Volume Conversions
Volume measurements — cups, tablespoons, teaspoons — are the backbone of American recipes. The relationships between them are fixed and worth memorizing, but until you do, here's the complete chart.
| Measure | Equivalent | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons | 15 ml |
| ⅛ cup | 2 tablespoons | 30 ml |
| ¼ cup | 4 tablespoons | 60 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 80 ml |
| ½ cup | 8 tablespoons | 120 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 160 ml |
| ¾ cup | 12 tablespoons | 180 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 237 ml |
| 1 pint | 2 cups | 473 ml |
| 1 quart | 4 cups | 946 ml |
| 1 gallon | 16 cups | 3.79 L |
| 1 fluid ounce | 2 tablespoons | 30 ml |
Need a conversion that's not on this chart? Our Cooking Unit Converter handles any volume, weight, or temperature conversion in real time.
Weight Conversions
Weight measurements are more precise than volume — a cup of flour can vary by 30% depending on how you scoop it, but 125 grams is always 125 grams. This is why professional bakers and most international recipes use weight.
| Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|
| ½ ounce | 14 grams |
| 1 ounce | 28 grams |
| 4 ounces (¼ lb) | 113 grams |
| 8 ounces (½ lb) | 227 grams |
| 12 ounces (¾ lb) | 340 grams |
| 16 ounces (1 lb) | 454 grams |
| 2 pounds | 907 grams |
| 2.2 pounds | 1 kilogram |
Oven Temperature Chart
Different countries, different scales. This chart covers the most common oven temperatures used in baking and roasting, with Fahrenheit, Celsius, and the traditional gas mark equivalents used in British recipes.
| Fahrenheit | Celsius | Gas Mark | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250°F | 120°C | ½ | Very low |
| 275°F | 135°C | 1 | Low |
| 300°F | 150°C | 2 | Low |
| 325°F | 160°C | 3 | Moderate low |
| 350°F | 175°C | 4 | Moderate |
| 375°F | 190°C | 5 | Moderate high |
| 400°F | 200°C | 6 | Hot |
| 425°F | 220°C | 7 | Hot |
| 450°F | 230°C | 8 | Very hot |
| 475°F | 245°C | 9 | Very hot |
| 500°F | 260°C | 10 | Broil |
Convection oven adjustment: reduce the temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) and check for doneness 5–10 minutes earlier. Convection fans circulate hot air, cooking food faster and more evenly.
Changed the temperature? Use our Cooking Time Converter to recalculate how long your dish needs at the new setting.
Common Ingredient Weights
A "cup" of different ingredients can weigh wildly different amounts. This is the most important chart for baking accuracy — and the reason many bakers prefer a kitchen scale.
| Ingredient | 1 Cup | 1 Tablespoon |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125 g (4.4 oz) | 8 g |
| Bread flour | 130 g (4.6 oz) | 8 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g (7 oz) | 12.5 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g (7.75 oz) | 14 g |
| Powdered sugar | 120 g (4.2 oz) | 7.5 g |
| Butter | 227 g (8 oz) | 14 g |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g (3 oz) | 5 g |
| Rolled oats | 90 g (3.2 oz) | 6 g |
| Honey / maple syrup | 340 g (12 oz) | 21 g |
| Milk | 245 g (8.6 oz) | 15 g |
| Olive oil | 216 g (7.6 oz) | 13.5 g |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185 g (6.5 oz) | 12 g |
Scaling a recipe up or down? Our Recipe Scaler handles fractions, decimals, and Unicode symbols — just enter your ingredients and set the new serving count.
Pan Sizes and Equivalents
If you don't have the exact pan a recipe calls for, you can often substitute with a different shape of similar volume. The key is matching total capacity so the batter depth stays about the same.
| Pan | Dimensions | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Round cake | 8" × 2" | 6 cups |
| Round cake | 9" × 2" | 8 cups |
| Square | 8" × 8" × 2" | 8 cups |
| Square | 9" × 9" × 2" | 10 cups |
| Rectangle | 9" × 13" × 2" | 14 cups |
| Loaf | 8.5" × 4.5" × 2.5" | 6 cups |
| Loaf | 9" × 5" × 3" | 8 cups |
| Bundt | 10" × 3.5" | 12 cups |
| Muffin cup | Standard | ⅓ cup each |
| Pie | 9" × 1.5" | 5 cups |
Substitution rule: an 8" round pan ≈ an 8" × 8" square pan ≈ a 9" × 5" loaf pan. A 9" × 13" rectangular pan holds about the same volume as two 9" round cake pans. When using a deeper or shallower substitute, adjust baking time — deeper batters take longer.
Measuring Tips for Accuracy
Dry ingredients
Spoon and level: For flour, cocoa, and powdered sugar, spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup and level off with a straight edge. Never scoop directly — it packs the ingredient and can add 20–30% more than intended. For sugar and oats, scooping is fine since they don't compress as easily.
Wet ingredients
Use a liquid measuring cup: Set it on a flat surface and bend down to read at eye level. The measurement line should align with the bottom of the meniscus (the curve at the surface of the liquid). Overfilling even slightly adds up across multiple ingredients.
Sticky ingredients
Spray the cup first: For honey, molasses, peanut butter, and maple syrup, spray the measuring cup with cooking spray before filling. The ingredient slides right out, giving you accurate measurement with no waste.
When in doubt, weigh it
A $15 digital kitchen scale is the single most impactful upgrade for baking accuracy. Professionals almost exclusively use weight because it eliminates the variability of volume measurement. If a recipe gives weight, use weight.
Missing a key baking ingredient? Our Baking Substitution Finder gives you exact swap ratios for eggs, butter, flour, milk, sugar, and more.