Cooking Converter: Convert Recipe Measurements Easily

Nothing ruins a recipe faster than using the wrong measurements. Whether you are following a recipe from another country that uses metric instead of imperial, or you need to scale a recipe up or down, our Cooking Converter handles all common kitchen conversions. Convert between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, milliliters, liters, ounces, grams, and pounds for both liquid and dry ingredients.

Common Kitchen Conversions

Knowing basic kitchen conversions saves time and prevents mistakes. One cup equals 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons, or 237 milliliters. One tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons or 15 milliliters. One fluid ounce equals 2 tablespoons or 30 milliliters. One pound equals 16 ounces or 454 grams.

Volume measurements are straightforward for liquids, but dry ingredients vary by density. One cup of all-purpose flour weighs approximately 120 grams, while one cup of granulated sugar weighs 200 grams. Our converter includes ingredient-specific density adjustments for accurate baking.

Using the Cooking Converter

Select the ingredient type (flour, sugar, butter, water, milk, oil, or generic), enter the amount, and choose the units you are converting from and to. The converter handles volume-to-volume, volume-to-weight, and weight-to-weight conversions with ingredient-specific densities.

For scaling recipes, enter the original ingredient amounts and the desired number of servings. The calculator adjusts all quantities proportionally. This is especially useful when halving or doubling recipes.

Ingredient Density Reference

Flour

All-purpose flour: 120g per cup. Whole wheat flour: 130g per cup. Bread flour: 127g per cup. Cake flour: 114g per cup. Scoop and level for accurate measurement — do not pack flour into the cup.

Sugar

Granulated sugar: 200g per cup. Brown sugar (packed): 220g per cup. Powdered sugar: 120g per cup. Brown sugar should be firmly packed into the measuring cup for accurate results.

Butter

Butter: 227g per cup, 113g per stick, 14g per tablespoon. Most butter sticks have measurement markings on the wrapper for easy cutting.

Liquids

Water: 237g per cup. Milk: 244g per cup. Vegetable oil: 218g per cup. Honey: 340g per cup. Liquid ingredients should be measured in liquid measuring cups with a spout.

Metric vs Imperial in Recipes

Recipes from the United States use imperial units (cups, teaspoons, ounces). Most other countries use metric (grams, milliliters). Australian recipes use metric but define 1 cup as 250ml (versus 237ml in the US). British recipes often use imperial weights (ounces, pounds) but may also include metric equivalents.

When converting between systems, use weight measurements (grams, ounces) for the most accurate results. Volume conversions between cups and milliliters are approximate and can lead to errors in baking recipes that require precise ratios.

Baking Precision Tips

• Weigh ingredients: A kitchen scale is more accurate than measuring cups, especially for flour which compresses easily
• Spoon and level: Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level with a knife — never scoop directly with the cup
• Room temperature: Many baking recipes assume ingredients like butter and eggs are at room temperature
• Altitude adjustments: High altitude (3,000+ feet) may require reducing sugar and increasing liquid in baking recipes
• Ingredient substitutions: Different brands of flour, butter, and other ingredients can vary in density — adjust as needed

Start Converting

Use our Cooking Converter below to make recipe conversions effortless. Whether you are baking a cake or cooking dinner, accurate measurements lead to better results. Also check our Weight Converter and Volume Converter for additional measurement tools.