Cooking Measurement Converter
Convert any cooking measurement between volume units (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, milliliters, liters, pints, quarts, gallons, fluid ounces) and weight units (grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds). Choose an ingredient so the calculator uses the correct density when crossing between volume and weight. All results update instantly.
Volume-to-volume conversions: always exact
Converting between teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, milliliters, pints, quarts and gallons is pure arithmetic. One US cup is exactly 48 teaspoons, 16 tablespoons, or 236.588 ml. One tablespoon is 3 teaspoons or 14.787 ml. These ratios never change regardless of what ingredient you are measuring, so the calculator converts instantly without needing to know what is in the measuring cup.
Weight-to-volume conversions: why ingredient density matters
Grams, kilograms, ounces and pounds measure mass, while cups and milliliters measure volume. To cross between them you need to know how heavy the ingredient is per unit of volume, expressed as density in grams per milliliter (g/ml). Water has a density of 1.00 g/ml, so 1 cup of water weighs 236.6 g. All-purpose flour is much lighter at about 0.53 g/ml, so 1 cup of flour weighs only about 125 g. Honey at 1.42 g/ml weighs 336 g per cup. This calculator stores densities for 30+ common ingredients and uses them automatically when you switch between a volume and a weight unit.
Baking precision: why you should weigh dry ingredients
Volume measurements are sensitive to technique. A cup of all-purpose flour scooped directly from the bag can weigh anywhere from 130 g to 165 g depending on how settled the flour is and how firmly you press the cup. The same amount measured by spooning into the cup and leveling off comes closer to 125 g. That 30-40 g difference is enough to make cookies dense or a cake dry. Professional bakers weigh ingredients by grams for this reason. Use this converter to translate your volume recipe amounts to grams once, then weigh them every time for consistent results.
US vs. metric vs. imperial cups
This calculator uses US customary units throughout. One US cup is 236.588 ml. The metric cup (used in Australia and Canada) is exactly 250 ml, about 5.6% larger. The imperial cup used in old British recipes is 284 ml, about 20% larger. If you are following a recipe from Australia or the United Kingdom, the differences in cup size add up quickly: a 3-cup Australian recipe would need roughly 750 ml of the ingredient, while a 3-cup US recipe uses only about 710 ml. When precision matters, look up whether the recipe uses US, metric or imperial cups and adjust accordingly.
Standard US cooking volume equivalents
| Unit | Teaspoons | Tablespoons | Cups | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 1 | 1/3 | 1/48 | 4.93 |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 | 1 | 1/16 | 14.79 |
| 1 fluid ounce | 6 | 2 | 1/8 | 29.57 |
| 1/4 cup | 12 | 4 | 1/4 | 59.15 |
| 1/3 cup | 16 | 5 + 1/3 | 1/3 | 78.86 |
| 1/2 cup | 24 | 8 | 1/2 | 118.29 |
| 1 cup | 48 | 16 | 1 | 236.59 |
| 1 pint | 96 | 32 | 2 | 473.18 |
| 1 quart | 192 | 64 | 4 | 946.35 |
| 1 gallon | 768 | 256 | 16 | 3785.41 |
These volume-to-volume ratios are exact and apply regardless of ingredient.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in a cup?
It depends on the ingredient. One US cup of water weighs about 237 g, but one cup of all-purpose flour weighs only about 125 g because flour is much less dense. Use the ingredient selector in this calculator to get the correct gram equivalent for the specific ingredient you are measuring.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
Exactly 16 tablespoons equal 1 US cup. This is a fixed volume-to-volume ratio and does not depend on the ingredient. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons, a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons, and a third of a cup is approximately 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Exactly 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. One tablespoon is 14.787 ml and one teaspoon is 4.929 ml. These are fixed ratios that apply to any liquid or dry ingredient.
How do I convert cups to grams for flour?
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs approximately 125-130 g when spooned and leveled. If you scoop directly from the bag, it can be as heavy as 150-165 g due to packing. The calculator uses 0.53 g/ml for all-purpose flour, which corresponds to a properly spooned and leveled cup of about 125 g. For the most accurate baking results, weigh the flour with a kitchen scale rather than relying on cup measurements.
What is the difference between fluid ounces and ounces?
A fluid ounce (fl oz) is a unit of volume equal to about 29.57 ml. A regular ounce (oz) is a unit of weight equal to about 28.35 g. They are not the same. One fluid ounce of water happens to weigh very close to one weight ounce (since water density is close to 1), but one fluid ounce of honey weighs about 1.42 oz because honey is denser. Always check whether a recipe means volume or weight when it says "ounces."
How many ml are in a cup?
One US cup equals 236.588 ml, often rounded to 240 ml for everyday cooking. An Australian or Canadian metric cup is exactly 250 ml. If you are following a recipe that specifies metric cups, use 250 ml per cup rather than 237 ml.
Can I convert any ingredient using this calculator?
You can convert any ingredient by choosing "Custom ingredient" and entering the density in g/ml. Look up the density on the packaging or in a food science reference. For the 30+ common ingredients already listed, the calculator uses averaged density values that are accurate for typical kitchen conditions.