Teatime on the Porch

Easy Recipes for Anytime

U.S. Unit Conversions

At the beginning of this page you’ll find the most important U.S. units of measurement and their equivalents in the metric system. Below you’ll find conversion tables for common ingredients. I’ll be adding more ingredients over time. If you miss an ingredient, just write me and I’ll add it! At the end of this page I have listed common oven temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit corresponding to degrees Celsius.

Volume

U.S. MeasurementAbbreviationMetric Equivalent
teaspoontsp1 tsp = 5 ml
tablespoontbsp1 tbsp = 15 ml
U.S. customary cupc1 c = 237 ml (236.59 ml)
U.S. legal cupc1 c = 240 ml
Fluid ouncefl oz1 fl oz = 29.57 ml
Liquid pintpt1 pt = 473 ml
Quartqt1 qt = 946 ml

As you can see in the table above, the U.S. cup is available in two different sizes. The U.S. customary cup (237 ml) is the official size, but the U.S. legal cup (240 ml) is more commonly found in stores. In the following photos you will see a typical U.S. measuring cups and spoons set.

Weight

U.S. MeasurementAbbreviationMetric Equivalent
poundlb1 lb = 454 g
ounceoz1 oz = 28.35 g

Length

U.S. MeasurementAbbreviationMetric Equivalent
inchin1 in = 2.54 cm

I find the following equivalents helpful:

  • 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 8 ounces
  • 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons = 6 ounces
  • 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces
  • 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 2 ounces
  • 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce
  • 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 1/2 ounce
  • 2/3 tablespoon = 2 teaspoons = 1/3 ounce
  • 1/3 tablespoon = 1 teaspoon = 1/6 ounce

Common Ingredients – U.S. Cups to Grams

IngredientVolumeWeight
Agave1 cup336 g
All-purpose flour1 cup125 g
Brown sugar, light or dark (packed)1 cup200 g
Butter1 cup227 g
Cake flour1 cup120 g
Cheese, cheddar, shredded1 cup113 g
Cheese, mozzarella, shredded1 cup112 g
Cheese, parmesan, grated1 cup100 g
Chocolate chips1 cup170 g
Cocoa powder, unsweetened1 cup80 g
Greek yogurt, plain1 cup227 g
Honey1 cup339 g
Maple syrup1 cup315 g
Pecans, chopped1 cup120 g
Powdered sugar1 cup120 g
Ricotta cheese1 cup248 g
Sour cream1 cup240 g
Sugar, granulated1 cup200 g
Vegetable oil1 cup224 g
Walnuts, chopped1 cup120 g
Yogurt, plain1 cup225 g

Common Ingredients – U.S. Tablespoons to Grams

IngredientVolumeWeight
Agave1 tbsp21 g
All-purpose flour1 tbsp8 g
Butter1 tbsp14 g
Chia seeds1 tbsp12 g
Cinnamon, ground1 tbsp8 g
Cocoa powder, unsweetened1 tbsp5 g
Cornstarch1 tbsp8 g
Honey1 tbsp21 g
Lemon zest1 tbsp6 g
Maple syrup1 tbsp20 g
Powdered sugar1 tbsp7.5 g
Salt1 tbsp18 g
Sugar, granulated1 tbsp12.5 g
Vegetable oil1 tbsp14 g

Common Ingredients – U.S. Teaspoons to Grams

IngredientVolumeWeight
Baking powder1 tsp4.6 g
Baking soda1 tsp4.6 g
Cinnamon, ground1 tsp2.6 g
Lemon zest1 tsp2 g
Salt1 tsp6 g
Sugar, granulated1 tsp4 g
Vanilla extract1 tsp4 g
Vanilla sugar1 tsp4 g

Butter (Butter) – Sticks of Butter to U.S. Cups and Grams

Volume (Sticks of Butter)Volume (Cups)Weight
1/2 stick1/4 cup57 g
1 stick1/2 cup113 g
1 1/2 sticks3/4 cup170 g
2 sticks1 cup227 g (= 8 oz)
4 sticks2 cups454 g (= 1 lb)

All-Purpose Flour – U.S. Cups to Grams

VolumeWeight
1 cup125 g
3/4 cup94 g
2/3 cup83 g
1/2 cup63 g
1/3 cup42 g
1/4 cup31 g

Granulated Sugar – U.S. Cups to Grams

VolumeWeight
1 cup200 g
3/4 cup150 g
2/3 cup133 g
1/2 cup100 g
1/3 cup67 g
1/4 cup50 g

Temperature Conversions

Fahrenheit (°F)Celsius (°C)
275135
300149
325163
350177
375191
400204
425218
450232
475246
500260

Egg Size in U.S. Recipes

U.S. recipes usually call for large eggs. Be sure to check if the egg size corresponds to the egg size in your country. In EU countries, for example, you must use medium eggs when the U.S. recipe calls for large eggs.