A quick reference for the volume measures every cook needs — how teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, and the rest relate, with metric equivalents alongside.
| Measure | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons |
| 1 fluid ounce | 2 tablespoons |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tbsp (12 tsp) |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tbsp (4 fl oz) |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp (8 fl oz) |
| 1 pint | 2 cups (16 fl oz) |
| 1 quart | 2 pints (4 cups) |
| 1 gallon | 4 quarts (16 cups) |
| 1 stick butter | 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) |
Metric quick reference: 1 tsp is about 5 ml, 1 tbsp about 15 ml, and 1 cup about 237 ml.
FAQ
Do kitchen measurement conversions differ between US and metric recipes? Yes, meaningfully. A US cup, tablespoon, and teaspoon are all defined differently than their metric or imperial UK counterparts, so converting a recipe between systems needs the correct conversion factor rather than assuming units with the same name are equal.
Convert between systems with the Cooking Measurement Converter in the cooking calculators.