Why grams are better
A cup measures volume, not weight. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 110 to 160 grams depending on how it's scooped. Professional bakers weigh ingredients because it gives consistent results every time. A basic digital kitchen scale is inexpensive and makes baking more reliable.
Common conversions (US cup, 240 ml)
All-purpose flour: about 120–125 g per cup when spooned and leveled. Granulated sugar: about 200 g. Brown sugar, packed: about 220 g. Powdered sugar: about 120 g. Butter: about 227 g (two sticks). Rolled oats: about 90 g. Milk and water: about 240 g. Honey: about 340 g. Cocoa powder: about 85 g. Our cups to grams converter covers more ingredients.
Spoon and level
If you've to use cups, spoon flour into the cup and level it with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour and can add 20% or more, leading to dry, dense cakes.
US vs. metric cups
A US customary cup is about 240 ml, a metric cup used in Australia, Canada and New Zealand is 250 ml and the old UK imperial cup was about 284 ml. For most home recipes the difference is small, but it matters for bread and delicate pastry.
Tablespoons and teaspoons
One US tablespoon is about 15 ml and one teaspoon about 5 ml. A tablespoon of sugar weighs about 12.5 g, of butter about 14 g, and a teaspoon of salt about 6 g, though flaky salts weigh much less.
Converting oven temperatures
Many recipes from Europe list oven temperature in Celsius. 180°C is about 350°F; use our Celsius to Fahrenheit converter for others.
Liquids
For water and milk, 1 ml weighs about 1 g, so 250 ml ≈ 250 g. Oils are lighter (about 0.92 g/ml) and syrups heavier. To convert liters to US gallons, use our liters to gallons converter.
Scaling recipes
Weighing makes it easy to halve or double recipes accurately. Use our ratio calculator to scale ingredient amounts while keeping proportions exact.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a cup of flour?
About 120–125 g of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
How many grams is a cup of sugar?
About 200 g of granulated sugar.
How many grams is a cup of butter?
About 227 g, which is two US sticks.
Is a US cup the same as a metric cup?
No; a US cup is about 240 ml and a metric cup is 250 ml.