Cooking Converter
Convert cups, spoons, millilitres and grams for common ingredients.
US customary cups and spoons. Ingredient weights are typical averages and vary with how the ingredient is packed, sifted or measured.
Why a cup of flour and a cup of sugar weigh different amounts
A cup is a measure of volume, but recipes that work by weight are far more consistent. Because ingredients have different densities, the same cup holds about 125 g of all-purpose flour but around 200 g of granulated sugar. Choose the ingredient and this tool uses its typical density to convert between cups and grams.
| 1 US cup | ≈ 236.6 ml = 16 tablespoons |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons ≈ 14.8 ml |
| All-purpose flour | ≈ 125 g per cup |
| Granulated sugar | ≈ 200 g per cup |
Two cups of all-purpose flour weigh about 250 g, since a cup is around 125 g. Two cups of granulated sugar weigh about 400 g — the same volume, but a different weight because sugar is denser.
Why bakers reach for a scale
Cups measure volume, but baking is chemistry, and weight is far more consistent. A cup of flour can vary by twenty per cent or more depending on whether it was scooped or spooned and how settled it is — enough to change how a cake or loaf turns out. Weighing removes that guesswork.
Handy to know
- Cup sizes differ by country. A US cup is about 237 ml; a metric cup is 250 ml.
- Volume and weight aren't interchangeable between ingredients — a cup of flour and a cup of honey weigh very different amounts.
- For liquids, millilitres and grams are close enough for most recipes, since water is roughly 1 g per ml.