Quick reference
The chart you'll keep
next to the stove.
Jump to
Volume
12- 1 tsp5 ml
- 1 tbsp15 ml
- 3 tsp1 tbsp
- 1 fl oz2 tbsp · 30 ml
- 1/4 cup60 ml · 4 tbsp
- 1/3 cup79 ml
- 1/2 cup120 ml · 8 tbsp
- 1 cup240 ml · 16 tbsp
- 1 pint473 ml · 2 cups
- 1 quart946 ml · 4 cups
- 1 gallon3.79 L · 16 cups
- 1 liter4.23 cups
US measurements throughout. Metric cups (250 ml) are about 6% larger than US cups.
Weight
8- 1 oz28 g
- 4 oz113 g · 1/4 lb
- 8 oz227 g · 1/2 lb
- 1 lb454 g · 16 oz
- 1 kg2.2 lb
- 100 g3.5 oz
- 250 g8.8 oz
- 500 g1.1 lb
Avoirdupois pounds (the everyday pound).
Butter
4- 1 stick8 tbsp · 1/2 cup · 113 g
- 1/2 stick4 tbsp · 1/4 cup · 57 g
- 2 sticks1 cup · 227 g
- 1 lb butter4 sticks · 2 cups
American sticks. UK butter is sold by weight only — 250 g packs are standard.
Eggs
5- 1 large egg≈ 50 g · 3 tbsp
- 1 large egg white≈ 30 g · 2 tbsp
- 1 large egg yolk≈ 18 g · 1 tbsp
- 4 large eggs≈ 200 g · 1 cup
- Medium → largeuse 1 extra per 6
Large US eggs. Medium and extra-large differ by 8–10% per egg.
Dairy
6- 1 cup whole milk240 ml · 245 g
- 1 cup buttermilk240 ml · 245 g
- 1 cup heavy cream240 ml · 232 g
- 1 cup yoghurt240 ml · 245 g
- 1 cup sour cream240 ml · 240 g
- 1 cup half-and-half240 ml · 240 g
Whole-milk ratios. Low-fat milks weigh slightly more (water replaces fat).
Leaveners
5- 1 tsp baking powder≈ 4 g · double-acting
- 1 tsp baking powder substitute1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda≈ 4.5 g · needs an acid
- 1 cup buttermilk + 1/2 tsp soda= 1 tsp baking powder
- Soda activatorbuttermilk · yoghurt · vinegar · molasses
Baking powder is pre-balanced; baking soda needs an acid to activate.
Yeast
5- 1 packet active dry7 g · 2 1/4 tsp
- 1 packet instant7 g · 2 1/4 tsp
- Active dry → instantuse the same amount, skip blooming
- Active dry → fresh× 2.5 (e.g. 1 tsp dry → 0.4 oz / 11 g fresh)
- Fresh → active dry× 0.4 (e.g. 1 oz fresh → ~10 g dry)
Active dry was traditionally bloomed in warm water; instant skips that step.
Herbs & aromatics
6- 1 tbsp fresh herbs1 tsp dried · 3:1 ratio
- 1 garlic clove1 tsp minced · 1/2 tsp granulated
- 1 medium onion1 cup chopped · 1 tbsp dried minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger1/4 tsp ground
- 1 lemon (juice)≈ 3 tbsp · 45 ml
- 1 lemon (zest)≈ 1 tbsp
Fresh-to-dried ratios are approximate; potency varies with age.
Rice, pasta & grains
9- 1 cup dry long-grain rice3 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry basmati rice3 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry arborio (risotto)2 1/2 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry pasta2 cups cooked
- 1 lb dry pasta≈ 8 servings · 8 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry oats2 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry quinoa3 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry beans3 cups cooked · 6 hr soak first
- 1 cup dry lentils2 1/4 cups cooked · no soak
Dry-to-cooked yields. Risotto rice expands less; rice noodles, more.
Oven
8- Very cool110 °C · 225 °F · Gas ¼
- Cool150 °C · 300 °F · Gas 2
- Warm165 °C · 325 °F · Gas 3
- Moderate180 °C · 350 °F · Gas 4
- Moderately hot200 °C · 400 °F · Gas 6
- Hot220 °C · 425 °F · Gas 7
- Very hot245 °C · 475 °F · Gas 9
- Fan oven (any)reduce by 20 °C / 25 °F
Conventional ovens. Fan/convection: reduce by ~20 °C / 25 °F.
Flours
7- 1 cup all-purpose flour120 g
- 1 cup bread flour127 g
- 1 cup cake flour114 g
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour113 g
- 1 cup almond flour96 g
- 1 cup cornstarch120 g
- 1 cup cocoa powder85 g
Spooned and levelled. Scooped flour can weigh 30% more — use a scale for baking.
Sugars
6- 1 cup granulated sugar200 g
- 1 cup packed brown sugar213 g
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar113 g
- 1 cup honey340 g
- 1 cup maple syrup322 g
- 1 cup molasses337 g
Packed brown sugar; sifted confectioners' sugar; liquid sweeteners measured by full cup.
Salt
5- 1 tsp table salt≈ 6 g
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher≈ 3 g
- 1 tsp Morton kosher≈ 5 g
- 1 tsp Maldon flaky≈ 2 g
- 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal vs. table8.5 g vs. 18 g
Salt brand matters more than almost any other ingredient. Always weigh when in doubt.
Pan dimensions
7- 8″ round≈ 50 in² (322 cm²)
- 9″ round≈ 64 in² · clean swap for 8″ square
- 10″ round≈ 79 in² · clean swap for 9″ square
- 8 × 8″ square≈ 64 in² · clean swap for 9″ round
- 9 × 13″ rectangle≈ 117 in² · ≈ two 9″ rounds
- 9 × 5″ loaf≈ 45 in² · 8 cup capacity
- 8.5 × 4.5″ loaf≈ 38 in² · 6 cup capacity
Surface areas — match by area, not linear dimension, when substituting.
