Here in the United States, we use the imperial system of measurement. It’s everywhere from the odometer in your car to the measuring cups in your kitchen. Yes, those teaspoons and tablespoons are all part of this system, too.
While we find the imperial system familiar as part of our culinary culture, it is not a common system for the rest of the world. In fact, only three countries continue to use this system of measurement: the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar. So what is the rest of the world using?
The Metric System
The rest of the world uses the metric system, which is a decimal system based on multiples of 10. While many Americans haven’t used the metric system since high school math or chemistry class, it remains a simpler system that’s much more accurate. For culinary purposes, this measurement system uses liters and grams in place of cups, ounces, pints, and so on.
While the metric system has gained more traction in the United States, even appearing on food packaging, the traditional imperial system of measurement continues to be the to go-to for most non-business or science-related activities, including home cooking. So when your international recipe calls for 15 milliliters of salt, what do you do? You can turn to this handy English-Metric system conversion table for basic equivalents.
US to Metric Volume Conversions
|
US Customary Quantity (English) |
Metric Equivalent |
|
1 teaspoon |
5 mL |
|
1 tablespoon |
15 mL |
|
2 tablespoons |
30 mL |
|
1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces |
60 mL |
|
1/3 cup |
80 mL |
|
1/2 cup or 4 fluid ounces |
125 mL |
|
2/3 cup |
160 mL |
|
3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces |
180 mL |
|
1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or 1/2 pint |
250 mL |
|
1 ½ cup or 12 fluid ounces |
375 mL |
|
2 cups or 1 pint or 16 fluid ounces |
500 mL |
|
3 cups or 1 ½ pints |
700 mL |
|
4 cups or 2 pints or 1 quart |
950 mL |
|
4 quarts or 1 gallon |
3.8 L |
|
1 ounce |
28 grams |
|
1/4 lb. (4 ounces) |
112 grams |
|
1/2 lb. (8 ounces) |
225 grams |
|
3/4 lb. (12 ounces) |
337 grams |
|
1 lb. (16 ounces) |
450 grams |
US to Metric Weight Conversions
| US Customary Quantity (English) | Metric Equivalent |
| 1 ounce | 28 grams |
| 4 ounces or 1/4 lb. | 113 grams |
| 1/3 lb. | 150 grams |
| 8 ounces or ½ lb. | 230 grams |
| 2/3 lb. | 300 grams |
| 12 ounces or ¾ lb. | 340 grams |
| 16 ounces or 1 lb. | 450 grams |
| 32 ounces or 2 lbs. | 900 grams |