Cooking Measurement Conversions Explained

Recipes measure ingredients two different ways, by volume (cups, tablespoons) or by weight (grams, ounces), and converting between the two isn’t a fixed ratio the way converting cups to milliliters is, because it depends on what’s actually being measured.

Volume-Based Measurements

• Teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp): small quantities, common for spices and liquids.
• Cup: the standard everyday US recipe unit.
• Milliliter (mL) and liter (L): the metric equivalents used in most of the world.

Weight-Based Measurements

• Gram (g) and kilogram (kg): the metric standard, common outside the US.
• Ounce (oz) and pound (lb): common in US recipes for ingredients typically sold by weight.

Why “1 Cup” Doesn’t Convert to a Fixed Weight

A cup measures volume, a fixed amount of space, but different ingredients pack into that space at different densities. As commonly used baking references cite it, 1 cup of all-purpose flour is approximately 120g, while 1 cup of granulated sugar is approximately 200g, nearly double, because sugar is denser and packs more tightly than flour. Converting “cups” to “grams” only works correctly when you know which ingredient you’re measuring, since there’s no single universal cups-to-grams factor.

Worked Example

Common Mistakes

• Assuming a single cups-to-grams factor works for every ingredient. Flour, sugar, butter, and liquids all convert differently because they have different densities.
• Confusing US and UK measuring-spoon sizes. A US tablespoon and an Australian tablespoon aren’t identical, a small but real difference in some international recipes.
• Packing ingredients inconsistently. Flour scooped and leveled versus flour packed into the same cup can weigh noticeably differently, even before any unit conversion happens.

Use the Cooking Converter

The Cooking Converter converts between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, milliliters, and more instantly.