Weights & Measures for Recipes

Guest Author - Sandy Moyer

Measuring ingredients correctly can make a big difference in the way a recipe turns out...

Don't use tableware or silverware to measure ingredients. There are no standards sizes, so the size of a teaspoon or tablespoon from one set can be very different those of another set.

Use a set of standard measuring spoons and nested measuring cups for dry ingredients.

For liquids, use glass cups with graduated markings. Check the measure on a level surface, from the side of the cup.

Measuring Dry Ingredients
3 teaspoons(tsp)	1 Tablespoon (T)
4 Tablespoons	1/4 cup
8 Tablespoons	1/2 cup
5 1/3 Tablespoons	1/3 cup
16 Tablespoons	1 cup (C)
2 cups	1 pint (pt)
4 cups	1 quart (qt)
2 pints	1 quart
2 quarts	1/2 gallon
4 quarts	1 gallon (gal)
8 quarts	1 peck (pk)
4 pecks	1 bushel (bu)

Measuring Liquids
1/2 fluid ounce	1 Tablespoon	1/16 cup
1 fluid ounces	2 Tablespoons	1/8 cup
2 fluid ounces	4 Tablespoons	1/4 cup
4 fluid ounces	8 Tablespoons	1/2 cup
8 fluid ounces	16 Tablespoons	1 cup
16 fluid ounces	2 cups	1 pint
32 oz.fluid ounces	4 cups	1 quart
64 oz. fluid ounces	8 cups	2 quarts
128 fluid ounces	4 quarts	1 gallon

Measuring food by weight

4 ounces = 1/4 pound

8 ounces = 1/2 pound

16 ounces = 1 pound

Volume of Standard Commercial Can Sizes

Number 2 can = 2-1/2 cups

Number 2-1/2 = 3-1/2 cups

Number 10 can = 13 cups

Oven Temperatures

Use these settings as a rough guide.

Slow = 250º to 350º Fahrenheit

Moderate = 350º to 400º degrees Fahrenheit

Quick or Hot = 400º to 450º degrees Fahrenheit

Very Hot = 450º to 500º degrees Fahrenheit

Here's a few of the most common food equivalents.

1 stick butter or margarine	1/2 cup
2 cups butter, margarine, or shortening	1 pound
1 cup flour	1/4 pound
4 cups flour	1 pound
2 cups granulated. sugar	1 pound
3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar	1 pound
2-1/2 cups brown sugar	1 pound
4 cups ground cocoa	1 pound

See How Much? How Many? for more equivalents like these.

Click here for Metric/English Measurement Conversion Tables,
including an interactive Fahrenheit/Celsius converter.