Published: April 2026 • 9 min read
Nothing derails a recipe faster than a measurement conversion gone wrong. You find an incredible cake recipe online — but it calls for grams and your measuring cups only show ounces. Or you're cooking from a British cookbook and every temperature is in Celsius while your oven displays Fahrenheit. This guide covers every cooking and baking conversion you'll encounter, with clear formulas, reference charts, and practical tips.
In everyday cooking, measurements can be forgiving. A little extra salt or an extra tablespoon of oil won't ruin most dishes. But baking is chemistry — precise ratios of flour, sugar, fat, and leavening agents determine whether your cake rises beautifully or collapses into a dense brick.
The core problem: volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) are inherently imprecise. A "cup" of flour can weigh anywhere from 110 grams to 150 grams depending on whether you scoop it, spoon it, or pack it. That 40-gram range is enough to turn a tender muffin into a hockey puck.
The following charts show approximate weights for common ingredients measured by volume. These are based on the standard US cup (236.59 mL).
| Ingredient | 1 Cup | ½ Cup | ⅓ Cup | ¼ Cup | 1 Tablespoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120g | 60g | 40g | 30g | 8g |
| Bread flour | 127g | 64g | 42g | 32g | 8g |
| Cake flour | 114g | 57g | 38g | 29g | 7g |
| Whole wheat flour | 120g | 60g | 40g | 30g | 8g |
| Almond flour | 96g | 48g | 32g | 24g | 6g |
| Coconut flour | 80g | 40g | 27g | 20g | 5g |
| Ingredient | 1 Cup | ½ Cup | ⅓ Cup | ¼ Cup | 1 Tablespoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granulated sugar | 200g | 100g | 67g | 50g | 13g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220g | 110g | 73g | 55g | 14g |
| Powdered sugar | 120g | 60g | 40g | 30g | 8g |
| Coconut sugar | 120g | 60g | 40g | 30g | 8g |
| Ingredient | 1 Cup | ½ Cup | ¼ Cup | 1 Tablespoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter (softened) | 227g | 114g | 57g | 14g |
| Coconut oil | 218g | 109g | 55g | 14g |
| Olive oil | 216g | 108g | 54g | 14g |
| Vegetable oil | 218g | 109g | 55g | 14g |
| Ingredient | 1 Cup | ½ Cup | ¼ Cup | 1 Tablespoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa powder | 85g | 43g | 21g | 5g |
| Rolled oats | 90g | 45g | 23g | 6g |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185g | 93g | 46g | 12g |
| White sugar | 200g | 100g | 50g | 13g |
| Honey | 340g | 170g | 85g | 21g |
| Milk | 240g | 120g | 60g | 15g |
| Heavy cream | 238g | 119g | 60g | 15g |
| Salt (table) | 273g | 137g | 68g | 17g |
Oven temperatures are one of the most common conversion needs, especially when using recipes from different countries. Here are the formulas:
| Fahrenheit | Celsius | Gas Mark | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250°F | 120°C | ½ | Slow roasting, dehydrating |
| 300°F | 150°C | 2 | Slow baking, meringues |
| 325°F | 165°C | 3 | Cakes, cookies, poultry |
| 350°F | 175°C | 4 | Most baking, roasting |
| 375°F | 190°C | 5 | Quick breads, pies |
| 400°F | 200°C | 6 | Roasting vegetables, pizza |
| 425°F | 220°C | 7 | Crispy baking, roasting |
| 450°F | 230°C | 8 | Broiling, artisan bread |
| 475°F | 245°C | 9 | Pizza, very hot roasting |
| 500°F | 260°C | 10 | Broiling maximum |
| Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon (tbsp) | 3 teaspoons (tsp) |
| 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) | 2 tablespoons |
| ¼ cup | 4 tablespoons |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
| ½ cup | 8 tablespoons |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
| ¾ cup | 12 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 8 fluid ounces |
| 1 pint | 2 cups |
| 1 quart | 4 cups / 2 pints |
| 1 gallon | 16 cups / 4 quarts |
The US uses the customary system (cups, ounces, Fahrenheit) while most of the world uses the metric system (grams, milliliters, Celsius). Here's a quick comparison of the key differences that affect cooking:
| System | Cup Volume | Used In |
|---|---|---|
| US Customary | 236.59 mL | United States |
| US Legal | 240 mL | US nutrition labeling |
| Metric | 250 mL | Australia, NZ, Canada, Europe |
| Imperial | 284.13 mL | UK (traditional recipes) |
| Japanese | 200 mL | Japan |
This matters: if an Australian recipe calls for 1 cup of flour (250 mL cup) and you measure with a US cup (236.59 mL), you're using about 6% less flour than intended. For bread recipes, that difference can be noticeable.
Even with perfect conversion charts, your results depend on how you measure. Here's the right way to measure common ingredients:
The spoon-and-level method: Fluff the ingredient in its container, gently spoon it into your measuring cup (don't scoop directly with the cup — this compacts the ingredient), then level off the top with the flat edge of a knife. This is the standard method used in US recipes and produces the most consistent results.
Pack it in: Unlike most dry ingredients, brown sugar should be packed firmly into the measuring cup. Press it down with the back of a spoon or your fingers. When you invert the cup, the sugar should hold its shape.
Use a liquid measuring cup: Place the cup on a flat surface, pour in the liquid, then bend down to check the measurement at eye level. The meniscus (the curve of the liquid surface) should be at the measurement line. Don't measure liquids in dry measuring cups — the difference in accuracy can be significant.
Use the wrapper marks: Most US butter sticks have tablespoon measurements printed on the wrapper. For soft butter, press it into a measuring spoon or cup and level off. For melted butter, measure it as a liquid.
Let's convert a British scone recipe to US measurements. Original recipe calls for:
Notice that we also converted "self-raising flour" to its US equivalent (all-purpose + baking powder + salt). Conversions sometimes require ingredient substitutions, not just unit changes.
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs approximately 120-125 grams. However, this varies by flour type: bread flour is about 127g per cup, cake flour about 114g, and whole wheat flour about 120g. The exact weight depends on how the flour is measured and packed.
Use the formula: Celsius = (Fahrenheit - 32) × 5/9. For quick reference: 350°F = 175°C, 375°F = 190°C, 400°F = 200°C, and 425°F = 220°C.
A US customary cup is 236.59 mL, while a metric cup (used in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) is 250 mL. This 14 mL difference can significantly affect baking results, especially in recipes that are sensitive to liquid ratios.
There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup. There are also 48 teaspoons in a cup, and 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon.
Yes, and for baking, weight measurements (grams) are actually more accurate than volume measurements (cups). Using a kitchen scale eliminates variation from how ingredients are scooped and packed, leading to more consistent results.
Bookmarking conversion charts works, but it's slow and error-prone. Our free cooking converter handles all the math instantly — cups to grams, ounces to milliliters, Fahrenheit to Celsius, and dozens of common ingredients built right in.
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Open Cooking Converter →Accurate measurements are the foundation of great cooking and consistent baking. Whether you're converting a family recipe to metric, trying an international recipe for the first time, or scaling a recipe up for a crowd, having reliable conversions at your fingertips makes all the difference.