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    Home / Cooking Conversions

    Imperial (U.S. customary) and Metric Measuring Systems in Cooking

    Mar 2, 2024 · Updated: Mar 13, 2024 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

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    cups used to measure.

    Learn the basics of cooking conversions between Imperial or U.S. customary units and Metric measurement systems so you can quickly convert recipe ingredients from cups to millimeters and grams, or the other way around.

    cups used to measure.

    Learn about the imperial or US customary or standard system and metric measurement systems and how to convert to one from the other. This is important to know and I'll tell you why.

    United States cooks use US customary units (USCS). While the USCS has ties with Imperial measurement system, which is still used in Britain, some sources say it is incorrect to say the US employs the imperial system so I will typically refer to the US system as being customary.

    The US customary system is also referred to as the standard measurement system in the United States. It has ties to the imperial measurements system still used by Britain, but there are many differences. The rest of the world uses the metric system, a decimal-based system that uses grams and liters.

    Since American cooks and international cooks encounter each other's recipes, the need for conversion charts is real, and that's why I wrote this post and provided you with some useful conversion lists and charts below.

    What is the Imperial System?

    The Imperial System of Measurement was invented in the early 1800s and embraced then by Great Britain. Since the United States was a newly formed country, and still being influence by Great Britain, the USA too adopted the imperial system of measurement. At some point, gradual changes were made to separate the imperial system used by Great Britain, mostly regarding volume measurements, and it developed into the US customary unit system in place within the United States today. Now, that system has deep roots in government, education and society so although there is talk about switching the US to the metric system to match the rest of the world, it would be hard to execute. NASA alone tried and failed back in the early 2000s. Currently they use both systems. [source]

    The US customary system uses units of measure such as cup, ounce, pint, quart and gallon. It is also often referred to as the US standard system or English measurement system.

    What is the Metric System?

    The metric system was created a bit earlier and adopted by France and many other countries followed. Great Britain eventually caved too in 1965 and adopted the metric system, but the United States continues to use the imperial system which now has deep roots in the country's infrastructure, retain industry and society. The metric system uses units of measure such as grams and liters.

    image of a measuring cup full of flour and leveled off.

    Difference Between Metric & Imperial (US customary)

    The US customary system and the imperial system is based on fractions, whereas the metric system is based on multiples of 10 which results in decimal points. All systems have exceptions to their rules which can make things a bit confusing.

    For instance, British beers are served in metric pints but are 20 ounces, different from the USA's standard pint which is 16 ounces. Also the British system still employs the term gallon, even though they've overall dropped the imperial system and are now using metric which does not have a gallon.

    Then there's the fact that the Australian's use a metric system with even more differences. And the United States, while it continues to embrace a version of the imperial system, has, as I said, renamed it the US standard or the US Customary system of units. See why it's confusing?

    Some Common Imperial (US customary) & Metric Measurements

    Here are some measuring units that each system uses and some conversions.

    Imperial (US customary)

    3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoons
    16 tablespoons = 1 cup
    2 cups = 1 pint
    2 pints = 1 quart
    4 cups = 1 quart
    16 cups = 1 gallon
    8 ounces = 1 cup
    16 ounces = 1 pint
    32 ounces = 1 quart
    128 ounces = 1 gallon

    Metric

    1000 grams in 1 kilogram
    1000 milligrams in 1 gram
    1000 milliliters in 1 liter
    1000 meters in 1 kilometer

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    Abbreviations for Cooking Measurements

    Both measurement systems have a shorthand of abbreviations for each unit of measurement. I have bolded the most commonly used choice.

    MeasurementAbbreviation
    CupC, c
    Gramg
    Kilogramkg
    LiterL, l
    Poundpound
    Milliliterml, mL
    Ounceoz
    Pintpt
    Teaspoont, teaspoon
    TablespoonT, TB, Tbl, Tbsp, tablespoon

    Imperial to Metric Conversions

    While the United States is perfectly content using the US customary units or converted imperial system with its cups and gallons and the rest of the world carries on merrily with the metric system and things like grams and liters, there are times both sides need to know how to convert imperial to metric and visa versa. Such times often occur with recipes.

