Hello everyone,

Well, today I have an interesting topic to share with you all….i.e. ‘Common Ingredient Measurements’. Yes, Cooking is something we often go around to satisfy our never ending appetite with different kinds of recipes and yummy dishes. And in our way to satisfy our taste buds, we try a wide range of recipes from our local television cooking shows and cook books. Sometimes, we even try beyond our countries local food varieties and go after international and continental recipes to have new and variety tastes. But is it really helpful to cook an international recipe with your own measurement calculations!?  Is it not confusing while talking about measuring ingredients? Let us try to find the best answer to all our doubts and make our way clear before we cook a perfect international recipe. Hope you all are also interested about our today’s topic.

In regards to cooking, measurement is everything! Yes, measuring ingredients in a right way using right measurement calculations is the key factor that makes sure your dish comes out well, exactly as you planned. You can find conversions of various common ingredient measurements and measurement abbreviations, often seen in cook books in this post.

Common Cooking Abbreviations

Different cook books from different countries often use common cooking abbreviations, which causes a lot of confusion while preparing a dish. Even in our daily life cooking practice, we often get confused with the two words commonly used to measure ingredients such as ‘a tea spoon and a table spoon’. People go mistaken for one another at maximum number of times. Because their abbreviations look almost similar but are different with slight difference.

• A Tea Spoon is denoted with a lower case ‘t’
• A Table Spoon is denoted with a upper case or capital ‘T’

Getting confused with the abbreviations can spell disaster to your dish. Therefore, I have come up with a compiled list of common cooking abbreviations along with their corresponding units of measurement. Find below:

Cooking Abbreviations	Unit of Measurements
g	gram
kg	kilo gram
C, c	Cup
lb	pound
oz	ounce
pt	pint
t, tsp	tea spoon
L, l	litre
T, TB, Tbsp, Tbl	tablespoon
mL, ml	milliliter

Units of cooking measurements used in different countries

Mass and Weight

Ounce – oz

mg – milligram or milligramme

g – gram or gramme

Kg – kilogram or kilogramme

Pound – lb or #

Length

cm – centimetre or centimetre

m – meter or metre

inch – in or “

mm – millimter or millimetre

Volume

fluid ounce – fl oz

gallon – g or gal

cup – C or c

pint – p or pt or fl pt – specify imperial or US

tea spoon – t or tsp

table spoon – T or TB OR Tbl or Tbsp

quartz – q or qt or fl qt – specify imperial or US

ml, also milliliter, millilitre, cc (and mL only in the US, Canada and Australia)

dl, also deciliter, decilitre (and dL only in the US, Canada and Australia)

l, also liter, litre, (and L only in the US, Canada and Australia)

gill (about 1/2 cup)

Temperature

Conversion Table

Gas mark             Fahrenheit         Celsius Verbal

n/a         150°       66°          Drying

n/a         158°       70°          Drying

n/a         175°       79°          Drying

n/a         176°       80°          Drying

n/a         194°       90°          Drying

1/4         200°       93°          Very Slow/Very Low

1/4         212°       100°       Very Slow/Very Low

1/4         225°       107°       Very Slow/Very Low

1/4         230°       110°       Very Slow/Very Low

1/2         248°       120°       Very Slow/Very Low

1/2         250°       121°       Very Slow/Very Low

1/2         266°       130°       Very Slow/Very Low

1              275°       135°       Slow/Low

1              284°       140°       Slow/Low

2              300°       149°       Slow/Low

2              302°       150°       Slow/Low

3              320°       160°       Moderately Slow/Warm

3              325°       163°       Moderately Slow/Warm

3              338°       170°       Moderately Slow/Warm

4              350°       177°       Moderate/Medium

4              356°       180°       Moderate/Medium

5              374°       190°       Moderate/Moderately Hot

5              375°       191°       Moderate/Moderately Hot

6              392°       200°       Moderately Hot

6              400°       204°       Moderately Hot

7              425°       218°       Hot

7              428°       220°       Hot

8              446°       230°       Hot/Very Hot

8              450°       232°       Hot/Very Hot

9              464°       240°       Very Hot

9              475°       246°       Very Hot

9              482°       250°       Very Hot

10           500°       260°       Extremely Hot

n/a         518°       270°       Extremely Hot

n/a         525°       274°       Extremely Hot

Now that you are aware of all the appropriate common cooking abbreviations, let us focus on the most common conversion measurements and common ingredient measurements in cooking.

