A Kitchen Conversion Chart is a must-have in every single kitchen!
Converting measurements in the kitchen is not something that comes naturally to most people. It just isn’t that easy to remember how many milliliters are in a quart, or how many tablespoons are in a ¼ cup. At least it isn’t for me, which is why we create a kitchen conversion chart for you to include in your recipe binder.
This article will discuss the importance of measuring, especially while baking, and will provide you the tools to make this an enjoyable process, and not a math exercise! With just a few key tools and a charming kitchen conversion printable, you will be enjoying time in the kitchen, whipping up amazing baked goods for your family!
Why is Measuring So Important
Measuring ingredients is incredibly important. Being willy-nilly about measurements works fine in some recipes, but can create major issues with others – especially if you are baking.
I am the queen of eyeballing the quantities and calling it good enough, but after a few disastrous situations, I realized that I had to pay more attention to what I was doing for certain recipes.
When baking, there is SCIENCE going on (I know you don’t want to hear that!). Think back to high school where, if we altered one little thing, the results of our science experiment changed completely.
That is what happens here. The results of some recipes change significantly when you use a heaping ⅓ cup vs. leveled ⅓ cup.
Difference Between Dry and Liquid Measurements
Did you know there is a difference between measuring for dry ingredients vs liquid ingredients?
Liquid ingredients – These are easy to measure. You either pour the liquid up to the line marking the correct measurement, or you don’t. There is no chance to mess that up, which I love! It is best to use something like the pyrex measuring cup for liquids.
Dry ingredients – These are a different story, and are better suited to scoops like those featured below. The best method (outside of using a scale) is to spoon your ingredients into the scoop and slide a knife across the top of the scoop to flatten out the ingredients.
Note: Don’t scrape off level if the recipe states “heaping ½ cup” or something like that. Dry ingredients can be tricky with the density of each ingredient as well which is why the pros prefer to use the scale!
Weight vs Volume Ounces
Liquids are measured in fluid ounces, denoting a volume measurement, where dry goods are measured in weight ounces. Confusing? It sure can be, which is why we created a kitchen conversion chart to help you with the most common measurements.
According to Joy of Cooking’s cookbook, when using US measurements, we use the word “ounce” to mean two different things. One ounce means 1/16th of a pound in weight and 1/16th of a pint in fluid measurements.
If I am baking, I prefer to use a scale for measuring dry goods. It is much more accurate and takes a lot of the guesswork out.
When doing a test, Taste of Home asked several Test Kitchen Cooks to measure out one cup of flour. The results ranged from 3 to 5.5 weight ounces. Try to imagine the vast difference in results when you make a batch of your favorite cookies or your Grandma’s famous Red Velvet Cake if your measurements were that far off.
Do I Need to Use a Scale
This is a tough one because you don’t have to if you are really careful measuring and use the proper tools.
If you are meticulous though, you may want to use a scale for the increased accuracy in measuring ingredients
This is the scale I actually use in my kitchen for accurate measurements. I love how the bowl is removable. I can wash it and use it again another time very easily.
Why You Should Use a Scale
To give you an idea, here is what Taste of Home provides as a reference for cups vs grams. This is a great starter reference guide when using a scale. Since it isn’t always easy to remember what the conversion is, we included them in the kitchen conversion chart below.
- All-purpose or bread flour: 1 cup = 125 grams
- Cake four: 1 cup = 140 grams
- Self-rising flour: 1 cup = 125 grams
- Whole wheat flour: 1 cup = 120 grams
- Cocoa powder: 1 cup = 85 grams
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon = 4 grams
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon = 6 grams
- Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick) = 113 grams
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup = 200 grams
- Packed brown sugar: 1 cup = 220 grams
- Confectioners‘ sugar: 1 cup = 113 grams
The Best Measuring Tools/ What is the Difference Between Liquid Measuring Cups and Dry Measuring Cups
The best measuring tools are those that measure correctly EVERY SINGLE TIME.
For dry ingredients, it is best to stick to stainless steel like these. They don’t warp or distort when washed like the plastic ones can. Bonus: they last forever!
For liquids, Pyrex has been knocking it out of the park for decades! These are 5 star review measuring cups for a reason. The accuracy will never be questioned. Bonus: they are microwave safe and last forever.
For scales, this Etekcity one is a dream, especially for the price. I love the bowl feature for this one. It detaches, which makes it easy to wash and put back on the scale. When you use a scale, place the dish on the scale FIRST, set the scale to zero and then add your ingredients.
Baking Ingredient Conversions
To make converting the most common measurements easier, we broke down our kitchen conversion chart into separate categories.
Baking Ingredient Conversions separates out the basic ingredients into cups, weight ounces and grams depending on how you intend to measure. The most common ingredients used for baking are shown, including brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, butter, cocoa, and liquids.
Kitchen Ingredient Conversions
This kitchen ingredient conversion chart takes volume measurements and converts them into many volumes that you may need. The bonus section on this one is the conversion of the oven temperatures.
You are now ready to convert just about anything in your kitchen! As long as you have the right tools, you are set up for success!
Download the Kitchen and Baking Conversion Charts
Download the Kitchen and Baking Conversion Charts.
More Kitchen Printables!
Make sure to check out the many other printables we have to get your kitchen organized!
Kitchen Swaps – coming soon
Egg Substitutions – coming soon
Kitchen Organization Binder – This binder has six pages to get your freezer, pantry and refrigerator all organized! Menu planners and shopping lists are bonuses so you don’t re-buy what you already have! This is the perfect place to put your Kitchen Conversion Chart as this will become your “go-to” binder for all things in your kitchen.
Recipe Binder – Organize all those stray recipes into a binder that allows you to divide them up and find them easily when you want to make that spinach salad you printed out four months ago! It’s all there in your organized recipe binder!
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