How to Calculate Cooking Conversions: Cups to Grams, Ounces, and Milliliters for Perfect Recipes

Nothing ruins a recipe faster than using the wrong measurement. Whether you are following a European recipe that lists ingredients in grams while your measuring cups are in ounces, or adjusting a recipe for a different number of servings, knowing how to convert cooking measurements accurately is essential for consistent results.

Use our Volume Converter and Weight Converter for instant cooking measurement conversions.

Volume Measurements: Cups, Fluid Ounces, and Milliliters

Volume measures how much space an ingredient occupies. For liquids, volume is straightforward — 1 cup of water is always 8 fluid ounces. For dry ingredients, volume can be misleading because the same cup can hold very different weights depending on the ingredient.

US Volume	Fluid Ounces	Milliliters	Teaspoons/Tablespoons
1 cup	8 fl oz	237 ml	16 tbsp
¾ cup	6 fl oz	177 ml	12 tbsp
½ cup	4 fl oz	118 ml	8 tbsp
¼ cup	2 fl oz	59 ml	4 tbsp
1 tablespoon	½ fl oz	15 ml	3 tsp
1 teaspoon	¹⁄₆ fl oz	5 ml	—

Weight Conversions: Grams to Ounces for Common Ingredients

Here is the tricky part: 1 cup of different ingredients weighs different amounts. Professional bakers always measure by weight, not volume, because it is more precise.

Ingredient	1 Cup (grams)	1 Cup (ounces)
All-purpose flour	125 g	4.4 oz
Granulated sugar	200 g	7.1 oz
Brown sugar (packed)	220 g	7.8 oz
Butter	227 g	8 oz
Honey / maple syrup	340 g	12 oz
Rolled oats	90 g	3.2 oz
Rice (uncooked)	185 g	6.5 oz
Milk	240 g	8.5 oz

How to Scale Recipes Up or Down

If a recipe serves 4 and you need to serve 6, multiply every ingredient by 1.5 (6 ÷ 4 = 1.5). For serving 2, multiply by 0.5 (2 ÷ 4 = 0.5).

Example: A recipe calls for 2 cups of flour (for 4 servings). To make it for 6 servings: 2 × 1.5 = 3 cups of flour = 375 grams.

For baking, always convert to grams first. Scaling by volume multiples can amplify errors, especially for flour and leavening agents.

Quick Conversion Cheat Sheet

• 1 stick of butter = ½ cup = 113 g = 4 oz
• 1 lb (pound) = 454 g = 16 oz
• 1 kg = 2.2 lbs = 35 oz
• 1 liter = 4.2 cups = 33.8 fl oz
• 1 gallon = 16 cups = 3.78 liters
• Oven temperature: 350°F = 177°C (subtract 32, multiply by 5, divide by 9)

Metric-to-US quick formula: Multiply grams by 0.035 to get ounces. Multiply milliliters by 0.034 to get fluid ounces. Or just use the Volume Converter and Weight Converter to get instant, accurate results.

Why Weight Is Better Than Volume for Baking

Flour compresses easily. A “cup” of flour can vary from 110g to 150g depending on whether you scoop, spoon, or sift it. This 36% variance can make the difference between a perfect cake and a dense brick. Measuring by weight eliminates this guesswork.

For everyday cooking — soups, sauces, stir-fries — volume is fine. For baking and pastry, invest in a kitchen scale and use weight conversions for consistent results every time.

Convert any measurement instantly with the Weight Converter and Volume Converter at Today Calculator — no app needed, works on any device.