Cooking Units by Country: Cups, Grams, Ounces and Spoons Explained
Convert recipes across countries with clear unit rules, tables, and quick tools.
Cooking measurements vary by country because kitchens adopted different standards long before recipes went global. The US still relies on volume based cups and fluid ounces. Most of Europe and the UK use weight in grams. Australia uses metric cups that are slightly larger than US cups. Older British and Irish recipes still use pounds and ounces. In baking, these differences can ruin texture when you do not adjust.
Weight beats volume in baking because it stays consistent. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 160 grams depending on how you scoop it. That swing changes hydration and gluten development. Professional bakers use grams because the scale does not care how you packed the ingredient. Volume is convenient, but it is not precise enough for repeatable results.
This page covers a country by country breakdown of common cooking units, conversion tables for the measurements people actually use, and a reference chart for oven temperatures across Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Gas Mark. You will also find quick inline converters for the most common kitchen conversions so you can adapt recipes without reloading the page.
Cooking Units by Country: Comparison Table
Measurement
United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Europe (metric)
Canada
Cup
240 mL (8 fl oz)
Not standard (use mL)
250 mL
Not standard
250 mL (approx.)
Tablespoon
14.79 mL
15 mL
20 mL
15 mL
15 mL
Teaspoon
4.93 mL
5 mL
5 mL
5 mL
5 mL
Fluid ounce
29.57 mL
28.41 mL
Not standard
Not standard
29.57 mL
Pint (liquid)
473 mL
568 mL
Not standard
Not standard
473 mL
Quart
946 mL
1,136 mL
Not standard
Not standard
946 mL
Gallon
3,785 mL
4,546 mL
Not standard
Not standard
3,785 mL
Pound (weight)
453.6 g
453.6 g
Not standard
Not standard
453.6 g
Ounce (weight)
28.35 g
28.35 g
Not standard
Not standard
28.35 g
Primary weight
oz / lbs
g / kg (modern)
g / kg
g / kg
g / kg / oz (mixed)
Primary volume
cups / fl oz
mL / L
mL / metric cups
mL / L
mL / cups (mixed)
Oven temp
Fahrenheit
Celsius + Gas Mark
Celsius
Celsius
Fahrenheit (informal)
Watch this: The Australian tablespoon (20 mL) is one third larger than the US tablespoon (14.79 mL). In recipes calling for multiple tablespoons, this difference is significant.
Country by Country Cooking Breakdown
🇺🇸 United States
US recipes lean on volume measurements like cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, and fluid ounces. Pros and many bakers use grams and ounces for accuracy. Oven temperatures use Fahrenheit.
1 US cup = 240 mL (use 240 mL for cooking)
1 US tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 14.79 mL
1 stick of butter = 113 g = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
Flour: 1 US cup = 125 g (spooned) to 150 g (scooped)
Sugar (granulated): 1 US cup = 200 g
Butter: 1 US cup = 227 g
Watch out for
"Stick of butter" is a US only shorthand. 1 stick equals 113 g and 8 tablespoons. If you share a recipe internationally, list grams alongside the stick measure.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Modern UK recipes use grams and millilitres. Older cookbooks can use pounds, ounces, and fluid ounces. Gas Marks appear in oven instructions alongside Celsius.
No standard cup measure. Recipes use mL or grams.
1 UK tablespoon = 15 mL
1 UK teaspoon = 5 mL
1 UK fluid ounce = 28.41 mL
1 UK pint = 568 mL (larger than US pint)
Gas 4 = 180°C = 350°F, Gas 6 = 200°C = 400°F
Watch out for
A US recipe that says "1 pint" means 473 mL, not the UK pint of 568 mL. Using the wrong pint in custards, ice cream bases, or soups can change thickness and yield.
🇦🇺 Australia
Australia uses metric units in modern recipes. The metric cup (250 mL) and tablespoon (20 mL) differ from US measures, so US recipes can drift if you do not convert.
1 AU cup = 250 mL (US cooking cup often uses 240 mL)
1 AU tablespoon = 20 mL (one third larger than US tablespoon)
1 AU teaspoon = 5 mL
Oven temperatures use Celsius
Weights use grams and kilograms
Watch out for
The AU tablespoon is a hidden trap. A recipe calling for 4 tablespoons means about 59 mL in the US, but 80 mL in Australia. Convert tablespoons to mL when you cross between US and AU recipes.
🇪🇺 Europe (continental)
European recipes lean on grams and millilitres. Cups are uncommon. Oven temps use Celsius, and many recipes assume fan ovens.
No standard cup measure
1 tablespoon = 15 mL
1 teaspoon = 5 mL
Oven temperatures in Celsius
Fan oven temperatures often run 20°C lower than conventional settings
Watch out for
Fan oven vs conventional temperature causes many failures. A recipe that lists 180°C for conventional often becomes 160°C for fan. US recipes do not always mention fan settings.
🇨🇦 Canada
Canada is officially metric, but kitchen habits are mixed. Many home cooks use US style cups, while pros lean metric. Many ovens show Fahrenheit even though weather uses Celsius.
Measuring sets may treat 1 cup as 250 mL, but some follow US style fractions
1 tablespoon = 15 mL
1 teaspoon = 5 mL
Ovens often use Fahrenheit
Weights commonly use grams, but ounces show up in casual recipes
Watch out for
Canadian and US recipes look similar, but cup sizes can differ by measuring set. If a Canadian recipe uses 250 mL cups, converting to US cups without adjusting can change batter thickness.
