Recipe converter and serving scaler

Volume vs. weight: why a cup does not always weigh the same

A cup measures volume: 236.588 ml for the US cup. But a cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of water, so the ingredient matters when you convert to grams or ounces. This tool uses common kitchen weights:

Exact volume equivalents

\[ \begin{gathered} 1\ \text{US cup} = 236.588\,\text{ml} = 16\ \text{tbsp} = 8\ \text{fl oz} \\ 1\ \text{US tbsp} = 14.787\,\text{ml} = 3\ \text{tsp} \\ 1\ \text{US tsp} = 4.929\,\text{ml} \\ 1\ \text{oz} = 28.35\,\text{g} \qquad 1\ \text{lb} = 453.59\,\text{g} \end{gathered} \]

Recipes from outside the US often use metric spoons (5 ml and 15 ml) and a 250 ml cup. Both sets of measures are available here.

Scaling a recipe

To go from 4 to 6 servings, multiply every amount by \( \dfrac{6}{4} = 1.5 \). Keep the oven temperature but expect different baking times if you change pan size. Seasoning, salt and leavening do not always scale in a straight line: add a little less, then taste.

Recipe converter: weight reference table

Here are reference values for one US cup. However, they vary a bit with how you fill the cup.

So a recipe that calls for 2 cups of flour needs about 250 g. To measure by cup, spoon the flour in and level it off, without packing.

Recipe converter: scaling servings

To scale a recipe, follow these steps. First, divide the servings you want by the starting servings. Then multiply every amount by that ratio. For example, a recipe for 4 that must feed 6 gets multiplied by 1.5. So 1 cup of flour becomes 1.5 cups.

However, cooking times and spices do not always scale. Taste before you add salt. Also, a bigger pan cooks faster. To compute a ratio, use the proportion calculator.

Recipe converter: oven temperatures and other units

American recipes already use Fahrenheit, but many European ones use Celsius. To convert, use the temperature converter. For example, 350°F is about 177°C, often rounded to 180°C. Likewise, 400°F is 204°C, a hot oven.

For other measures, open the unit converter. Finally, weigh your ingredients when you can: a kitchen scale beats a cup for accuracy.

Recipe converter: spoons, glasses and small measures

For small amounts, remember these equivalents. One teaspoon is about 5 ml and one tablespoon is about 15 ml. So 3 teaspoons make a tablespoon. A fluid ounce is about 30 ml, and a pint holds 16 fluid ounces, or about 473 ml. For example, a recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons of oil needs about 30 ml.

Also, a level tablespoon of flour weighs close to 8 g, while a tablespoon of sugar weighs about 12 g. For salt, count 18 g. However, these weights vary with how tightly you pack.

Recipe converter: frequent mistakes

Three mistakes come up often in baking. First, people mix US, Canadian and Australian cups, which differ slightly. Second, they convert a dry ingredient by volume as if it were water. Third, they pack the flour, which adds up to 20% in weight.

Therefore, weigh flour, sugar and butter when you can. In contrast, for water, milk and oil, volume is enough. Finally, use a dry measuring cup for solids and a liquid cup with a spout for liquids.