Understanding Cooking Measurements
Cooking measurement conversion is essential for following international recipes. Different countries use different systems—US recipes use cups and tablespoons, while metric countries use milliliters and grams. Understanding these conversions helps you cook recipes from around the world.
Note: Volume conversions are precise, but weight conversions for ingredients depend on the ingredient's density. This converter uses water as the baseline (1 mL = 1 gram).
Common Volume Conversions
1 US Cup = 236.59 mL
1 Tablespoon = 14.79 mL
1 Teaspoon = 4.93 mL
1 US Fluid Ounce = 29.57 mL
1 US Pint = 473.18 mL
1 US Quart = 946.35 mL
1 US Gallon = 3.785 L
Cup Conversions by Unit
1 Cup = 16 Tablespoons
1 Cup = 48 Teaspoons
1 Cup = 8 Fluid Ounces
1 Cup = 1/2 Pint
1 Cup = 1/4 Quart
1 Cup = 1/16 Gallon
Common Recipe Measurements
- 1 cup flour ≈ 125 grams
- 1 cup sugar ≈ 200 grams
- 1 cup butter ≈ 227 grams
- 1 cup water ≈ 237 grams
- 1 tablespoon butter ≈ 14 grams
Quick Reference Chart
1/4 cup = 59 mL
1/3 cup = 79 mL
1/2 cup = 118 mL
2/3 cup = 158 mL
3/4 cup = 177 mL
1 cup = 237 mL
Personal Example
I tried making a British cake recipe that called for 225g of flour, but I only had measuring cups. Converting it, that's about 1.8 cups—much easier to measure than guessing!