🇮🇳 India
Traditional Indian cooking uses informal measures like katori, handful, and pinch. Modern recipe sites increasingly use grams and mL for precision, especially for baking.
Katori often ranges 150 to 200 mL depending on the bowl
Tablespoon = 15 mL
Teaspoon = 5 mL
Tola = 11.66 g (appears in older contexts)
Weights use grams and kilograms in modern recipes
Watch out for
"1 katori" is not a precise unit. Start with 180 mL as a baseline, then adjust to taste and record grams for repeatable results.
🇯🇵 Japan
Japanese recipes use grams and millilitres. One traditional unit still matters in daily life: go for rice. Rice cooker cups are 180 mL and they are not the same as US cups.
1 go (rice cup) = 180 mL
Japanese tablespoon (osaji) = 15 mL
Japanese teaspoon (kosaji) = 5 mL
Rice cooker cups are 180 mL, not 240 mL
Weights in grams, oven temps in Celsius
Watch out for
If you use a US measuring cup with a Japanese rice cooker, your water ratio will be off. Use the cup that came with the cooker or measure 180 mL per rice cup.
🌍 Middle East
Many Middle Eastern recipes use metric weights, but traditional volume terms still appear. Some sources use a general cup term that varies by country.
Tablespoon = 15 mL
Teaspoon = 5 mL
"Cup" in traditional sources can range 200 to 250 mL
Modern recipes increasingly use grams and mL
Watch out for
Terms like "tea glass" and "coffee cup" are not standardized. Treat informal cup references as 200 to 250 mL, then convert your final working version into grams for repeatability.
Oven Temperature Chart: Celsius, Fahrenheit and Gas Mark
Description
Celsius (°C)
Fahrenheit (°F)
Gas Mark
Fan/Convection (°C)
Very low
120
250
1/2
100
Low
140
275
1
120
Low-moderate
150
300
2
130
Moderate
160
325
3
140
Moderate-hot
180
350
4
160
Hot
190
375
5
170
Hot
200
400
6
180
Very hot
220
425
7
200
Very hot
230
450
8
210
Extremely hot
240
475
9
220
Fan ovens: Fan ovens (convection) run hotter than conventional ovens. Reduce the temperature by 20°C (about 25°F) when using a fan oven, or follow your oven manual.
How Much Does 1 Cup Weigh? Reference Chart by Ingredient
Ingredient
1 US Cup (240 mL)
1 AU/CA Cup (250 mL)
All-purpose flour
125 g
130 g
Bread flour
130 g
135 g
Cake flour
100 g
104 g
Whole wheat flour
120 g
125 g
Granulated white sugar
200 g
208 g
Brown sugar (packed)
220 g
229 g
Powdered/icing sugar
120 g
125 g
Butter
227 g
236 g
Vegetable oil
218 g
227 g
Honey
340 g
354 g
Cocoa powder
85 g
88 g
Rolled oats
90 g
94 g
Rice (uncooked)
185 g
193 g
Milk
240 g
250 g
Water
240 g
250 g
Salt
288 g
300 g
Breadcrumbs (dry)
115 g
120 g
Note: These values are averages. Flour weight per cup can vary by up to 20% depending on how you measure it. Spooning flour into the cup weighs less than scooping from the bag. For baking, weigh in grams.
For cooking, a US cup is commonly treated as 240 mL. Some sources use 236.6 mL, but most recipe conversions round to 240 mL because it is easier. In baking, weigh ingredients in grams when you want consistent results.
No. An Australian cup is 250 mL, while a US cooking cup is typically 240 mL. That is 10 mL per cup. Over multiple cups, the difference can change dough hydration and batter thickness. Convert cups to mL when you adapt recipes.
Australia uses a 20 mL tablespoon in many measuring sets, while the US tablespoon is 14.79 mL and the UK metric tablespoon is 15 mL. That gap can throw off baking powder, salt, and oils. Convert tablespoons to mL for accurate cross country cooking.
Convert each ingredient separately using a weight chart, because a cup does not weigh the same for flour, sugar, and butter. Once you have gram values, save them in your notes so the recipe stays repeatable. For baking, grams are faster and more reliable than cups.
Gas Mark is an older UK and Irish oven setting system. Each Gas Mark maps to a temperature range, such as Gas 4 around 180°C and 350°F. Use a chart or converter to get Celsius and Fahrenheit, then adjust for fan ovens if your recipe assumes conventional heat.
A US cup of all purpose flour is often quoted around 125 g when you spoon flour into the cup, but it can rise toward 150 g if you scoop from the bag. That spread is why baking works better in grams. If you use cups, level the cup and avoid packing flour.
No. A US fluid ounce is 29.57 mL, while a UK fluid ounce is 28.41 mL. The difference adds up in sauces, soups, and custards. Convert fluid ounces to millilitres and measure by mL on a jug or with a scale for better accuracy.
Fan ovens cook faster because they circulate hot air. A common rule is to reduce the temperature by 20°C, about 25°F, when a recipe assumes a conventional oven. Always check your oven manual and watch browning time, especially for cookies and cakes.
In the US, 1 stick of butter equals 113 g. It also equals 8 tablespoons or half a US cup. Outside the US, this shorthand is not common, so it can confuse readers. Add grams to recipes so everyone can measure the same amount.
Katori is a small bowl used as a casual volume reference, and it varies by household. For a first try, treat 1 katori as about 180 mL, then adjust to taste. For repeatability, measure your bowl once in mL or grams and keep that value for future cooking.