vary from 120 to 160 grams depending on how the flour is scooped. Bread flour is slightly heavier at about 130 grams per cup, and cake flour is lighter at about 115 grams per cup.

How many tablespoons are in a cup?

There are exactly 16 tablespoons in one US cup. Half a cup equals 8 tablespoons, a quarter cup equals 4 tablespoons, and a third of a cup equals approximately 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.

What is the difference between a US cup and a metric cup?

A US cup holds 236.6 milliliters, while a metric cup (used in Australia and some other countries) holds exactly 250 milliliters. The metric cup is about 6% larger. For precise baking, use the correct cup size for the recipe’s country of origin or convert to grams.

How do I convert cups to grams for different ingredients?

You cannot use a single conversion factor because ingredients have different densities. One cup of sugar weighs about 200 grams, but one cup of flour weighs only about 125 grams. Use this converter to select your specific ingredient and get an accurate weight conversion.

How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?

There are exactly 3 teaspoons in one US tablespoon. One tablespoon equals approximately 15 milliliters, and one teaspoon equals approximately 5 milliliters.

Why do my baking results vary when I use cup measurements?

Cup measurements are inherently inconsistent because the weight of a cup of flour (or other dry ingredient) depends on how it is scooped and packed. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 160 grams depending on technique. For consistent results, use a kitchen scale and weigh ingredients in grams.

How much does a stick of butter weigh?

One US stick of butter weighs 4 ounces or 113 grams. It equals 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons. Two sticks of butter equal 1 cup, 8 ounces, or 227 grams.

Is an Australian tablespoon the same as a US tablespoon?

No. An Australian tablespoon is 20 milliliters, while a US tablespoon is approximately 15 milliliters. This is a 33% difference that can significantly affect recipes, especially for small quantities of leavening agents or spices. When following Australian recipes with US measuring spoons, use 4 US teaspoons in place of 1 Australian tablespoon.

Ingredient weights based on standard culinary references using the spoon-and-level method. Data accurate as of: March 2026