Convert Kitchen Quantities & Measures | |
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User Guide
Use this tool to convert cooking ingredient quantities and temperatures to other units.
A recipe specifies the required quantities in a mixture of volume and weight measurements. You can use this tool to convert quantities into smaller units of measure, or to metric, us or imperial units.
It is important to follow the cooking instructions precisely in order to reproduce the taste, consistency and texture of the food. Choose the temperature converter to precisely determine the baking, roasting, or melting temperatures to use when reading from recipes in different units to your kitchen equipment.
Choose the measurand you want to convert by clicking on the appropriate button at the top, enter the value you wish to convert in the first box, and select the units you want to convert from and to, the converted value will then appear in the lower box with a red outline.
Pro Tip: Save your frequently used unit conversions for easy access. Select the desired measurands and units, and click “Save Settings” to create a unique URL link. Bookmark this link to quickly access your saved converters.
Weight
This is the most precise way of measuring the quantities of cooking ingredients in the kitchen. It is very repeatable with minimal error depending on the accuracy of weighing scales used, and is not affected by the consistency, temperature or density of the ingredient when measured. You will always have the best chance of reproducing the correct quantities of ingredient if they are specified in weight measures.
The typical metric and us/imperial units of weight used in the kitchen to measure quantities are grams (g), ounces (oz), pounds (lb), and kilograms (kg).
Volume
Although not the most precise measure for ingredients, volume is the most convenient and quickest way to measure quantities of ingredients for culinary recipes.
Measuring jugs intended for use in the kitchen have scales marked on the outside in millilitres (mL), litres (L), pints (pt) and fluid ounces (fl oz).
There are also standard measures named after common kitchenware such as teaspoons, dessertspoons, tablespoons and cups, which are often used in recipes in preference to more exact measurements, because they are easier to follow and relate to in terms of visualising whether you have enough to cook with. Since the metric, us and imperial versions of these volume units all differ from each other, it can lead to confusion and incorrect measures when using a recipe from the USA in Europe which uses the metric versions.
Due to the variation in kitchenware size, and interpretation of fill level, it is very difficult to measure quantities using spoons and cups without some kind of marking to indicate the fill level. However not all recipes require such high precision, and many will provide the measures as approximation, leaving you to make your own judgements based on experience and taste preferences.
Temperature
Setting and measuring the correct temperature during cooking is a fundamental consideration to avoid the food being undercooked or overcooked, which will lead to poor results and in some cases health issues if not cooked at the right temperature.
In European countries it is common to use degrees Celsius or Centigrade (°C) which is the metric unit for temperature measurement, and in the USA it is degrees Fahrenheit (°F) which is the us/imperial unit for temperature measurement. A recipe may use either, depending on which country it originated from.