Consistent measurements help you repeat a recipe, control portions and reduce waste. Choose the unit and tool the recipe calls for, and distinguish weight from volume before converting ingredients.
Weight, volume and count
Weight is measured in grams (g), kilograms (kg), ounces (oz) or pounds (lb). Use a kitchen scale when a recipe gives a weight. Put an empty bowl on the scale, press tare to zero it, then add the ingredient.
Volume describes the space an ingredient occupies. Cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, fluid ounces (fl oz), milliliters (mL) and liters (L) measure volume.
Count means a number of items, such as two eggs or three garlic cloves. Size matters: follow the recipe’s size description when one is given.
Fluid ounces are not weight ounces
A US cup holds 8 US fluid ounces. That does not mean every cup of food weighs 8 ounces. Flour, honey, water and oil have different densities, and packing changes how much of a dry ingredient fits in a cup. Use an ingredient-specific conversion when converting cups to grams. Do not use a water conversion for oil, butter or other ingredients.
US cooking volume conversions
| Measure | Equivalent volume |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) | 3 teaspoons (tsp) |
| 1 US fluid ounce (fl oz) | 2 tablespoons |
| 1 US cup | 8 US fl oz or 16 tablespoons |
| 1 US pint | 2 US cups |
| 1 US quart | 2 US pints or 4 US cups |
| 1 US gallon | 4 US quarts |
For practical home cooking, 1 teaspoon is approximately 5 mL, 1 tablespoon 15 mL and 1 US cup 240 mL. These are rounded equivalents. Check the recipe’s measurement system: US customary and Imperial measures are not interchangeable.
Weight and metric conversions
- 16 ounces by weight = 1 pound.
- 1 ounce by weight is approximately 28.35 grams.
- 1 pound is approximately 454 grams.
- 1 kilogram = 1,000 grams.
- 1 liter = 1,000 milliliters.
How to measure ingredients consistently
- Liquids: set a graduated liquid measuring cup on a level surface and read the mark at eye level.
- Dry ingredients: follow the recipe’s method. Spooning flour into a cup and leveling it can give a different weight from scooping directly from the bag.
- Packed ingredients: pack brown sugar only when the recipe calls for it.
- Small amounts: use measuring spoons for quantities too small for your scale to resolve accurately.
- Portions: use a scale, a consistent ladle or a portion scoop to divide a batch evenly.
Sources: NIST cooking measurement equivalencies and culinary measurement tips.
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