Baking and Kitchen Conversion Handbook

10 min read•June 1, 2026•Reviewed: June 1, 2026

✓Reviewed by Apex Conversion Editorial Team · Last reviewed June 1, 2026

Kitchen measurements are a minefield of inconsistencies. A cup of flour in a US recipe is not the same as a cup in an Australian or Canadian recipe. A UK recipe calling for a 'pint of milk' means a larger quantity than the same words in an American recipe. 'Fluid ounce' and 'ounce' sound identical but measure different things — volume versus weight. And an oven set to 350°F in the US would be 177°C in a European cookbook.

This handbook covers every conversion you will encounter in the kitchen: dry and liquid volume measures, weight versus volume, oven temperature, and ingredient-specific weight tables. With this reference, you can adapt any recipe regardless of which country it came from or which measuring tools you have on hand.

Dry Measurements: Cups, Tablespoons, and Teaspoons

US dry volume measurements are based on a hierarchy: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons. 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons. 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons. 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon. 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons. These relationships are fixed and exact — knowing them lets you measure any amount with any combination of spoons and cups you have available.

A critical technique: dry ingredients like flour must be spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off, not scooped directly from the bag. Scooping compacts the flour, adding 20–25% more than intended — the difference between a tender cake and a dense brick. Baking by weight (grams or ounces) eliminates this error entirely, which is why professional pastry recipes almost always specify weight.

Volume Measurement Equivalents

US Volume Equivalents:
  1 cup     = 16 tbsp  = 48 tsp   = 8 fl oz   = 236.6 mL
  1/2 cup   =  8 tbsp  = 24 tsp   = 4 fl oz   = 118.3 mL
  1/3 cup   =  5 tbsp + 1 tsp     = 2.67 fl oz =  78.9 mL
  1/4 cup   =  4 tbsp  = 12 tsp   = 2 fl oz   =  59.1 mL
  1 tbsp    =  3 tsp              = 0.5 fl oz  =  14.8 mL
  1 tsp     =                               =   4.9 mL

International Cup Sizes (vs US 236.6 mL):
  Metric cup (AU/NZ/CA): 250 mL  (+5.7% larger)
  UK cup (informal):     284 mL  (½ imperial pint)
  Japanese cup:          200 mL  (-15.5% smaller)

Liquid Measurements

Liquid ingredients are easier to measure accurately than dry ones because they level themselves in a measuring cup. Use a clear liquid measuring cup (with a spout) for liquids rather than a dry measuring cup — the liquid cup allows you to look at the level from the side, which is more accurate. Key liquid equivalents: 1 US cup = 8 US fluid ounces = 236.6 mL. 1 US pint = 2 cups = 16 fl oz = 473.2 mL. 1 US quart = 4 cups = 32 fl oz = 946.4 mL. 1 US gallon = 16 cups = 128 fl oz = 3,785 mL.

Milliliter equivalents for small quantities: 1 teaspoon = 4.93 mL (often rounded to 5 mL in metric recipes). 1 tablespoon = 14.79 mL (rounded to 15 mL). This rounding is common in European and Australian recipes and is accurate enough for most cooking — within 1–3% of the US equivalent.

Weight vs Volume: Why Baking Recipes Differ

Volume measures (cups, tablespoons) depend on how densely packed the ingredient is. The same volume of flour can vary by 20–30% in weight depending on whether it was sifted, scooped, or spooned. Weight measures (grams, ounces) are unambiguous — 200 grams of flour is always 200 grams. This is why professional baking and recipes from European countries almost always specify ingredients by weight.

Common ingredient weights per US cup: all-purpose flour: 120–130 g (depending on measurement technique). Granulated sugar: 200 g. Brown sugar (packed): 220 g. Butter: 227 g (2 sticks = 1 cup = 226.8 g). Rolled oats: 90 g. Cocoa powder: 85 g. Honey: 340 g. Milk: 240 g. Cream: 238 g. These weights allow you to convert volume-based recipes to weight-based and vice versa.

