Kitchen Measurement Conversion Chart: Cups, Ounces, Spoons, Metric and Baking Weights

A U.S. kitchen cup is 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons. Two cups make a pint, 4 cups make a quart, and 16 cups make a gallon. Those figures are volume. A pound is 16 weight ounces, or about 454 grams, and a cup of flour does not weigh the same as a cup of sugar.

U.S. volume at a glance

Measure	Equals
1 teaspoon	1/3 tablespoon
1 tablespoon	3 teaspoons, or 1/2 fluid ounce
1 cup	8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons
1 pint	2 cups, or 16 fluid ounces
1 quart	2 pints, 4 cups, or 32 fluid ounces
1 gallon	4 quarts, 16 cups, or 128 fluid ounces

These are U.S. customary liquid measures, the ones used in most American recipes. A U.S. cup is exactly 8 U.S. fluid ounces, or 236.588 milliliters (about 237 mL), per NIST conversion tables. U.S. nutrition labels round the cup to 240 mL. A metric cup, common in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, is 250 mL. See How Many Oz in a Cup? and How Many Milliliters Are in a Cup?

A U.S. liquid quart is 4 cups. A gallon is 4 quarts, 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces. Related guides: cups in a quart, cups in a gallon, quarts in a gallon, cups in a pint and ounces in a gallon.

Three teaspoons make 1 tablespoon, and 16 tablespoons make 1 cup. See teaspoons in a tablespoon and tablespoons in a cup.

Fluid ounces are not weight ounces

Fluid ounces measure volume. Weight ounces measure mass. Eight fluid ounces of water weigh about 8 ounces, but 1 cup of all-purpose flour is only about 4¼ ounces, or 120 grams. Use a liquid cup for water, milk and oil, a dry cup for flour and sugar, and a scale when a recipe lists grams or ounces by weight.

Metric kitchen measures

U.S. measure	Metric equivalent
1 teaspoon	4.93 mL (often rounded to 5 mL)
1 tablespoon	14.79 mL (often rounded to 15 mL)
1 fluid ounce	29.57 mL
1 cup	236.59 mL (about 237 mL)
1 gallon	3.785 liters
1 liter	about 33.81 U.S. fluid ounces

An imperial (U.K.) gallon and pint are larger than the U.S. measures with the same names. A U.S. gallon is 3.785 liters; an imperial gallon is 4.546 liters. See liters in a gallon and milliliters in a fluid ounce.

Baking weights for one cup

Cups of different ingredients do not weigh the same. Widely used U.S. approximations, with flour spooned and leveled, are about 120 g for all-purpose flour, 198 g for granulated sugar, 213 g for packed brown sugar, 113 g for unsifted powdered sugar, and 227 g for butter (two sticks). King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart is a standard reference. See also how to convert grams to cups, how much is a stick of butter, ounces in a pound and grams in an ounce.

Frequently asked questions

How many ounces are in a cup?

There are 8 U.S. fluid ounces in 1 U.S. cup. That is a volume measure. A cup of a dry ingredient is usually not 8 ounces by weight.

Is a fluid ounce the same as a weight ounce?

No. A fluid ounce measures volume; an ounce (avoirdupois) measures weight. They match closely only for water and similar liquids, where 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) weighs about 8 ounces, or 237 grams.

How many grams are in a cup of flour?

A level cup of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, is about 120 grams. Scooping from the bag packs in more flour and can add 20 to 30 grams, which is why bakers prefer a scale.

Helpful kitchen tools

• OXO Good Grips 2-Cup and 4-Cup Glass Measuring Cup Set — A 2-cup and a 4-cup (1-quart) liquid cup with U.S. and metric marks.
• OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons, 8-Piece Set — Dry cups (1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup) and spoons (1/4 tsp through 1 tablespoon) with etched marks.
• OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Digital Kitchen Food Scale — Weighs in grams and ounces, with a tare (zero) button and a pull-out display.
• Kitchen Conversion Chart Magnet (AKS Magnets) — An 11-by-8.5-inch fridge magnet for volume, weight and oven-temperature conversions.

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