Cooking Measurement Converter
Free cooking measurement converter. Convert between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, fluid ounces, milliliters, liters, and more — US customary units.
Quick answer
Conversions are based on US customary units: 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 8 fl oz = 236.59 ml. UK/Australian cups are 250 ml. For weight conversions of dry ingredients, use a scale — a cup of flour can vary 10-15% by scoop technique alone.
Cooking Measurement Converter
Equivalent measurements
How it works
All conversions use US customary measurements (1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 8 fl oz = 236.59 ml). UK and Australian "cup" measurements are slightly different — UK cup = 250 ml, Australian cup = 250 ml — so check your recipe's source if precision matters.
When to use it
Following a recipe written in metric when you only have US measuring cups, halving an awkward measurement (e.g., "what is half of 3 tbsp?"), or converting a "1 fluid ounce" call into teaspoons because you don't own a jigger.
Common mistakes
Confusing fluid ounces (volume) with weight ounces (mass). 1 fl oz of flour weighs about 0.6 oz; 1 fl oz of honey weighs about 1.4 oz. Use a kitchen scale for baking — volume measurements are inherently imprecise.
How the conversion works
All conversions go through milliliters as the canonical unit. The standard US cup is 236.5882 ml; tablespoon is 14.7868 ml; teaspoon is 4.9289 ml; fluid ounce is 29.5735 ml. The calculator multiplies your input by the source unit's ml value, then divides by each target unit's ml value to display equivalents in cups, tbsp, tsp, fl oz, ml, l, pints, quarts, and gallons simultaneously.
When to use it
Following a recipe in different units than your measuring tools. Halving an awkward measurement (what's half of 3 tbsp? 4.5 tsp). Converting fluid-ounce shot recipes to teaspoons. Translating between US recipes and metric kitchens. Bulk meal prep where 'cups of stock' is too imprecise.
Common mistakes
- Confusing fluid ounces with weight ounces. 1 fl oz of flour weighs ~0.6 oz; 1 fl oz of honey weighs ~1.4 oz. The 'fl' is mandatory — check whether your recipe means volume or weight.
- Using US conversions on UK/Australian recipes. A UK cup is 284 ml (Imperial) or 250 ml (metric). An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml (vs. 14.79 ml in the US). Recipes from non-US sources may not work cleanly with US conversions.
- Scooping flour to measure cups. Volume measurements of dry ingredients vary 10-15% based on scoop technique. For baking, weigh ingredients (1 cup all-purpose flour = ~120 grams).
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons in a cup?
16 tablespoons in a US cup. Also: 8 fluid ounces, 48 teaspoons, 236.59 milliliters. UK and Australian cups are 250 ml (slightly more than US).
Are US and UK measurements the same?
No. A US cup is 236.59 ml; a UK metric cup is 250 ml; the older Imperial UK cup is 284 ml. UK and Australian tablespoons are larger than US (20 ml vs. 14.79 ml). For recipes from other countries, check the source's units.
Should I measure by volume or weight?
For liquids, volume is fine. For dry baking ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa), weighing is much more accurate — volume measurements vary 10-15% by technique. A kitchen scale is one of the highest-leverage purchases for serious home baking.