Oven Temperature Conversion

US recipes specify oven temperatures in Fahrenheit; European, Australian, and UK recipes use Celsius. Formula: °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. Common oven temperature reference: 325°F = 163°C (slow), 350°F = 177°C (moderate/standard), 375°F = 190°C (medium-high), 400°F = 204°C (hot), 425°F = 218°C (very hot), 450°F = 232°C (broiling range).

Gas mark (UK) to Fahrenheit: Gas Mark 1 = 275°F, Gas Mark 4 = 350°F, Gas Mark 6 = 400°F, Gas Mark 9 = 475°F. Fan/convection ovens run 15–25°C (27–45°F) hotter than conventional ovens for a given setting — most recipes with a fan note say to reduce temperature by 20°C (or about 25°F) from the conventional setting. If your recipe doesn't specify, assume conventional and adjust if you notice faster browning.

Common Ingredient Conversions

Butter: US recipes use cups or sticks (1 stick = 1/2 cup = 113.4 g = 4 oz). European recipes use grams. 100 g of butter = 7 tablespoons = scant 1/2 cup. 250 g = about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons. Flour: 1 cup all-purpose flour ≈ 125 g (spooned) or 150 g (scooped). Most professional recipes specify 120–130 g. Sugar: 1 cup granulated white sugar = 200 g = 7 oz. Icing/confectioners' sugar: 1 cup = 120 g (sifted) to 160 g (unsifted).

Baking powder and baking soda: 1 teaspoon = approximately 4 g. Salt (fine table salt): 1 teaspoon = approximately 6 g. Coarse kosher salt: 1 teaspoon = approximately 3–4 g (varies by brand). Cream: 1 cup heavy cream = 238 g = 8.4 oz. Milk: 1 cup = 240 g = 8.5 oz. Honey/maple syrup: 1 cup = approximately 340 g = 12 oz (denser than water). Eggs: a large US egg = approximately 50 g (without shell); extra large = 56 g.

Kitchen Conversion Quick Tips

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Invest in a digital kitchen scale. Even a $10 scale eliminates the most common baking measurement errors. Use grams — they are easier to scale up or down than fractional cups.
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When adapting a UK recipe: check whether 'pint' refers to an imperial pint (568 mL) or has been informally adapted to US (473 mL). Professional UK recipes will specify mL for liquids.
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Australian tablespoon = 20 mL (vs US 14.8 mL). If a recipe from Australia says '1 tbsp' of a spice, 1 US tablespoon + 1 teaspoon is a close approximation.
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For missing metric: 1 dl (deciliter) = 100 mL ≈ 6.8 tablespoons ≈ slightly less than 1/2 US cup. Scandinavian recipes often use dl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a UK cup the same as a US cup?

No. A US measuring cup = 236.6 mL. A metric cup (used in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) = 250 mL — about 5.7% larger. An informal UK cup based on half an imperial pint = 284 mL. For most recipes, the difference is minor enough not to affect the outcome, but for baking where precision matters, weighing ingredients in grams is more reliable than any cup measure.

How many grams is a cup of flour?

Approximately 120–130 grams for all-purpose flour when properly measured (spooned into the cup and leveled). If you scoop directly from the bag, the cup can hold 150–160 grams due to compaction. Weight varies slightly by flour type: bread flour and whole wheat flour are denser than cake flour.

What is 180°C in Fahrenheit?

180°C = (180 × 9/5) + 32 = 324 + 32 = 356°F. In practice, set your oven to 350°F. This is the most common baking temperature — used for cakes, cookies, quick breads, and many casseroles. The 6°F difference from exact is insignificant for baking outcomes.

How do I convert a recipe to grams?

Look up the weight per cup for each ingredient (a reliable list is at King Arthur Baking or the USDA database). Multiply: if the recipe calls for 2.5 cups of flour at 125 g/cup, you need 312.5 g. Round to the nearest 5 g for practical use. Most professional bakers keep a laminated ingredient weight chart posted in the kitchen.

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