International Cooking Conversions: US, UK, Australian & Metric Cups Explained

The Problem Nobody Talks About

You find a beautiful Australian banana bread recipe online. You follow it exactly. The loaf comes out dense and weirdly salty. What went wrong? Probably the tablespoon. The Australian tablespoon holds 20 mL — one-third more than the 15 mL tablespoon used everywhere else. If that recipe called for 2 tablespoons of baking powder, you added significantly less than intended.

This guide exists because the internet is full of recipes written in measurement systems that vary by country, and almost no recipe tells you which system it uses. Once you know the differences, adapting any recipe becomes straightforward. Use the cups-to-milliliters converter for precise on-the-fly calculations, and keep this page bookmarked as your reference.

Cup Sizes by Country

The word “cup” refers to three meaningfully different volumes depending on where a recipe was written. The most common sources of confusion are the US cup versus the metric cup — a difference of about 13.4 mL that adds up quickly in larger recipes.

Modern UK recipes have almost entirely abandoned cups in favour of weight (grams) and metric volumes (mL). If you encounter a British recipe that uses cups, it is almost certainly old enough to mean the Imperial cup. For all current Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand recipes, assume the 250 mL metric cup. For any US recipe, use 236.588 mL. Use our volume converter to switch between these standards instantly.

Tablespoon Sizes by Country

The tablespoon discrepancy is the single biggest source of baking failures when working with international recipes. The Australian tablespoon at 20 mL is a direct result of Australia's metric conversion in the 1970s, when the government rounded the old imperial measure upward. Every other major English-speaking country standardized at 15 mL. For precision baking, a 33% error in baking powder or salt is significant.

Practical rule: If you are using an Australian recipe with a non-Australian tablespoon, measure 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for every tablespoon the recipe calls for. Conversely, if you are using a US recipe with an Australian tablespoon, use about three-quarters of a tablespoon. This matters most for baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and spice blends.

Why UK and Australian Recipes Use Grams

Ask any professional pastry chef in London or Sydney what they think of cup measurements, and you will get an eye-roll. The reason is simple: cups measure volume, not mass, and the density of dry ingredients varies enormously based on how they are handled. A cup of all-purpose flour can range from 120 g to 165 g depending on whether it was sifted, spooned into the cup, or scooped directly from the bag. That is a 37% range for a supposedly fixed measurement.

Grams eliminate this problem entirely. 150 g of flour is always 150 g, regardless of how fluffy or compressed it is. This is why every serious baking book published in the UK, Australia, or Europe gives weights rather than volumes for dry ingredients, and why food science writers consistently recommend buying a kitchen scale if you bake more than occasionally.

Common Ingredient Weight Guide (per 1 US Cup)

The weights below are for the US cup (236.588 mL) using the spoon-and-level method for dry ingredients. If you are using a 250 mL metric cup, multiply these figures by 1.057 to get the correct weight.

The Stick of Butter Confusion

American recipes routinely call for “1 stick of butter” or “2 sticks of butter.” Outside the United States, butter is simply sold by weight — there is no “stick.” Here is everything you need to decode the stick:

• 1 stick = 113 g = 4 oz = ½ cup = 8 tablespoons
• 2 sticks = 227 g = 8 oz = 1 cup
• 4 sticks = 454 g = 16 oz = 1 lb (a standard US package)
• ½ stick = 56.5 g = 4 tablespoons = ¼ cup
• ¼ stick = 28 g ≈ 2 tablespoons

The wrappers on US butter sticks are printed with tablespoon markings, which is why American recipes freely mix cup, tablespoon, and stick notation interchangeably. If you are buying European-style butter sold in 250 g blocks, you will need to weigh your portions rather than rely on markings.

Salt: Volume Measurements Are Unreliable

Salt is one of the most problematic ingredients to measure by volume because the grain size varies dramatically between types. A teaspoon of fine table salt contains roughly twice the sodium of a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has large, hollow flakes. Morton kosher salt falls in between. This is why professional recipes — and most modern food writing — specify salt by weight in grams whenever precision matters.

• Table salt (fine): ~6 g per teaspoon
• Morton kosher salt (medium flake): ~4.8 g per teaspoon
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt (large flake): ~2.8 g per teaspoon
• Flaky sea salt (e.g. Maldon): ~2.5 g per teaspoon

If a recipe says “1 teaspoon kosher salt” without specifying the brand, it is safest to assume Diamond Crystal — the most commonly used brand in US test kitchens. When adapting for another salt type, weigh rather than measure by volume if precision is important.

Oven Temperature Conversion Table

American recipes give oven temperatures in Fahrenheit; British and Australian recipes use Celsius; older British recipes may still specify Gas Mark. Fan-assisted (convection) ovens run hotter — as a rule of thumb, reduce the target temperature by 15–20°C (25–35°F) when using a fan oven, or follow the manufacturer's guidance.

For the exact formula, use our temperature converter. The conversion is: °C = (°F − 32) × 5 ÷ 9.

Quick Adaption Guide: Country by Country

When a recipe comes from a specific country, use these quick rules before you start cooking:

• US recipe → metric: Use 236.6 mL per cup (or weigh dry ingredients). Oven temperatures in °F; convert to °C. Tablespoons are 15 mL.
• Australian recipe → US: Use 236.6 mL instead of 250 mL per cup (roughly ⅔ less each time). For each tablespoon of a precision ingredient, use 1 tbsp + 1 tsp. Oven temperatures already in °C; convert to °F if needed.
• British recipe (modern): Nearly always in grams and mL — no cup conversion needed. Oven in °C. Gas Mark references are from older recipes.
• British recipe (pre-1970): May use Imperial cups (284 mL). Tablespoons were based on the old gill and measure 17.76 mL. Weigh everything if possible.
• Canadian or New Zealand recipe: Metric cup (250 mL), 15 mL tablespoon. Very close to Australian except for the tablespoon size. Oven in °C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a US cup the same as an Australian cup?

No. The US cup holds 236.588 mL while the Australian metric cup holds 250 mL. For most cooking the 13 mL difference is negligible, but for baking — where ratios matter — use the correct cup or convert to grams. See our cups-to-milliliters converter to check exact values.

Why is the Australian tablespoon larger?

When Australia metricated in the 1970s, the government standardized the tablespoon at 20 mL by rounding up from the old imperial measure. Every other major English-speaking country settled on 15 mL. This means an Australian recipe's tablespoon of baking powder is one-third more than the same measure made with a US or Canadian tablespoon.

What is a stick of butter in grams?

One US stick of butter = 113 g (4 oz = ½ cup = 8 tablespoons). Two sticks = 227 g = one cup. Non-American bakers can simply weigh the butter on a kitchen scale rather than trying to portion a block.

Why do UK and Australian recipes use grams instead of cups?

Because a cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 g to 165 g depending on how it is measured. Grams are exact regardless of technique, which is why professional bakers worldwide prefer weight over volume for dry ingredients. If you bake regularly, a kitchen scale is the single most valuable tool you can own.

For more detail on specific conversions, see the complete cooking conversions guide or use the volume converter for any cup, tablespoon, or milliliter calculation.