Cooking Measurement Conversions: Cups, Grams, ML & Tablespoons
Recipes from different countries mix cups, grams, milliliters and tablespoons — and getting them wrong can ruin a bake. Here's a practical kitchen conversion guide, plus the one catch that trips everyone up.
The catch: weight vs volume
Cups measure volume; grams measure weight. So "1 cup in grams" depends on the ingredient — a cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of sugar. Liquids are easier because 1 ml of water ≈ 1 g.
Volume conversions (reliable)
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 1 US cup | ≈ 237 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (US) | ≈ 15 ml |
| 1 teaspoon | ≈ 5 ml |
| 1 fluid ounce (US) | ≈ 29.6 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons |
Common ingredient weights (1 US cup)
| Ingredient | Approx. weight |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | ≈ 120 g |
| Granulated sugar | ≈ 200 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | ≈ 220 g |
| Butter | ≈ 227 g |
| Water / milk | ≈ 237 g |
For baking, weighing in grams is far more accurate than cups — a kitchen scale is the single best upgrade for consistent results.
US vs UK cups
A US cup is ~237 ml; a UK/metric cup is 250 ml. The difference is enough to matter in baking, so check which a recipe uses.
Convert any amount
For exact volume conversions (ml, liters, cups, gallons, tablespoons) use our unit converter — it shows your value in every related unit at once.
FAQ
How many ml in a cup?
About 237 ml for a US cup, 250 ml for a metric cup.
Why can't I just convert cups to grams directly?
Cups are volume and grams are weight, so it depends on the ingredient's density — use an ingredient-specific value.