Volume-to-volume conversions are arithmetic. Volume-to-weight conversions are not, because a cup measures space and grams measure mass, and the relationship between them is the ingredient's density. A cup of flour and a cup of honey differ by a factor of about three.
Cups to grams, by ingredient
| Ingredient | Grams | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 237 g | 1 mL = 1 g, by definition |
| All-purpose flour | 120–130 g | varies hugely with how you fill the cup |
| Bread flour | 127 g | |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | fairly consistent |
| Brown sugar, packed | 213 g | packing changes this a lot |
| Icing / powdered sugar | 120 g | |
| Butter | 227 g | = 2 US sticks |
| Milk | 244 g | |
| Honey | 340 g | |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g | |
| Rice, uncooked | 185 g |
Scooping flour straight from the bag compacts it. Spooning it into the cup and levelling gives a lighter fill. The gap between the two methods is easily 20% — which is why serious baking recipes give weights, and why a scale costs less than the ingredients you will waste without one.
Spoons and cups: which system?
Three different "tablespoons" are in common use. This matters more than people expect:
| Unit | US | Metric (UK/NZ/CA) | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablespoon | 14.8 mL | 15 mL | 20 mL |
| Teaspoon | 4.9 mL | 5 mL | 5 mL |
| Cup | 236.6 mL | 250 mL | 250 mL |
US and metric spoons are close enough to ignore. The Australian tablespoon is a third larger, so an Australian recipe's "2 tablespoons" is nearly 3 US tablespoons. For baking soda, salt or spices, that is the difference between seasoned and ruined. Our US vs Imperial guide covers the wider pattern.
Useful volume equivalents
| From | Equals |
|---|---|
| 3 teaspoons | 1 tablespoon |
| 2 tablespoons | 1 fluid ounce |
| 4 tablespoons | 1/4 cup |
| 8 tablespoons | 1/2 cup |
| 1 cup | 8 fl oz = 236.6 mL |
| 2 cups | 1 pint (US) |
| 4 cups | 1 quart (US) |
| 16 cups | 1 gallon (US) |
Butter
American recipes measure butter in sticks, which do not exist elsewhere. 1 US stick = 113 g = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons. A standard 250 g block sold in the UK and Australia is therefore about 2.2 sticks. Most UK butter is wrapped with 50 g gradations printed on the foil, which is the easiest way to portion it.
Oven temperatures
| Celsius | Fahrenheit | Gas mark |
|---|---|---|
| 140°C | 275°F | 1 |
| 150°C | 300°F | 2 |
| 170°C | 325°F | 3 |
| 180°C | 350°F | 4 |
| 190°C | 375°F | 5 |
| 200°C | 400°F | 6 |
| 220°C | 425°F | 7 |
| 230°C | 450°F | 8 |
Reduce by about 20 C degrees for a fan oven. And be aware that domestic oven thermostats are frequently out by 10–20 degrees, which is a larger error than most conversions you will do — an oven thermometer is the fix. Full detail on the Celsius to Fahrenheit page.
The honest advice
If you bake more than occasionally, buy a digital scale and use weights. It removes the entire cups-to-grams problem, makes recipes reproducible, and means one bowl on the scale instead of a sink full of measuring cups. Every conversion on this page is an approximation of something a scale measures exactly.
Volume and weight conversion US, Imperial and metric measures, clearly labelled so you know which you are using.
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