Whether you're just starting out or you're a professional in the kitchen, knowing conversions is vital. Being able to quickly convert measurements of recipes is a fairly important task when you are cooking, otherwise you're wasting time looking it up or calling your mom for help. The most important conversions to have on hand are for volume and weight. Here's a brief rundown on volume and weight conversions but first things first, let's cover the basics.
Metric System vs. US System
The metric system uses units such as meter, liter, and gram to measure length, liquid volume, and mass. In the metric system, 1 liter equals 1000 mL. One metric cup equals 250 mL. You can easily calculate how many cups there are in one liter: 1000 / 250 = 4. Therefore, there are four cups in one liter in the metric system.
The U.S. customary system uses feet, quarts, and ounces to measure length, liquid volume, and mass. This system relies on the so-called US cup when it comes to measuring liquids. 1 US cup has a capacity of 236.58 mL or 8 US fluid ounces. One liter equals 1000 mL or 33.814 US fluid ounces.
Volume Conversions
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 milliliters
- 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup = 60 milliliters
- 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons = 30 milliliters
- 1 cup = 8 oz. = 250 milliliters
- 1 pint = 2 cups = 500 milliliters
- 1 quart = 4 cups = 950 milliliters
- 1 quart = 2 pints = 950 milliliters
- 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 3800 milliliters = 3.8 liters
Weight Conversion
- 1 ounce = 28.35 grams
- 1 pound = 16 ounces
- 1 pound = approximately 1/2 kilogram
- 1 kilogram = 1,000 grams
- 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
Volume vs. Weight Conversions
Another common conversion kitchen gurus can get stuck on includes converting grams and cups. The problem with converting between volume and weight is that it depends on what substance you are measuring for. Luckily, there are resources that can easily help you out.
Conversions can be a little overwhelming at first, but by keeping this chart on hand, cooking is about to get a whole lot easier. Feel free to print it out and keep it handy in your kitchen!
