Why a cup is not a fixed weight
A cup measures volume. Different ingredients weigh different amounts for the same volume, so a cup of flour and a cup of sugar have very different weights. That is why professional bakers weigh ingredients. A digital kitchen scale is the single best way to get consistent results.
The charts below use the US cup (about 237 ml), which most online recipes use.
Cups to grams by ingredient
| Ingredient | 1 cup | ½ cup | ¼ cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose (plain) flour, spooned and levelled | 120 to 125 g | 60 g | 30 g |
| Bread flour | about 130 g | 65 g | 33 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 100 g | 50 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | about 215 g | 108 g | 54 g |
| Icing (powdered) sugar | about 120 g | 60 g | 30 g |
| Butter | 227 g (2 US sticks) | 113 g (1 stick) | 57 g |
| Rolled oats | about 90 g | 45 g | 23 g |
| Uncooked white rice | about 185 to 200 g | 95 g | 48 g |
| Cocoa powder | about 85 to 100 g | 45 g | 23 g |
| Honey or syrup | about 340 g | 170 g | 85 g |
| Water or milk | about 240 g | 120 g | 60 g |
| Chopped nuts | about 120 g | 60 g | 30 g |
| Chocolate chips | about 170 g | 85 g | 43 g |
How you fill the cup matters. Scooping flour straight from the bag packs it down and can add 20 to 30 percent more. Spoon it into the cup and level it with a knife.
Liquid volume conversions
| US measure | Millilitres (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) | 15 ml |
| 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) | 30 ml |
| ¼ cup | 60 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 80 ml |
| ½ cup | 120 ml |
| 1 cup | 240 ml (more precisely 237) |
| 1 pint (2 cups) | 475 ml |
| 1 quart (4 cups) | 950 ml |
| 1 gallon | 3.8 litres |
Watch out for:
- Metric cup: 250 ml in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
- Australian tablespoon: 20 ml, not 15.
- UK pint: 568 ml, not 475.
Spoons
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon of butter is about 14 g.
- 1 teaspoon of salt is about 6 g for table salt, but only about 3 g for flaky salt. Use the type the recipe specifies.
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder is about 4 g.
Use proper measuring spoons, not cutlery, which varies a lot in size.
Weight conversions
| Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce | 28 g |
| 4 ounces (¼ lb) | 113 g |
| 8 ounces (½ lb) | 227 g |
| 16 ounces (1 lb) | 454 g |
| 2.2 lb | 1 kg |
Oven temperatures
| Fahrenheit | Celsius (conventional) | Celsius (fan) | Gas mark | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250°F | 120°C | 100°C | ½ | Very low |
| 300°F | 150°C | 130°C | 2 | Low |
| 325°F | 160°C | 140°C | 3 | Moderately low |
| 350°F | 180°C | 160°C | 4 | Moderate |
| 375°F | 190°C | 170°C | 5 | Moderately hot |
| 400°F | 200°C | 180°C | 6 | Hot |
| 425°F | 220°C | 200°C | 7 | Hot |
| 450°F | 230°C | 210°C | 8 | Very hot |
Recipes round these figures. Exactly, 350°F is 177°C and 400°F is 204°C.
Formulas:
- Fahrenheit to Celsius: subtract 32, multiply by 5, divide by 9.
- Celsius to Fahrenheit: multiply by 9, divide by 5, add 32.
Fan ovens cook faster: reduce the temperature by about 20°C (25°F) from a conventional-oven recipe.
Scaling a recipe up or down
Multiply every ingredient by the same factor. To make 1.5 times a recipe that uses 200 g of flour, use 300 g. Our guide to calculating percentages explains the maths for any change.
A few things do not scale perfectly: baking times for larger cakes, pan sizes, and strong ingredients such as salt, spices and raising agents, which are best increased slightly less and adjusted to taste.
Quick tips
- Weigh flour and sugar for baking; measure liquids by volume.
- Use a clear jug at eye level for liquids.
- Level dry ingredients with a knife.
- Check your oven with an oven thermometer. Many run hotter or cooler than the dial says.
For temperatures that matter for safety rather than taste, see our chart of safe cooking temperatures for meat.
Key takeaways
- Cups measure volume, so grams per cup vary by ingredient.
- 1 US cup is about 240 ml; a metric cup is 250 ml.
- 350°F is about 180°C, or 160°C in a fan oven, gas mark 4.
- A kitchen scale makes conversions unnecessary and baking more reliable.