Tablespoons and Teaspoons: Sizes, Conversions and Measuring Tips
How many teaspoons in a tablespoon, tablespoons in a cup, and grams in a tablespoon of common ingredients, plus how to measure spoonfuls accurately.
Small measurements cause a surprising number of baking problems. A little too much salt, baking soda or cornstarch is easy to taste or see. Here is everything you need for spoon measurements.
The basic conversions (US)
| Measure | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons, about 14.8 ml |
| 1/8 cup | 2 tablespoons |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons |
If you are missing a 1/3 or 2/3 cup measure, these spoon equivalents are exact.
Use measuring spoons, not cutlery
The spoons in a cutlery drawer vary widely in size and are not a reliable substitute for measuring spoons. A "teaspoon" from a set of cutlery can hold noticeably more or less than a true 5 ml teaspoon.
How to measure a level spoonful
- Dip the spoon into the ingredient and lift it out heaped.
- Sweep a straight edge, such as the back of a knife, across the top.
- For leaveners that clump, stir the container first, or press out lumps.
For liquids, fill the spoon to the brim while holding it level, and measure over a separate bowl so any overflow does not end up in your batter.
Grams per tablespoon of common ingredients
A tablespoon of a heavy ingredient weighs a lot more than a tablespoon of a light one:
- Table salt: about 18 g
- Honey: about 21 g
- Butter: about 14 g
- Granulated sugar: about 12.5 g
- All-purpose flour: about 7.5 g
- Cocoa powder: about 5.3 g
Salt is the big one
Different salts have very different crystal sizes, so a spoonful of each weighs a different amount. Fine table salt packs tightly, while flaky or coarse kosher salt leaves large air gaps. A teaspoon of table salt can be roughly twice as salty as a teaspoon of flaky kosher salt. If a recipe names a specific salt, use it, or convert by weight. See our table salt chart.
Australian tablespoons are bigger
An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml (four teaspoons) instead of about 15 ml. If you are following an Australian recipe with US spoons, add an extra teaspoon for each tablespoon. Our guide to cup sizes around the world covers this in more detail.