The Core Problem: Volume vs Weight
American recipes measure ingredients by volume (cups, tablespoons, teaspoons). Most European and professional recipes use weight (grams, ounces). These are fundamentally different types of measurement, which is why you cannot simply say "1 cup = X grams" – it depends entirely on the ingredient.
1 cup of flour weighs about 125g. 1 cup of water weighs 237g. 1 cup of honey weighs about 340g. The volume is identical; the weight is very different.
Volume Measurement Reference
US Customary
| Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon (tbsp) | 3 teaspoons (tsp) |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons / 8 fluid ounces |
| 1 pint | 2 cups |
| 1 quart | 4 cups |
| 1 gallon | 16 cups |
US to Metric (liquid)
| US | Metric |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.93 mL |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.79 mL |
| 1 fluid ounce | 29.57 mL |
| 1 cup | 236.59 mL (~237 mL) |
| 1 pint | 473 mL |
| 1 quart | 946 mL |
| 1 gallon | 3.785 L |
Common Ingredient Weight Conversions (1 Cup)
| Ingredient | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125g | 4.4 oz |
| Bread flour | 127g | 4.5 oz |
| Whole wheat flour | 120g | 4.2 oz |
| White sugar (granulated) | 200g | 7 oz |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220g | 7.8 oz |
| Powdered / icing sugar | 120g | 4.2 oz |
| Butter (US, softened) | 227g | 8 oz |
| Butter (melted) | 215g | 7.6 oz |
| Rolled oats | 90g | 3.2 oz |
| Honey / maple syrup | 340g | 12 oz |
| Milk | 244g | 8.6 oz |
| Water | 237g | 8.4 oz |
| Vegetable oil | 218g | 7.7 oz |
| Cocoa powder | 85g | 3 oz |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185g | 6.5 oz |
Why Weighing Is More Accurate
Volume measurement of dry ingredients varies with how loosely or tightly you pack the measuring cup. Flour scooped directly from the bag compresses and can weigh 25–40% more than flour spooned in and levelled – enough to ruin a bake.
Professional and serious home bakers always use a kitchen scale for dry ingredients. Liquids measured in a graduated measuring cup are accurate enough for most purposes.
Weight Conversions
1 ounce (oz) = 28.35 grams 1 pound (lb) = 453.59 grams = 16 ounces 1 kilogram = 35.27 ounces = 2.205 pounds
Temperature for Ovens
| Gas Mark | °C | °F | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 140 | 275 | Very low |
| 2 | 150 | 300 | Low |
| 3 | 170 | 325 | Moderate-low |
| 4 | 180 | 350 | Moderate |
| 5 | 190 | 375 | Moderate-high |
| 6 | 200 | 400 | Hot |
| 7 | 220 | 425 | Very hot |
| 8 | 230 | 450 | Extremely hot |
Converting Quickly
For quick kitchen conversions across all ingredient types and units, use the Cooking Unit Converter on this site. It handles volume-to-volume, weight-to-weight, and common ingredient-specific volume-to-weight conversions in both directions.
Summary
Volume measurements (cups) work for liquids but are imprecise for dry ingredients. Weight measurements (grams) are more accurate and consistent. When converting a US recipe for European use, volume-to-volume conversions are straightforward; ingredient-specific density tables are needed for volume-to-weight. When precision matters – especially in baking – always weigh dry ingredients.