    For instance, if you are from the United States, and you want to create a recipe by a British food blogger, you'll need to convert the measurements of the recipe to US customary units to match your knowledge and cooking measuring tools.

    Here are two helpful charts of common cooking conversions, the first for volume, the second for weight. Screenshot to your phone for future reference.

    📌Imperial (US customary) to Metric Volume Conversions

    US standard/customaryMetric
    1 teaspoon5 mL
    1 tablespoon15 mL
    ⅛ cup or 2 tablespoons30 mL
    ¼ cup or 2 fluid ounces60 mL
    ⅓ cup80 mL
    ½ cup or 4 fluid ounces125 mL
    ⅔ cup160 mL
    ¾ cup or 6 fluid ounces180 mL
    1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or ½ pint250 mL
    1 ½ cup or 12 fluid ounces
    375 mL
    2 cups or 1 pint or 16 fluid ounces500 mL
    3 cups or 1 ½ pints700 mL
    4 cups or 2 pints or 1 quart950 mL
    4 quarts or 1 gallon3.8 L
    1 ounce28 grams
    ¼ pounds or 4 ounces112 grams
    ½ pounds or 8 ounces225 grams
    ¾ pounds or 12 ounces337 grams
    1 pounds or 16 ounces450 grams

    📌Imperial (US Customary) to Metric Weight Conversions

    U.S. standard/customaryMetric
    1 ounce28 grams
    4 ounces or ¼ pound113 grams
    ⅓ pound150 grams
    8 ounces or ½ pound230 grams
    ⅔ pound300 grams
    12 ounces or ¾ pound340 grams
    16 ounces or 1 pound450 grams
    32 ounces or 2 pounds900 grams
    64 ounces or 4 pounds1800 grams
    128 ounces or 8 pounds3600 grams
    tablespoons and cups for the tablespoons in a cup chart.

    📌Some Conversions For Popular Ingredients

    Here are a few conversions from 1 cup (imperial/customary) to grams (metric) done for you to assist you with your cooking conversions.

    IngredientsImperial/US customary (cups)Metric (grams)
    Flour1 cup150 grams
    Cane sugar1 cup225 grams
    Brown sugar1 cup, packed200 grams
    Powdered sugar1 cup125 grams
    Butter1 cup225 grams
    Butter½ cup/stick113 grams
    Berries1 cup150 grams
    Nuts1 cup110 grams
    Rice/Quinoa1 cup200 grams

    📌Free Kitchen Measuring Conversion Chart

    Download my free kitchen measuring conversion chart and either post it on your refrigerator, or laminate it and add it to your recipe notebook. It can be a handy reference when you want to convert measurements to adjust a recipe, both imperial or metric.

    FAQS

    Why is imperial or customary better for cooking?

    Imperial measurement system or US customary is better for cooks in kitchens across the United States because that is the measurement system understood by the American people.

    What is the main difference between imperial and metric?

    In cooking, the main difference is in the units. Imperial units or U.S. standard system units use ounces, cups, pints and gallons. Metric units are milliliters and grams.

    Is an ounce imperial or metric?

    An ounce is a unit of measure within the imperial measurement system. The metric counterpart is the gram.

    Is a cup an imperial or metric?

    The cup is a unit of measure for the imperial or U.S. standard measurement system.

    More Cooking Conversion Resources

    If you found this post about the imperial and metric systems helpful, you might also like some of my other measurement posts including my how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon explainer, and even my Celsius and Fahrenheit conversion chart.

    Also, if you visit any recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review on a recipe or a 📝 comment here if you have thoughts or questions.

    More Cooking Conversions

    • How many grams in an ounce.
      How Many Grams in an Ounce? (+ Free Conversion Chart)
    • how many tablespoons in a cup.
      How Many Tablespoons are in a Cup? (+ Free Kitchen Conversion Guide)
    • 6 tablespoons into cups.
      6 Tablespoons to Cups
    • how many ounces are in a pound.
      How Many Ounces In A Pound (oz to lbs)

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    dee dine

    My name is Dee Dine and I’m a two-time cookbook author and certified nutritionist. Here you’ll find clean healthy recipes made with few ingredients, dairy free, & gluten free. About Dee →

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