A one-page reference for converting recipes between British, American and metric measures. Exact conversions are given where the units are defined exactly, and conventional kitchen equivalents are marked as such.
Oven temperatures
Oven settings are conventional equivalents rather than exact conversions: 350 °F is precisely 176.7 °C, but recipes pair it with 180 °C and gas mark 4. For fan (convection) ovens, reduce the conventional temperature by about 20 °C, or follow the manufacturer's guidance.
| Gas mark | Conventional °C | Fan °C | °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | 110 | 90 | 225 |
| ½ | 120 | 100 | 250 |
| 1 | 140 | 120 | 275 |
| 2 | 150 | 130 | 300 |
| 3 | 170 | 150 | 325 |
| 4 | 180 | 160 | 350 |
| 5 | 190 | 170 | 375 |
| 6 | 200 | 180 | 400 |
| 7 | 220 | 200 | 425 |
| 8 | 230 | 210 | 450 |
| 9 | 240 | 220 | 475 |
Spoons and cups to millilitres
| Measure | Millilitres | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | US teaspoon 4.93 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (UK, metric) | 15 ml | 3 teaspoons |
| 1 tablespoon (US) | 14.79 ml | treat as 15 ml |
| 1 tablespoon (Australia) | 20 ml | 4 teaspoons |
| 1 US cup | 236.59 ml | 16 US tablespoons |
| 1 metric cup | 250 ml | Australia, NZ, Canada |
| 1 UK fluid ounce | 28.41 ml | |
| 1 US fluid ounce | 29.57 ml | |
| 1 UK pint | 568.26 ml | 20 UK fl oz |
| 1 US pint | 473.18 ml | 2 US cups |
Ounces to grams
Older British recipes are in ounces. An ounce is exactly 28.349523125 g. Many recipe writers round 1 oz to 25 g or 30 g for convenience; that works as long as you use the same rounding for every ingredient, because the proportions stay the same. Never mix an imperial recipe with metric amounts halfway through.
| Ounces | Exact grams | Common recipe rounding |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28.3 g | 25 to 30 g |
| 2 | 56.7 g | 50 to 55 g |
| 4 | 113.4 g | 110 to 115 g |
| 6 | 170.1 g | 170 to 175 g |
| 8 | 226.8 g | 225 g |
| 12 | 340.2 g | 340 to 350 g |
| 16 | 453.6 g | 450 g |
Cups to grams
Cups measure volume, so the weight depends on the ingredient. Typical figures for a US cup, spooned and levelled: plain flour about 120 g, granulated sugar about 200 g, butter about 227 g, rolled oats about 90 g. For other ingredients and amounts, use our cooking converter, and weigh ingredients when you can.
Liquids
For water and most thin liquids, 1 ml weighs about 1 g, so you can weigh liquids on kitchen scales. Milk is slightly heavier (about 1.03 g per ml) and oil lighter (about 0.92 g per ml).
Tin sizes and scaling
To scale a recipe for a different tin, compare areas. A 23 cm round tin has an area of about 415 cm² and a 20 cm round tin about 314 cm², so the larger tin needs about a third more mixture. Baking times may change too, so check early.
Frequently asked questions
What is 180 °C in gas mark?
Gas mark 4, which is 350 °F. In a fan oven use about 160 °C.
How many grams in a cup of sugar?
About 200 g of granulated sugar in a US cup.
Is a British tablespoon the same as an American one?
Practically, yes: 15 ml against 14.79 ml. The Australian tablespoon (20 ml) is the one to watch.