Kitchen Measurement Conversions: A Complete Guide
Master cooking conversions between cups, grams, ounces, and tablespoons with this comprehensive kitchen guide.
Nothing ruins a recipe faster than measurement confusion. Whether you're converting grandmother's recipes or following an international cookbook, understanding kitchen measurements is essential for cooking success.
Cups vs Weights: The Great Debate
American recipes typically use volume measurements (cups, tablespoons), while European recipes use weight (grams, kilograms). Which is better?
Weight wins for baking. Here's why: 1 cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120g to 160g depending on how you scoop it. That's a 33% variation that can ruin delicate baked goods. A kitchen scale eliminates this guesswork.
For cooking (as opposed to baking), volume measurements are usually fine. A bit more or less onion won't destroy your stew.
US vs UK vs Australian Cups
This trips up many cooks — cups aren't universal:
- US cup: 236.6 mL (8 US fluid ounces)
- UK cup: 284 mL (10 UK fluid ounces) — rarely used now
- Australian cup: 250 mL
- Metric cup: 250 mL (used in Canada, NZ, sometimes UK)
When in doubt, assume US cups unless the recipe source is Australian.
Tablespoons and Teaspoons
These are more consistent, but still watch out:
- US tablespoon: 14.8 mL
- UK/Australian tablespoon: 20 mL
- US teaspoon: 4.9 mL
- UK/Australian teaspoon: 5 mL
The teaspoon difference is small enough to ignore. The tablespoon difference (35% larger in UK/AU) can matter for baking.
Common Ingredient Conversions
These approximate weights help when converting recipes:
- All-purpose flour: 1 cup = 125g
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup = 200g
- Brown sugar (packed): 1 cup = 220g
- Butter: 1 cup = 227g = 2 sticks
- Honey/maple syrup: 1 cup = 340g
- Rice (uncooked): 1 cup = 185g
- Rolled oats: 1 cup = 90g
- Chocolate chips: 1 cup = 175g
Butter Measurements
US butter comes in convenient sticks with markings:
- 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 113g = 4 oz
- 1/2 stick = 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 57g = 2 oz
UK/European butter is usually sold in 250g blocks without markings. A US recipe calling for "1 stick butter" means about half a 250g block.
Temperature Conversions
Oven temperatures commonly seen in recipes:
- 150°C = 300°F = Gas Mark 2 (very slow)
- 160°C = 325°F = Gas Mark 3 (slow)
- 180°C = 350°F = Gas Mark 4 (moderate)
- 190°C = 375°F = Gas Mark 5
- 200°C = 400°F = Gas Mark 6 (hot)
- 220°C = 425°F = Gas Mark 7 (very hot)
- 230°C = 450°F = Gas Mark 8
Tips for Accuracy
- Invest in a kitchen scale. They're cheap and transformative for baking.
- Spoon and level flour. Don't scoop with the measuring cup — it compacts the flour.
- Use liquid measuring cups for liquids. They're designed differently than dry measures.
- All measurements should be level unless "heaped" or "heaping" is specified.
- Eggs are medium unless specified. In the US, "large" eggs are standard in recipes.