Kitchen Unit Converter
Convert weights, volumes and oven temperatures using the exact definition of every unit, with US and metric cups and spoons kept separate.
Convert a measurement
Cups to grams? That depends on the ingredient: a cup of flour weighs about half as much as a cup of water. This tool only converts weight to weight and volume to volume, because those answers are exact.
Equivalent amounts
≈ means the value is rounded for display.
Fan or convection ovens: UK recipes often suggest about 20 °C lower, and US recipes about 25 °F lower. Check your oven’s manual.
Oven temperature reference
| Gas mark | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ | 225 | 110 |
| ½ | 250 | 120 |
| 1 | 275 | 140 |
| 2 | 300 | 150 |
| 3 | 325 | 170 |
| 4 | 350 | 180 |
| 5 | 375 | 190 |
| 6 | 400 | 200 |
| 7 | 425 | 220 |
| 8 | 450 | 230 |
| 9 | 475 | 240 |
How the kitchen converter works
Every cooking unit has an exact legal definition in grams or millilitres. A pound is defined as exactly 453.59237 g, a US cup as 236.5882365 mL and a UK pint as 568.26125 mL. To convert, the amount you enter is changed into the base unit and then into every other unit of the same kind:
result = amount × (size of the unit you have ÷ size of the unit you want)
So 2 lb is 2 × 453.59237 = 907.18 g, and 1 US cup is 236.5882365 ÷ 14.78676478 = exactly 16 US tablespoons. Oven temperatures use the standard formula °F = °C × 9/5 + 32.
Quick kitchen equivalents
| Measure | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 US cup | 16 US tbsp = 48 US tsp = 8 US fl oz = 236.6 mL |
| 1 metric cup | 250 mL ≈ 16⅔ metric tbsp |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons (US 14.8 mL; metric 15 mL) |
| 1 pound (lb) | 16 oz = 453.6 g |
| 1 ounce (oz) | 28.35 g |
| 1 kilogram | 1,000 g = 2.205 lb |
| 1 litre | 1,000 mL = 4.23 US cups = 4 metric cups |
| 1 UK pint | 20 UK fl oz = 568.3 mL (a US pint is 473.2 mL) |
Which cup is your recipe using?
- American recipes and blogs use the US cup of 236.6 mL.
- Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa use the metric cup of 250 mL.
- Older British recipes usually give weights in ounces and pounds, and liquids in imperial pints of 568 mL.
- Unsure? For everyday cooking the difference rarely matters. For baking, use the recipe’s gram weights if it gives them.
Why cups cannot be converted to grams exactly
A cup is a volume, so how much it weighs depends on the density of what is inside it and how firmly it is packed. A US cup of water weighs about 237 g, but King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart lists a cup of all-purpose flour at 120 g and granulated sugar at 198 g. Any converter that gives a single “cups to grams” figure without asking for the ingredient is guessing. For reliable results, weigh dry ingredients on a kitchen scale.
Sources
- NIST Handbook 44: definitions of US customary units.
- UK Weights and Measures Act 1985, Schedule 1: definitions of imperial units.
Scaling a recipe first? The recipe scaler resizes a whole ingredient list in one step.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the ingredient, because a cup measures volume and grams measure weight. A US cup of water weighs about 237 g, while a cup of flour weighs roughly half that. This converter only converts weight to weight and volume to volume, which can be done exactly. For flour, sugar or rice, weigh the ingredient or use a weight chart for that specific ingredient.
No. A US customary cup is 236.6 mL and a metric cup (used in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and many recipe books) is 250 mL. The difference is about 5–6%, which matters most in baking. Pick the cup that matches where your recipe was written.
Three, in both the US and metric systems (a metric tablespoon is 15 mL and a metric teaspoon is 5 mL). Australia is the exception: an Australian tablespoon is 20 mL, which is four teaspoons.
Use °F = °C × 9/5 + 32, or °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. So 180 °C is 356 °F, which most recipes round to 350 °F. Fan (convection) ovens usually cook hotter. UK recipes commonly suggest about 20 °C lower for a fan oven, while US recipes often suggest 25 °F lower for convection; these are two separate rules of thumb, not the same amount. Your oven’s manual is the best guide.
We show about four significant figures so nothing important is lost. Round to whatever your scale or measuring spoons can show. For example, 453.6 g can be measured as 454 g.