Why ingredient matters

A cup is a volume, while grams are a weight. A cup of flour weighs much less than a cup of honey, so choose the closest ingredient before converting.

Kitchen measurement limits

Recipe cups are usually US cups of 240ml, but some older recipes use a different size. Weight is more repeatable for baking, especially with flour. Scooping and packing an ingredient changes its volume, so use the conversion as a practical estimate rather than laboratory precision.

For the most dependable bake, use the weight given by the recipe or its own stated cup conversion.

Kitchen conversion questions

How much is one tablespoon?

For UK-style recipe conversions, use 15ml for a tablespoon and 5ml for a teaspoon. A standard recipe cup is treated here as 240ml.

Why does flour convert differently from sugar?

They have different densities. A cup of flour contains more air than a cup of sugar, so it weighs less. Use digital scales when accuracy matters most.

Getting a more dependable conversion

Use level spoons and cups unless the recipe says heaped. For flour, spoon it gently into the cup rather than compacting it, then level the top. Different countries can use different cup sizes, so look for a note in the original recipe before converting a large batch. The calculator uses a 240ml cup, which is the common US recipe measure. Gram weights are usually the most consistent choice for bread, pastry and cakes. When a recipe provides both cups and grams, follow the grams unless it says the cup size is different.

For sticky ingredients such as honey, lightly coating the spoon can help the full amount slide out. For flour, avoid dipping the cup straight into the bag because that compacts it and can add far more than the recipe expects. Small measuring differences matter most in cakes, bread and pastry.

A simple kitchen rule

For baking, weigh ingredients when you can. Cups and spoons are handy for everyday cooking, but flour settles, sugar packs down and sticky ingredients cling to the measure. The original recipe's gram weight is the better number when it is available.