Why Kitchen Conversions Matter
Recipes come from everywhere — a French pastry blog, an American cookbook, a Japanese cooking video. Each source may use different measurement units. Getting the conversion wrong can mean the difference between a fluffy cake and a flat one. This cheat sheet covers the most common kitchen conversions you will need.
Volume Conversions
US Customary Volume
| Measurement | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon (tbsp) | 3 teaspoons (tsp) |
| 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) | 2 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 8 fluid ounces |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons |
| 1 pint | 2 cups |
| 1 quart | 4 cups |
| 1 gallon | 4 quarts (16 cups) |
US to Metric Volume
| US Measure | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.93 mL (≈ 5 mL) |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.79 mL (≈ 15 mL) |
| 1 fluid ounce | 29.57 mL (≈ 30 mL) |
| 1 cup | 236.6 mL (≈ 240 mL) |
| 1 pint | 473.2 mL |
| 1 quart | 946.4 mL (≈ 1 L) |
| 1 gallon | 3,785 mL (≈ 3.8 L) |
Tip: For practical cooking, you can round 1 cup to 240 mL and 1 teaspoon to 5 mL without noticeably affecting most recipes.
Weight Conversions
Many baking recipes — especially from Europe and professional bakeries — measure ingredients by weight rather than volume. This is more accurate because a “cup of flour” can vary significantly depending on how tightly it is packed.
| US Measure | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce (oz) | 28.35 grams |
| 4 ounces | 113 grams |
| 8 ounces (½ lb) | 227 grams |
| 1 pound (16 oz) | 454 grams |
| 2.2 pounds | 1 kilogram |
Common Baking Ingredients by Weight
| Ingredient | 1 US Cup ≈ |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120-125 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g |
| Butter | 227 g (2 sticks) |
| Milk | 240 mL / 245 g |
| Honey | 340 g |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g |
| Rolled oats | 90 g |
Note: These weights are approximate. Different brands and measuring techniques produce slight variations. For precise baking, a kitchen scale is the best investment you can make.
Temperature Conversions for Cooking
Oven temperatures in recipes can appear in Celsius (European and most international recipes) or Fahrenheit (US recipes). Here are the most common cooking temperatures:
| Description | Fahrenheit | Celsius | Gas Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very low | 250°F | 120°C | ½ |
| Low | 300°F | 150°C | 2 |
| Moderate | 350°F | 175°C | 4 |
| Moderately hot | 375°F | 190°C | 5 |
| Hot | 400°F | 200°C | 6 |
| Very hot | 450°F | 230°C | 8 |
| Broil / Grill | 500°F | 260°C | 10 |
Quick rule: To roughly convert Fahrenheit oven temps to Celsius, subtract 30 and divide by 2. Example: 400°F → (400 − 30) / 2 = 185°C (actual: 204°C — so this trick is only approximate for oven temperatures).
For exact conversions, use our temperature converter.
Butter Measurements
Butter in the US is sold in sticks with tablespoon markings. Here is how those relate to other measurements:
| Amount | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon butter | 14 g / 0.5 oz |
| 1 stick (½ cup) | 113 g / 4 oz / 8 tbsp |
| 2 sticks (1 cup) | 227 g / 8 oz |
| 4 sticks (1 lb) | 454 g / 16 oz |
Egg Sizes
If a recipe just says “eggs” without specifying a size, it typically means large eggs (US sizing):
| Size | Approximate Weight (without shell) |
|---|---|
| Medium | 44 g |
| Large | 50 g |
| Extra Large | 56 g |
| Jumbo | 63 g |
Tips for Accurate Kitchen Measurement
- Use weight for baking. Volume measurements for dry ingredients like flour are inconsistent. A kitchen scale removes all guesswork.
- Use liquid measuring cups for liquids (the glass kind with a spout) and dry measuring cups for dry ingredients (the kind you level off with a knife).
- Do not pack flour into a cup. Spoon it in and level off the top for consistent results.
- When halving or doubling a recipe, convert everything to a single system first to avoid math errors across mixed units.
- Bookmark a converter. Rather than memorizing every conversion, keep a tool like EasyUnits handy for quick lookups.
With these conversions in your back pocket, you can confidently tackle recipes from any country or cookbook. Happy cooking!