How to Convert Cooking Measurements
Quick Answer: Essential Cooking Conversions
- 1 cup (US) = 236.6 ml | 1 Australian cup = 250 ml
- 1 tablespoon (US) = 14.8 ml | 1 Australian tablespoon = 20 ml
- 1 teaspoon = 4.9 ml (US) or 5 ml (Australian)
- 1 ounce (oz) = 28.35 grams | 1 pound = 453.6 grams
- Oven conversions: 350°F = 177°C | 400°F = 204°C | 180°C = 356°F
US and Australian cup sizes differ by about 5%. For most recipes this is fine. Australian tablespoons are larger: 20 ml vs 14.8 ml. This matters for baking.
Converting cooking measurements is one of the most practical everyday uses of unit conversion. American recipes use cups, tablespoons, fluid ounces and Fahrenheit. British recipes use grams, millilitres and fan oven Celsius. Australian recipes use metric cups and Celsius. This guide covers every conversion a home cook needs. Use the Volume Converter and Weight and Mass Converter on CalConvs for precise results.
Volume: Cups, Millilitres and Fluid Ounces
| Measurement | US or UK Value | Australian Metric Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon (US) | 4.93 ml | 5 ml (Australian) |
| 1 tablespoon (US) | 14.79 ml | 20 ml (Australian) |
| Quarter cup (US) | 59.1 ml | 62.5 ml (Australian) |
| Half cup (US) | 118.3 ml | 125 ml (Australian) |
| Three quarter cup (US) | 177.4 ml | 187.5 ml (Australian) |
| 1 cup (US) | 236.6 ml | 250 ml (Australian) |
| 2 cups (US) | 473.2 ml | 500 ml (Australian) |
| 4 cups or 1 quart (US) | 946.4 ml | 1,000 ml (1 litre) |
| 1 UK fluid ounce | 28.41 ml | Not equivalent to US fl oz (29.57 ml) |
| 1 US fluid ounce | 29.57 ml | Different from UK fluid ounce |
Weight: Grams and Ounces for Ingredients
| Measurement | Weight | Kitchen Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz flour (approximate) | 28.35 g | About 4 tablespoons of flour |
| 4 oz or quarter pound | 113.4 g | Common US butter measure |
| 6 oz | 170.1 g | Typical US portion or serving |
| 8 oz or half pound | 226.8 g | Standard US cup of sugar weighs about 200 g |
| 12 oz | 340.2 g | Three quarter pound |
| 16 oz or 1 pound | 453.6 g | Standard US butter block |
| 100 g | 3.53 oz | EU nutrition label standard portion |
| 250 g | 8.82 oz | Common butter block in UK and Australia |
| 500 g or half kg | 17.64 oz | Standard flour bag in many countries |
| 1 kg | 35.27 oz or 2.205 lbs | Standard measurement everywhere except US |
Oven Temperature Conversion Table
| Oven Setting | Celsius | Fahrenheit | Gas Mark (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very cool | 120°C | 250°F | Gas mark 1 |
| Cool | 140 to 150°C | 275 to 300°F | Gas mark 2 |
| Warm or slow | 160 to 170°C | 320 to 338°F | Gas mark 3 |
| Moderate | 180°C | 356°F | Gas mark 4 |
| Moderately hot | 190 to 200°C | 375 to 392°F | Gas mark 5 to 6 |
| Hot | 210 to 220°C | 410 to 428°F | Gas mark 7 |
| Very hot | 230 to 240°C | 446 to 464°F | Gas mark 8 to 9 |
Fan oven note: Reduce by 20°C from conventional oven. Fan ovens are more efficient. Use the Temperature Converter for any Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion.
Common Ingredient Weight Guides
| Ingredient | Weight Per Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain or all-purpose flour | 120 to 130 g | Sifted is lighter; spooned and levelled is standard |
| Granulated white sugar | 200 g | Packed brown sugar weighs more |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g | Firmly packed into the cup |
| Butter | 227 g (2 sticks) | 1 stick = 113 g = half cup |
| Honey or syrup | 340 g | Much heavier than flour or sugar |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185 to 200 g | Long grain white rice |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | Lighter than most dry ingredients |
| Milk or water | 240 g or ml | These liquids are approximately the same weight |
| Cocoa powder | 80 to 100 g | Varies significantly with sifting |
Country-Specific Cooking Measurement Notes
- United States: Uses US customary cups (236.6 ml), tablespoons (14.8 ml), teaspoons (4.9 ml) and Fahrenheit. Most American recipes online use these measures.
- United Kingdom: Uses grams and millilitres in modern recipes. Older recipes may use Imperial cups (284 ml), ounces and Fahrenheit. Gas marks are also used.
- Australia: Uses metric cups (250 ml) and metric tablespoons (20 ml). Oven temperatures in Celsius. The difference from US cup and tablespoon sizes matters in baking.
- India: Recipes use metric grams and millilitres in books, but household cooking often uses the small cup (katori, approximately 150 to 180 ml) and everyday spoon measures.
- Europe, Pakistan and Middle East: Grams and millilitres are standard. Oven temperatures in Celsius. Tablespoon is 15 ml throughout most of Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams is 1 cup of flour?
One US cup of plain flour is approximately 120 to 130 grams when spooned and levelled into the cup without packing. If scooped directly with the cup, it can be 150 grams or more due to compaction. Weighing with a scale is always more accurate than using cups for flour.
What is 180°C in Fahrenheit?
180°C equals 356°F. This is a very common baking temperature, often written as approximately 350°F in US recipes. Use the Temperature Converter for any oven temperature conversion.
How many ml is 1 tablespoon in Australia?
One tablespoon in Australia equals 20 millilitres. This is larger than the US tablespoon (14.79 ml) and the European tablespoon (15 ml). This difference matters significantly in baking when multiple tablespoons of a leavening agent or flavouring are used.
How do I convert cups to grams?
There is no single answer because different ingredients have different densities. Water is 240 grams per US cup. Flour is approximately 125 grams per cup. Sugar is approximately 200 grams per cup. Butter is approximately 227 grams per cup. Always check an ingredient-specific conversion rather than assuming one cup equals a fixed gram weight.
Related Tools
- Volume Converter: ml, litres, cups, tablespoons, fluid ounces
- Weight and Mass Converter: grams, ounces, pounds, kilograms
- Temperature Converter: Celsius to Fahrenheit for oven settings
- All Unit Converters: 74 converters on CalConvs