A recipe from a US food magazine lists ingredients in cups, ounces and Fahrenheit. The professional kitchen works in grams, millilitres and Celsius. Before scaling the recipe, you need quick conversions for every unit in the list.
Cooking Unit Converter
Kitchen
Weight: 1 oz = 28.35g · 1 lb = 453.6g · 1 kg = 2.205 lb
Volume: 1 cup = 250 mL (AU) · 1 tbsp = 15 mL · 1 tsp = 5 mL · 1 fl oz = 29.6 mL
Temperature: Fan = conventional − 20°C · Gas Mark 4 = 180°C = 350°F
Volume: 1 cup = 250 mL (AU) · 1 tbsp = 15 mL · 1 tsp = 5 mL · 1 fl oz = 29.6 mL
Temperature: Fan = conventional − 20°C · Gas Mark 4 = 180°C = 350°F
💡 Australian cups are 250 mL. US cups are 240 mL — a small difference that matters in precise baking.
Reference: Taste.com.au — Conversion Charts
Results are estimates for planning purposes. Verify with current standards and a qualified professional.
1 What this calculator does
Converts between common cooking measurement units: weight (g, kg, oz, lb), volume (mL, L, cups, tbsp, tsp, fl oz), temperature (C to F, F to C, C to fan-forced) and cups to mL. Provides all conversions in one view for quick reference.
2 Formula & professional reasoning
Weight: 1 kg = 1,000g | 1 lb = 453.6g | 1 oz = 28.35g
Volume: 1 L = 1,000mL | 1 cup (AU) = 250mL | 1 US cup = 240mL | 1 tbsp (AU) = 20mL | 1 US tbsp = 15mL | 1 tsp = 5mL | 1 fl oz = 29.57mL
Temperature C to F: F = C x 9/5 + 32 | F to C: C = (F-32) x 5/9
Fan-forced: Fan C = Conventional C - 20
Professional kitchens use metric (grams and mL) for accuracy and consistency. Home recipes from the US use cups, tablespoons and ounces. International recipe books use a mix of all systems. The cooking unit converter provides instant reference for all common conversions. The critical distinctions: AU tablespoon (20mL) differs from US (15mL) by 25%; AU cup (250mL) differs from US (240mL) by 4%; and fan-forced ovens run 20C hotter than their setting compared to conventional ovens.
3 Worked examples
⚠️ Illustrative example only — not clinical or professional instruction.
Basic
Convert 250g butter to cups
Given: Amount: 250 | From: grams | Type: weight | To: oz and lb
Working:
Oz: 250 / 28.35 = 8.82 oz | Lb: 250 / 453.6 = 0.551 lb | Kg: 250 / 1000 = 0.25 kgAnswer: 250g = 8.82 oz = 0.55 lb = 0.25 kg
💡 For butter to cups: 250g / 227g per cup = 1.10 cups (use baking conversion for ingredient-specific cup weights).
Standard
Convert 2.5 cups to mL and litres
Given: Amount: 2.5 | From: cups (AU) | Type: volume
Working:
mL: 2.5 x 250 = 625mL | L: 625/1000 = 0.625L | tbsp: 625/20 = 31.25 AU tbsp | tsp: 625/5 = 125 tspAnswer: 2.5 AU cups = 625mL = 0.625L = 31.25 AU tbsp
💡 If the recipe uses US cups: 2.5 x 240mL = 600mL (25mL less). For liquids this is minor; for concentrated ingredients like cream of tartar or salt, specify AU or US tablespoon.
Advanced
Full recipe unit conversion for a US recipe
Given: 375F (oven) | 2 cups flour | 1/2 cup butter | 1 tsp vanilla | 3/4 cup sugar | 2 oz dark chocolate
Working:
375F: (375-32)x5/9 = 190.6C conventional | Fan-forced: 170.6C | Flour: 2 cups (US) = 2x240 = 480mL volume; use baking converter for grams | Butter: 1/2 cup US = 120mL = 113g | Vanilla: 1 tsp = 5mL | Sugar: 3/4 cup US = 180mL = 150g | Chocolate: 2 oz = 56.7gAnswer: Oven: 191C conventional or 171C fan-forced | Butter: 113g | Vanilla: 5mL | Chocolate: 57g
💡 Always convert US cups for dry ingredients using the Baking Conversion Calculator which applies ingredient-specific densities -- not a simple mL conversion.
4 Sanity check
Key weight conversions
1 oz = 28.35g | 1 lb = 453.6g | 1 kg = 2.205 lb | 100g = 3.53 oz
Key volume conversions
1 AU cup = 250mL | 1 US cup = 240mL | 1 AU tbsp = 20mL | 1 US tbsp = 15mL | 1 tsp = 5mL (same AU and US) | 1 fl oz = 29.57mL
Key temperature conversions
100C = 212F (boiling) | 180C = 356F | 200C = 392F | 220C = 428F
Fan-forced: subtract 20C from conventional Celsius.
Tsp is the same in AU and US
1 tsp = 5mL in both AU and US systems | Only tbsp differs: AU 20mL vs US 15mL
5 Common errors
| Error | Cause | Consequence | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using a simple mL calculation to convert cups of dry ingredients | Treating cups as a pure volume measure for all ingredients | Ingredient weight significantly wrong -- 1 cup of flour is not the same weight as 1 cup of sugar despite the same volume | For dry ingredients, use the Baking Conversion Calculator which applies ingredient-specific densities (g per cup). Volume to weight conversion for dry baking ingredients requires knowing the density of each specific ingredient. |
| Not noting AU vs US tablespoon when adapting recipes | Assuming all tablespoons are 15mL | A recipe from a US book measured in AU tablespoons will use 25% more of any tablespoon measure than intended | AU tablespoon is 20mL; US tablespoon is 15mL. For leavening agents (baking powder, bicarb), spices and salt, specify and use the correct size. For large volumes of liquid (milk, water), the difference is less critical. |
| Confusing fl oz and oz | Treating fluid ounces (volume) and ounces (weight) as the same unit | Liquid volume calculation wrong when weight-based conversion is applied | Fluid ounce (fl oz) is a volume measure: 1 fl oz = 29.57mL. Ounce (oz) without 'fluid' is a weight measure: 1 oz = 28.35g. They are completely different units with the same name. Check context to determine which is meant. |
| Forgetting to adjust oven temperature when the recipe uses a different oven type | Not noting whether the recipe is written for fan-forced or conventional | Baked goods overcooked (fan in a conventional recipe) or undercooked (conventional in a fan recipe) | Check whether the recipe specifies fan-forced or conventional. Most UK and AU recipes specify one or the other. US recipes assume a conventional oven unless noted. Subtract 20C for fan-forced when the recipe was written for conventional. |
6 Reference & regulatory links
🇦🇺 Australia
7 Professional workflow
Common tools used alongside this one: