Cooking Measurement Converter
Cups to grams, tablespoons, and ounces.
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American recipes use cups, European ones use grams — this converter bridges the gap. Because a cup of flour and a cup of honey weigh very different amounts, it adjusts for the ingredient to give you an accurate weight.
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Cooking Conversions — The Quick Answer
Volume units are fixed (1 cup = 236.6 ml, 1 tbsp = 14.8 ml), but weight depends on the ingredient. One cup of flour is about 125 g, while a cup of sugar is about 200 g.
Shortcut
grams = (volume in ml ÷ 236.6) × grams per cup for that ingredient
One US cup in grams, by ingredient
| Ingredient | Grams per cup |
|---|---|
| Water / milk | ~237 g |
| All-purpose flour | 125 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g |
| Butter | 227 g |
| Honey | 340 g |
| Cocoa powder | 100 g |
Volume-to-volume conversions (cups to tablespoons, ml to fl oz) are exact. Volume-to-weight depends on ingredient density, which is why the same cup can be 100 g of cocoa or 340 g of honey.
How It Works
The Method
Volume, then density
Formula
ml = amount × ml per unit grams = (ml ÷ 236.6) × grams per cup ounces = grams ÷ 28.35
Variables
Volume conversion
Fixed factors: 1 cup = 236.6 ml, 1 tbsp = 14.8 ml, 1 tsp = 4.93 ml, 1 fl oz = 29.6 ml.
Ingredient density
How much one cup of that ingredient weighs — flour 125 g, sugar 200 g, honey 340 g, and so on.
Grams per ounce
To convert the weight into ounces for US recipes.
Note: Cup measurements for dry goods are notoriously imprecise — scooping versus spooning flour can change the weight by 20% or more. For baking, weighing is far more reliable.
Worked Example: Converting 1 Cup of Flour to Grams
Why the ingredient matters
Note the volume and ingredient
1 US cup (236.6 ml) of all-purpose flour
Apply that ingredient's density
Flour ≈ 125 g per cup
Read the weight
1 cup flour ≈ 125 g (≈ 4.4 oz)
Compare with a denser ingredient
The same cup of honey ≈ 340 g — nearly 3× heavier
Reference Guide
| Ingredient | Per US cup |
|---|---|
| Water / milk | ~237 g |
| All-purpose flour | 125 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g |
| Butter | 227 g |
| Honey | 340 g |
| Cocoa powder | 100 g |
Why Cups and Grams Don't Agree
Volume, weight, and when it matters
A cup measures space; a gram measures mass. Because ingredients have different densities, one cup holds ~125 g of flour but ~340 g of honey. That's why a single cups-to-grams number can't work for everything — the converter needs the ingredient.
Best for: Understanding why the ingredient is required
A kitchen scale is far more consistent than cups, especially for flour, which can vary by 20% or more depending on how it's scooped. Baking is ratio-dependent, so that error shows up in the result — which is why serious recipes list grams.
Best for: Accurate, repeatable baking
A US cup is about 237 ml, a metric cup is 250 ml, and older imperial cups differ again. Recipes from different countries assume different cups, so converting to grams sidesteps the ambiguity entirely.
Best for: Following recipes from different countries
Why Recipe Measurements Don't Match
A cup of flour and a cup of honey are both 'one cup', yet one weighs about 125 g and the other about 340. The cup measures volume (space), while grams measure weight (mass), and because ingredients pack different amounts of mass into the same space, 'a cup' means a different weight for every ingredient. That's why this converter asks which ingredient you're measuring — it needs the density to turn a volume into a weight. For savoury cooking, cups are fine; for baking, where ratios are precise, weighing is far more reliable, which is the deeper reason to convert cups to grams in the first place.
Key Features
💡 Pro Tips
- →For baking, weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale whenever you can — it removes the biggest source of inconsistency.
- →Spoon flour into the cup and level it off rather than scooping, which packs in extra and can add 20% more.
- →Check whether a recipe uses US or metric cups; the 13 ml difference adds up in baking.
- →When a recipe only gives cups, convert per ingredient here rather than assuming one gram figure fits all.
Common Mistakes
Using one cups-to-grams number for every ingredient
Density differs enormously — a cup of cocoa is ~100 g, a cup of honey ~340 g. A single conversion factor gives wildly wrong weights.
Measuring flour by scooping
Scooping compacts flour, adding up to 20% more than a spooned-and-levelled cup. In baking that's the difference between tender and dense.
Assuming all cups are equal
US (237 ml) and metric (250 ml) cups differ, as do tablespoons by country. Converting to grams avoids the ambiguity entirely.
Research & Citations
Sources and standards referenced for the factual claims on this page
- [1]
King Arthur Baking Company (2023). Ingredient Weight Chart (grams per cup by ingredient). kingarthurbaking.com.
Source of the per-cup ingredient weights used here.
View source - [2]
McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Scribner.
Reference on measuring by weight versus volume.
View source
This calculator is a reference tool, not a substitute for professional advice. Verify important health, financial, legal, or safety decisions with a suitably qualified professional.
Last updated: October 8, 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams are in a cup of flour?
About 125 g for all-purpose flour, though it varies with how you measure it — spooned and levelled gives around 120–125 g, while scooping can pack in 140 g or more. For accuracy, weigh it.
Why can't I use one conversion for all ingredients?
Because density differs. A cup is a fixed volume (236.6 ml), but a cup of cocoa powder weighs about 100 g while a cup of honey weighs about 340 g. That's why this converter asks for the ingredient.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 US tablespoons in a US cup, and 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon (48 teaspoons per cup). These volume relationships are exact, regardless of ingredient.
Should I measure baking ingredients by weight or volume?
By weight, whenever possible. A kitchen scale eliminates the big errors that come from packing or aerating dry ingredients, which is why most serious baking recipes list grams. This converter helps when a recipe only gives cups.