USA Units

Conversions are hell! Especially when every country in the world uses metric units, apart from the USA (and maybe Canada, sometimes?). Let it be said that cup measurements are inherently imprecise: should they be packed down hard, scooped, filled to the brim or heaped? Then what about dessertspoons, tablespoons, and sticks of butter?

My choice is to use metric everywhere, with the exception of (metric) spoon measurements, which will be levelled. Spoons are mostly for things such as ground spices, dried yeast, and small quantities of liquids.

For early recipes here I was happy to use metric or pounds and ounces, but never cups. I’m a lot stricter now.

This next is one that everyone needs, not least because self-raising flour is unknown outside of the UK:

If you don’t have self-raising flour, substitute 240g plain flour, mixed with 1 tsp baking powder and 0.5 tsp salt.

And, on to the conversions…

Ounces

One ounce = 28.35g (28g) 8 oz = 226.8g (225g) 1 lb = 453.59g (450g)

Cups

One cup in grams:

Flour 120g
Sugar 200g
Butter 225g
Cream (heavy/double) 240g Liquid 240g

Spoons

teaspoon 5ml
dessertspoon 10ml (may vary in American measures)
tablespoon 15ml

tablespoon of butter: 14g

Temperature

300F 150C
325F 165C
350F 175C
360F 180C
375F 190C 400F 205C 450F 230C
475F 250C