How to Convert Cooking Measurements
Cooking and baking recipes from around the world use different measurement systems. American recipes often use cups and tablespoons, while European and professional recipes prefer grams and millilitres. This converter accounts for the different densities of common ingredients so your conversions are accurate.
How to Use This Converter
- Select your ingredient from the dropdown. Each ingredient has a different density, so flour, sugar, and butter all weigh differently per cup.
- Enter the amount you want to convert in the amount field.
- Choose the "From" and "To" units. The converter supports cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, millilitres, fluid ounces, grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds.
- Read the result instantly. The converted amount appears in the blue result box and updates as you type.
How It Works
The converter uses a two-step process. First, it converts the input amount to millilitres (for volume units) or grams (for weight units) using standard conversion factors. Then it uses the ingredient's density (grams per millilitre) to bridge between volume and weight. For example, flour has a density of approximately 0.529 g/ml, meaning one cup (236.588 ml) of flour weighs about 125 grams. Sugar is denser at 0.845 g/ml, so one cup weighs about 200 grams. All calculations happen locally in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams are in a cup of flour?
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs approximately 125 grams. This can vary slightly depending on how the flour is scooped — spooning flour into the cup and levelling gives a more consistent measurement than dipping the cup directly into the bag.
How do I convert cups to grams?
Multiply the number of cups by the ingredient's density in grams per cup. Different ingredients have different weights per cup — for example, 1 cup of sugar weighs about 200g while 1 cup of butter weighs about 227g. Our converter handles these differences automatically.
What is the difference between a US cup and a metric cup?
A US cup equals 236.588 ml while a metric cup (used in Australia) equals 250 ml. This converter uses US cups, which is the most common standard in recipes. The difference of roughly 13 ml can matter in precise baking.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 US tablespoons in one US cup. Each tablespoon equals approximately 14.787 ml. This relationship is consistent regardless of the ingredient being measured.
Why do recipes use weight instead of volume?
Weight measurements (grams, ounces) are more accurate than volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) because ingredients can be packed differently. A cup of flour can vary by 30 grams depending on how it is scooped. Professional bakers almost always prefer weight for consistency.
How many millilitres are in a tablespoon?
One US tablespoon equals approximately 14.787 ml. One UK tablespoon equals 15 ml. One teaspoon equals approximately 4.929 ml (US) or 5 ml (metric). This converter uses US measurements.