Aussies Cooking Styles, Formats and Measurement Units

From around the world, different classic recipes are offered from different countries using a specific measuring chart of measuring units. These classic recipes not only differ in their taste and locality but also differ from cooking style to science and mainly in using different measuring cups and their sizes. Wherever you are in this world, just keep our cooking common ingredients measuring units chart handy because it helps you to make sure all your recipe ingredients are measured appropriately and is useful for all varieties of ingredients such as liquid and dry ingredients. The Australian cooking measurement charts which I have provided here are easy to follow, understand, and consider approximate conversions, which makes a big difference in your cooking needs while preparing a dish and finally gives tastier results.

Why Australian recipes!? Sometimes, our taste buds even feels like tasting different kinds of tastes and textures, which is possible only when we offer different tastes from different dishes. Not to be regular, we sometimes choose to pick some other recipes from different countries. In that case, Australian recipes come in handy and also offers very good tastes. Australian recipes are perfect to understand and try hassle free. And our Australian cooking common ingredient measurement charts helps to give out yummy dishes as planned.

Since we are providing the approximate values in this post, we highly suggest you to consider these cooking measurement charts are only as a guide. We have rounded off the conversions for easy cooking purposes and may vary based on your ingredients and other factors. I could say, you must never ever cook a recipe directly on your special event or occasion, try or test your recipe before you cook on special occasion.

Tips for Beginners

Like other countries around the world, Australia even uses Standard Australian Cooking Measurements i.e. metric system of units, with a minimal difference of 2-3 teaspoons. For example: according to Australian standard units, a tea spoon is equal to 20 ml, American is 16 ml, and UK is 15 ml.

Don’t get confuse! Follow these simple tips, which are very important for your cooking needs and measurements. These simple tips also turns out your new recipe a huge hit in your special event or occasion and gains a lot of appreciation from your near and dear ones.

• According to Australian standard of cooking measurements, standard metric cup and spoon must be used and are available in kitchen ware shops and super markets.
• To measure solid ingredients, always use standard metric cups and spoons where as to measure liquid ingredients, use plastic jugs or clear glasses with metric markings.
• To do exact measurements always prefer to use flat edged utensils like knife spatula, etc. and drag across the surface of the measuring cup or spoon after you fill it with your required ingredient.
• If you are doing the above step means you are adding the extra amount of ingredient than what exactly required.
• Ensure you take the correct measurements of ingredients, which is achieved through a small practice while measuring ingredients. I.e. when you fill the measuring spoon or cup with a required ingredient, cut off the extra ingredient filled above the surface level using a flat edged utensil or knife. Such that you can take right measurements of ingredients.
• On the other hand, while taking liquid ingredient measurements just fill the measuring plastic cup or clear glass with the ingredient and place it on a table. Now check the surface level at your eye level.

That’s it! Just follow these simple tips to make sure you have taken the appropriate measurements of ingredients required for your recipe. Not only beginners, even those who are looking to try different recipes from different countries, especially Australian recipes can try out following our easy tips.

Standard Aussie Metric Cup & Spoon Sizes

Metric	Cup
50 ml	1/4 cup
80 ml	1/3 cup
120 ml	1/2 cup
250 ml	1 cup
450 ml	1 1/4 cup
500 ml	1 1/2 cup
750 ml	2 1/3 cup

 

Metric	Spoon
2.25 ml	1/2 teaspoon
1.25 ml	1/4 teaspoon
10 ml	2 teaspoons
20 ml	1 tablespoon
5 ml	1 teaspoon
2 1/2 ml	1/2 teaspoon
1 1/4 ml	1/4 teaspoon

In cooking, to see positive results we need to follow standard measurement units in every aspect either it is a solid or liquid ingredient. So, we also take weight or mass standard measurement units along with liquid standard measurement units.

