Cooking Units
Convert between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, milliliters, and more.
Recipe Scaling
Perfect for adjusting recipes, baking, and international cooking conversions.
Metric & Imperial
Seamlessly convert between US, UK, and metric cooking measurements.
Understanding Cooking Unit Conversion
Cooking measurements vary by region, with the US primarily using cups and tablespoons, while most other countries use milliliters and grams. Understanding these conversions is essential for following international recipes and scaling dishes accurately.
US measurements: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 236.6 ml (approximately 240 ml for practical purposes). 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 14.8 ml (often rounded to 15 ml). These conversions help ensure recipe success when working with different measurement systems.
Common Usage Examples
- Baking: Converting cup measurements to grams for precision
- International Recipes: Adapting recipes from different countries
- Recipe Scaling: Doubling or halving recipe quantities
- Liquid Measurements: Converting between cups, ml, and fl oz
- Spice Measurements: Converting teaspoons to milliliters
- Cooking Shows: Following recipes with different measurement systems
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup. This is a fundamental conversion for scaling recipes and converting between different measurement systems.
How many milliliters in a cup?
1 US cup equals 236.6 milliliters, though it's often rounded to 240 ml for practical cooking purposes. This slight difference won't significantly affect most recipes.
What's the difference between US and UK measurements?
A US cup is 236.6 ml while a UK (imperial) cup is 284 ml. Similarly, US tablespoons are 14.8 ml vs 17.7 ml for UK. Always check which system a recipe uses!
How do I convert dry and liquid measurements?
Volume measurements (cups, ml) work for both liquids and dry ingredients. However, for precision baking, it's better to weigh dry ingredients in grams as their cup volume can vary based on how they're packed.