When you don't have it
Common substitutions, calibrated.
Eight every-cook substitutions for when you reach into the cupboard and find one ingredient missing. Each comes with a ratio and the small caveats that matter.
Out of
1 cup buttermilk
Use instead
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
Let stand 5–10 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Out of
1 cup heavy cream (not for whipping)
Use instead
3/4 cup whole milk + 1/3 cup melted butter
Won't whip — works for soups, sauces, baking.
Out of
1 cup self-rising flour
Use instead
1 cup AP flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt
Sift together to distribute the leavener.
Out of
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
Use instead
3 tbsp cocoa powder + 1 tbsp butter or oil
For Dutch-process cocoa, reduce baking soda slightly if the recipe calls for it.
Out of
1 cup brown sugar
Use instead
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (light) / 2 tbsp (dark)
Stir until fully incorporated.
Out of
1 egg (in baking)
Use instead
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water · 3 tbsp aquafaba
Works for cakes and muffins; less reliable for meringues or custards.
Out of
1 tbsp cornstarch
Use instead
2 tbsp all-purpose flour · 1 tbsp arrowroot · 1 tbsp tapioca
Different starches set at different temperatures — flour needs longer cooking.
Out of
1 tsp baking powder
Use instead
1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Combine just before using; doesn't keep.
How to read this page
Numbers you can trust, with the assumptions made plain.
Every conversion in the kitchen depends on assumptions — what country's cup you're using, what brand of salt, whether the flour was sifted or scooped — and most online conversion charts hide those assumptions behind clean-looking tables. We've tried to make ours visible. Each card has a footer that names the assumption baked into the numbers, so you know whether the conversion fits your kitchen.
About these numbers
Volume conversions use the US legal cup of 236.588 ml. Weights are avoirdupois (the standard kitchen pound). Oven temperatures assume a conventional, non-fan oven. Salt conversions use the most common American brands — if you're cooking with sea salt or a regional speciality, weigh rather than measure. Flour densities are spooned-and-levelled, the King Arthur Baking convention; scooping the same cup adds up to 30% more weight.
For more depth
For interactive conversions and longer guides on each topic, see the dedicated converters: volume, weight, temperature, length, pan size, cooking time, and ingredient density. Each has the underlying math, common pitfalls, and worked examples — and the journal article The salt brand problem explains why a tablespoon of one brand can be half the salt of another.
Print-friendly by design
This page was laid out specifically for printing. The action buttons, jump-to-section chips, and converter links all hide on print, leaving a clean grid of numbers. Send it to your printer for a reference card you can keep on the inside of a cabinet door.
Where the chart fits
Use this page alongside the rest of the toolkit.
The reference chart is for the at-a-glance moment — mid-recipe, hands floury, no time for a calculator. For interactive conversion or recipe scaling, these are the next stops.
The scaler
Scale a recipe
Paste any recipe — text or URL — and the scaler rewrites the quantities with proper culinary fractions. Pair with this chart when you need to swap units mid-scale.
Open the scalerThe toolkit
All seven converters
When the chart isn't precise enough — say you need 2.4 tbsp instead of 1/4 cup — switch to the interactive converters. Volume, weight, temperature, ingredient, and more.
See all convertersThe pantry
Browse recipes
Open any TheMealDB recipe page to get the full toolkit — scaler, translator, audio, timers, and Cook Mode — already wired into the dish.
Browse recipesCooking notes
The articles behind the chart.
Three pieces from the journal that explain why these conversions matter — flour density, salt-brand variation, and the geometry of cooking time.
Baking · April 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Eggs by weight, not by count
A 'large' egg can weigh 49 g or 56 g — a 14 % spread that turns a four-egg cake into a five-egg cake without you noticing. Here's why bakers weigh eggs and what to do when your carton has the wrong size.
Read the articleEquipment · February 28, 2026 · 6 min read
The case for the oven thermometer
Domestic ovens drift, ~10–25 °F off true on average and worse with age. A $10 thermometer is the highest-leverage piece of kitchen kit you can buy — better cookies, fewer ruined roasts, and the end of guessing why a recipe didn't work.
Read the articleBaking · December 15, 2025 · 8 min read
Butter temperature ruins more cookies than the oven does
Most cookie recipes specify 'softened' butter and most cooks read that as 'whatever's on the counter'. The actual temperature window is narrow — 65 to 67 °F — and being on the wrong side of it is the single biggest cause of bad cookies.
Read the article
Common questions
Asked. Answered.
The questions cooks send us most often about the numbers on this page — and where to look when the chart isn't enough.
All questions and answersWhy are different salts in different rows?
Different salts have different crystal sizes, so a tablespoon of one weighs roughly half what a tablespoon of another does. Always weigh salt when swapping brands. The salt-brand article in the journal goes deeper.
What's the metric cup vs. US cup difference?
A US cup is 236.588 ml; a metric cup is 250 ml. Australian recipes also use a 250 ml cup but a 20 ml tablespoon. This page assumes US cups throughout.
Should I scoop or spoon flour?
Spoon and level — that's the King Arthur Baking convention these numbers are calibrated against. Scooping packs the cup denser and can add up to 30% more weight, ruining bakes.
What about UK butter blocks?
UK butter is sold by weight only (typical block is 250 g). The 'sticks' rows here are American — convert by weight if your block is in grams.
Ready to cook?
Print this page, or open one of the interactive tools.
Bookmark this URL for the next time you're mid-recipe. Or send the chart to your printer — the action buttons, jump links, and converter shortcuts hide automatically.