What this calculator does
Turn grams into cups, or cups into grams, for everyday cooking ingredients. Recipes from different places measure in different ways. A European cake recipe lists 250 g of flour, an American one asks for 2 cups, and your scale shows ounces. Switching between weight and volume isn't one fixed number, like inches to centimeters. That's because a cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of honey. What links the two is the ingredient's density: how many grams fill one cup.
This converter knows typical densities for fourteen everyday ingredients. For anything else, you can enter your own value. Choose the ingredient, enter the amount, and pick the units to convert from and to. It handles weight to volume and volume to weight. It also does plain conversions within one kind, such as teaspoons to tablespoons or ounces to grams, where density doesn't matter.
Where it's used
Why this math matters outside the classroom:
- Flour by weight. At about 125 g per cup of all-purpose flour, 250 g of flour is about 2 cups.
- Why density matters. A cup holds about 200 g of granulated sugar but only about 125 g of flour, so 200 g fills different amounts.
- Butter by the spoon. With a cup of butter at about 227 g, one tablespoon, 1/16 of a cup, weighs about 14 g.
- Following recipes. Home cooks convert a recipe written in grams into cups when they don't own a kitchen scale.
- Consistent batches. Bakeries convert cup-based family recipes into grams so every batch comes out the same.
Grade level and standards: Grade 6; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 6.RP.A.3.d. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
How to use it
- Choose the ingredient. If it isn't listed, choose Custom density and enter how many grams one level US cup of it weighs.
- Enter the amount from your recipe and the unit it's given in.
- Choose the unit you want. The answer appears right away. For cups and spoons, you also get a handy kitchen fraction. You'll see the density used, and a table showing the same amount in every unit.
What the inputs mean
- Ingredient
- Each listed ingredient has a typical grams-per-cup value. These are common kitchen reference figures, not lab measurements, and your own cup may differ.
- Grams per US cup
- The easiest way to find this is to spoon the ingredient into a measuring cup, level it off and weigh it. Nutrition labels sometimes give a gram weight for part of a cup, which you can scale up.
- Amount
- Any amount of zero or more. Decimals are fine: 0.75 cup or 42.5 g.
Formula and method
cups = grams ÷ (grams per cup) grams = cups × (grams per cup) 1 US cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 236.5882365 mL 1 oz = 28.349523125 g; 1 lb = 453.59237 g
Every conversion goes through grams on the weight side and US cups on the volume side. First, the amount is turned into grams or cups using exact unit values. Next, the ingredient's density links the two sides. Finally, the result is turned into the unit you asked for.
The density is the only estimated number along the way. The values for the cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, ounce and pound are all exact official definitions.
Worked example
A recipe calls for 250 g of all-purpose flour, and you only have measuring cups.
- All-purpose flour is taken as about 125 g per US cup, spooned in and leveled.
- Divide the weight by the density: 250 g ÷ 125 g per cup = 2 cups.
Result: 250 g of all-purpose flour is about 2 US cups. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag would pack in more.
Understanding the result
Treat the answer as a good starting point rather than an exact amount. For bread and cakes, where the amount of flour matters most, a kitchen scale takes out the guesswork completely.
The fraction note rounds to the nearest common kitchen measure: eighths, quarters and thirds. That's usually how you'd actually measure it.
Assumptions and limitations
- Cups, tablespoons and teaspoons are US measures. A metric cup (250 mL) is about 5.7% larger, and older British and Australian spoons differ too.
- Dry ingredients are spooned into the cup and leveled, unless the ingredient note says otherwise. Brown sugar is firmly packed.
- Water is taken as exactly 1 g per mL. Other liquids use their typical density.
- How you fill the cup matters. Scooped flour can weigh 10–20% more than spooned flour, and sifting makes it lighter still.
- Brands and types differ. Kosher and flaky salts weigh far less per cup than fine table salt. Chopped nuts depend on how finely they're chopped.
- Ounces here are weight ounces. Fluid ounces are a separate volume unit, listed on their own.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in a cup of flour?
About 125 g for all-purpose flour that's spooned into the cup and leveled. Scooping the cup into the bag squashes the flour down and can give 140–150 g. That's enough to make a cake dense or cookies dry.
Why does a cup of sugar weigh more than a cup of flour?
Sugar crystals pack together closely, with little air between them. Flour is a fluffy powder full of air. So the same cup holds about 200 g of granulated sugar but only about 125 g of flour.
Are fluid ounces and ounces the same thing?
No. A fluid ounce measures volume (1/8 of a US cup). A weight ounce measures mass (1/16 of a pound). They only line up for water and similar liquids, where 1 fl oz weighs about 1.04 oz.
Can I use this for a metric or UK cup?
The cup here is the US cup of 236.59 mL. For a 250 mL metric cup, convert to milliliters first and divide by 250. Or set the unit you want to mL and measure with a metric jug.
How this calculator is checked
Method: Exact US customary and avoirdupois unit definitions (cup = 1/16 US gallon; lb = 0.45359237 kg); typical kitchen densities for each ingredient. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.
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