Cooking Measurement Conversions: Cups, Spoons, Grams and Ounces
Kitchen measurement conversion charts: cups to ml, tablespoons and teaspoons, ounces to grams, pounds to kilos, plus US vs UK and metric differences.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
Recipes from TikTok, US blogs, British cookbooks and your grandmother's cards don't use the same measurements. Keep this page bookmarked for quick conversions.
Volume
| US | Metric (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon (tsp) | 5 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (tbsp) | 15 ml |
| 1 fluid ounce | 30 ml |
| ¼ cup | 60 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 80 ml |
| ½ cup | 120 ml |
| 1 cup | 240 ml |
| 1 pint (US) | 475 ml |
| 1 quart (US) | 950 ml |
| 1 gallon (US) | 3.8 L |
Spoon math: 3 tsp = 1 tbsp · 4 tbsp = ¼ cup · 16 tbsp = 1 cup.
Weight
| Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce (oz) | 28 g |
| 4 oz | 113 g |
| 8 oz | 227 g |
| 16 oz / 1 lb | 454 g |
| 2.2 lb | 1 kg |
US vs UK vs Australian measures
- Cups: US cup ≈ 240 ml; metric cup (Australia, NZ, Canada) = 250 ml. Small difference, usually fine except in precise baking.
- Tablespoon: US and UK ≈ 15 ml; Australian tablespoon = 20 ml.
- Pints: US pint ≈ 473 ml; UK pint ≈ 568 ml.
Volume ≠ weight
A cup of flour and a cup of sugar weigh very different amounts. For baking, convert by ingredient. See cups to grams.
Butter
| US | Metric |
|---|---|
| 1 stick | ½ cup ≈ 113 g |
| 1 tbsp | ≈ 14 g |
| 1 cup | ≈ 227 g |
Temperature
See oven temperature conversion for °F, °C, fan and gas marks.
Cans and packages
Can sizes differ by country (for example, a common US can of tomatoes is about 14.5 oz / 411 g, while many European cans are 400 g). Small differences rarely matter in soups and sauces.
Let the app do it
In SmartChef AI, you can ask Cook AI to "convert this recipe to grams and Celsius" and save the converted version. Changing servings recalculates quantities too; see how to scale a recipe.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16 tablespoons in a US cup.
How many grams is a cup?
It depends on the ingredient: about 120–125 g for flour, 200 g for sugar, 240 g for water.
Is a UK cup the same as a US cup?
Modern UK recipes rarely use cups; metric cups are 250 ml versus about 240 ml for US cups.
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