How this tool works
Volume-to-weight conversions depend on the ingredient. 1 US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125 grams. 1 US cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 grams. 1 US cup of butter weighs about 227 grams. 1 US cup of water weighs 240 grams. The conversion is not arithmetic; it's a lookup.
The densities I'm using:
- Water and most thin liquids (broth, milk, juice): 240 g/cup, 1 g/ml.
- All-purpose flour: 125 g/cup. Spooned and leveled (not packed).
- Granulated sugar: 200 g/cup.
- Brown sugar (packed): 213 g/cup.
- Butter: 227 g/cup. (1 stick = 113 g.)
- Oil: 218 g/cup.
- Uncooked white rice: 200 g/cup.
- Rolled oats: 90 g/cup.
- Honey or maple syrup: 340 g/cup.
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand): 144 g/cup.
If your kitchen scale gives a different number than mine, your scale is probably right and mine is the average. Brand differences (especially salt and flour) are real.
The conversions that don't depend on ingredient
- 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 240 ml (US).
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml.
- 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons = 30 ml.
- 1 ounce (weight) = 28.35 grams.
- 1 pound = 16 ounces = 453.6 grams.
These are pure unit conversions and don't care what's in the cup.
Why my recipes use weight when it matters
For most savoury cooking, volume is fine. A cup of broth, more or less, is a cup of broth. For baking, weight is much more accurate; "1 cup of flour" can vary by 30% depending on whether you scoop, spoon, or pack. If you bake even a few times a year, a $15 kitchen scale pays for itself.
The recipes on this site use volume measurements with weights in parentheses where the difference matters.