Weight or Mass Measuring Units        

Metric	Imperial/Pound
10g	1/5oz
14g	1/2oz
35.5g	12z
52g	18.5z
70g	24z
150g	43z (1/4 lb)
170g	50z
205g	65.5z
225g	7oz
272g	85z (1/2 lb)
320g	97z
340g	115z
355g	130z
375g	132z (3/4 lb)
405g	13oz
455g	14oz
485g	170z
500g (1/2 kg)	185oz (1 lb)
750g	25oz (1 1/2 lb)
1kg	350z (2 lb)
1.5kg	500z (3 lb)
2kg	650z (4 lb)

Liquid Measuring Units

0.5 ml = ⅛ teaspoon

1 ml = ¼ teaspoon

2 ml = ½ teaspoon

5 ml = 1 teaspoon

15 ml = 1 tablespoon

25 ml = 2 tablespoons

30 ml= 1 fluid ounce

50 ml = 2 fluid ounces = ¼ cup

60 ml = 2 fluid ounce = 1/2 cup

75 ml = 3 fluid ounces = ⅓ cup

80 ml = 3 ½ fluid ounces = ⅓ cup

125 ml = 4 fluid ounces = ½ cup

150 ml = 5 fluid ounces = ⅔ cup

175 ml = 6 fluid ounces = ¾ cup

200 ml = 7 fluid ounces

250 ml = 8 fluid ounces = 1 cup

430 ml = 15 fluid ounces = 1 ¾ cups

500 ml = 1 pint = 2 cups

1 liter = 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups

1 ¼ L = 44 fluid ounces = 5 cups

2 L = 70 fl oz = 8 cups

Now let us talk about what are those common ingredients and how are they measured using standard measuring units.

Ingredients	Cups	Grams	Ounces
biscuit crumbs (cookie crumbs)	1 cup	112	3 3/4
breadcrumbs, dry	1 cup	120	4 1/2
breadcrumbs, soft	1 cup	55	2
choc bits	1 cup	195	6
cocoa	1 cup	115	3 3/4
cornflour (cornstarch)	1 cup	120	4 1/2
cornflakes	1 cup	32	1
coconut, desiccated	1 cup	86	2 3/4
dried split peas / lentils	1 cup	200	7
dried fruit – sultanas / currants	1 cup	165	5 3/4
dates, chopped	1 cup	155	5 1/4
jam (jelly)	1 cup	335	11 1/2
nuts, chopped	1 cup	120	4 1/2
oats, rolled	1 cup	95	3 1/4
rice bubbles (Rice Crispies)	1 cup	32	1
rice, uncooked – short grain	1 cup	200	7 1/2
rice, uncooked – long grain	1 cup	205	7
salt	1 cup	255	8 3/4
DAIRY & FATS
butter / margarine	1 cup	252	8 3/4
copha (shortening)	1 cup	255	8 3/4
cheese, grated	1 cup	120	4 1/2
sour cream	1 cup	230	7 1/2
yoghurt	1 cup	265	8 1/4
FLOURS
flour, plain / self-raising	1 cup	150	4 3/4
flour, wholemeal (whole wheat flour)	1 cup	130	4 3/4
SWEETENERS
golden syrup (corn syrup)	1 cup	362	12 3/4
honey / glucose	1 cup	365	12 3/4
sugar, brown – lightly packed	1 cup	160	5
sugar, brown – firmly packed	1 cup	210	6 1/2
sugar, caster (superfine sugar)	1 cup	225	7
sugar, icing (confectioners sugar)	1 cup	155	4 3/4
sugar, white	1 cup	220	7

I know that there is a doubt that has been roaming in your mind after knowing all these measuring units, i.e. ‘Why chefs we see in TV cooking programs do not use these standard measuring units while measuring ingredients?’ well, it’s a logical question? I could say, the chefs shown in TV cooking programs are already been with a lot of experience in measuring and judging the right amounts of ingredients without using exact measurements. But yes, they did follow the standard measuring units and procedures to do right measurements and eventually they learned measuring ingredients according to their personal judgement, which is got with their experience. They even learned and now very well experienced in repairing and adjusting the consistency of the recipe when they have balance in the mixture, using the same or other ingredients that gels with the recipe.

Therefore. I suggest you all that make sure to take right measurements of right ingredients to enjoy tasty results. Also be wise and smart while measuring ingredients to get the consistent best results. Happy cooking!