Cooking Measurement Converter — cups, grams & ml by ingredient

How it works

Converting a volume to a weight (or back) is not one fixed number — it depends on the ingredient's density. A cup is always the same volume (236.6 ml), but a cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of honey because honey is denser. This converter stores a density for each ingredient, derived from its USDA cup weight, and uses it to cross between the two:

• weight = volume × density — e.g. 1 cup (236.6 ml) of flour × 0.528 g/ml ≈ 120–125 g
• volume = weight ÷ density — e.g. 100 g of butter ÷ 0.96 g/ml ≈ 104 ml ≈ 0.44 cup

Conversions within one family don't need density: cups to tablespoons, or grams to ounces, are fixed ratios (1 cup = 16 tablespoons, 1 pound = 16 ounces). Density only matters when you cross from volume to weight.

Worked example

Converting 2 cups of all-purpose flour to grams, with a USDA cup weight of 125 g:

• 2 cups × 125 g/cup = 250 g

And 100 g of butter to cups, with butter at 227 g/cup:

• 100 g ÷ 227 g/cup ≈ 0.44 cup (about 7 tablespoons)

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't 1 cup always the same in grams?

Because grams measure **weight** and cups measure **volume**, and the two are linked by density, which differs per ingredient. A cup of flour (~125 g) is lighter than a cup of sugar (~200 g), which is lighter than a cup of honey (~339 g), even though all three fill the same cup.

How many grams is 1 cup of flour?

About **125 g** for all-purpose flour, using the USDA cup weight. Sifted or spooned flour can be a little lighter and scooped flour heavier, so weighing is more reliable than measuring by cup.

Should I measure by weight or by volume?

By **weight** when you can — a kitchen scale removes the cup-packing error that makes flour and brown sugar vary. This converter lets you turn any recipe's cups and spoons into grams so you can weigh instead.

Where do the ingredient weights come from?

From **USDA FoodData Central** (SR Legacy) standard cup weights — all-purpose flour 125 g, granulated sugar 200 g, butter 227 g, honey 339 g, and so on. Water is 1 g per millilitre by definition.

Does this work for any ingredient?

For the listed ingredients, yes. Others with a similar density convert closely, but very different ingredients (nuts, chopped vegetables) vary too much by how they're cut and packed to give a single reliable cup weight.

How do I convert tablespoons to grams?

Pick the ingredient, enter the number of tablespoons as the amount, set "From" to tablespoons and "To" to grams. A tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup, so it scales directly from the cup weight — e.g. 1 tablespoon of honey ≈ 21 g.