Complete Cooking Measurement Guide
Whether you're halving a recipe or converting a foreign cookbook, understanding how cooking measurements relate to each other is an essential kitchen skill. This guide covers everything from teaspoons to gallons.
The US Measurement System
US recipes use a volume-based system built on the teaspoon as the base unit. Here's how everything stacks up:
| Measurement | Equivalent | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon (tsp) | — | 4.9 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (tbsp) | 3 tsp | 14.8 ml |
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 29.6 ml |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 59.1 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 78.9 ml |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 118.3 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 157.7 ml |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 177.4 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 236.6 ml |
| 1 pint | 2 cups | 473.2 ml |
| 1 quart | 4 cups | 946.4 ml |
| 1 gallon | 16 cups | 3,785 ml |
US vs Metric: Key Differences
The US system measures volume (how much space something takes up), while the metric system measures weight (how heavy something is). For liquids like water and milk, the difference is minimal — 1 cup of water is 240ml and weighs 240g. But for dry ingredients like flour, the difference is significant.
Pinch, Dash, and Smidgen
Old recipes sometimes call for a "pinch" or "dash" of an ingredient. These aren't precise, but here's a rough guide: a smidgen is about ⅟₃₂ teaspoon, a pinch is ¹⁄₁₆ teaspoon, and a dash is ⅛ teaspoon.
Quick Conversion Tips
To convert tablespoons to teaspoons, multiply by 3. To convert cups to tablespoons, multiply by 16. To convert cups to milliliters, multiply by 237. For dry ingredients, always use weight measurements when precision matters.
Use our Tablespoon to Teaspoon Converter for instant calculations.